Italy v NZ Match Thread

PowerHouseDan

Doug Howlett is a Try Machine looking forward to see what he can do for Munster

aidan24326

Unfortunately this won't be the last one-sided game nor will it be the worst. Italy are out of their depth but then so are most teams against NZ. I don't fancy our chances against them either if we meet them in q-finals.

The Italians have more or less given up. Didn't think they'd lose by this much but they're not even trying now. Nothing to be learned about NZ from this game. We can slag the Italians for throwing in the towel but if we meet NZ I expect them to beat us by 20pts aswell. They're the best team in it by a distance and it's their world cup to lose.

ironingbored

Why don't we just give the Webb Ellis Trophy to the All Blacks now? I just think that every team except the Aussies and the Boks give the AB's too much respect and go out with the wrong attitude. If I were any manager I'd be saying let Jerry Collins know you're there. Make sure you put a big one in on Carter in the first 5 minutes, etc. I hate continuously uncontested lineouts as well!

AlphaMale 3OO

ironingbored wrote:

Unfortunately, I don't have Setanta and the RWC is not on RTE or BBC meaning I have to watch on ITV. Does anyone else find Murray Mexteth to be the most irritating man on the planet? Worthy of ITV. Condescending b*****d. Love NZ rugby, hate presumptuous idiots like him.

I was about to comment on this but you beat me to it. He has no clue about NH Rugby and he is showing it by making sweeping general observations like about Castrogiovanni, "He has the cut of a tighthead prop, he is a big rooster". And about Bergamasco "He has played lots of rugby in France". The idiot has literally looked at the match programme and concluded it from that, as opposed to doing any sort of research on any other team than New Zealand. He seems so surprised that the Italy scrum is coping with the All-Blacks, while the fact that Italy have the best scrum in the world (even today) has completely gone over his head. He also seems surprised that even one Italian fan one would attend the game to lend their support. This is one seriously ignorant man we are talking about.

ironingbored

when we played the AB's last year we ran them very close and had them on the run on more than one occasion. Save for two examples of POC bad handling we could have won. Howlett is a great player but i don't think Munster will be handing him tries on a plate like today.

aidan24326

The ITV commentator just described Italy's performance as 'resourceful'. By that I presume he means they were saving their energy for the next day.

Hermy

Would one of you be good enough to explain to me why the Italian try late in the second half was disallowed? I'm not questioning the referees decision - I just couldn't figure out what the Italians had done wrong. Thanks!

pickarooney

De Marigny tackled the NZ #11 off the ball just before the put-down, I think. However, I don't get why that didn't just cancel the advantage and bring play back to the obvious penalty moments earlier when Bergamasco was obstructed.

zAbbo

I don't know whats more disgraceful, the poor performance or the attitude of some of the posters here ?

A few early tries really sunk Italy, they'll be happy just to get that game over, and their world cup starts now.

BOHSBOHS

sivivatu clearly moved to obstruct de marigny rather than trying to play the ball , usual ab obstruction that they always get away with :rolleyes:
should have been a try

Hermy

Thanks lads,
Never having played rugby my knowledge is limited to what I pick up from the t.v. but with the refs not so clearly audible and the 'foreign' commentators I'm a bit more lost than usual.

Pinetree Boy

forbesii wrote:

I was about to comment on this but you beat me to it. He has no clue about NH Rugby and he is showing it by making sweeping general observations like about Castrogiovanni, "He has the cut of a tighthead prop, he is a big rooster". And about Bergamasco "He has played lots of rugby in France". The idiot has literally looked at the match programme and concluded it from that, as opposed to doing any sort of research on any other team than New Zealand. He seems so surprised that the Italy scrum is coping with the All-Blacks, while the fact that Italy have the best scrum in the world (even today) has completely gone over his head. He also seems surprised that even one Italian fan one would attend the game to lend their support. This is one seriously ignorant man we are talking about.

You poor buggers. Mex is an idiot. Down here we have to put up with him on Sky but fortunately the free to air channel TV 3 has the Cup so he has obviously been fobbed off on you. Its not just NH rugby he knows nothing about I doubt he even knows the rules of the game.

nacho libre

if we qualify i expect New Zealand to hammer us by at least 40 points.