RWC 2011 Will Be Remembered As A Non Event

First topic message reminder :

Now that the dust has settled on yet another RWC who else thinks its time for the format to change?

For me it needs to change by the next RWC as some teams are getting a raw deal with schedules and some teams like England have an easy pool which ultimately cost them as they lost focus when they came up against a real quality team, Wales on the other hand had to raise their game just to make it through the pool stage which does help focus the mind as they have experienced failure at the pool stage many times before, Ireland was another case where by they really only had one meaningful game before they faced a battle hardened Welsh team in the QF.

The current format is so unbalanced and unfair that whoever wins the 2011 RWC won’t compare to what has gone before and shouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath.

RWC 2011 will be remembered as a non event for all rugby fans.

If you think the final was dull then I think there is something a bit wrong with you. It was intense and enthralling. Their may not have been amazing running rugby and the ball being thrown all over the place, but it was a cracker of a game.

Was it, maybe I was watching something else as all I saw was two below average teams full of nerves playing unimaginative rugby.

If this was a showcase event then the RWC is in trouble.

There were only two tries in the 03 final as well champ

If all non events generate so much posts on here, the server's had it.

Youre on your own with this one hersh. Complete oposite view from the visitors here.
Even english ones.
Best world cup ever most are saying.
Enjoy. Keep the place warm for when we visit.
And 2015 when we bring the cup for a brief visit.

Hang on!

Did I mention 2003?

Mr Hersh.......I know it states 'mind your own' but you you mind giving us your nationality? Only way I can rationalise some of your posts is as someone non-english getting others to jump on the anti bandwagon

from a totally blinkered English point of view, yes the RWC has been a non event...however as a rugby fan first and foremost, (dodgy ref decisions aside) I have rather enjoyed the tournament.

Perhaps the quality hasnt been quite there, but there have been some fascinating matches - Ireland V Australia for one. I also think the fact that the French got to the final despite losing to Tonga and very nearly to Wales is what makes me love this game all the more...it's so unpredictable. Wales' performances have been something to cheer about from a NH point of view too and I applaud them for their energetic and entertaining style of play, (and their defence has at last become VERY difficult to break down.)

Finally, the best team in the world won the ultimate prize and no rugby fan can say they arent great value for their victory. You always want the worlds best team to win the tournament dont you?

Good world cup, Kiwis swept aside everyone before them except the French the 2nd time round.

Not the best final though in terms of drama for example the drop goal wins of 1995 and 2003, or the nearly try in 2007.

Basically it was a final of the Kiwis holding and stopping the French attack.. Its much more dramatic when the match winning points are scored at the end of the match, not just after half time.

What will be remembered of this world cup?

Best team won (Top of IRB rankings before World cup);
The Red card (This will remain strong in Welsh memory for a long time);
Underdog team got to the final (Like 07 World cup);
England out of control (DVD coming soon);

I hear Clint Eastwood is going to do a sequel to Invictus, Caecus Iniuria. The translation is blind injustice.

Steve Buscemi will play Bruce Lawrence.
Lassie will be Bruce's guide dog.

So Hersh by your definition MOST RWC`s were NON-EVENTS
All Blacks 1987 won 3 tries to one
Wallabies1991 won 1 try to nil
Springboks 1995 won no tries scored
Wallabies 1999 won 2 tries to nil
England 2003 won 1 try each
Springboks2007 won no tries scored
All Blacks 2011 won 1 try each.
Two Finals 1995,2003 were won by a drop goa
after extra time.
By your all singing definition that only RUNNING RUGBY is real Rugby then
only 1987 and arguably 1999 were memorable.That 2007 and 2011 were
poor because of the Referees decisions.
Despite the fact that this obviously a WUM,a RWC should be won by the
BEST team in the tournament.NOT just a good performance in the final.
It SHOULD be a contest 2011 was that and far better than for instance than
2003 which was a terribly scrappy game.
EVERY side that has won a RWC deserved it you can only beat the teans you play.
As to the seedings and England having an easy group,it was the group of DEATH.
ANY of the three sides Argentina,England, Scotland could have proceeded from that Group.England scraped thru past Scotland and Argentina [who had lost 2 key players].By the narrowest of margins playing no Rugby at All.
I don`t know who you support,or care and I give you the courtesy of being an intelligent person.
ALL FINALS are non-events by your criteria,if they are such Non Events why bother to watch them.Stick with the Aviva.Heineken,top14,Magners whatever where the REAL Rugby is played.
Seven RWC`s Six won by SH sides on MERIT does that rankle with you >that you post this bile?

emack2 wrote:2003 which was a terribly scrappy game

I dont mind everything else you said, but this is untrue. I did watch this final before the start of the world cup to get me in the mood.. An I thought the skills on display by both teams in this game were sublime. Two very good tries, most kickable penalties were made so the scoreboard kept ticking.. An England got the match winning points in the 99th minute. No matter if your English or not, this game was a classic.

RWC trivia.

Who is the only team who has yet not conceded a try in a final.

SA, they haven't conceded a try in 180 minutes of RWC final rugby.

Sadly they have also not scored a try in that time.

"SA, they haven't conceded a try in 180 minutes of RWC final rugby"

Cueto did, if only the TMO had gone to Specsavers.

Yeah, or if the side line wasn't straight and went around his foot.

Damn these sidelines who don't move when you want them to.

I thought it was a great world cup. New Zealand were very good hosts. It was for the most part very well organised. Infrastructure held up and fans were very well received. The rugby was very good and there were a lot of close games. It was probably one of the most competitive world cups ever and up there with the best.

I'm not to sure Bil,

I've built several 3D models using the latest software out there and from all the evidence collected Cueto's foot is off the ground and it is in fact a lose piece of turf torn up by his boot just before it appears to go over the line.

It was a try.

Finally, the best team in the world won the ultimate prize and no rugby fan can say they arent great value for their victory. You always want the worlds best team to win the tournament dont you?

No not really I wanted Ireland to win. They lost to Wales so then I wanted France to win as they are the best NH team and best team to never win a WC. They were also the best team in the final so I think they deserved to win.

I tell you what, you can have the try, but we'll deduct 3 points off the five for the try, as you got a penalty in its place. So that gives you an extra two points.

We now just need johnny to go back and kick that conversion from the corner, which it seems with this new ball is unlikely.

There for i'll give you one more point, without us having to fork out money to arrange the kick.

So instead of winning 15 - 6, we'll win 15 - 9.

you concur?

biltongbek wrote:
SA, they haven't conceded a try in 180 minutes of RWC final rugby.

Did one of the SA finals go into extra time? I don't remember that?

I even enjoyed the poor refereeing. I now see why people buy the Daily Mail. A bit of indignation is good for the soul.

(I never thought I would use that smiley)

Metal Tiger wrote:

biltongbek wrote:
SA, they haven't conceded a try in 180 minutes of RWC final rugby.

Did one of the SA finals go into extra time? I don't remember that?

Yeah tiger, 1995.

Metal Tiger-Stransky nailed the drop in extra time to beat NZ. Mehrtens missed from out in front at the end of regulation to keep it level.

Dusautoir scored the first try against NZ in a WC final. Appropriate as he has been pretty much our nemesis in the last two Cups.

IN 2007 Cueto did NOT score a try the record book says so,people may think he did but the result stands.
Frances winning try v the All Blacks DID score the record book says so whatever we think.
ONLY the record book matters that says Bok win ,France win end off story.

FACT

Factual
Affirmation in
Clear
Text

Guys I've proved it, Cueto's foot was 0.032mm off the ground once the ball was touched down.

Try.

History was robbed of a great final in 2007 and what a story it would have been.

"IN 2007 Cueto did NOT score a try the record book says so,people may think he did but the result stands.
Frances winning try v the All Blacks DID score the record book says so whatever we think.
ONLY the record book matters that says Bok win ,France win end off story."

france win what ??

biltongbek wrote:Factual
Affirmation in
Clear
Text

Fabricated
Allegation
Cunningly
Transcribed

Gatts wrote:

biltongbek wrote:Factual
Affirmation in
Clear
Text

Fabricated
Allegation
Cunningly
Transcribed

Fanatics
Assumption
Confirming
Theory

I thought it was a good world cup with the top nations "NewZealand Australia SouthAfrica and Wales" scoring loads of tries and handing out beatings.

viewtothegym wrote:I thought it was a good world cup with the top nations "NewZealand Australia SouthAfrica and Wales" scoring loads of tries and handing out beatings.

Aye, that'll be the SH giants plus the 8th side in the world.

Aw bless! you hang on to them world rankings along with Simon Shaw

Shawsy is nailed on for 2015

As is Tompson Wilkinson and Tindall.

honestly joking aside i would put £20 on Wilkinson being in the 2015 squad.

viewtothegym wrote:As is Tompson Wilkinson and Tindall.

honestly joking aside i would put £20 on Wilkinson being in the 2015 squad.

playing or coaching

Playing off the bench

Mysterioakey clarification to my post France versus All Blacks 2007 quarterfinal won by FRANCE the disputed try WAS scored its in record books.

emack2

Several weeks have passed and it's like the RWC never took place.

Its sad that the showcase event for Union has passed and yet I remember nothing about it apart from a red card and some dwarf throwing!

I thought I had a bad memory. Yet I remember quite a bit more.

But unfortunately not allowed to talk about it.

I think you will find the RWC is well remembered in countries where their teams saw success and not abject failure...

To me it´s a drunken haze. I can´t even remember where it was played or who were in the final.

HERSH wrote:Several weeks have passed and it's like the RWC never took place.

Its sad that the showcase event for Union has passed and yet I remember nothing about it apart from a red card and some dwarf throwing!

Would that be that it is sad because YOU can't remember anything other than those two events while others might remember much more?
Bet you the French, Tongan, Irish, Welsh, Australian, S'African and NZ fans remember other events.

I`ll remember it,and I don`t like the things,and at my age it may well be my last.
It was typical that defence,won vital matches,Referees made controversial decisions.and that there were few surprises.
BUT the Wales v Bok game was enormous,ditto Ireland v Australia,Tonga v France.
Nz versus France[first match],Nz versus Australia,[THE BEST they`ve played in a decade].
Canada v Japan,plus many of the minnows games,I may prefer tournament style rugby.
But realistically it`s now the only game in town and after 24 years the Bill is back home.

Well on behalf (dare I say) most Kiwi's...
Fortunately...
It will be remembered for:-

- all the lovely people that visited our shores, towns and cities all over the country
- the fantastic rugby played by all comers, particularly those we rarely get to see
- the fantastic efforts of our people to get the event running, people accommodated, fed and traveled, the grounds prepared in such quality conditions
- the support of all the teams by both their visiting fans and our own people who went the extra mile to make sure people were looked after
- the support shown by our own supporters both on and off the field and particularly in the mind boggling turnouts in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch parades
- the efforts our our team and management in winning the final, despite the injury toll to key players
- the reaching of 100 tests by our captain, who lead magnificently by example, playing through injury from the quarters to the final, and Mils, who capped a memorable career
- being a 'rugby' world cup, not a 'money' or 'political' tournament. One where rugby came first and the rest flowed on from it.
- for our supporters who after 24 years finally get to celebrate a win- more than makes up for all the disappointments, agony and ecstacy experienced in the time in between this and 87.

Unfortunately it will be remembered by some poor English off field decision making, Warburtons sending off, and several poor refereeing performances- a seemingly common occurrence at these events, this time, our boys not being on the wrong end of it.

For those who class it as a non event, commiserations. Unfortunately it is a view that will be held more typically by non winners of the competition in the same way that we might say 07, 03, 99, 95 and 91 might have been non events for us.

But we wont be that fickle...

Cheers all for an outstanding tournament....

I've missed you Hersh - nobody else is quite the same cross between Captain Manwaring, Mr Magoo, Simon Cowell, Victor Meldrew, Basil Fawlty and Stuart Barnes.

from folks i know who travelled down they had nothing but good things to say about the kiwis as hosts.

i did not enjoy watching it from Dublin. There was a real lack of invention and creativity on the pitch i found to be boring. I expected it to really get going once we hit the quarter finals but we never really had that classic game to ignite the tournament.

it was punctuated by poor goal kicking, excessive tactical kicking, a real lack of line breaks, static ball carriers, slow ponderous forward play and the breakdown was an utter mess rendering it a poor spectacle. the final at least was played at a level of intensity that was lacking in previous matches but come on it was not that good. after watching the world cup and the last few 6 nations i actually prefer international rugby league as a spectacle. the best team won down to their 4th choice fly half and they gutsed it out without getting out of third gear

however the HC cup so far has been a breath of fresh air and has restored my faith in Union.

as an aside to the Kiwis, why oh why do you persist on playing mind numbingly crap pop music mid game over the tannoy system mid game if there is an injury. let the crowd try and drum up some atmosphere. dj otzi and maroon 5 should not be given such an audience

haha dublin dave. Probably misjudging the event and thinking it´s like the Wellington Sevens and everybody is in a party atmosphere. Quite agree that such tasteless melodic popcorn deserves the heave-ho.

Yeah, you are right.
They should have played some serious music, like Lady Gaga.