Nice one Derek.....how did I know it would be a Englishman who would be the first on here to take a pop at the All Blacks, rather than praise the Welsh, which is probably the best performance by a British team in World Cup history.
True, the All Blacks play a expansive game, but that is no surprise. The All Blacks came out, expecting to do what they did against Tonga. Anybody who says the All Blacks under performed are liars. It is impossible to defend against the type of rugby these sides played today. We saw Samoa play at that intensity for fifteen minutes against England....France did it against the All Blacks in the last World Cup and won. Very few teams can defend against expansive rugby played at its best. We could all snore our way through Johnny Wilkinson banging over penalties time and time again, but this was the game of the World Cup without a doubt, and a massive credit should go to the Welsh.
As for the All Blacks always being in control, you may be right, but the All Blacks were definitely rattled when Wales took the lead. And lets not forget that the game turned on the worst decision since Tony Blair went to war, and that was the ref adjudging that Howletts try was not a forward pass. :nono:
I would not get so smug about your chances next week. True, I cannot see England playing and defending like that, but if Wales play at the same pace as today, your boys are in trouble. We saw England not have a look in in fifteen minutes when Samoa ran the ball at the English, and Wales will do exactly the same next week if they had any sense, and if Charvis can get to Johnny Wilkinson and rattle him, you are looking at a sub-standard England. :moon:
However, you came into the thread after being absent for a while, and made a rash statement that a All Blacks reserve team would put thirty plus on a Welsh first fifteen. You probably made that comment without much thought, and it has backfired on you in spectacular style!
![Stick out tongue :p :p](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)