Mailbox: NZ choking?
Despite a below par performance for much of the Pool C match, New Zealand still managed to push aside a Scotland second-string outfit 40-0 in a less than convincing Rugby World Cup performance in Edinburgh on Sunday.
We asked if other teams now stood a chance at lifting the Webb Ellis trophy and according to you... seemingly not!
"Well, as a expat Kiwi I have to tell you we actually never considered ourselves the favourites for any World Cup, that little old adage came from the media this year as I suppose it has every other year.
Yes we do have some of the best players in the world and yes we do have the ability to win the tournament, as do many other nations, and yes the AllBlacks may have been and may be the best team in the world or at least hold the number one ranking leading into the world cup but whether or not you call them chokers that should not afford them the favourites tag. The chokers tag which I'm sure emulated from Australia, just takes away the ability they had in winning their world cup campaigns, which is something they should be damn proud of and not use silly comments like we won because the All Blacks choked. They won because they were the better team on the day and had the mental and physical ability to compete in the tournament atmosphere where at times we may have been complacent or the atmosphere got to us. Theirs not many Kiwis that can put their finger on the whys and why not's, but to me the favourites tag belongs to who-ever soaks up the atmosphere best and uses it to their advantage with their capabilities."
- Pam (Sydney)
"Yes New Zealand still have to be the favourites to win the RWC because they won that game with a lot to spare.Yes there were plenty of errors but they still put 40 unanswered points past Scotland. Admittedly it was a second string Scottish side but one's got to ask how much better supposedly their first team is than what they put out? Who's to say they wouldn't have got beat just as bad, if not worse? The way I see it, everyone's due one bad game at the world cup, New Zealand have had theirs, South Africa have had theirs too...it gives them something to work on, which I'm sure they'll have sorted out come the business end of the tournament."
- Mike (Cardiff)
"Yes, the All Black are still favourites, but warm one's, not hot one's. Their display against Scotland, given that they and the Scots fielded second-string sides, was meaningless and New Zealand need some serious opposition to hone their game. As for their closest rivals, none of them have been entirely convincing and the All Blacks' superior all round strength should still be decisive."
- Ken Johnston
"This was a great game! Lets leave it at that! The ref is the ref. The players are the players. This is what rugby is all about. No Bitching, no whining."
- Charlie
"As an AB supporter I was horrified to note their attire on Sunday. They neither looked nor played like the All Blacks.
Who was the genius behind those look-alike fashion kits sported by both New Zealand and Scotland? Both countries have splendid traditional colours, black and blue respectively, which were abandoned for this game. Why? The new attire made it very difficult for television viewers to distinguish between the two teams particularly during close encounters such as rucks and mauls and I felt sorry for the match commentators.
To the best of my knowledge the ABs are the only WRC team with an all black uniform. That, in itself, is sufficient contrast against any other team's colours. What next? Tutus? Hopefully we will see no more of this stupidity."
- Matt
"Tonga should have beaten South Africa, England were exposed by Samoa, France lost to Argentina and Australia's tight look anything but champions. Yes, the All Blacks are by still some way favourites."
- J Lindsay (Japan)
"I would have to say they are still the team to beat. They are not firing just yet but it is all part of there plan to not give to much away. All you need to do is look at the expression on TED's face, you know they are doing what they want to be. They will win for sure."
- Jason Burkhart
"On the strength on this match probably not.....but then again look at the Bok match. Would they also be considered equal favourites after their dreadful match? As a Kiwi, it pains me to say that the Aussies are looking mighty good currently."
- Kevin Hogg
"We never were fav's in most Kiwis eyes - just everyone else thought so! New Zealand got sucked into a pointless physical battle with the Scottish pack and paid for it in the amount of drop balls and turnovers - that being the most frustrating aspect of the game. Scrum time is also a worry - refs have no clue about this aspect of the game (most of us don't), the IRB need to do something about this part of the game. The Poms almost lost the last World Cup because the ref let the convicts get away with all sorts at the scrum. Australia had one of the weakest scrums ever but still managed to disrupt and con the ref into free kicks and pens. Australia still have a weak scrum compared to other top nations but still get away with there negative tactics. Back to the All Blacks - we were OK, but need to wisen up mentally if we are to stand a chance in the knock-out stages.
Poms to beat the Aussies in quarter-final! Yes, I hear you laughing! Loving the World Cup!"
- Blair Johnson
"I am a massive rugby fan and watching the game today offends me! Scotland is a pathetic sporting nation but watching them today, and even cheering them, horrifies me! I have watched the "smaller" nations play with pride. Scotland, who bribed France with their vote, are terrible hosts. No-one watched the Romania game, and if I was Scottish I would have asked for my money back, admitting defeat to Samoa/Fiji/NZ before kick-off. I hear tickets were going for #60! How are a 'B' side going to beat a team with the best talent from Polynesia?
Another question to ask is how many All Blacks were born in New Zealand? The precious Haka is lame enough as it is, but with Fijians and Samoans, taking the money and the education of NZ how can they be so precious of their "heritage"? Any Kiwi who says it is part of his history should watch early televised games and try not to laugh - it resembles morris dancing! The haka is a Maori thing not a Polynesian thing so why the fuss about it? At least with Fiji we know they are there for love, not money.
The refs have regularly favoured the "favourite" teams and denied the minor teams: Samoa vs SA; Tonga v SA with the forward pass; Ireland dropping the ball before the line against Namibia; Vickery getting a two-match ban whereas Emerick got five games! It is a hard enough game as it is, but money talks as Samoans (All Blacks) play for money. Scotland and New Zealand were also hard to tell apart.
On the flip side the French fans have been amazing, the minnows have proved they should be there and ITV are not as bad as I feared. Georgia have been sensational, Tonga look better than the World Champs and Japan have scored the try of the tournament. If rugby can share the wealth and the best players want to play for their country rather than money, then it can develop. Portugal were so passionate and knew the words to their anthem. NZ were professional, but they are not representing their country as half the team can't sing the Maori version of the anthem as they were poached from overseas and the haka is just a farce.
Bitter and twisted."
- Allez les Bleus
"I'm surprised the tournament officials managed to escape you awarding them the Villain of the Match mention for allowing the teams to play in very similar dress - both jerseys looked much the same after the Scots started sweating them up and both teams had dark shorts and socks - forget the bits of white and grey thrown in. Both at the stadium and after on TV, it was very difficult to discern who was who. This did not add to what was already a greyish match."
- Paul de Wouters (Switzerland)
I think the villain of the New Zealand vs Scotland game were the match administrators for failing to notice that the jerseys of the two countries looked very similar and sometimes even caused confusion among the players. NZ could have stuck with their traditional black shirts. The ref should have ordered either of the teams to change gear.
- All Black supporter (Namibia)
They came from a warm Marseille to play at 4pm at a cold windy damp Murrayfield against a Scottish side that had surrendered by picking an understrength side. How the heck were they supposed to feel any enthusiasm about such a farce. Add to that a referee who regarded any pass that wasn't at least two feet backwards as forward and penalised the All Blacks for being so superior in the scrums that they lost balance when pushing the Scots backwards. Under the circumstances I think New Zealand done quite well in such a meaningless game.
I give Portugal, although beaten by a greater score, more credit than Scotland.
- Gareth Williams