The French have done it!

[maximus]

Good to see NZ statesmen keeping a sense of perspective

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, too, was in no mood to let the "tragedy" go unmourned and, as well as branding the match referee as "incompetent" implored us all to think about the wider impact of those four more years with out a World Cup - and also to think of the women and children.

Speaking to the Agenda programme on TV One, he said: "It would have been a big lift for our country psychologically [winning the World Cup] and a big lift economically as well," said Peters. "When people feel better, they produce more, they work harder, they just are happier. They don't beat up their children and their wives - so you know it's a tragedy."

[Mailman]

Is'nt it pathetic?

Abso-f8cking-lutely its pathetic! I mean, why didnt the ref just come out in a blue jersey to start with!

Would have saved 80 minutes of nail biting, edge of the seat sitting, cat kicking anxiety!

Mailman

[Mailman]

All true.

The French had the wit and intelligence to change their game plan while the Kiwi yokels just stuck to their stupid hacking game.

Yeah of course they did...because its not like they were running 14 vs 16 for a while was it!

And as I said earlier...the difference between us and you poms is we have an expectation of our team winning every game and you guys have an expectation of your team losing every game Which is probably why losers like collybollacks and co got knighted

As I said, no christmas card for that f8cker this year!

Mailman

[sasguru]

Dribble

Loser. End of story.
HTH

[oracleslave]

Loser. End of story.
HTH

This made me laugh though.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...ynebarnes3.jpg

[The Lone Gunman]

Yeah of course they did...because its not like they were running 14 vs 16 for a while was it!

You should tell your players to stick to the rules if they dont want to be sent off.

And as I said earlier...the difference between us and you poms is we have an expectation of our team winning every game and you guys have an expectation of your team losing every game

Not quite dear, we tend to have a realistic view of our teams so we know when they should win or when they have put in an outstanding performance. Last rugby world cup we were a certainty and England expected, this time we should realy have gone out by now so our boys deserve some praise for their efforts. Same with our cricket team. There is no way they should have won the ashes against what was surely the best Aus had produced in ages, yet they stepped up to the challenge and won.

Your (and it is not just NZ) unflapable belief in your team shows your lack of knowledge about the sport in general and the quality of your opposition.

Your constant derision of the English shows your obvious inferiority complex and your racist attitude.

Get over it! FFS.

[DS23]

This made me laugh though.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...ynebarnes3.jpg

until you get to the bottom and the invective gets real. i would be concerned for my safety if i was the mr barnes in question.

[DodgyAgent]

Here you are kiwis

To all you kiwis here is an explanation that may help you to understand why you are on the early boat home

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mai.../srnewz109.xml

Where did it all go wrong? And even more importantly, why does it always go wrong? Those were the questions being asked by the shell-shocked, angry New Zealand rugby public yesterday as their beaten team headed home yet again without the World Cup, or even a sniff of it. Their fall from grace could not be more painful.

How can it be that the self-styled greatest rugby side on earth, championed by Adidas as the template for teamwork and success across the sporting world, yet again failed to deliver when it counted? No longer can they dismiss the 'choker' taunts – time after time the All Blacks redefine the term at World Cups.


Only once have New Zealand won the World Cup and that was when they hosted the inaugural competition in 1987, a tournament in which they were effectively the only professional team. Most of the other 'amateurs' pitched up for an end-of-season jolly and were not entirely sober for the duration.

If New Zealand are ever to regain the trophy which they believe is their birthright, they have got to get over themselves and take a long look at the way the rest of the rugby world perceives them. It will hurt, but the reward could be the Webb Ellis Cup.

The All Blacks are day in, day out probably the world's best rugby players but they have a fatal character trait – a pure, unattractive arrogance that trips them up every time. Occasionally some PR guru encourages them to show their nicer side, and in fairness the class of 2007 have tried hard, but it rarely lasts long and their administrators do them no favours.

To win sport's biggest prizes you have to absorb and learn, not lecture and preach. You must be humble. The All Blacks have never been humble, it is not in their DNA. They are told they are special from the moment they first pull on the famous shirt and they expect special treatment from the rest of the world at all times. The All Blacks ethos is their Achilles heel.

They are huge fish in a minute pool and everything they do or say goes unquestioned. If Graham Henry and the New Zealand Rugby Union want unilaterally to rip up the Super 14 and take their top 22 players out of the competition for special fitness training for two months, they plough right on ahead. If you happen to be Sky television, or the Australian and South African rugby unions, it is just tough. The All Blacks have spoken.

It was that arrogance and insularity that made them blindly defend Tana Umaga and Keven Mealamu when they nearly maimed Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll. They would have done the New Zealand game a much bigger service by banning the duo for two months apiece. Dream on.

There is extraordinary arrogance and pettiness over their commercially-driven haka, as though they were the only nation on earth allowed to express their individuality. So, too, the arrogant assumption that they always know better than the law-makers and referees. Unbelievable. Arm yourself with a law book guys, take an honest look at the match tapes and see just how much the All Blacks get away with.

They raid the Pacific to replenish their player stock, yet have New Zealand ever played a full international at Apia against Samoa by way of encouragement or even, perversely, a thank you? I think not. The truth is New Zealand are terrified that Samoa, Fiji and Tonga will get their act together and become competitive international teams who can hang on to their star players. On the evidence of France 2007, their worst nightmares could soon come true.

New Zealanders slag off the Six Nations incessantly but, bless them, miss the point entirely. Yes, the Tri-Nations is inherently more athletic and skilful, and produces some very watchable rugby, but the Six Nations is played on an epic scale, in giant stadiums packed with up to 80,000 mad, half-drunk partisans.

[Mailman]

we tend to have a realistic view of our teams

As I said, we have an expectation of our team winning every game where you guys have an expectation of your team losing every game.

That love, is realism...which of course you clearly agree with me on

Mailman

[The Lone Gunman]

As I said, we have an expectation of our team winning every game where you guys have an expectation of your team losing every game.

That love, is realism...which of course you clearly agree with me on

Mailman

Of course your view is realistic, remind me how many times you have won the web ellis?
Read Dodgy piece above, you might get it.
You may even get the irony in your own reply.