The UAFC

As expected England too good for NZ. Excellent stuff.

Next up a game South Africa is expected to win. Hopefully they don't make a balls of it.

Excellent performance from England. Had a gameplan and executed it very well. NZ reminded me of Ireland the week before. Just looked clueless against the rush defense. Kicking game was terrible and had no answer to the English lineout. I thought it was odd that Cane was dropped. First time i have seen Hansen change his team based on the opposition's strengths. Psychologically they just didnt seem to be at the party.
English second row was like have 2 additional back rowers on the park. Look to be clear favourites now.

Would love to see Wales reach the final and beat them though.

Congratulations England. You are RWC 2019 champs.

South Africa almost made a balls of it but thank feck they just about got the job done.

South Africa for the win next week

God, I hope so!!! I would have given Wales the better chance of beating England however. RSA cannot afford a simple bish-bosh feast against England.

They have more in their locker. They didn't need to do anymore to beat Wales.

Don’t believe the Boks have anything else in their locker and that it is England’s to loose. I always thought England would have to game to beat the ABs and it proved right. Jones had one job to do with England and he is one game from executing that yet coming second ext week will wreck that entire plan.

Yeah i think SA can pull it off. England really took it to NZ around the fringes but SA should be able to deal with that. Finals tend not to be expansive games which again will suit SA. It will be an almighty battle up front and at the breakdown.

Final will be an arm wrestle. I expect a thoroughly dour match.

Hapax Legomenon wrote: ↑Sun Oct 27, 2019 9:36 pm Final will be an arm wrestle. I expect a thoroughly dour match.

I think Eng will put them to the sword.

big mervyn wrote: ↑Sun Oct 27, 2019 10:27 pm

Hapax Legomenon wrote: ↑Sun Oct 27, 2019 9:36 pm Final will be an arm wrestle. I expect a thoroughly dour match.

I think Eng will put them to the sword.

If they kick as badly as they did today the English back 3 will shred them.

Shan wrote: ↑Sun Oct 27, 2019 2:05 am As expected England too good for NZ. Excellent stuff.

Not quite expected - NZ were 7 point favourites! That said, I thought that was giving money away and backed Eng accordingly

Interesting final, it's easy to say fresh from watching the matches that England will hammer them, but it'll be a different kettle of fish.. I know that you could argue that SA adopted a gameplan tailored to beat Wales, but I was a bit flummoxed by it - on the whole their up and unders were crap and barely contested. And given the total physical dominance I couldn't figure out why they didn't keep ball and go through phases in the Wales half - they looked like making yards and compressing the Wales defence on thee few occasions they did, and if they knocked on they get a scrum, where they were dominant.. As it was they weren't too far away from losing the match! And I think they were a couple of scores better than the Wales side.

England -4 - I think that looks tempting..

Agree the SA kicking was poor. Both wales and SA played like sides who didnt want to lose as opposed to sides that wanted to win. Pressure is on England now. They had one of those games V NZ when everything went right. If some things go wrong early on against SA then that is a different place to be in the pressure cooker of a final.

Boks have nothing to offer apart from a brutal pack, a tough 12 and a good goal kicker. But in a final that should keep you in the game. I think it will be close.

Columbo wrote: ↑Mon Oct 28, 2019 12:57 pm Not quite expected - NZ were 7 point favourites! That said, I thought that was giving money away and backed Eng accordingly

Expected by anyone who knows something about the game and with open eyes through the RWC. Thankfully you appear to be in that category. Bookies dozing and just assumed NZ were all that despite evidence to the contrary.

The final is harder to call. England won't find is as easy against a team playing with a limited gameplan, low error count, serious physicality and a ferocious defence. My view is there is no "expected" winner and whichever way it goes will not surprise. Nailing myself down I'd just about still favour RSA but partly because I called them the winner months ago.