RWC 2011 France or England? (If we make the semis.)

[waves]

In the wet conditions of New Zealand definately England. Big pack, great set piece, great kicker game / kicking options could be the dark horse of the competition.

 

[qwerty51]

All it takes is one loss. There is every chance Italy could beat Ireland. That will bring our whole RWC in jeopardy. It's all a possibility.

That would take two losses, who really cares who we play in the quarters, if it's SA we have to beat them at some stage..

 

[Groucho]

Let's be honest here. Every Wallaby supporter who watched the 2003 final and the 2007 QF is carrying mental scars from these games. Holy shit, I know I am. Losing to England is a fate worse than death.

England are our Bogey team. We are polar opposites in how we approach the game. English love the confrontation of the forward packs. While, otoh, every Aussie forward is a back whose body grew too big and slow to let them play in their preferred backline position.

Beating England is never a given. Yet, having said all that, I do want to play them in the semis. Why? So we can hopefully finally dish out some payback for all those years of hurt. But goddamn it, the Aussie forwards had better do it, because you might find my body floating in a river somewhere if we lose for a third time.

Good attitude Rebel raiser! Payback time. 3-0 with a Ben Alexander drop goal in extra time would do me. A 45-5 rout would do me even better.

Of course, it all depends on the forwards.

 

[REDinCPT]

That would take two losses, who really cares who we play in the quarters, if it's SA we have to beat them at some stage..

i wouldn't be so sure about having to play the safas, that group is so unpredictable we could potentially end up playing fiji in the quarters.

 

[Riptide]

France under Lievremont are abysmal. They have great talent, but selection policies have neutered any semblance of cohesion, and it's not a happy camp.

England just arent that good. Watch the following on youtube; it's the entire game effectively vs Ireland and Ireland just dominated England so thoroughly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFp6_O1DsEE&feature=related.

Keep in mind that England are going for the Grand Slam here; it was a huge game for them. Johnson had been hammering home all week that Ireland would be a bastard to beat, knowing that the Irish had beaten England 7 of the last 8 times they played since 2003. England were drummed.

On the basis of that game, I'd be much more worried about Ireland (and I'm really not that worried about Ireland)

 

[Gagger]

That was Ireland at home against England. If we're not wearing white shirts in Dublin, don't worry about it.

 

[Riptide]

That was Ireland at home against England. If we're not wearing white shirts in Dublin, don't worry about it.

I will lose no sleep before playing Ireland, for sure.

Likewise, England have revealed themselves to be no great shakes away from Twickenham. Everyone should rest easy.

 

[Athilnaur]

I will lose no sleep before playing Ireland, for sure.

Likewise, England have revealed themselves to be no great shakes away from Twickenham. Everyone should rest easy.

I'll rest easy if and when Bill is in Rocky's luggage for the Qantas flight back home

 

[Rev Spooner]

The Poms worry me - the way they beat us at Twickenham last year was incredible. They played with flair/speed and was probably the most exciting performance by an English side I've ever seen. I hope we come up against them so we can gain some revenge from the last 2 WCs - if you can't beat every side in the WC then you don't deserve to win.

 

[Apostle]

On paper, we are a far superior team to England, but they still give me the fear - they really do seem to be our bogey team. I'm definitely scarred after living in the UK during the 2003 WC (and the Ashes loss a couple of years later). Yes, it is a great generalisation, but England supporters are terrible, gloating winners. They are now the one team that I really relish beating, and hate hate hate losing to.

I'd been more confident facing France, but it would be far more satisfying to face England and give them a serious beating (and work over their scrum).

 

[RedsHappy]

The Poms worry me - the way they beat us at Twickenham last year was incredible. They played with flair/speed and was probably the most exciting performance by an English side I've ever seen. I hope we come up against them so we can gain some revenge from the last 2 WCs - if you can't beat every side in the WC then you don't deserve to win.

The big development in England 2010+ is: their backs have not only gotten better, but, in parallel, lights seem to have gone on wrt England's approach to coaching them, and the dynamism and quality of their attack has markedly improved - see, for example, Sydney 2010 Test. It was not just Giteau's lamentable kicking that did us in there, it was, more so, our complacency in neither expecting nor preparing for a successful set of forays by England's backs. We'd convinced ourselves England's backs were leaden and unimaginative. And we saw more smart work by their backs at Twickenham, though their forwards and our low-on-testosterone forwards stole the show that day.

They are potentially a very powerful side, and if our forwards do not improve markedly over the early 2011 showings, they could well do us in again this year. The notion that 'away from England' they will be easy beats for the Wallabies is - let's be polite - mistaken.

 

[sudrugby]

The last rumours for our starting team were for the backs... Yachvili, Trinh Duc, Palisson, Mermoz, Marty, Huget, Traille
How do you want to beat England with that?
Even if I'm a frog, I can't see us beating the Poms, boogey team as well for France.

 

[disco]

Lets not forget that our forward pack blasted the English off the paddock in 2008 & 2009 @ Twickers.

2010 we had plenty of key forwards Injured & a backline in transition.

Quade being asked to make 20 tackle attempts as Deans refused to hide him, JOC (James O'Connor) taking over the kicking duties from a very out of form Giteau.

With all their dominance they crossed the tryline twice & one try was a length of the field effort which some could argue should have been called back for a penalty as the ball was played on the ground by an English tackler.

 

[DPK]

I'll rest easy if and when Bill is in Rocky's luggage for the Qantas flight back home

He'd probably lose it or eat it or something, I'll rest when it's at home.

...in Sydney.

 

[light]

Has anyone actually considered that England might not top their group. It's a bit of a long-shot but you'd have to have to big balls to write off Argentina, a team that is consistently getting better. We could be looking at the possibility of New Zealand knocking out the Poms before we even get close to playing them, that and the Puma's would be up against France..

I'm assuming the winner of Group A plays second place in group B and vice versa.

 

[disco]

Well the poms have to play the Argies & Scotland who are both tough opponents.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'll be at the England v. Scotland game and will be cheering by nuts off for the Scots.

 

[Braveheart.]

I'll be at the England v. Scotland game and will be cheering by nuts off for the Scots.

Wearing a kilt I hope...

 

[Jnor]

I was sitting in an English pub in Nov in '03.

I. HATE. THEM.

07 in a London pub for me. Same conclusion.

 

[RugbyReg]

at home on the couch for 03, possibly the same for 07.

Still hate them. I don't think the venue comes into it.