AB's v Poms

[WFDom]

Fair point, but Owen is starting to get a rep for favouring the AB's. He should have carded Nonu for that cheap shot on de Villiers last year. And, I believe he gave Cruden the conversion retake last year against the Irish, when they won at the death.

I think Nonu would have got a yellow on Saturday had the grab been in the last 10 minutes instead, & not in the first 10 minutes. Overall Owen is a very good ref who had a very bad game.

Can't wait for Saturday, AB's will go up & gear or three & England have 6 or 7 first choice players to select from who were not available from the 1st test. Saw a stat this morning that over the last 3 tests between them, England have outscored the Kiwis

I think it is gonna be a barnstormer!

[Alison]

Going to be another great weekend of rugby!! Especially if Cheezel is in the Wallabies 23 ;-D

[SNOB]

Let's hope the French make it a game this week. The Wallabys and French had a hard act to follow after the ABs game and it will no doubt be the same this week.

[Scozzie]

Fair point, but Owen is starting to get a rep for favouring the AB's. He should have carded Nonu for that cheap shot on de Villiers last year. And, I believe he gave Cruden the conversion retake last year against the Irish, when they won at the death.

I think Nonu would have got a yellow on Saturday had the grab been in the last 10 minutes instead, & not in the first 10 minutes. Overall Owen is a very good ref who had a very bad game.

Can't wait for Saturday, AB's will go up & gear or three & England have 6 or 7 first choice players to select from who were not available from the 1st test. Saw a stat this morning that over the last 3 tests between them, England have outscored the Kiwis

I think it is gonna be a barnstormer!

Apologies....I gave you a "thumbs down" by mistake.......was only wanting to click to see who'd given you what....

But yes, fair point about Nonu and his shirt pull deserving a card as well - pretty cynical, and agree had it been in final 10 mins would definitely merit the yellow.

Hope for another close game between ABs and England, and maybe a bit stiffer opposition from the French this week. Wallabies played very well though..!

[chibi]

Should be an interesting re-match and I wonder whether Stuart Lancaster will reward this performance by sticking with this line-up?

[shasta]

Get some money on McCaw to put in a MOM on Saturday. Some Kiwi commentators are starting to question whether he can last till RWC at the top of his game.

[WFDom]

Get some money on McCaw to put in a MOM on Saturday.

Pretty much inevitable Shas. They drubbed the Irish a couple of years ago 60-0 in the 2nd test. This was after it took a DC DG at the end to win the 1st.

I enjoy it every time a team gets a little closer to them... debunks the theory of unbeatability (new word invented today).

[jargan83]

There can be no questioning referee Nigel Owens’s decision to sin bin England winger Marlan Yarde inside the final quarter on Saturday night but the tourists can rightly feel aggrieved the All Blacks themselves didn’t lose a player in two separate incidents during the match.

Yarde was correctly given a yellow card in the 69th minute when he failed to roll away after completing a fine covering tackle on a runaway Brodie Retallick.

It was a professional foul that stopped the All Blacks from a quick recycle, yet there had been two earlier cases when a New Zealand player had illegally thwarted a genuine try-scoring opportunity for England.

The first came in just opening minute of the match when England skipper Chris Robshaw – who clearly outplayed opposite Richie McCaw – burst free from a ruck and was one on one with All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg.

Dagg made a fine covering tackle but trailing behind Robshaw had been flanker James Haskell who was unable to put himself in a supporting position because he was being held back by Ma’a Nonu.

Owens did penalise the All Blacks centre but it was an obvious professional foul and while the match still had 79 minutes to play, the fact the clock had barely warmed up shouldn’t have saved an incredibly lucky Nonu.

The second instance came only a few minutes prior to Yarde’s sin-binning when Malakai Fekitoa made a desperate tackle just metres from the All Blacks’ line and as the Englishman would do a short time later – made no attempt to roll away from the ruck.

Both All Blacks offences were clear yellow cards and England coach Stuart Lancaster would be well within his rights to seek an answer from Owens as to why they were any different to Yarde’s incident.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/t...-1226948276220

[GIGS20]

Obviously Sam Bruce has been affected by the same virus as I have, obviously misinterpreting the perfection that is New Zealand rugby and having absolutely no idea how the game is played.

I guess it's just a shame that the rest of the world don't get rugby isn't it?

[GIGS20]

Ps, shared the exact same views face to face with a Cantabrians mate at work this morning to be greeted with a shamefaced chuckle and agreement.

Apparently not even every New Zealander knows anything about rugby!

[Jeansyjive]

Pretty much inevitable Shas. They drubbed the Irish a couple of years ago 60-0 in the 2nd test. This was after it took a DC DG at the end to win the 1st.

I enjoy it every time a team gets a little closer to them... debunks the theory of unbeatability (new word invented today).

Owens saved NZ in the first Irish game as well. A joke of a scrum penalty in the last minute to the AB's and they went down and kicked a field goal.

[shasta]

Ps, shared the exact same views face to face with a Cantabrians mate at work this morning to be greeted with a shamefaced chuckle and agreement.

Like I said earlier, lot's of Kiwis - who actually live in NZ were scathing of the referee's inconsistent performance on Saturday. Personally, I'd draw the line at saying he influenced the result. A draw would have been fair BUT the Poms ruined their own chance of hanging on for the draw with their final ruck possession, enabling a counter ruck turnover and the rest is on the score sheet.

[GIGS20]

Personally, I'd draw the line at saying he influenced the result.

A draw would have been fair

You can't have it both ways mate, either the result (England losing) was fair and he didn't influence it or a draw was fair and he had an influence.

I would say the poms would have been hard pressed to WIN the game, even though the ABs did play like shit (for them) but Nige definitely had a telling impact on the result with one yellow card.

And again, if he had simply penalised Yarde and left it at that, this wouldnt even be an issue.....it's the differing interpretation of what is a significant professional foul that's the problem.

[WFDom]

Great game!

[jono]

Poms are either going to A - get them next week or. B - going to get wiped off the park

Either way it'll be good to watch!