As much as I hate to say it, from the start I said the Poms and I still think they may do it. All depends on how the Aussies perform & what their discipline is like. In the past few years, it aint been good and you cannot afford to give penalties away to England, because Wilko is undoubtedly the best kicker in today’s rugby. However with that in mind, if Australia can defend like they did against the All Blacks and stay disciplined, I can’t see England scoring many points. Australia (like all southern hemisphere sides have shown), show invention, good running rugby and the ability to break through defences to score tries. Although their handling still wasn’t brilliant against the All Blacks, if they can improve that, they could beat England on Saturday. I certainly hope so but I have this niggly feeling that England still haven’t performed in this World Cup, and that they are saving it for the final - against the Aussies! It’s a tight call, but I hope the Auusies can pull it off! (So I can rib my colleagues next week) [;)]
Hi Connull
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(So I can rib my colleagues next week)
I think you almost have a monopoly on this from the Aussie-English perspective (even flippin’ football) - time for it to be spread around I hope!
Hi Guys, Am pretty new to watching a rugby match, but found it quite interesting watching this world cup. I was pretty amazed at the way this Wilkinson guy kicks goals relentlesly, but I am just curious whether is it so difficult to kick a rugby ball between 2 poles “especially for footballing nations like England and France”…I am sure the England team could include a David Beckham in the rubgy team and he could deliver the goods as well… My prediction-- England is going to defeat Australia if the weather does not improve in Sydney…and its going to be Wilkinson again…
I think Beckham thought he WAS trying to score a rugby goal when he took that penalty in Istanbul…
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Originally posted by CMDunbar
As much as I hate to say it, from the start I said the Poms and I still think they may do it. All depends on how the Aussies perform & what their discipline is like. In the past few years, it aint been good and you cannot afford to give penalties away to England, because Wilko is undoubtedly the best kicker in today’s rugby. However with that in mind, if Australia can defend like they did against the All Blacks and stay disciplined, I can’t see England scoring many points. Australia (like all southern hemisphere sides have shown), show invention, good running rugby and the ability to break through defences to score tries. Although their handling still wasn’t brilliant against the All Blacks, if they can improve that, they could beat England on Saturday. I certainly hope so but I have this niggly feeling that England still haven’t performed in this World Cup, and that they are saving it for the final - against the Aussies! It’s a tight call, but I hope the Auusies can pull it off! (So I can rib my colleagues next week) [;)]
Well, I can’t believe no one has resurected this topic… Would it be permissable to gloat???
Gloating, cheering, calling the aussies LOOOOOOOOSERS!! (making an L shape thing with your hand and putting it to your head is also a good one!) These are all permissable… Hell i’ve been doing it since full time saturday… Lets knight the lot of them… Wilkinson for BBC sports personality of the year… COME ON!!!
Remember you poms, you’ve only one it once. Australia have one it twice and both times were in the UK!!! Incidentally, I assume you all forgot about the rugby leagues ashes tour that has just happened in this country?!!?!? Australia beat GB 3-0 with apparently their worst side ever! English press slated the Aussies saying this is the worst side ever, and now, I don’t read anything about the tour. Funny that! I can live with England winning the world cup, because I know Australia will improve their standards to make sure they win it back in four years time. This country would’ve slated it’s team and money would not have been invested back into the sport.
Hi Connull it seems like a FULL reversal of the norm: VICTORIOUS POMS WHINGING AUSSIES [:D] Let us have our five minutes of glory please - you have had it in most sports over us for more years than I care to remember.
I aint whinging, just reminding you to not get too excited - because we’ll be back! No comments on the rugby league though?!?!
Couldn’t even tell you the difference between the two rule sets to be honest. I didn’t see the game, feel a certain amount of happiness that we won something, but I wasn’t going to pretend to be a fan of something for one day. Still Connull, for someone who’s usually such a cheerful chap…[;)]
Hi Connull Were you whinging about not whinging there? Anyway with the Rugby League code Australia are the world champions and the margins were quite slim. We are also entering a confusing area as “Great Britain” lost to Australia - does that mean I can blame the non-English participants? Whereas little old England (Gawd bless 'er) won the Union world cup. Do you think the Americans have any idea what we are talking about? [:D]
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Do you think the Americans have any idea what we are talking about?
Well, at least the shape of the ball and the fact that it’s predominantly played by handling rather than kicking the ball should give them some familiarity… On the other hand, having more than one country participate in the world championship for it might throw them…
I remember when the Toronto Blue Jays won the world series in the 1990’s massive outcry at the injustice of it! [;)]
Hi! I have just come back from a week off. I would just like to say… Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorrrayyyy!! [:D][:D][:D]
Steven,
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Were you whinging about not whinging there?
Very funny! [;)]
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Anyway with the Rugby League code Australia are the world champions and the margins were quite slim. We are also entering a confusing area as “Great Britain” lost to Australia - does that mean I can blame the non-English participants?
Correct! GB lost to Australia, and no you can’t blame any of the non-English participants! [}:)]
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Whereas little old England (Gawd bless 'er) won the Union world cup.
Do you realise the population difference between the two countries (Australia and England)?!? Australia has a tiny population compared to England and that is why it’s amazing that such a wonderful place win’s sooo many sporting events! Look at our swimmers in the Olympics (and Commonwealth Games) - we take on a country like the USA (which incidently is slightly larger surface area, but hugely larger with regards to population), and we win loads of gold medals!!! Getting back to rugby though, people say to me - “but they only play rugby league up north”. So what. I remember as a kid in Brisbane, that rugby league was definately more popular than rugby union and we only played rugby union at private (what you call over here - public) schools! I am happy English people have something to cheer about. But what I will say is don’t get to comfortable because be aware that Australia is preparing (and has been since that final whistle), to win it back! [;)]
Connull - won’t make a blind bit of difference. Not retaining the footie world cup in 1970 or ever winning it back hasn’t stopped us banging on about our one moment of glory, has it?
Mmmm, I don’t know if that’s true. [?] Yes, it was a proud day and english football fans do talk about it sometimes - but they are more upset that they can’t win it back (or win the Euro Championship Cup).
I’m not saying the lack of glory since isn’t a problem, but we still talk about 1966 a lot. Even me. And I wasn’t born for another 12 years.
Hi Connull I never said anything about population - I was naturally referring to land mass [;)]
Exactly Steven - which is unfair as it’s people that play the game (or sport), not land mass! [;)]