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Opinionated Rugby Commentary - by Fans for Fans
Spill what you really think about events in the rugby world.
The All Blacks Defeat Not All Bad! 11 views
21 August 2011 by The Swede Eaters
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Connected with:
Wiki Player
Dan Carter,
Richie McCaw,
Heinrich Brussouw
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Scotty Donaldson looks at some positives to come out of the All Blacks defeat to the Springboks.
While I never enjoy an All Blacks defeat, I think the loss to South Africa overnight wasn't a bad thing. Here are five reasons why.
1) The All Blacks were resting most of their top players with Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Mils Muliaina, Kieran Read, Brad Thorn, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu and Owen Franks all missing and still managed to put up a brave fight despite going down 18-5. This is a lot closer than when the Springboks rested their top players and got wasted by the All Blacks earlier this season.
2) This match is the kick in the pants we probably needed and a reality check into how to play effective rugby. South Africa played a simple game based on territory and kicking their goals. This is the way to win Rugby World Cup matches where the defence is so good. You usually learn more from your defeats than victories. We need to learn from this and hopefully will.
3) We scored more tries than they did and were far more dangerous on attack. Sure we got denied a try by the TMO when he wasn't actually allowed to rule on forward passes, but at least the correct call was made. I have no doubt that some of our stars who were missing would have made those half chances count.
4) We got to see if some of these fringe All Blacks are up to inclusion in the All Blacks Rugby World Cup 2011 squad and a chance for some guys to finally get some game time after weeks off the paddock. We saw most swim, but Colin Slade and Adam Thomson struggled under pressure.
5) South Africa are genuine Rugby World Cup 2011 title contenders which makes for a far more exciting tournament in New Zealand. They are slowly getting into the groove with a traditional style based around their kicker Morne Steyn, their massive forward pack and the return of legendary openside flanker Heinrich Brussouw (who is a nuisance at the breakdown). I also rate Jaque Fourie for the record! Having several well performed teams is good for the credibility of Rugby World Cup 2011.
What did you think of this match? Have your say at
rugbyworldcuptips.com
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Tags:
All Blacks, Springboks
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