Predictions for Abs v Wales Test

Has any one got any ideas about this one? Wales have just come off a 30-10 drubbing by Aussies so shouldn't prove too difficult for the Ab's. Picking the first half will be close and then the Ab's will run away with it by 15-20 points.

Doug Howlett to score first try and Daniel Carter to score first points in the match.

I predict it will be a game of two halves ...and Rugby will be the winner on the day.

Nice work Harvey maybe you could get a job with Murray Mexted with great calls like that.

Sorry, I don't quite have the qualifications to replace Murray Meathead. For one, I don't fantasize about lineouts.

bah Im going for an AB win by 30-40

Dont even know I'll bother watching it

42-12 to the ABs

I don't think Aus played very well against Wales... (altho I think they'll beat England, cause of conditions)....

Given good conditions I'd say the ABs are gonna run rampant by a large margin. Gotta make up for last week and show they are world beaters (even if it is just against Wales).

If the weather's shite, bit closer.

Man, talk about stating the obvious I s'pose

39-18 to All Blacks

ab's by 30+

AB's by about 52 points I reckon

FORWARDS:
Mealamu got better and better as the game wore on, he looks good. Chris Jack is the worlds best lock. Brad Thorn is just awesomely powerful, so strong! Maybe an answer for No.8? Thorne was still pretty anonymous, he really need to up his workrate to still the critics. Holah is a fabulous flanker. I'd love to see Holah AND McCaw playing at the same time in the 6 and 7 jerseys. Jerry Collins was only so-so from No.8 against average opposition.

BACKS:
Devine should have buried Marshall on that performance, he was nippy, smart and a quick clearer, Spencer like the extra 1/2 metre a weaker opposition gave him and looked good, but I think there is still a question mark over him in the really tight games. Dan Carter looks like he has enormous potential, but 70% with the boot wasn't good enough - I still think Mehrtens is the best goal kicker in NZ and should be our first five. Umaga looked far happier at centre, and Howlett was back in his best position. And I thought Muliaena had an excellent game. All in all, the Auckland wingers and fullback looked really good - hopefully Caleb Ralph has played his game for the All Blacks.

agreed. hopefully we have seen the back of marshall and ralph, in fact the less crusaders the better...

still don't agree with you on marshall FB... there is no way that anyone can be picked ahead of carlos at this point, he is just too good... and come world cup time he'll be well into his groove...

going back to what was said a few weeks ago though, we need to get out there and play our game - to run these teams off the paddock, not to get caught up in their game... we can out class and outrun every player on every team playing the game today - so thats how we'll win the cup.

i heard one of the best analogies ever before the blacks game at the weekend - the game vs england from lasst weekend was likened to a boxing match between a wise old champ coming to the end of his career, tieing up the young athletic challenger and having just enough know how at the right times to win the game...
very true of the pom's performance i thought... a ver smart team, and they do what they have to do to win, if we had woodward coaching the blacks we'd be unstoppable.

sorry that should have said:

""still don't agree with you on MEHRTENS fb"" (not marshall)

Anyone else get the feeling the AB’s are becoming the Harlem Globetrotters of World Rugby?

We can wallop the average side with a style and panache that no other can, but put us up against a bunch of hardened professionals and we will fold

Also Ive had enough of people (on radio sport mostly, not here) that bleat about the Poms “being boring”

HELLOOOOOOO……WE USED TO BE BORING…………………. And we won

I heard someone the other day say its better to boring and WIN than be a bunch of losers.

Fishboy??? Hello??

some good points, however some of your ideas are wack.

1) Jerry collins had a great game, barring one fumble........bear in mind that our most expeienced All Black on the park fumbled an easier ball right after scoring a try. See what happened to Charvis? Number 8 is all about owning your opposite number, and having dominance on the feild in that position, similar to openside flanker. IMO, Jerry did that job, made great yards with the ball in hand, and ran great lines.
Saying he played against avg opposition is a harsh call, charvis is widely respected as a top 8.

2) 70% with the boot. Beleive it or not, have a look at some kicking stats before u slag that off. for a first game in an AB jersey thats a farkin great percentage. Merhtens in his peak doesnt kick much better than that. But then again, Mehrtens aint anywhere near as good a player with theball in hand as I think Dan Carter is, or has the potential to be.

Both carter and spencer created more trys and scoring oppurtunities than merhtens ever can.

Jerry Collins looks like the answer to number 8. Brad Thorn is a wicked impact player, that man is so fucking strong. Kees Mueews....mate...if mitchell picks sommerville over him, I will personally riot down queen street.

Good bye Anton Oliver, I always thought u were not the best hooker in NZ, and its been proven. Mealamu, Tom willis, Shane Carter are all better hookers.


and if someone is listening, please pick Cullen for the world cup, because losing that man to Irish club rugby will be foolish

fish Boy Devine played with a completely dominant forward pack that delivered consistent front foot ball. His performance will in no way bury Marshall. Marshall played against the best team in the world not one of the worst on current form.

Anyone including a club half back could have looked good against those welsh losers.

Marshall is a fagnutz seen.

Hes crap, hes shite, no matter who the fwd pack is. Devine for 1/2 back in the world cup.

Marshall....orange boy...altho hes to slow.

Jerry Collins was awesome the other night, he fumbled once and everyones saying 'oh, his hands arent up to it' rubbish ! he was very effective going foward and made metres everytime he ran, his tackling was awesome and Collin Charvis can vouch for that !

Meeuws would get teh nod over Sommerville if I was coach too !

Dan Carter was brilliant the other night, 70% is good imo..... 7/10 so thats respectable......

I think were getting our top team sorted and once weve won the tri nations and hopefully the Bledisoe we will thrash england given another opportunity..

I said it last week and I'll say it again, England should have wasted us by more than 2 points.... the #1 ranked team, full of experience rahrahrah.. and coming off a 6 nation grand slam playing our boys who have been in camp the whole of 2 weeks, to beat us by two was shitte !

look at how many caps our guys had the other night, going through the team from fullback to front row the stats were like this...

16 caps
2 caps
1 cap
21 caps
4 caps
17 caps
0 caps

give them a chance and they will kick arse ! let them grow as a team, at our peak we had Brooke,Fitzpatrick Brown etc... all with heaps of test experience, we will get heaps better and England wont.

Haven't seen that Wales game yet, but was that ponce Spencer throwing short loopy passes to the outside again, like he did against England? Couldn't beleive it, no wonder the outside backs didn't get a chance, with suicide passing like that.

Agreed on Devine over Marshall, whose passing against England was as bad as Spencer's.