Thread: Bledisloe Cup 2017 tussle starts in Sydney

The AB's were supposed to be dedicating that game to Colin Meads, if he had been there to watch he would have had some harsh words to say about that performance particularly in the first half with all the knock on's and lost ball not to mention poor defense.

However a good game from the Ozzies.

That was close; incredible effort from Wallabies after last week's loss


New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup with a last-gasp 35-29 victory over Australia in a Rugby Championship thriller at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday.

The All Blacks extended their unbeaten run to seven games against the Wallabies in which they have averaged over 40 points per game. The Wallabies have now lost 20 straight games to the All Blacks on New Zealand soil.

New Zealand:
Tries: Ioane, Smith, B Barrett 2, Smith
Cons: Barrett 5

Australia:
Tries: Beale, Genia, Foley, Hooper, Folau
Cons: Foley 2

Again

That was a great fucking match.

Here for now ...

New Zealand v South Africa

The form
Both sides are undefeated in the Rugby Championship but will be looking to improve on last week’s performances.
The Bokke led by 3 with minutes to go against the Wallabies but could only come away with a draw, whilst the All Blacks were behind at halftime
against the Pumas before turning on a second half clinic to run away with a 17-point victory.


How it’s shaping
One of the games of the season. South Africa have the potential to cause the All Blacks some problems on Saturday night, particularly at scrum time.
The Wolf is predicting the Springboks will stick it to the New Zealanders for 60 minutes before the men in black pull through late.


Final Thoughts
All Blacks by 10…


---


Australia v Argentina

The Form
Both sides have struggled in 2017. The Wallabies have 2 test wins from 6 starts after going down to the All Blacks twice, Scotland in Sydney
and drawing with the Boks last week in Perth.
The Pumas lost twice to an under-strength English side at home in June before beating Georgia.
So far in the RC they have lost home and away to South Africa before giving the All Blacks a real scare last week.


How it’s shaping
Argentina proved last week that you can never write them off.
The Wallabies will need to be far more clinical at the breakdown and at the set piece if they want to notch their first win of the
Rugby Championship before heading off on tour.
Some of Cheika’s selections have left the Wolf dumbfounded but he is more than happy to be proved wrong by the Wallabies head coach on,
Simmons, Hanigan and McMahon who certainly have a lot to prove in the nation’s capital.
For the record the Wolf is expecting a tight game at GIO stadium but thinks the Wallabies will have too much class out wide for the
South Americans and will get home in a nail-biter.


Final Thoughts
Wallabies by 6

From my Bookie (the Wolf)

Originally Posted by David48atTD

How it’s shaping
One of the games of the season. South Africa have the potential to cause the All Blacks some problems on Saturday night, particularly at scrum time.
The Wolf is predicting the Springboks will stick it to the New Zealanders for 60 minutes before the men in black pull through late.


Final Thoughts
All Blacks by 10…

Not so sure myself... AB's have a lot of injury and form issues (mind, so do SA) and a pretty much brand new front row.

It's going to be an interesting one!

57 nil to the AB's, 8 tries to zero.

Rumor has it the the entire Bok team has been booked into a home for the bewildered.

And how does it feel to be South African right now?
57-0.
Trounced.

One more to go.

How Wolf, the Bookie reads it ...



The last home test of the year sees the men in gold handed one last chance this year to knock off their arch rivals from across the ditch.
The Wolf firmly believes this is as good a time as any for the Wallabies to break their Trans-Tasman drought.


Selection News
Two huge enforced changes for the All Blacks with two World Rugby players of the year ruled out mid-week.
Brodie Retallick has withdrawn due to personal reasons and will be replaced in the second row by Crusaders lock Scott Barrett, while Scott’s
older brother Beauden has withdrawn due to ongoing concussion symptoms, Lima Sopoaga will partner Aaron Smith in the halves.


Just the one change to Michael Chieka’s Wallabies with boom rookie Izack Rodda ruled out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury.

Veteran lock Rob Simmons has been promoted to the starting side in his place, with Ned Hanigan recalled to the bench.


How It’s shaping
The All Blacks are coming off another successful year and with the Bledisloe locked up safely in NZRU HQ for another 12 months you have to
question the motivation of Saturday night’s game for the men in Black.

The Wallabies have been building very nicely in 2017 and with their most settled side in some time, playing in front of a passionate QLD crowd
this will be as good a time as any to knock off their arch rivals.

Both Backlines look relatively even on paper and with Retallick out their forward is more vulnerable than usual.

If Adam Coleman, Sean McMahon and Michael Hooper can get consistent go forward, holes will begin to appear out wide of which the Wallabies
backs are good enough to exploit.

The Wolf is putting his neck on the line for the last home test match of the year and predicting the Wallabies to upset the All Blacks at Suncorp Stadium.



Now that would taste sweet

The All Blacks are coming off another successful year and with the Bledisloe locked up safely in NZRU HQ for another 12 months you have to
question the motivation of Saturday night’s game for the men in Black.

That has been the theme in the NZ press this week as well. Most viewing this match as a potential banana skin (QLD pun intended ).

Matt Todd ruled out via injury.

That dude just can't get a break!

There is a Rugby God !

Bledisloe Cup: Australia beats New Zealand 23-18 in Lang Park thriller



The Wallabies have finally snapped their Bledisloe Cup losing streak, toppling the All Blacks 23-18 in a thriller at a rain-drenched Lang Park in Brisbane.

The third Test of the series might have been a dead rubber but Michael Cheika's men had a point to prove on Saturday night to their trans-Tasman
enemies — and they did it, ending a run of seven straight defeats to score their first win over New Zealand since August 2015.

Australia scored three tries to two, showing new-found grit to close out the match as New Zealand mounted a late rally in front of 45,107 supporters who braved constant rain.

Read it and weep here

Yep, finally a win for the Wobblies even though they dropped a lot of ball and still make stupid mistakes.

A long way away from becoming a major reliable threat to the blacks but improving.

I found that a very frustrating game to watch. Wouldn’t be upset if McKenzie were dropped either.

Good on the Wallabies though. Well played.

The Wallabies face off against the Barbarians today.


Hope we don't play like girly men!

Kick-off at 3pm AEDT, 2pm AET and 11am Thai time.

This will be the first clash between these two sides since 2014 and the first in Australia since 2009.
The Wallabies boast a very impressive record against the Barbarians, having won ten of 13 overall meetings and the last nine a row.
The last Barbarians win in this fixture was a 19-7 triumph in 1976.
Australia will be looking to rebound from a forgettable Rugby Championship against an invitational team coached by countryman Alan Jones.

As usual, a high scoring game is anticipiated.

Weather @ the ground is a Fast track

Almost a year to the day ... this Saturday.

I’ve been trying to think of other things that happened back in 2003 — the last time the Aussies held the Bledisloe — but it was just so looooooong ago...

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

... the last time the Aussies held the Bledisloe — but it was just so looooooong ago...

I believe that BnW Tellies were still around then, AirNZ planes had props, you could still smoke inside the Cabin and Split Enz hadn't been formed yet?

Australian Rugby were to have 2 decades in a leaky boat.

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Split Enz hadn't been formed yet

I see the Aussies have been talking themselves up as per. I actually like that, why would anybody else give them a chance if they don’t.

Been in NZ the last week and build up seems a bit muted other than some slight interest in the squad naming. Though to be fair I was quite blotto most the time with my attention elsewhere so probably have that wrong. Anyways, looking forward to it.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/new...ectid=12106581

Hmm, that didn't work. What happened to the links automatically appearing as the headlines?

Anyways: "All Blacks v Australia: The best Bledisloe Cup clashes"

first up sat.18th.WALL.BS. V ALL.BS.next SA.V PUMAS.
pork pies and spam sands. NO BRANSTON.