All Blacks, win the RWC for your country's sake

Yes it currently stands at 5-6 to NZ, if Boks win then 6-6. So one game in 2008 separates these teams currently. In 2010 the Boks were depleted, as the All Blacks were in 2009- I think many people forget this. In 2010 the Boks tried many stupid and crazy selections of poor performers at international level and other players out of position etc ... Jean De VIlliers on the wing? Wynand Olivier at centre, Zane Kirchener at Fullback, swopped scrum halves around because no Fourie Du Preez, Rickie Januarie played! no Heinrich Brussow, lost Bakkies in first game, lost Jaque Fourie, no Frans Steyn (however no Frans again).... there were some major changes and forced shifts from the awesome 2009 team. I'm not trying to make excuses for poor form last year because the Boks were expected to be better, but it's simply the facts of what happend. Same for All Blacks in 2009. So you can't call it 3-0 to NZ only based only on last year? You need to look at the big picture and the players involved. The All Blacks perhaps failed to see the big picture in 1995 and the Boks won. The game these two teams played prior to that final was in 1994 and they drew 18-18 at Eden Park, Auckland. All Blacks may have forgotten this after facing weaker teams in reaching that final and the Boks won. Interesting to note however that many of your so called B team may actually have proved themselves and be a part of the starting side for the play off games. Such as Dagg, Kahui, Jane, Sonny Bill, all the half backs (Slade, Weepu, Cowan and Ellis), Kaino, Ali Williams, Mealamu and Hore, Woodcock, perhaps Whitelock, Thompson, Vito and Franks involved too??? That's 17 players who played in PE. To the Boks 4 players that were involved in the NZ loss, Smit, Lambie, Morne Steyn and Danie Rossouw. ..... Just saying.... Food for thought. All Blacks are a weaker side without Dan Carter, but still strong enough to win it. All Blacks only have a 55% win record against the Boks in all of history, and the first time a favourable win record was achieved against the Boks was only in 1996... since the 1920's or something like that. History counts for a great deal between these two teams and I wouldn't be surprised if the Boks took the game. I'm jumping to conclusions though as the Boks need to beat Australia first!!! That's the most important game right now otherwise no semi against NZ!! I hope we can beat Aus! Anyway it's all fun and games... take care.

"rather just an accurate reflection of how even these teams have been since the last WC…. 6-6." That's true Rhino, teams are close though since last RWC it's 5-6 to NZ. I guess though, if Boks can rediscover their 2009 form (which would be 4-4 games each until now) it is very very close. If we look at more current form of last season until now, it's 4-1 to NZ. But I think we'd both agree that 2011 TN was a bit of a joke. You beat our B side 18-5 and we beat your B side 40-7, so we'll just call it 3-0 NZ prior to that.

I had a mate who live in the Netherlands for about a decade. He spoke fluent dutch but with a New Zealand accent and they all thought he was South African.

He he love eeet

Ben... Wow... hold on a bit there..... if NZ exit in the semi's to the Boks then it's 6-6 between these two sides since the last World Cup. That's definitely not "unthinkable" and definitely NOT an upset. Plus it'll be the 3rd win in NZ for SA over the past 4 years. It's 50-50 then. The Boks, however would obviously have to beat Australia first to get to the semi!! But not much between these 2 teams, NZ and SA, since the Boks lifted Bill in 07. Very very even, and without Dan Carter and most of the better Boks players from 09 such as Brussow & Fourie Du Preez (although Frans Steyn is a big blow too) back I think I'd back the Boks. Although being in NZ the All Blacks always have to carry the favourites tag. Since 2004, the All Blacks have only beaten the Boks once without Dan Carter, back in 2005 and that required a 77th minute try by Keven Mealamu to win 31-27 in Carisbrook. That stat says a lot about Dan Carter, a great player but also says alot about their weakness without him. He's missed 5 games against the Boks since 04. Boks have won 4 out of these 5.(in 04, twice in 09 and once this year). This obviously excludes every other time the Boks have beaten All Blacks when DC has played, including twice in NZ. Aus on the other hand haven't beaten All Blacks in NZ in about 10 years. Another stat is Boks have won 8 from 20 games since WC 03, so a win takes it to 9 from 21 over the past 8 years (2 loses per year in 05,06 & 07 tarnishes their record, plus the 3 losses last year). But still far better than any other rugby playing nation. Losing Dan Carter is huge for the All Blacks. It definitely wont be an upset if they lose to the Boks though, rather just an accurate reflection of how even these teams have been since the last WC.... 6-6. South Africa has to negotiate Australia first though.. who have given them trouble over the past 2 years. It'll be a cracking game I reckon and a winner is hard to pick. So which team really deserves to win the World Cup then? No team does, or whoever plays beats the other on the day I guess.

So Lantern you have a super hot model girlfriend too? (Missus made me post this)

Tonto, I like your comment, well said.

Hey JB return Deans to us, with the Tri Nations Cup. You seem to forget your aussie coaches did not do the job. it took a Kiwi bloke to lift that bloody cup from us. nine long years mate, so yeah give him back. Deans has done a great job for you prats. these young wallabies are going to be unstoppable for the next 10 years, full of talent. so you kick Deans out, and the next coach that takes over from him will take all the credit. just remember Deans did the hard yards. AB supporter

It's choke buddy. AB supporter, all the way. From Auckland NZ, now living in WA. What ever the out come, win or not, I love my All Blacks always have, and always will.

Why is SA the bad guys in Australia's Rugby reality Nick? We are not bad. And we dont concider AUS bad or as the enemy. The All Blacks are the old enemy. I could handle losing to NZ, but Id rather get dumped by my super-hot-model-girlfriend-on-my-birthday-which-is-ironically-also-on-sunday, then losing to AUS. But the aussies are cool, you guys have a strange accent thou, which get mistaken as South African by those ignorant American twarts. (Try speaking afrikaans in an Australian accent) You'l sound like a Vry-Staat farmer obducted by martians.

I agree 99 was a shock and we could almost handle 03, but 07 was difficult to handle, plain and simple and hard to deal with. We had the players etc but a combination of arrogance, bad coaching, bad luck and bad refereeing cost us against a very limited French team. It was extra painful after SA had a relatively easy run to the WC (but deserved ti win still, we just would have liked to have the best two teams in the final)

Any sport is like a soap opera, it's all about the characters and the dramas that surround them. One you get a feel for them you get attached. There are good guys (AU) and there are bad guys (SthA) and underdogs (Argies).

What are you talking about. Aussies don't have accents!!

Sleeping, mostly.

thank you chris best laugh i had all day

But they've already invaded our shores

FOS you've forgotten there are millions of NZer "sleeper agents" on this side of the ditch. Who KNOWS what they're capable of?!?

Like this article, we are a funny bunch, I didn't really notice the number plate thing before now, haha. After living in Oz for a couple of years (NSW) I couldn't get over how little Rugby is regarded over here, obviously its a state thing with NFL the main drawcard in winter here and AFL in Melbourne. So think of it this way, think of Sydney and how it is affected with League and you get what its like in NZ. You even get the regional rivalry - eg Auckland vs North Harbour , "Battle of the Bridge" (Auckland Harbour bridge divides these two regions). In terms of how we react to World Cups and the All Blacks in general it is all about our place in the World . The All Blacks are the only team sport where we are reliably number 1 in the World (The only team sport that comes close is Sailing, just look at where the best crews come from) . The closest rugby nations to our level of enthusiasm would be Wales and SA. It is with these two teams we have a rich history of rivalry as we all regard Rugby as our national game. With a country our size it is quite hard to have more than one winter code as there has to be enough viewers either on TV or at the games to break even. Believe me there are ALOT of people who couldn't care less about rugby and I genuinely feel sorry for them right now as rugby is everywhere, TV/radio/internet/advertising and it can be hard for them to fathom but it brings alot of money into NZ and that money is used to operate professional rugby and expose NZ on an international scale. In terms of how we cope World Cup time, we don't really, we are too used to winning so we get a real air of expectation about the whole thing and it snowballs with media and exposure which the public then feed on. However having watched every World cup so far it is with 1995 and 1999 we have the most hurt. Firstly in 95 we had the team, the form and to beaten by a very unknown SA side just hurt- of course other things added to that but I think just not having the game plan to compete was what hurt. France in 1999 was an absolute bombshell as we had the added expectation of righting the wrongs of 95 as well as blowing a substantial lead against a team which really scraped its way into the semi-finals. I actually feel in 2003/2007 we didn't hurt as much as we genuinely believe we played as good as we could and were beaten on the day by the better team, I think that is why GH and co. got another chance at this WC. If we loose this WC to something stupid - eg no genuine #7 cover or we fail to adapt our gameplan to conditions then yes it won't go down well and yes - 4 more years, thanks Gregan, we love and hate you for it :) But the reason we get the 'choke' tag is we are so good otherwise and any other team it is acceptable to lose in a world cup. So in a way its quite a compliment that we are regarded so high in our rugby ;p

Zombie attacks? We have those! Look for 'Brain Dead' by Peter Jackson. Wonderful documentary.

I hope the All blacks win ( Aussie here ), would be great to see them win at home and would be well deserved and long overdue. Nothing would be worse than seeing South Africa or England in a final again. Saying that if Australia do meet NZ ill be cheering the Australians to win of course but not with the level of outward passion that other nation's might. It's just a game, and rugby in Australia is such a niche sport you struggle to find anyway who follows it apart from watching the Wallabies here and there. New Zealand need the win so I can comfortably travel their great country in the future in relative safety.