55 Comments

• 1.TheTackler:
  19 Oct 2011, 09:39 am

  Structures schmuctures… just play the usual AB game and nobody can stop you.

• 2.hendrikp:
  19 Oct 2011, 09:45 am

  Jeez how many times is this going to be repeated.

  I think most SA supporters don’t give a flying F.

  Where is the CC coverage?

• 3.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  19 Oct 2011, 09:45 am

  it would be a little funny if the kiwis blow it this time.

  can’t see it though

  kiwis by 12

• 4.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  19 Oct 2011, 09:46 am

  @hendrikp(hendrikp)-2:

  i agree, personally I’ll be watching “deal or no deal” at the same time on channel 120.

  

• 5.Helen:
  19 Oct 2011, 09:56 am

  It will be the biggest choke EVER if the kiwis lose this one.
  Ryan’s vid is boring and dull, much like the back of a rusted soup spoon

• 6.stormersboy:
  19 Oct 2011, 10:02 am

  Ho Hum……

  Not all that interrested to be honest.

  Good luck to all..

  Will be watching if I’m in the vicinity of a TV, but unlikely.

• 7.dquinn25:
  19 Oct 2011, 10:42 am

  Wrong! The French in 1999 were good were they? I remember them struggling badly before and during the tournament before they played NZ, furthermore that was a better NZ team in 1999 than this current one! It would be a travesty if France became champions though, mind you its a travesty that they are in the final full stop! Bad bad format at this world cup and some of the worst refereeing ive seen in years

• 8.rossoneri:
  19 Oct 2011, 11:06 am

  As a rugby fan, and a lover of the game, one would have to be insane not to watch this final, or any rugby world cup final. I watched the Boks v England in 2007, worst game of the tournament, but I watched it.

• 9.stew:
  19 Oct 2011, 11:30 am

  @rossoneri(rossoneri)-8: Agree with you here – how can you call yourselves rugby supporters and not watch the final of the rugby WC – people must grow up and enjoy the beauty of the game ( and the joy of the ultimate trophy going to its rightful place – evil lol)

• 10.Heavens Game:
  19 Oct 2011, 11:33 am

  @rossoneri(rossoneri)-8: Rossoneri, the living example of a true, honest Rugby supporter every Bok supporter should try and live up to…

  A well nigh impossible task I reckon…

• 11.Transformation:
  19 Oct 2011, 11:35 am

  keo, these are the All Blacks, when you say “structure” to them it does NOT mean the same thing you were screaming Peter de Villiers to revert back to in 2008!

  bloody hypocrite!

  one minute you’re penning articles like “winning with robots” and next thing you’re referring to the springboks as the “boring boks”.

• 12.Transformation:
  19 Oct 2011, 11:36 am

  @rossoneri(rossoneri)-8: you’re exaggerating for whatever reason, the final was NOT the worst game of the tournament.

• 13.J.B. Cowper:
  19 Oct 2011, 11:56 am

  NZ have already organized the ticker tape parade. Quoting the incredulous NZ Rugby editorial of 1999 – “There is no more dangerous team in the world than France when they’ve been written off”.

  Don’t ask me how – but France will come to play and they will win this game.

• 14.dquinn25:
  19 Oct 2011, 12:06 pm

  @J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-13: Thats a good point! Like i say as well the French team of 1999 were poor and the 99 NZ team were superior than this current lot, so whilst its unlikely the Blacks had better not write France off!

• 15.mpundulu:
  19 Oct 2011, 12:36 pm

  Rossoneri: they’ll be watching trust me, I watched the 2007 bore like any other rugby supporter, it was an awful exposition of rugby on such a big stage, pity the best team was not playing.

• 16.dquinn25:
  19 Oct 2011, 12:41 pm

  @mpundulu(mpundulu)-15: The best team were playing! The second best team was busy getting knocked out by a team which lost 3 games in total to teams the Boks thrashed! Yes they were the victims of a bad forward pass, so too were France when McCalastair scored. There was a sense of inevitability that day, had France not scored there they would have found another way to score and win.

• 17.texasnz:
  19 Oct 2011, 12:41 pm

  i am sure the ABS aren’t complacent, given how many of them were there in 2007. oldest AB team in history.. cant speak for the rest of the country though. there are some pretty ridiculous media releases about the french having no chance, and Ali Williams behaved like an arrogant boofhead at the media conference today when questioned about SBW’s no arms tackling style…

• 18.bryce_in_oz:
  19 Oct 2011, 12:51 pm

  @dquinn25(dquinn25)-14:

  “99 NZ team were superior than this current lot”

  Unless you’re being ‘subjective’… Graham Henry’s current mob is 10% better (85% win rate) than Hart’s mob in 1999′ in more than twice as many games… so no…

  This is in fact the most successful All Black side in the modern era!

• 19.dquinn25:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:05 pm

  @bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-18: Hart was unlucky in the fact that he played Mallets Boks and an Australian team which was on a good role back then. They also played less games than they do nowadays. There was also much more star quality in 99 than there is in todays squad, who past Conrad Smith, Carter, McCaw and a few others are pretty good but not spectacular, more consistent thn spectacular. Il give the Blacks that they are the most consistent team to play the game

• 20.NZINCHINA:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:17 pm

  @J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-13:

  No they wont your dreaming old boy, we won’t lose at the garden of Eden you haven’t won there since 1937 so how are the Frogs going to do it.

• 21.Skeppie:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:17 pm

  @bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-18: Gotta agree with that, the 99 AB’s were a really good side, but this current team has statistically better results and I reckon a bit more x factor (Carter, Dagg, SBW, Nonu, Macaw, Jane, Guildford, Franks Etc)

• 22.Skeppie:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:18 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-20: 1937 was just the other day wasn’t it?

• 23.NZINCHINA:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:20 pm

  @Skeppie(Skeppie)-22:

  so many SAFFA’s desparate for NZ to lose, they will be very disappointed come late Sunday night

• 24.rossoneri:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:25 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-23: Actually by 12H00 in the afternoon. Kick off in SA is at 10am in the morning.

• 25.rossoneri:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:28 pm

  @mpundulu(mpundulu)-15: Totally agree man To me, Ab’s are like Barcalona, the Wallabies are like Real Madrid, and the Springboks are like Manchester United.

• 26.rossoneri:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:29 pm

  France are like O. Lyon or AC Milan. They can upset you on any given day.

• 27.rossoneri:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:31 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-12: Oh yes it was. In rugby terms it slightly less boring than what we saw this past weekend of France v Wales.

• 28.Hurricane:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:34 pm

  Wow, did i hear that alot of South Africans wont be watching the Final?
  Gee i am really disappointed. I thought rugby was a big part of a South Africans life.
  Whats the bet if NZ lose the game, these people saying we dont care will be the first to find the replay.

• 29.rossoneri:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:37 pm

  @Hurricane(Hurricane)-28: Naturally, just like Man U supporters.

• 30.Skeppie:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:37 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-23: HAHAHA I reckon it’s bitterness talking, I personally hope the AB’s take it, they definitely deserve to win it. Maybe some of the Saffa bitterness on this site comes from a few of your countrymen who are rubbing our noses in it…….

• 31.NZINCHINA:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:39 pm

  @rossoneri(rossoneri)-24:

  Even better

  @Hurricane(Hurricane)-28:

  its hilarious isn’t all these die hard SAFFA rugby fans teling us they won’t be watching, they’re praying that NZ loses

• 32.Skeppie:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:43 pm

  @Hurricane(Hurricane)-28: I will definitely watch but I must admit it’s a bit of an anti climax, I reckons the AB are gonna walk this one. I would have prefered (obviously excluding us) an England, Aussie v AB final

• 33.NZINCHINA:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:43 pm

  @Skeppie(Skeppie)-30:

  nah they know once we win it the game is over, this pretending SA is better than NZ, there is only one thing left for us to win as in all other areas we own SA, Tri nations, win loss etc

• 34.Hurricane:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:46 pm

  @rossoneri(rossoneri)-29:
  Yep ,just like Man U lol

  @Skeppie(Skeppie)-30:
  Skeppie,
  I not saying who drew first blood here but i personally get sick of hearing all Kiwis are cheats, we paid the ref and POB (Guess what, hes a kiwi) is corrupt and is match fixing.
  As i have stated that if a new person to rugby actully logs onto this site and see what some of these guys believe, the person would never watch a game again.
  Funny way to promote the game.

• 35.Skeppie:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:50 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-33: Hmm wee bit of arrogance coming through I see, oh well I suppose its deserved. Personally I think if it was a NZ v SA final we would have a chance as we seem to play pretty good “finals” rugby but if I had to commit even being a die hard bok supporter I would have to say the AB’s would take it. Dunno about owning SA everywhere else, depends on your perspective, historically, present? etc Over the past coupla years there has not been a helluva lot in it, say 2009-2011, AB’s maybe just edge it

• 36.Hurricane:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:50 pm

  @Skeppie(Skeppie)-32:
  Skeppie, and quite right but the ABs will not think they are going to walk it.

  Your in the same boat as i was in 2007.
  SA vs England that was at the time leading into the RWC at a low 6th ot 8th postion in rankings.
  SA had already destroyed Engalnd leading upto the final of 2007.
  So i know what your saying

• 37.NZINCHINA:
  19 Oct 2011, 13:58 pm

  @Skeppie(Skeppie)-35:

  An AB Bokke final would have been superb, NZ would have been slight favourites IMO, outside of WC’s ( which we’ll square up shortly) which stat would you say SA is superior to NZ?

• 38.J.B. Cowper:
  19 Oct 2011, 14:10 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-20:

  Because they’re the French … they are the only team – the only one – to have beaten the Boks 4 times at Ellis Park; if they can do it at Ellis Park they can do it anywhere – including House of Pain, which they won on last tour … took Boks nearly 100 years to do that … you guys laugh off the French again at your peril, please keep doing it … that’s when they win …

• 39.Transformation:
  19 Oct 2011, 14:17 pm

  @rossoneri(rossoneri)-27: rubbish! did you watch the england vs samoa game in our pool, was that far more exciting than the final?

• 40.NZINCHINA:
  19 Oct 2011, 16:08 pm

  jb certainly not laughing off the frogs, ab’s have the better team though and playing at home, eden park is the hardest place on the planet to win a test match

• 41.malcolm:
  19 Oct 2011, 16:18 pm

  The French imo are the least deserving side in World Cup history to make the final but having said that they still probably stand a better chance of upsetting the All Blacks than the Welsh or the English. Wales I believe still lack the belief to beat the big guns and the All Blacks seem to always easily deal with England even when the English have a good team which this current bunch are not. You can never write off the French although this team just does not seem to have the potential match winners of their teams in the past.

• 42.Skeppie:
  19 Oct 2011, 17:31 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-37: Well the way I look at it…in 2009 TN we cleaned you up, in 2010 you cleaned us up and in 2011 it was pretty even, AB’s just shading it….so not a great deal in it for me. I would love to see an old fashioned 5 match test series AB’s v Boks, one home and one away, say over a year period.

• 43.TheTackler:
  19 Oct 2011, 20:35 pm

  @Skeppie(Skeppie)-42: In 2011 the Boks lost 5 of their 6 trinations tests and came stone last.

• 44.TheTackler:
  19 Oct 2011, 20:42 pm

  @Skeppie(Skeppie)-42: The “old-fashioned” test series were 4 test affairs, either all home or all away, and with a dirt-track team touring too, with midweek and Saturday matches against the provinces and a few invitational teams. They magic of those “long tours” still eclipse any of the new quick-sticks modern tournaments when players grizzle bitterly about an imaginary “travel disadvantage” when they spend only one week more on the road than their rivals and they’re home anyway in only 5 weeks rather than the 12 -16 weeks of a long tour.

• 45.wooden spoon:
  19 Oct 2011, 21:20 pm

  Who doesn’t have a tattoo these days?

  Dale Steyn’s tat makes him look like a chop. He just looks too much like a regte boer seuntjie to pull it off.

• 46.defunkt:
  19 Oct 2011, 22:07 pm

  When you’re hurting, regretting lost chances or feel fortune has been unkind it’s only natural to want to see your nearest rivals levelled too, a sort of ‘see it can happen to you too’. But when the dust settles I’m sure we’d all agree that if we can’t have Bill ourselves it’s still better it spends the next four years in the southern hemisphere.

• 47.Big Hit:
  19 Oct 2011, 22:07 pm

  @TheTackler(TheTackler)-43: losing 5 from 6 is kind of hard to do when they only played 4 tri-nations tests, no?

  in b4 tackler corrects himself or makes some other semi-amusing excuse

• 48.wooden spoon:
  19 Oct 2011, 22:14 pm

  South Africans busy bottling it against the Aussies at cricket like they always do

  And it’t the Aussie youngsters who are being gifted by the South African batsmen.

  SA needs a few ‘hard’ players (11 Steve Waugh’s would do). Sense there’s not much of a backbone about this SA team.

• 49.captain fantail:
  20 Oct 2011, 02:13 am

  @Hurricane(Hurricane)-28: Hurra’s dont believe one iota of dribble some of these people write…particularly those ones who are trying hard to be nonchalant about the impending game and particularly the poor excuse of a man trying to pretend to be a woman Helen. Firstly if they are all that ‘oh so disinterested’ WTF are they even commenting for…secondly of course they will be watching as its the only way to see all the F’ups their team made in their terrible defense and need to see the height of the bar they will have to aspire to just to start moving back up in the rankings…even before they can think about becoming a world force again…..also lets not forget who got dumped out in the quarters…jeez even Australia made it through to the semis.
  There seems to be an underlying feeling that the French may do their French thing and beat us. Well I’m a Kiwi and have had not one image of that possibility cross my mind.
  Right from the outset the writing was on the wall, seeing teams like SA, Aus, Fr play as messy as a mad woman’s breakfast.
  SA got pushed up against the wall by Samoa and Wales, Aus got beaten by Wales and only just dodged a bullet against SA, France got beaten by Tonga and have had poor showing as with the rest…..really a pretty disgraceful showing by all the top tiers except NZ who are just going from strength to strength and are ready for the game of their lives.
  France have already had their best game against the Poms and if any one here thinks the AB’s are going to succumb to this team and be beaten on their home turf are just in denial.

• 50.dquinn25:
  20 Oct 2011, 03:24 am

  @captain fantail(captain fantail)-49: Yes the top teams havent really performed but the Blacks havent really faced anyone of any real great form in this tournament. NZ dont have the greatest record against the Boks without Carter so you could be grateful to Aus (Bryce Lawrence) for that

  Im wondering for the next four years if we will hear folk bleating on about how NZ won the cup having dodged Sa and played some pretty piss poor teams in the process! Ive said it once il say it again the standard of the teams in this comp is p@ss poor compared to 2007!

  The Blacks deserve the cup not because they have the best players but because they are the most consistent and play as a team, if SA could learn that then they will improve 100%

  Worst offenders for appaling regression in the last 4 years in no order

  Scotland – embarrasing displays im Scottish and this was a painful world cup
  England – truly not much better than Scotland, and packed with guys who aint even English
  France – atrocious how they got to the final beggars belief
  Argentina – lost star players at the end of 2007 and have just not recovered
  Fiji – a shadow of the 2007 team
  Tonga – see Fiji
  Aus – not so much regressed just promised so much from this ‘outstanding backline’
  SA – regressed slowly since 2007 and were a shadow of the team they were, the talent is still there and on form have/had the best players but were hindered by poor planning and atrocious coaching over the years. The 2007 Bok backline was amazing and they deservedly won the cup, it would have been wrong to say they should have won this years cup but they should not have gone out to Aus!

• 51.captain fantail:
  20 Oct 2011, 06:12 am

  @dquinn25(dquinn25)-50: Come on mate..really..in your absolute honest opinion do you consider that the Boks were really a bigger threat to the AB’s than Australia?
  To quote what Ive said before they were stretched tighter than a fat ladies undies by Wales, they were man handled by Samoa and their game against Samoa showed that they didnt have one beyond kick and chase ( and hope).
  This has been the most ineffectual Bok showing in years and the recent performances epitomize that…S15 was gone, Mandela Plate and Freedom Cup was lost, Tri Nations forfeited due to alot of “injuries” and you never fronted once in your defense of the Cup.
  So to cry ref this time around is really lame, and even had you made it through by the reverse margin you had against OZ, well look what the AB’s did to them. It would have been no better for you.
  Go back and re watch the Wales/SA game and then come back and tell us that you think the Boks would have beaten the current AB side!

• 52.J.B. Cowper:
  20 Oct 2011, 11:32 am

  @captain fantail(captain fantail)-51:

  Boks beat Wales – look in the book; did it with their B game. Killed Wallabies for possession and territory – far more than “brilliant” All Blacks – by all consensus in Australian and UK papers, an inconceivable result.

  If you really want to use this spurious logic you go and watch the Boks pumping All Blacks in PE – by biggest margin in 83 years; by your argument Boks would be playng on Sunday.

  Boks are like France – terrible sometimes, but irresistable when they bring their A-game to the table – deep down that’s why the Kiwis respect us more than any other side, and for good reason.

• 53.Alucard:
  20 Oct 2011, 14:02 pm

  Here is the template and model for New Zealand’s success. And this is the very reason why I said they’d make the final. Low and behold, nothing’s changed at all!

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdr-W775hk4&list=PLD2EAF9004A1B70A9&index=18

  This World Cup has been the most diabolical farce in rugby history. We have a fairly ordinary cheating New Zealand side making it to a final without having played ANY form or quality sides. Unlike our 2007 schedule where we played the form sides that put up the best games, most physically demanding lineup to a final in world cup history! France played Wales, but that game is one of might have beens thanks to that stupid and idiotic Warburton. Thanks IRB, I really enjoyed this corrupt circus. The hack job done on the Boks was disgusting, the pinnacle of corruption to date in the sport, but so many other sides were cheated out of a fair game too. This tournament has been destroyed by the IRB having refs artificially impose garbage on teams and preference to certain sides has been more alive than ever. Enjoy the Victory All Blacks, best title that money can buy, eh?

• 54.J.B. Cowper:
  20 Oct 2011, 20:55 pm

  @Alucard(Alucard)-53:

  With you on the bulk of these comments mate – wouldn’t it make your day if the Frogs pulled the rug from under them – not likely, but if anyone can do it they can, because their Triple-A game, which they play once in a blue moon is irresistable: poetic justice if it happens … don’t youthink?

• 55.amused:
  21 Oct 2011, 08:58 am

  @alucard and @ cowper.
  Get over it. You were rated 3rd coming into World Cup. Did all refs conspire to drop you to 3rd? I doubt it. SA just wasn’t good enuf despite so much possession. Agree ref wasnt great.Your inference we are an ordinary bunch of cheats would be offensive if it wasn’t so funny. What rank are Springboks again – yes down to 4. Never mind. I also recall we beat Australia last week – ranked 2nd – but obviously not a quality side.
  You 2 are pathetic, not at all representative of many fine South Africans I know..

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