RWC Pool of Death / Choke Matches

[mark_s]

I think boks v samoa will be real close. Played at north harbour stadium it will effectively be a home game for the samoans. Thats the difference for the boks this time round, they have a hard pool on paper, but when you overlay the fact that the crowds are going to be heavily biased against them they will do very well to get out of their pool undefeated. I think they will top their pool but I also think the scars from doing so may limit the boks ability to progress deep into the tournament.

 

[undercoverkiwi]

I think boks v samoa will be real close. Played at north harbour stadium it will effectively be a home game for the samoans. Thats the difference for the boks this time round, they have a hard pool on paper, but when you overlay the fact that the crowds are going to be heavily biased against them they will do very well to get out of their pool undefeated. I think they will top their pool but I also think the scars from doing so may limit the boks ability to progress deep into the tournament.

There's rather a few South Africans living on the North Shore of Auckland.

 

[PaarlBok]

I think boks v samoa will be real close. Played at north harbour stadium it will effectively be a home game for the samoans. Thats the difference for the boks this time round, they have a hard pool on paper, but when you overlay the fact that the crowds are going to be heavily biased against them they will do very well to get out of their pool undefeated. I think they will top their pool but I also think the scars from doing so may limit the boks ability to progress deep into the tournament.

Part of me hope we dont top our pool. Would love to see a Bok vs All Blacks dream finallie. Anyway WC's or S100 is about worry about the next game, vokkol further then that. One game at a time. Wales is the next one for us and I dont feel confident at all.

 

[undercoverkiwi]

Part of me hope we dont top our pool. Would love to see a Bok vs All Blacks dream finallie. Anyway WC's or S100 is about worry about the next game, vokkol further then that. One game at a time. Wales is the next one for us and I dont feel confident at all.

Neither do the majority of Welsh fans I know. Many of them are writing off their chances purely because they have never (?) beaten you before. Which I think is mad.

I reckon they could give you some trouble but you're still very healthy favourites for it. I'd say they're slightly more likely to beat you than Ireland are to beat Australia. Neither are safe bets though. Ditto us and the Froggies.

 

[Jay]

Neither do the majority of Welsh fans I know. Many of them are writing off their chances purely because they have never (?) beaten you before.

Once, I think. Under Henry(?).

 

[undercoverkiwi]

Once, I think. Under Henry(?).

Yeah, rings a bell, 1999, first game at teh MillStad perhaps?

Maybe it's never beaten them away from home?

 

[Blue]

We have a tough pool, no doubt about it. Not worried about resting players though. We have had plenty. The last thing our players need now is another 2 weeks off. Most will get off against Namibia, but in the rest there will only be minor rotation. There in a row, and then some rest is fine. We got our scares in 2007 and won't take anybody lightly again. We will probably scrape through against Wales and Samoa (if they can play for 80 minutes - the Wallabies did not test them and the forwards were not hammered). I am not convinced about Samoa until I see someone get back in their face. Historically against us they fold in the forwards when they get it back in spades.

Ireland has been woeful but they get up for World Cup games against Australia. They will come hammer and thong in the forwards and play negative rugby. They know its their only chance. It's a potential banana skin for the Wallabies. Very hard to play against.

Frogs v Blecks will tell us if the evil black horde can win Bill.

 

[matty_k]

You can't choke in the pools.

Exactly. Choking only occurs in the knock out stages. In '07 both NZ and Aust. chocked in the quarters.
For games outside of the RWC finals they are usually called shock losses or similar.

 

[PaarlBok]

Exactly. Choking only occurs in the knock out stages. In '07 both NZ and Aust. chocked in the quarters.
For games outside of the RWC finals they are usually called shock losses or similar.

The scary part of this pool choking is that no team have ever won the WC after a pool choke. Can always be a first time.

 

[undercoverkiwi]

We have a tough pool, no doubt about it. Not worried about resting players though. We have had plenty. The last thing our players need now is another 2 weeks off. Most will get off against Namibia, but in the rest there will only be minor rotation. There in a row, and then some rest is fine. We got our scares in 2007 and won't take anybody lightly again. We will probably scrape through against Wales and Samoa (if they can play for 80 minutes - the Wallabies did not test them and the forwards were not hammered). I am not convinced about Samoa until I see someone get back in their face. Historically against us they fold in the forwards when they get it back in spades.

Ireland has been woeful but they get up for World Cup games against Australia. They will come hammer and thong in the forwards and play negative rugby. They know its their only chance. It's a potential banana skin for the Wallabies. Very hard to play against.

Frogs v Blecks will tell us if the evil black horde can win Bill.

Don't agree with that bit. I think even if France do play their top taem the performance will matter bugger all when it comes to knockout time.

 

[matty_k]

The scary part of this pool choking is that no team have ever won the WC after a pool choke. Can always be a first time.

Probably because they have had to play a virtual final in the last pool match to make the quarters and those that lose in the last but still make have to try and regroup in a final. Incredibly hard thing to do.

 

[PaarlBok]

Probably because they have had to play a virtual final in the last pool match to make the quarters and those that lose in the last but still make have to try and regroup in a final. Incredibly hard thing to do.

England came pretty close.

 

[Jay]

England came pretty close.

Twice. They weren't disgraced in either the 91 or 07 final.

 

[ChargerWA]

I doubt Samoa will trouble the Boks much. The Boks are much less susceptible to their forwards not turning up. They will blow Samoa away imo.

 

[whatty]

I think by lucky he means that you won a RWC by playing England (twice), Samoa, Fiji, and Argentina. You didn't play anoyone that was very good.

You make your own luck though. Thrashing England in the pool was the path to glory.

Oh you mean like beating Fiji, Italy, Argentina, and then Scotland, Wales then France.

Wow must have been tough at home.

 

[Jay]

Oh you mean like beating Fiji, Italy, Argentina, and then Scotland, Wales then France.

Wow must have been tough at home.

If the ranking system had been in use France, Scotland & Wales would have been 3, 4 & 7 back in 87.