World Cup
All Blacks not going to RWC 2015 – What is Tew playing at?
0New Zealand Rugby Union CEO Steve Tew says that the rules around sponsorship revenue at the world cup may mean the All Blacks won’t play.
He’s threatening to take his ball and go home.
What an idiot!
- Tew is not smart enough to play games in the press – this guy is no Alec Ferguson
- He is supoosed to be the leader of the biggest brand in world rugby and he’s crying because he’s got no money!
- New Zealand have gambled before with RWC … and lost (the rights to co-host RWC 2003)
- How stupid will he look if New Zealand do not win?
['We aren't playing any more because you don't let us win']
Tew is banking on the notion that a world cup without New Zealand would not be a world cup.
The threat would carry more impetus if the All Blacks were the reigning champions. What would it look like if New Zealand finish where they did in 2007 – Losing quarter finalists.
They were not in the top 4!
The management of rugby in New Zealand is not in the hands of innovative, strategic thinkers. These guys are narrow-minded and very limited in their ideas.
God help us!
Some are over-playing Pacific Island sides’ tour results
0The draw for the 2011 World Cup allows only the top 2 teams from each pool to progress.
The pools look like this:
| Pool A New Zealand France Tonga Canada Japan  |
Pool B Argentina England Scotland Georgia Romania |
Pool C Australia Ireland Italy Russia USA |
Pool D South Africa Wales Fiji Samoa Namibia |
In order for a team to progress to the Quarter-Finals, they are going to need to beat one of the top 8 teams:
New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, France, England, Ireland, Wales.
How likely is that?
The Pacific Island nations recently completed tours of Europe and they represented themselves with honour. None however recorded a win.
Fiji came closest with a draw in Cardiff against Wales.
To say that these results indicate potential upsets may be over-stating the case.
Of the top 8, Argentina may be the weakest at present but none of the Island sides are in that pool.
The nitty-gritty
- Tonga would need to be either France or New Zealand
- Samoa would need to beat South Africa or Wales (and Fiji)
- Fiji would need to beat South Africa or Wales (and Samoa)
In my opinion, Samoa have the only chance. They will fancy their chances against Wales. They will enjoy the kind of support that a home team gets as all of the locals will be cheering for them.
The game is in Hamilton with a 3:30pm kick-off so it should be a cracker.
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