RWC 2015 Final - Australia v New Zealand, Twickenham, Sunday 1 November, 3:00 AEDT

[boyo]

Anyone understand why this is being played at 4pm local time, and not say 7pm or 8pm?

4pm means it clashes with English Premier League games, which you'd think would cost viewers, and obviously it's going to cost millions of viewers in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia being played in the middle of the night.

Soccer...pfft

 

[Dewald Nel]

Soccer.pfft

Yeah the 5 EPL viewers in all of Oz and NZ combined will be very disappointed.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

I have noted Dismal's absence from these forums. I have a horrible feeling that his new avatar, that I forced him to adopt after he lost the bet, has stifled all creativity and flair. Much like it stifled all the creativity and flair of the Auckland Blues

haha, as if bro. neither me nor the fuckhead Blues had any of it to start with.
nah, I've said my piece a coupla times in this thread, Grin & Goad Rugby just not my scene sorry

 

[Marcelo]

The wonderful thing about this is that could be the biggest win in the history of Australian Rugby.

So doesn't matter if the ABs win 35 Bledisloe Cups in a row. Nothing is bigger than this final

 

[Groucho]

Unfortunately we haven't done ourselves any favours. That Richety Grub stuff was uncalled for and incredibly disrespectful. Its one thing to joke amongst mates, but to put something like that in a national newspaper is out of line. Not a proud moment as an Australian.

On a more upbeat note, how proud does Chieka and the team make you feel at the moment. They are handling themselves with the humility and decorum of champions - a far cry from what we have been dealing with as fans in recent years.

Australian mainstream rugby journos are dreadful. With a few exceptions they veer between death-riding the Wallabies, and bogan antagonism when we're in the running to win something.

At least Kiwi mainstream rugby journos are consistently bumptious.

 

[Omar Comin']

Yeah the 5 EPL viewers in all of Oz and NZ combined will be very disappointed.

I was referring more to the hundreds of thousands of people in England that attend English soccer games (not just the Premier League) between 3 - 5pm on Saturdays. And the many more who watch streams of the games, listen to commentary on Radio or follow the scores on shows that cover it (all the matches that kick off at 3pm on Saturday's are not televised live in the UK, but millions follow them in some form or another).

Seems bizarre to schedule the RWC final to clash with this when there's basically clear sporting air later on. I have a mate that works in sports media in London and he just told me he thinks it's stupid and it should have been at 8pm.

 

[Bullrush]

I'm avoiding most social media right now when it comes to the final. Apparently plenty of our Kiwi cousins think it's in the bag and that all the AB's need to do is show up to collect the trophy. I'll bet Hansen and co. aren't thinking that.

Agree - neither are any of the AB fans who actually follow the game. As I said previously, I think the ABs are man-for-man better the Wallabies and as a unit, a better team BUT anything can happen on Sunday morning and only idiots think an AB win (or a Wallaby win for that matter) is a sure thing.

It is, but I don't mind it happening on a page like that. I just find it irksome that we can't be positive about our own team on the Wallabies page without being mass trolled.

I don't know that there has been any trolling on this thread has there? Definitely no 'mass' trolling - not IMO anyway. If anything, it's come how busy plumbers in NZ will be this week and how worried AB fans are.

 

[boyo]

Those long passes to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) were things of beauty - he didn't have to slow-down to catch them (as it should be).

 

[qwerty51]

I think the ABs are man-for-man better the Wallabies

Wait, you actually believe NZ has better players 1 to 23 in all positions?

 

[Bullrush]

Wait, you actually believe NZ has better plays 1 to 23 in all positions?

No. Not every position but most of them - that's what I actually meant. Poorly worded by me.

 

[boyo]

The Wobs have played more matches at Twickenham lately than the NZRT, and it is not Eden Park (so no home-ground advantage for the NZRT).

 

[qwerty51]

The Wobs have played more matches at Twickenham lately than the NZRT, and it is not Eden Park (so no home-ground advantage for the NZRT).

I believe they have played more than England has ever in a 5 week period.

It's like a second home by now.

I've often thought the UK counties are at a disadvantage by playing all their Tests in one venue, when you get beat there so often it's hard to get that 'spiritual' home you get at Eden Park, Suncorp, Ellis Park etc.

 

[boyo]

Some supporters of the NZRT are being chippy - it's as though the match is already in the bag.

 

[Scotty]

Some supporters of the NZRT are being chippy - it's as though the match is already in the bag.

I reckon they are actually just hiding their anxiety.

For NZ this is a game to lose. For Aus it is a game we have the chance to win.

It must be very hard going into a game you are expected to win, against an opposition you have dominated but are on a very steep improvement kerb.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

When time do the teams have to be announced by?

 

[qwerty51]

3am Friday.

 

[Groucho]

No. Not every position but most of them - that's what I actually meant. Poorly worded by me.

I see it as quite even, on form:

Scott Sio vs. Joe Moody AUS
Stephen Moore vs. Dane Coles EVEN
Sekope Kepu vs. Owen Franks AUS
Kane Douglas vs. Brodie Retallick NZ
Rob Simmons vs. Sam Whitelock NZ
Scott Fardy vs. Jerome Kaino AUS
Michael Hooper vs. Richie McCaw EVEN
David Pocock vs. Kieran Read AUS
Will Genia vs. Aaron Smith NZ
Bernard Foley vs. Dan Carter EVEN
Drew Mitchell vs. Julian Savea NZ
Matt Giteau vs. Ma'a Nonu NZ
Tevita Kuridrani vs. Conrad Smith EVEN
Adam Ashley-Cooper vs. Nehe Milner-Skudder EVEN
Isreal Folau vs. Ben Smith NZ

Aus 4 vs. NZ 6. Would be 5-5 if Folau was at his best.

Tatafu Polota-Nau vs. Keven Mealamu AUS
James Slipper vs. Ben Franks EVEN
Greg Holmes vs. Charlie Faumuina EVEN
Dean Mumm vs. Victor Vito EVEN
Sean McMahon vs. Sam Cane EVEN
Nick Phipps vs. Tawera Kerr-Barlow EVEN
Matt To'omua vs. Beauden Barrett EVEN
Kurtley Beale vs. Sonny Bill Williams EVEN

Aus 1 vs. NZ 0

Michael Cheika vs. Steve Hansen EVEN

I might have that NZ team wrong, but that looks like a likely Wobs.

 

[Joe Blow]

The wonderful thing about this is that could be the biggest win in the history of Australian Rugby.

So doesn't matter if the ABs win 35 Bledisloe Cups in a row. Nothing is bigger than this final

Unless we lose and then win the Bled next year

 

[dru]

@Bullrush, I don't know how it may have happened buddy, but you do understand this is an Aussie site that you have blundered into, don't you? If you are looking for some kind of "rational" expose that Kiwis are better, right now Australia just isn't the place to look for it. We're excited to be in the RWC final, and no we are not going to sit back supporting the Saint Sir Richy blinkers, no matter how rational that may seem to you.

Yes I get the sporting hugeness of the ABs being ranked no 1 since the year 1064, and the fact that the Bledisloe is an unimportant piece of permanent jewelry in NZ. Do you get that we Aussies might have different thoughts?

@Groucho. Love your work brother. But as no Kiwi can say it I will. Your graphic is offensive. No I'm not being cheeky or funny, just factual. Offensive. And no Im not a Kiwi, don't have any Kiwi relations. There are at least some Aussies who don't think it's clever, don't think it's funny, hell, I don't even think it's original.

@Gr&G, sorry for the rant. Let's get back to rugby.

 

[Groucho]

@Bullrush, I don't know how it may have happened buddy, but you do understand this is an Aussie site that you have blundered into, don't you? If you are looking for some kind of "rational" expose that Kiwis are better, right now Australia just isn't the place to look for it. We're excited to be in the RWC final, and no we are not going to sit back supporting the Saint Sir Richy blinkers, no matter how rational that may seem to you.

Yes I get the sporting hugeness of the ABs being ranked no 1 since the year 1064, and the fact that the Bledisloe is an unimportant piece of permanent jewelry in NZ. Do you get that we Aussies might have different thoughts?

@Groucho. Love your work brother. But as no Kiwi can say it I will. Your graphic is offensive. No I'm not being cheeky or funny, just factual. Offensive. And no Im not a Kiwi, don't have any Kiwi relations. There are at least some Aussies who don't think it's clever, don't think it's funny, hell, I don't even think it's original.

@Gr&G, sorry for the rant. Let's get back to rugby.

No, it's not original. It's from Green & Gold Rugby's "Rooting Proudly" T-Shirt.