Massive rivalry between us,” she said. “But we’re hungry for it and we’re ready to come out and I think we’ve got something to show after the last two rounds and we’re definitely going to come out firing.”
Not sure about any rivally…theyve never beaten NZ and rarely get close.

Just looking at todays Herald Sun.
Not one article in there about rugby……….maybe you should write some articles for them. Get Melburnians interested. Im sure they will instantly fall out of love with AFL….

Well 3 countries actually. Eng, Wales and Scot. Ireland have their own.

I just dont think, (and i have been saying this for years), having a team in Melbourne is the correct option. Nobody cares about rugby in Melbourne or in fact the whole state of Victoria.
When they host what is in effect the Gather Round, the crowds have been poor and consist of mainly Kiwis and Pacific Islanders.
Go to Melbourne and try and find some rugby in the media?
I go to Melbourne on a regular basis and rugby just isnt a thing there……and never will be.

In regard the mens game. The turning point in that semi vs NZ was the huge hit by Knewstub.
Trailing by just 9 points (thats not a lot in 7s) and with possession with about 1 min and a half to go, Knewstub smashed one of the Aussies jolting the ball out of his arms and a few passes later NZ scored. That was the game right there.
I watched a bit of Michael Hooper during the tournament and 7s is just not his game. Great 15s but lacks speed and technical nous in 7s. He was conspicuous by his absence really.

If we are listing those who are missing from a squad, then lets be fair…the NZ Women were missing some regulars also.
Sarah Hirini, Kelly Brazier and Tyler King nee Nathan-Wong. There was also one other who they interviewed on the sideline but her name escapes me…..

Just watched nz men bounce Aus out in the semi…literally.
Massive hit by Knewstub in the last minute sealed the deal. Smashed him bro!!!!
Only reason i knew Hooper was playing was the commentator said so.
Dont think he offers anything in this form of the game.

Nick Wasiliev…..”Highlanders bar Folau Fakatava are misfiring…..”
Dont quite agree Nick….i think Billy Harmon has been their best in an average team…. to stick out in a team thats regularly on the back foot says something. For me Harmon, Sotutu and Lakai have been the form loosies in this comp.
Harmon would not look out of place in a Black jersey for me. His versatility is an obvious advantage too in that he has played in all 3 loose forward spots, much like Lakai. Harmon has a real hard edge to his play too, which for me is test match intensity level.
I am a big fan of Fakatava but at the moment i guess playing behind a regularly beaten forward pack he seems to be over playing his hand a bit. Would like to see him behind a dominant pack on a regular basis, kind of like when he plays for Hawkes Bay….
But yes, Highlanders are def misfiring arent they……

It wasnt the crookedness of the put in.
You can hear Doleman clearly explain the initial free kick.
He said Qland scrum had hit and chased at the sametime as KT put the ball in and you cant do that.
He explained they have to hit on the engage, then steady and then he can put the ball in but cannot hit, chase, ball in.
Consistency….

Sekope Kepu never got a card in the World Cup final 2015…

“Given the Rebels’ strong Polynesian influence, the idea was considered to have some merit.”
Do they really have a strong influence of Polynesian players? They dont seem to have any more or less than the other Aus teams and certainly less than most of the NZ teams.
The polynesian influence in rugby is a lot stronger in NZ than anywhere in Aus.
I have always said from day 1 that Melbourne was the wrong place for a super rugby team. Melbourne supporters on here always disagreed with me, but we all know that nobody gives a fat rats about rugby in Victoria. Why they have the Super Round there beats me. Year in and year out, the crowd numbers are dire.

“…the debacle which has been RA over the past 12 months.”….only the past 12 months ya reckon???!!!

I dont think anybody at the NZRFU will miss him either. He was nothing but combative, belligerent, and seemed to refuse to even try and work together, throwing jibes and threats at every juncture.

If you look at world rugby, so many teams have Pacific Island players. Just look at the 6 nations where there is no Pacific Island community to speak of.
Yet in the running of the rugby world cup, not one PI ref, touchie, tmo or adjudicator what so ever. Yet there were 5 refs from Eng.
PI nations barely have a say in world rugby affairs.
But so many are all too willing to take our players. At least in Aotearoa NZ we have the biggest PI population in the world with so many born or migrating here as kids and end up playing for the ABs. We are into the 3rd generation of NZ born PIs.
The whole World Rugby situation and how PIs are treated is nothing but disgusting…

Oh you dont really want to go there do you with the number of Wallabies born outside of Aus?

….born and raised…”…did you not read the article?
Williams ..”born in Whangarei…”.
Also all 3 also went to NZ secondary schools when they returned from Australia.
Williams St Kents Auckland where i first saw him.
De Groot Southland Boys and Lomax St Pats Silverstream Wellington.

Rogue…unfortunately you see it on here a lot. As Aus rugby hasnt been that successful for a while theres the same pseudos on here who always blame the ref after every Wallaby or Aus Super rugby team loss. The keyboard warrior @r$e&01e$ who, like you say, have never refereed but make like they know the rules.
It happens every world cup. Theres always at least 1 controversial refereeing performance where the losing fans lose the plot.
Kiwis and Barnes 2007, Safas and Bryce Lawrence 2011, Scots and Craig Joubert 2015, i could go further back if i think about it.
Its not helped by the media and so called rugby experts on tv, radio or papers who throw mud validating punters.
Even The Roar scribes are guilty of that.
I was watching James Haskell get stuck into BOK over his officiating of the scrum and he said the final penalty, he had no idea how BOK could rule on it and it was so grey etc etc. And how scrums need to be like league!! Yet on replay and with a different camera angle, BOK was correct and immediately explained Genge going down on a knee then angling in. Tv showed he was spot on. Genge dropped a knee before the ball was in.
As with all these people, including keyboard warriors, you will never see an apology or admission that they were wrong, even with all the evidence available.

Youtube…..Waterboy

I think the critical turning point of that match was Doris dropping a simple drop kick off from the ABs. ABs were under all sorts, and then that happened up near halfway and relieved all the pressure.
That was a huge moment for me, and made me jump out of my seat in relief. Shame as i have rated Doris as one of the best 8s in world rugby.
I agree that Sexton was pretty much shovelling it on and presented zero threat. He would often stop to catch the ball then shovel it on or be running at half pace. I think from recollection that he only took contact once in the game and never took the line on.
I know motm was Savea, and deserved, however i thought imo Sam Cane was. He showed what ive been saying is his strength for a while now, That offensive defence he brings. He was truely committed. He carried strongly as well.
I have to mention Sam Whitelock. I can remember a number of clutch plays he has executed during his 151 test career which have been invaluable and saved the ABs. 2015 vs Boks in semi, a valuable lineout steal under pressure and then yesterday….what a champion. Surely our GOAT lock.
The draw for this WC is an absolute farce with the best games and teams playing each other in the quarters. Surely World Rugby will change the timing of the draw for next World Cup.

Gee i thought that was a clear batting of the ball dead by Kolbe in the first few minutes which shouldve been a card and review for a penalty try. Then Etzbeths knock down of a pass,,,,gee, was that reviewed? I dont know.
Also thought the Boks were offside at just about every French breakdown. I think it was controversial too……Smiths turnover for a penalty right in front of the posts when he had his hand on the ground…..
Boks def got the rub of the green and French will be filthy i would say.
I dont know about the “injuries” to Bok players as well, stopping the game and subs rolling on and off….we’ve been there before with the Boks….
Either way, i think Poms will get pumped by the Boks.
All Blacks should, i say should, put Argies away, and then there we have it.
World Rugby really have to look at the draw. These quarters are as good as any final, and should be semis, not quarters. Poms really dont deserve to be there on form because of the draw.
If its a Bok ABs final, then that will be brutal.
Feel for the French.
But so much for that Northern Hemi domination Clive Woodward and Mark Reason……

Yes i read that Old Bugger and on top of the rest of his statement re that question, i couldnt help thinking how self serving his answer was.
You know, im all good, cos look how my bullish statements got us sponsorship and the 27 and 29 world cups. Oh and look what else ive done, the broadcast arrangement and a fair deal against those dastardly kiwis.
Talk about deflection……

That lineout 5m from the Welsh line with players tripping up and falling over was a snapshot of the state of Australian rugby atm…….

If youre genuinely interested in my opinion as you say, then your disbelieving sarcastic first paragraph is in contrast.
Excuse me when i say i am always sceptical when people tell me they have friends that told them, or i know people that know people and they say, or all the people i spoke to say…..as if that actually counts for something.
Its like saying, you know, im not offended by it, so why are you?
My reason for mentioning the Air Force lady, is to show how much of an effect it has on victims. You never know the background for other people and what seems like just a kiss to you, can be a helluva lot more traumatic to other people, esp when the perpetrator is in a position of power like Rubiales is.
You realise a forced, unwanted kiss can be an assault right? And if found guilty of that, esp in the workplace with a power inbalance, then that is serious misconduct in almost every organisations Code of Conduct and a sackable offence.
If you took Rubiales to court over this, either criminally or employment, then date, time, place, circumstance would overwhelmingly show, it was part of the “workplace” as a whole. He would be gone.

You sound disbelieving……anyway i dont need to prove anything to you. If you look up $3xu@1 assault and the definition of, im sure you will get an idea of what it is. In most workplaces its not only an assault but a serious employment matter too. I was privvy to a case where a NZ Air Force lady was the subject of not only unwanted stuff like this but also other more serious stuff. As the song, goes, started with a kiss….i have seen first hand how “just a kiss” has been used in a defence and the profound effect it has on victims. But for you, with obviously zero experience in this or even the slightest hint at its effects, i guess ignorance is bliss. Cant believe we are even having this conversation to be honest…

I think he should lose his job…yes. esp as Hermoso has voiced what she felt and wants to happen.
It was unwanted, unwarranted, unsolicited and unnecessary.
Try sitting through a number of trials, as in court cases, where women are the victims of these sorts of incidents on a regular basis and then come back and tell me it didnt affect you….only then will you probably get an idea how much it affects women victims.