Eight Becomes Four
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And while I am merrily bantering away about a possible SA v NZ final, there is the small matter of England and Wales.
It could well be that we see the first ever NH vs NH final. History making on its own plus the fact that it will be the first time Wales have made it to the final. And I am not in anyway writing that option off. I reckon Wales are delighted that they are facing the Boks and not England or NZ. The Boks don't come with any surprises. You know what you're going to get and it simply becomes a matter of executing better than them on the day. -
@MiketheSnow said in Eight Becomes Four:
Neck on line.
Favourites are NZ and SA
England are fit and raring to go. England to sneak it.
Wales played shit in the QF.
If all personnel - read Navidi and J Davies - are fit then Wales won't fear SA.
We've beaten them in our last three meetings.
England v Wales final
Head or heart?
@booboo said in Eight Becomes Four:
@MiketheSnow said in Eight Becomes Four:
Neck on line.
Favourites are NZ and SA
England are fit and raring to go. England to sneak it.
Wales played shit in the QF.
If all personnel - read Navidi and J Davies - are fit then Wales won't fear SA.
We've beaten them in our last three meetings.
England v Wales final
Head or heart?
Both
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@MiketheSnow said in Eight Becomes Four:
Neck on line.
Favourites are NZ and SA
England are fit and raring to go. England to sneak it.
Wales played shit in the QF.
If all personnel - read Navidi and J Davies - are fit then Wales won't fear SA.
We've beaten them in our last three meetings.
England v Wales final
Head or heart?
@booboo said in Eight Becomes Four:
@MiketheSnow said in Eight Becomes Four:
Neck on line.
Favourites are NZ and SA
England are fit and raring to go. England to sneak it.
Wales played shit in the QF.
If all personnel - read Navidi and J Davies - are fit then Wales won't fear SA.
We've beaten them in our last three meetings.
England v Wales final
Head or heart?
That has to be heart.
If Wales make it to the final, they'd much rather face England who they know how to beat.
They have yet to unlock that mystery against the ABs. -
@voodoo said in Eight Becomes Four:
Come on. All Blacks v Springboks, 100th test match.
It's written in the stars.
And this has been a RWC of fairytales so YES.
Complete with the happy ending for the boys in Green. -
@booboo said in Eight Becomes Four:
@MiketheSnow said in Eight Becomes Four:
Neck on line.
Favourites are NZ and SA
England are fit and raring to go. England to sneak it.
Wales played shit in the QF.
If all personnel - read Navidi and J Davies - are fit then Wales won't fear SA.
We've beaten them in our last three meetings.
England v Wales final
Head or heart?
That has to be heart.
If Wales make it to the final, they'd much rather face England who they know how to beat.
They have yet to unlock that mystery against the ABs.@Billy-Webb said in Eight Becomes Four:
@booboo said in Eight Becomes Four:
@MiketheSnow said in Eight Becomes Four:
Neck on line.
Favourites are NZ and SA
England are fit and raring to go. England to sneak it.
Wales played shit in the QF.
If all personnel - read Navidi and J Davies - are fit then Wales won't fear SA.
We've beaten them in our last three meetings.
England v Wales final
Head or heart?
That has to be heart.
If Wales make it to the final, they'd much rather face England who they know how to beat.
They have yet to unlock that mystery against the ABs.Exactly.
NZ are beatable. England are good enough.
SA are beatable. Wales knows how to beat them.
If it's an England v Wales final, we know how to beat England.
If it's an NZ v Wales final, we don't.
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Both NZ and SA are 1.33 favs. That feels right for SA, but I'd have us closer to 1.60.
If the AB's make to the final, I'd say we would be 1.30 against the Boks and 1.15 v Wales.
Not saying those odds are right, just where I reckon the bookies would pitch it.
I'd have us at 1.60 v the Boks and 1.03 v Wales
(Sorry @MiketheSnow ...)
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@voodoo said in Eight Becomes Four:
Come on. All Blacks v Springboks, 100th test match.
It's written in the stars.
And this has been a RWC of fairytales so YES.
Complete with the happy ending for the boys in Green.@Billy-Webb said in Eight Becomes Four:
@voodoo said in Eight Becomes Four:
Come on. All Blacks v Springboks, 100th test match.
It's written in the stars.
And this has been a RWC of fairytales so YES.
Complete with the happy ending for the boys in Green.Aarrrghhh, where is my downvote button!!!
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@Billy-Webb said in Eight Becomes Four:
@voodoo said in Eight Becomes Four:
Come on. All Blacks v Springboks, 100th test match.
It's written in the stars.
And this has been a RWC of fairytales so YES.
Complete with the happy ending for the boys in Green.Aarrrghhh, where is my downvote button!!!
@voodoo yeah sorry. It was all going along so nicely until the last bit wasn't it
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What no-one has raised yet is the extra recovery day for either NZ or England for the final.
Clearly that is another irrefutable sign of how NZ gets favoured by world rugby :face_with_stuck-out_tongue_winking_eye:My tabloid-eque dig aside: I think that extra day will be valuable for either NZ or England. Not massive, but nicer to have than not have.
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Both NZ and SA are 1.33 favs. That feels right for SA, but I'd have us closer to 1.60.
If the AB's make to the final, I'd say we would be 1.30 against the Boks and 1.15 v Wales.
Not saying those odds are right, just where I reckon the bookies would pitch it.
I'd have us at 1.60 v the Boks and 1.03 v Wales
(Sorry @MiketheSnow ...)
@voodoo said in Eight Becomes Four:
Both NZ and SA are 1.33 favs. That feels right for SA, but I'd have us closer to 1.60.
If the AB's make to the final, I'd say we would be 1.30 against the Boks and 1.15 v Wales.
Not saying those odds are right, just where I reckon the bookies would pitch it.
I'd have us at 1.60 v the Boks and 1.03 v Wales
(Sorry Mike...)
With who? NZ TAB is always going to be shorter for NZ due to the predilection for NZers to get on NZ.
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@voodoo said in Eight Becomes Four:
Both NZ and SA are 1.33 favs. That feels right for SA, but I'd have us closer to 1.60.
If the AB's make to the final, I'd say we would be 1.30 against the Boks and 1.15 v Wales.
Not saying those odds are right, just where I reckon the bookies would pitch it.
I'd have us at 1.60 v the Boks and 1.03 v Wales
(Sorry Mike...)
With who? NZ TAB is always going to be shorter for NZ due to the predilection for NZers to get on NZ.
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Boks should be nervous. We've never made it to the final without an upset along the way and the quarters all went with the favourites.
Wales have all the major hallmarks of a team ready to pull a major RWC upset... experienced, written off a bit more than they should be, canny coach - except for being Welsh.
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Boks should be nervous. We've never made it to the final without an upset along the way and the quarters all went with the favourites.
Wales have all the major hallmarks of a team ready to pull a major RWC upset... experienced, written off a bit more than they should be, canny coach - except for being Welsh.
@rotated said in Eight Becomes Four:
Boks should be nervous. We've never made it to the final without an upset along the way and the quarters all went with the favourites.
Wales have all the major hallmarks of a team ready to pull a major RWC upset... experienced, written off a bit more than they should be, canny coach - except for being Welsh.
Ermm... why would Wales beating the Boks be an upset?
As @MiketheSnow has pointed out, Wales have beaten SA the last 3 times the teams met.
And Wales were recent world no.1 while the Boks were recent World no.6 or 7.I think the upset would be the Boks beating Wales.
Of course if you're looking for a real upset result, isn't it better to look at the other semi?
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Boks should be nervous. We've never made it to the final without an upset along the way and the quarters all went with the favourites.
Wales have all the major hallmarks of a team ready to pull a major RWC upset... experienced, written off a bit more than they should be, canny coach - except for being Welsh.
@rotated said in Eight Becomes Four:
Boks should be nervous. We've never made it to the final without an upset along the way and the quarters all went with the favourites.
Wales have all the major hallmarks of a team ready to pull a major RWC upset... experienced, written off a bit more than they should be, canny coach - except for being Welsh.
Thankfully we have some canny Kiwis and English to supplement our DNA defficiency
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@rotated said in Eight Becomes Four:
Boks should be nervous. We've never made it to the final without an upset along the way and the quarters all went with the favourites.
Wales have all the major hallmarks of a team ready to pull a major RWC upset... experienced, written off a bit more than they should be, canny coach - except for being Welsh.
Ermm... why would Wales beating the Boks be an upset?
As @MiketheSnow has pointed out, Wales have beaten SA the last 3 times the teams met.
And Wales were recent world no.1 while the Boks were recent World no.6 or 7.I think the upset would be the Boks beating Wales.
Of course if you're looking for a real upset result, isn't it better to look at the other semi?
@Billy-Webb said in Eight Becomes Four:
Ermm... why would Wales beating the Boks be an upset?
Because I can place a bet on Wales at $3.30 to win?
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@Billy-Webb said in Eight Becomes Four:
Ermm... why would Wales beating the Boks be an upset?
Because I can place a bet on Wales at $3.30 to win?
@rotated said in Eight Becomes Four:
@Billy-Webb said in Eight Becomes Four:
Ermm... why would Wales beating the Boks be an upset?
Because I can place a bet on Wales at $3.30 to win?
The bookies have the Boks ahead of Wales?!
That's a good bet. I'd take it. -
Both teams have been a little poor. Wales looked really tight against France, they really should have put that game away. And SA were brutal in defense, but pretty bloody average in attack, hands were average and Faf's kicking was sub-par.
One of these 2 teams will get it right on the
w/e. My money would be on SA. -
Both teams have been a little poor. Wales looked really tight against France, they really should have put that game away. And SA were brutal in defense, but pretty bloody average in attack, hands were average and Faf's kicking was sub-par.
One of these 2 teams will get it right on the
w/e. My money would be on SA.@voodoo said in Eight Becomes Four:
Both teams have been a little poor. Wales looked really tight against France, they really should have put that game away. And SA were brutal in defense, but pretty bloody average in attack, hands were average and Faf's kicking was sub-par.
One of these 2 teams will get it right on the
w/e. My money would be on SA.And Navidi went off early and J Davies didn't lace up.
Both of those back in and no YC and we're a very different proposition.
As SA know.
