Sunday 7 October 2007

We're out

That's it. We're out.

As a team they were out-coached, out-refereed and horribly underdone -- and the players themselves looked far from match-fit, barely conditioned, and utterly clueless as to the demands of finals football.

And that's it. We're out.

Congratulations to the French, and especially to Bernard Laporte, who comprehensively out-thought the coaches formerly known as the Three Wise Men.

Quatre années supplémentaires. :-(

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not to take anything away from the Frogs but the refereeing was absolutely abysmal... That last forward pass leading to the try was missed by the ref and both touch judges - ironic when the ABs behaviour at the breakdown was under the microscope to the extent it was... Watched at the Sports Cafe in Wellington and the highlight was the lonely French midget bloke who was jumping up and down with gleeful abandon amidst the general woe and misery.

Boo... Now supporting Fiji for the world cup.

DenMT

Anonymous said...

It was like watching a train crash unfold in slow motion about an hour in advance and still not believing it couldn't be stopped....The AB's were the better team and won the stats but got screwed by a joke ref and fate yet again.....sigh!

Anonymous said...

I wondered if the All Blacks reconditioning program was the cause.

Anonymous said...

I think the problem was that we did not score enough tries. I imagine we will spend the next four years thrashing everybody in time for a big choke in 2011.

Brian Smaller

Anonymous said...

We lost because ABs don’t play provincial rugby anymore. When provincial rugby meant something players learnt how to win games against hard opposition who were just as keen to snot them.

Instead they now skip those games to do bench presses in the gym and learn about processes.

Craig Ranapia said...

PC:

Wow... thanks for the only post-loss comment I've seen today what didn't sound like a petulant baby crying for a dry nappy and a fresh bottle of sour grape juice.

Anonymous said...

Q: What's the difference between Viagra and Graham Henry?

A: Viagra will give you a semi.


Merde! ~:(

Anonymous said...

I was heartened and stimulated even before the game started to see the way les grenouilles braves stood up to the ABs' silly dance and faced them down with their arms linked.

I had a strong feeling right from that moment that it would be an exciting game... and so it proved to be.

Arrogance is thought to be the preserve of the French. Well, I would say that sticking their tongues out at the opposition and thinking that it will be a walkover is the height of arrogance and the ABs need to concentrate on their rugby and stop posturing.

A well deserved win for les grenouilles, and good on them for giving us all a watchable and exciting game.

Daniel Bell said...

What's the difference between the all blacks and a tea bag?


Tea bags stay in the cup longer!

Anonymous said...

...and the media is full of whines, excuses, knashing of teeth and now they've announced an enquiry into the loss! Let the Kiwi blame game begin.

It is ONLY a game. No-one got killed. No-one starved to death. Forget it!

BTW Dave Mann, I thought about what you wrote. You are right. That silly dance has got to go. It has become an embarrasement. Poncing around chanting, "Kill, kill, kill," ain't going to win games. One could hardly call it a civilised behaviour. It's become an irrelevance. Time to grow up and put it aside.

LGM

KG said...

What LGM said--spot on!

Anonymous said...

Once again the ABs had no plan B. One paced, one off up the middle while the best backs in the world stood watching. Yet the best opportunities came when they were used.

And when it came to making tackles we missed two vital ones.

What have they been practising for four years? A bit like England and their inability to score penalties in the round ball game.

Insider

PS What was it with the Dan Carter chip kicks in his own 22?