Rugby World Cup 2011

Is anyone here a rugby fan and thinking of travelling down under for the World Cup?? I know tourist operators are fleecing people coming in for it and if anyone was thinking of coming down, I could possibly put them up for a week or two at little or no cost. I live about 5 mins drive from Eden Park, round the middle of Auckland and could play tour guide if you were keen to see something other than rugby.

Witness first hand a whole country going into mourning when the hot favourites again stumble and fall before catching the prize!! hahaha

Mate I would LOVE to be going but I can't get that long away. I think it's going to be an incredible world cup. I'd love to see the Kiwis finally live up to their potential and win the WC.

That would be great Ging, i'm looking for a place to go on holiday next year as well any idea when the tickets are released?

what time will the games be played live in the uk it will be mid afternoon wont it.

Axe, I don't really know when the tickets are out - I have a feeling they already are or the NZ allocation was at least. I haven't any plans to go myself.

king, i think it would most likely be either 2am or 3am UK time for afternoon games and 7 or 8 in the morning for night matches - that's when I get the Premier League live so I figure the times could be reversed.

Anfield, I hope the ABs win it too because I can't handle the depressed state the nation goes into when we lose. And I have a feeling the Aussies will sneak out of nowhere to win it, Robbie Deans rubbing it in big time.

wow another wrugby world cup where we have to get up uber early lol.

Graham Henry will have to leave NZ for ever if the All Blacks don't win the world cup at home. Its a possibility for a team that don't handle world cup pressure too well.

I would like nothing more than to go watch this world cup but it's a long shot since its so far away and I'll be in uni so I'm not sure how the cash will be.

I honestly think the only way NZ don't win is if they encounter another great French performance. Otherwise they look so much stronger than any other team out there, there depth in the centre's and on the wing is incredible. They also have the best 10 in world rugby (and has been for the last 4 years) and McCaw the best open-side in the world as well.

If they don't win, I think Henry has to take most of the blame.

I really got into the last world cup, really enjoyed it. But England somehow making it into the final spoiled it for me.

I'd love to, being a huge rugby fan, but I can't really make it all the way down there with my student budget. Doubt the parents would be too keen on shelling out for it as well! I would love NZ to win though...looked so great this tour and if they can keep away the injuries they'll go into it with the greatest back line in recent memory.

Carter/Gear/Nonu/Williams(hero)/Smith

If those players can get to the world cup, and they don't bottle it in the forwards and get sucked into ugly rugby by a team like South Africa, they'll win it

I am all booked up for it mate!! Me, my Dad and my brother have flights booked and have tickets to all the Group matches at Eden Park. We are staying with a friend of mine's Dad just outside Auckland but would be good to have another friendly there to show us the ropes in Auckland. Can't remember the exact dates I am flying but I am there for about 3 and a half weeks. Can't wait!!

New Zealand's problem has always been that every single team in world rugby raises their game to play the all blacks. So they always need to be at 100% to win games and if they slip slightly teams can beat them.

I think to a certain extent the whole NZ are chokers is a little over used. In 1995 and 2007 they really should have won it because they were the best side in the world by far. But in 1995 they came up against the most passionate side to ever play in rugby in there homeland and in 07 they came up against possibly the greatest defensive performance by a team ever, and against Dusatoir who that day put in a performance, the defensive equal of Lomu in 1995. He could have retired after that game and still gone into rugby folklore. In 1991, 99 and 03 I think there were better sides out there.

I think what really hurts the Kiwi supporters is that aside from 95, they have always been knocked out by a team that didn't go on and win the world cup. They didn't even get a chance against the champions.

I think this time will be different though.

ChelseaQuinsfan wrote:I think to a certain extent the whole NZ are chokers is a little over used. In 1995 and 2007 they really should have won it because they were the best side in the world by far. But in 1995 they came up against the most passionate side to ever play in rugby in there homeland and in 07 they came up against possibly the greatest defensive performance by a team ever, and against Dusatoir who that day put in a performance, the defensive equal of Lomu in 1995. He could have retired after that game and still gone into rugby folklore. In 1991, 99 and 03 I think there were better sides out there.

I think what really hurts the Kiwi supporters is that aside from 95, they have always been knocked out by a team that didn't go on and win the world cup. They didn't even get a chance against the champions.

I think this time will be different though.

I agree to some extent. In 1995, NZ were on a completely different level than everyone else. Food poisoning hitting the camp the day before the Final was "unfortunate" and it showed but they still held a passionate home team to a draw after full time, running out of juice in extra time. If they were playing fully fit, the ABs would have easily won IMO.

I won't even mention 2007 because it would sound like sour grapes Possibly the worst refereeing performance ever from someone not called Steve Walsh, certainly from an NZ perspective .

But you are right about the other years.

If you haven't got tickets already you int getting them... I've tried getting some through my rugby club and might be lucky but I int holding up hope!

NZ wont win their bottlers! My money will be on a England vs Australia final...

YOu a Kiwi Ginginho?

in 1995 jonah lomu put on a preformance against england ill never forget. he just smashed the team apart.

Oh please do not start on the ABs getting poor refereeing decisions!! The ABs are masters at the dark arts of rugby!! constantly on the wrong side, hands in the ruck, not releasing the ball, offsides, running interference (note to Ritchie McCaw - holding your hands in the air does not excuse you constantly standing in an offside position at a ruck!!) Referees are scared to critisize the ABs and they get away with murder. A recent survey shows that on average a N Hemisphere team had to repeat a foul on average 4 or 5 times before a yellow card was shown but with the ABs its on average 12/13 times!!

pinsman wrote:If you haven't got tickets already you int getting them... I've tried getting some through my rugby club and might be lucky but I int holding up hope!

NZ wont win their bottlers! My money will be on a England vs Australia final...

YOu a Kiwi Ginginho?

Sure am - we won't bottle it at home - we will be outplayed if we lose and I reckon the Aussies are the only ones capable of that.

I have an England - Aussie semi final with NZ - South Africa in the other one having looked at the draw - that would need England to beat France in the QF though. NZ v Aus in the final unless Aus get knocked out early, which could happen. Still see them as NZs biggest threat though....

Im not being over patriotic here but england havent got anyone other than the kiwis to worry about... and on our day and injuries permitted i think we would run you close in a WC final...

On richie Maccaw - hes my most fav player of all time! he's the best 7 in the game, and a true leader... and a master cheater (and thats what i love about him) his legs and back must be destroyed after every game he plays because if he was playing aaginst me and killed the ball like he does id stamp all over his sorry ass and so would any other playe in he game ha ha!... Hes got no fear what so ever, legend!

What do you think so Sonny Bill, Griginho?

Pinsman - you are being over patriotic!! England aren't that good!! One good performance against the Aussies and suddenly you are world beaters?? Please!!

ha ha we raise our game for the world cup my friend and have a great core of a team at the moment... we were unlucky against SA Croft, Ashton and Flood all got knocks early and we are never going to win a game with hogson at 10... we still got alot out of the A. internations, some really good prospects coming through... It could be much worse I could be a paddy now they are shocking!

We'll see in the 6 nations!!

Paddyjock wrote:Oh please do not start on the ABs getting poor refereeing decisions!! The ABs are masters at the dark arts of rugby!! constantly on the wrong side, hands in the ruck, not releasing the ball, offsides, running interference (note to Ritchie McCaw - holding your hands in the air does not excuse you constantly standing in an offside position at a ruck!!) Referees are scared to critisize the ABs and they get away with murder. A recent survey shows that on average a N Hemisphere team had to repeat a foul on average 4 or 5 times before a yellow card was shown but with the ABs its on average 12/13 times!!

I knew someone would come up with this one and I don't totally disagree - but you said it right, they are masters of the dark arts of rugby and they know how far they can push a referee. It is no surprise that the 2 really dominant AB teams of the past 20 - 30 years have had captains in Sean Fitzpatrick and Richie McCaw who have had an innate ability to read a referee and push their illegalities to the limit.

The inconsistancy of refereeing, especially between hemispheres, is one reason I don't really watch much rugby anymore.

I don't know where this "refs are scared of the ABs" comes from though.

Pinsman, I quite like Sonny Bill - he adds something that not many other teams can match. If only tackles using just a shoulder were still allowed...

the_king wrote:in 1995 jonah lomu put on a preformance against england ill never forget. he just smashed the team apart.

That match probably rates as one of favourite of all time!!!! From Lomu smashing everyone for 4 tries to ZinZan Brookes droppy from 40 metres to put the icing on the cake, awesome!!!

I play league in the summer and believe me i love the shoulder charges you can really hurt people!!