AB's and the Rugby World Cup

[Hesi]

Post Mortem

Firstly, good luck to the many Poms and any South Africans that read this site

I hear them on Radio Sport, asking what you will be watching to see of All Black rugby

My answer to that, is that I will be waiting to see if NZ grassroots rugby can produce the next raft of once in a generation players over the next 4 years.  It has always been said, that you need 4-5 world class players in a team to win the RWC, we had 1-2.

Too many inexperienced players with potential, in the second most high pressure game that happens every 4 years.  And that pressure showed them up.  No Carter, Nonu, Bunce or Conrad Smith to steady the line.  No class wingers who had been there done that(there was one, but he was not there, Ben Smith).  No McCaw, Kaino, Fitzpatrick, Michael Jones etc to think on their feet, when you have a fired up English team coming at you at a million miles an hour.

The NRL seems capable of doing it, can NZ rugby, which according to many is on the wane, as far as numbers go.

Cam Smith, Inglis, Slater and Thurston retire, and are replaced by the likes of Tedesco etc 

 

[Steve Paul]

I am far from being an authority on rugby but I always felt that as soon as the game went fully professional it was the beginning of the demise of NZ dominance.

Actually surprised it has taken so long.

Just look at the current English team, 4 or 5 of Pacific Island heritage?

Where would they have been playing a few years ago?

[Hesi]

Agree, look at the 1987 WC AB squad.

This current team is not even close to it in terms of quality

Player	Position	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Club/province
Sean Fitzpatrick	Hooker	4 June 1963 (aged 23)	4	Auckland
John Drake	Prop	22 January 1959 (aged 28)	2	Auckland
Richard Loe	Prop	6 April 1960 (aged 27)	0	Waikato
Steve McDowall	Prop	21 August 1961 (aged 25)	6	Auckland
Murray Pierce	Lock	1 November 1957 (aged 29)	8	Wellington
Gary Whetton	Lock	15 December 1959 (aged 27)	22	Auckland
Albert Anderson	Lock	5 February 1961 (aged 26)	5	Canterbury
Alan Whetton	Flanker	15 December 1959 (aged 27)	5	Auckland
Andy Earl	Flanker	12 September 1961 (aged 25)	3	Canterbury
Michael Jones	Flanker	8 April 1965 (aged 22)	1	Auckland
Mark Brooke-Cowden	Flanker	12 June 1963 (aged 23)	2	Auckland
Wayne Shelford	Number 8	13 December 1957 (aged 29)	2	North Harbour
Zinzan Brooke	Number 8	14 February 1965 (aged 22)	0	Auckland
David Kirk (c)	Half-back	5 October 1960 (aged 26)	10	Auckland
Bruce Deans	Half-back	25 November 1960 (aged 26)	0	Canterbury
Grant Fox	First five-eighth	6 June 1962 (aged 24)	1	Auckland
Frano Botica	First five-eighth	3 August 1963 (aged 23)	6	North Harbour
Bernie McCahill	Centre	28 June 1964 (aged 22)	0	Auckland
Joe Stanley	Centre	13 April 1957 (aged 30)	6	Auckland
Warwick Taylor	Centre	11 March 1960 (aged 27)	16	Canterbury
Craig Green	Wing	23 March 1961 (aged 26)	14	Canterbury
John Kirwan	Wing	16 December 1964 (aged 22)	13	Auckland
Terry Wright	Wing	21 March 1963 (aged 24)	2	Auckland
John Gallagher	Fullback	29 January 1964 (aged 23)	0	Wellington
Kieran Crowley	Fullback	31 August 1961 (aged 25)	8	Taranaki

[JustPlodded]

14 Aucklanders in that squad Alan. 
Back when Auckland could beat Stewart Island under 10s 🙄

[Hesi]

As an aside, how much money did the TAB make, through the AB's not winning the RWC

[Maximus]

22 minutes ago, Hesi said:

As an aside, how much money did the TAB make, through the AB's not winning the RWC

not as much as they did by the ABs not even making the final 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Maximus

[ngakonui grass]

Didn't the All Blacks look great against Wales.

News alert fellows,you were crap last week and you paid the price.No game you play from now to the end of time will ever change the result.

U were rubbish last week and the result indicates that.

U failed in your quest but don't worry u will stil; get your inflated wages.

Now go and get a real job.