The 2003 game had several similarities.........Deans was coaching and he had a first five who was truely a game winner when on form but absolutely terrible when things did not go his own way........Ummmmm could the case of Carlos Spencer come back to haunt Robbie?
Lets hope its a good fair battle and everyone enjoys the game and the ref does not play a major role in the outcome!!!!!!!!
i hope the ref has a shocker, all blacks choke and the wallabies rack up fifty
seriously, there is a little bit of french in the wallabies- will they bring their A game
Less than hour to kick off and the beers are chilled and the BBQ ready. 
After a weekend of top line sport - Wales v France, Aus v Spain (MotoGP that is) and the BIG one tomorrow arvo I'm going to be exhausted on Monday....
Welsh captain sent off for a tackle my coach would have bought me a beer for.
can nach y bant!
Well where shall we start..........
1. good ref - that was definitely a send-off. I hate it when people leave them like that in mid air. Unfortunate but that is the rules.
2. poor play - France were terrible - how have they made the final?
3. Jones - poor tactical decision to bring him on I reckon. He ruined many of Wale's chances with his kicks. Yes he did a couple of good ones but that is all. Wales were the better side by a long way. Hard to play with 14 ag 15 for 60 mins plus.
4. How did that kick miss? Looked good for all money then somehow fell just short
5. Bookies? Somehow I got to back France at $1.65 after the Welshman was sent off. I loaded up thinking the French would cream them. I was very wrong. Maybe the bookies had it priced fair. Or maybe the French were just aweful. I think the later.
6. Tom - I am very very nervous. Have decided to stay home and watch the game tom night from home so I can follow it closely. This will be one of the most nervous sleeps I have had since I moved here. I really want to go down to Manly tom arvo and catch up with all the crew and watch the game. Sadly if we win I will be unbearable and no one will like me and if we lose I will not like anyone.......best I stay away!!!!
7. I think I will drive 40km north tom and support the kiwis in the league ag the Aussies. Its the least I can do. I should be back home in time for kick off.
Anyway enough rambling from me. Sleep well everyone and may the best team win tom.
Should be a cracker!
ps: the commentators were not much chop! They even missed the send off......not to mention Hann adverts 3 mins from time. Ch 9 are a disgrace.
Out kitting() so missed the send-off (the captain being a key player too) welsh played 14 men team for maybe 3/4 of the game - gutsy effort.
The welsh try deserves a mention - mid-way thru' 2nd half but they lost their pressure after that.
+
Too many attempted drop kicks (both sides) - either under pressure or perceived pressure = wasted opportunity to bag a try (more so the frogs).
Tactically both teams lost the plot for periods - Frogs had some great movies - but show bagged them and totally blew it. - Their line-out performance was good - reckon the guy getting lofted would need some G-suit style undies[}:)] - rocketing up.
The boyo brigade - were gutsy (at times great to watch) but the team element was missing in the line the ball rarely flowed out well - + they copied the frogs style too much - passing possession over with high kicks and not gaining and often loosing territory.
Hopefully there is more fizz in the semi- tomorrow - that stage has certainly been set.. Who ever wins tomorrow will win the WCup - frogs are unlikely to find a rabbit to pull out of the hat based on that performance.
Have to agree with U Ted - re commentary - poor.
AP
The red card was initiated for foul play with malice. The yellow card is for repeated infringements, back chat and dangerous tackles.
The ref torpedoed the Welsh chance of victory by showing the Welsh Captain the wrong card.
No way was that tackle performed with malice.
This game is starting to end up like soccer. Dives and no more rucking.
My suggestions for rule changes:
Ruck infringements = short arm penalty
Scrum infringement = short arm penalty
Line out infringements = short arm penalty
Drop goal = 1 point
Notice that most 3 point penalties are given away by forwards?
Keep penalties for dangerous play and off-sides. 3 points for a pig falling down in a scrum that the ref caused to collapse with a mistimed pause??
This is starting to annoy me. It's the Refs World Cup
back to the mines now for you boys
Started from the first kick - talk about omens , they wouldn't have found a bit a spadger in an all-girliepup college today ..... ah well beer o'clock it is
Them frogs don't deserve to have gone so far.
That was the only way they coulda "won": with the ref giving them a player up- like a handicap game (even then, only 1 point).
The only good thing is that NZ will absolutely destroy them in the finals.
to be honest, the wallabies just haven't played very well for the rwc. they are a maddening team to support.
i'll be blunt, imo cooper's had a fair run, but it obvious he can't handle the big time pressure and all the other teams know it and play it accordingly. the cooper party has come to an end
PS: "I don't care at all whether it was a good match or not, whether the Welsh deserve to be in the final, we have qualified for the final and that's all that counts," a defiant Lievremont said.
He probably would have made the same comment if the other team had missed the bus and had forfeited.
I hope the NZ side beats them by 20-30 to show the cocky b**tard where his team really, really belongs.
^^^^another big cry baby. le cocky,dont hear that from those comments should have bought shares in kleenex, cause i never knew how many sooks were out there
cum Artie cum Artie ,REMEMBER THE RAINBOW WARRIOR !!!!..(who is this "Artie" they speak of)
..(who is this "Artie" they speak of)
Oh man... it was soooo hard to watch..... especially in a pub full of mostly kiwi's and passive victorians..... (not hatin - just sayin, they aren't so into rugby)...
NZ are going to destroy the Frogs..... I am hoping for a dirty spirited game :P
The problem with Cooper is he has too much of the Campese factor in him. His brilliance is countered by his uselessness when he has an off game.
I am so pissed off that the Frogs are in the final when it should have been Wales. The Wallabies Wales game is goiing to be far better than the final You need not worry Ted, the only thing that is going to spark brilliance in this French side is a crack spa before the game. The All Blacks deserve better opposition and Wales showed that they had the goods.
Go the Mighty All Blacks
I was in South Africa when Pine Tree Meads had his arm broken but played in the final test with a guard on it. He was a boyhood hero, the most feared man in South Africa at the time!
