Ken Gargett Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I agree that Pocock is currently more influential than Mccaw at the breakdown simply because turnovers are pretty hard to come by nowadays, and Pocock is currently the world's finest turnover merchant. [And he has biceps like balloons.] In super rugby in recent years, the most turnovers were being achieved by a strange mix of outside centres and hookers as well as loosies, showing the trend in modern rugby that Pocock has been bucking (unlike erstwhile rivals such as Brossouw). It has been at least 5-6 years since Mccaw has moved away from specialising in turnovers like a typical nz 7, instead playing a hybrid backrowers role. If Kaino wasn't around and NZ had a discovered a new great traditional pilfering 7, Mccaw would have been shifted to Blindside, like Michael Jones later in his career. Although a lot slower than in his youth, Mccaw is apparently still the fittest All Black according to beep tests etc -strange for a big man - and has one of the biggest work rates in world rugby, apart from having the most nous around the contact area. But like most players at this stage of their career he has a big talismanic and leadership meaning that his team values just as much as his leading by example on the footy field. Fortunately he is not a lame duck leader like John Smit in his last couple of years, who was all talisman but not worthy of his position on performance value. The Pocock vs Mccaw matchup is a bit of a false conundrum for the Final as what their respective forward packs do in front of them will be far more important in terms of their respective influence on the game. And they have quite different roles within their teams strategies. But as a whole the ABs will be on the lookout for Pocock when they spread it wide - fearing his breakdown burglaries - whereas for the Wallabies Mccaw will just be another loose forward on the prowl. So Pocock's influence on the game will be easier to pinpoint than Mccaw's at any rate, even before it has been played... Looking forward to a good Boks vs Argies game first - Pumas decimated by injuries but full strength squad for Boks... completely agree. and what i said was in no way intended to demean mccaw and what he has achieved. one of the all time greats. the odd thing is that pocock plays more like the 7 and in some ways, hooper like an 8. he just isn't big enough for 8. pocock an extraordinary bloke. never met anyone with a bad word for him. the ultimate role model. he and cooper were in my old house at school. what a house team that would have been! bit better than my time. not sure if he still does it but pocock, from having studied the science involved, worked out times of day when the body was best suited to certain exercises. drove his roommates insane when the alarm would go off at 2.30am so he could do several hundred sit-ups and so forth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Gargett Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 When I was playing, Michael Lynagh was my hero. It seemed he played rugby with more tactical awareness than anybody I've seen before. He was like a chess grand-master, picking his distribution to perfection. Carter, I agree, has that same ability. I reckon part of it is innate ability, and part of it comes from having such great players (the Horans, Pococks, and McCaws) around you. true but having that ability makes those around you look even better. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayepatz Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 true but having that ability makes those around you look even better. I could have used that when I was playing... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RijkdeGooier Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Any tears at the Havanaton yet. Done and dusted. In the end SA ran the AB closest but nobody could touch them. Dan Carter player of the tournament. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Tears? Only after that drop goal from Dan Carter in the second half. So close...yet so far. 21-17 and the Wallabies needed one more play to bring it level, but it never came. Credit must go to the All Blacks where it is due. They controlled the game at the lineout, rucks and posession in general. The Wallabies couldn't match that today. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nino Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 What a memorable match, loved it ! Second best after I watched the Springboks beat the All Blacks in the historic Johannesburg match with Nelson Mandela attending. Smoked a Salomones watching it at my pub, the Wallabies had a great second half but the end result was well deserved. Well done AB's ! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayepatz Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 Great finale to a great World Cup. Congrats to the All Blacks in a well deserved defence of the trophy. Sad for the Wallabies who have played some sensational rugby at times. Pocock was my man of the tournament. Hopefully Scotland can continue to build their form into the Six Nations. Should be an exciting championship this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dicko Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Congratulations AB's Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Well played NZ Congrats to the wallabies for taking it up to them and going further in this tournament than I ever thought they could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah89 Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 I still say it should have probably been Scotland in that final, however the wallabies put up a good fight. But there was never any doubt who was going to claim the Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldy Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Wow what a final. So very happy for the AB. Australia played a good game. Coming from a North American sports background, I'm most impress with Australia's class after the match. Very classy team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RijkdeGooier Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Tears? Only after that drop goal from Dan Carter in the second half. So close...yet so far. 21-17 and the Wallabies needed one more play to bring it level, but it never came. Credit must go to the All Blacks where it is due. They controlled the game at the lineout, rucks and posession in general. The Wallabies couldn't match that today. John, From where I am sitting Dan Carter won both the semi and the final with huge drop kicks under pressure to give the AB the momentum they needed to in both matches. For those of us who have been players ourselves, we know how big and difficult those kicks were. SA is always a 'bestia negra' for the AB as they are the only team that can outmuscle the best playing team in the world at the moment which is why I said their match was in my eyes the true final. AUS is similar to the AB but a smidgen less in quality and were never going to really trouble the AB. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchkiwi Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 great final to an entertaining world cup... NZ and Aus showing everyone knockout matches need not be dour penalty fests. I saw old Bill (just called Wiremu here) roaming the streets of Wellington yesterday. Can't be solid gold if they're all holding him up with one hand. Will be a shame not to see all of the retirees in National colours next year. Genia, Kepu should be at the peak of their career, Nonu Carter, and Ashley Cooper showed that they are still at the top theirs, Fernandez Lobbe, Schalk Burger, Habana and Mccaw still seem to have more than enough in the tank. They deserve their French wine and rugby tourism OE by now, or putting their feet up at the bar for an endless flow of free drinks from strangers. O'Connell, and De Villiers had the cruellest of exits but at least the great Victor Matfield got to re-retire on a winning note ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayepatz Posted November 7, 2015 Author Share Posted November 7, 2015 I take it you all saw this? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jat Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 I take it you all saw this? yeah, over excited kid gets onto the field and some zealous security guard crash tackles the kid, and then is surrounded by all blacks. I wonder when he realised "doing his duty' was never going to work on this crowd. SBW hands over RWC medal and makes every other sports person in the world look like a schmuck. I see Sam Burgess has come back the NRL with a South SYD, so much for Rugby being his new passion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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