The Tri-Nations resumes this weekend, with Australia taking on New Zealand in Sydney. The Springboks are the form team in the tournament, but the Bledisloe Cup is at stake this weekend, so it’s all to play for.
New Zealand had a tough trip to South Africa and lost two in a row, and they haven’t lost three straight matches since 1998, but I’m backing the home side to win this one.
Dan Carter is making a headline-grabbing comeback, but Rocky Elsom is making his own return to international rugby on the flank for the Wallabies – his influence could be greater than the All Blacks fly-half.
Some people are predicting a feast of running rugby after three matches dominated by kicking, but I think it will be a tight game between two very evenly matched sides. Some people say that home advantage is worth 5 points, so that’s the margin I have gone for this weekend.
We’ll be posting live updates on The Rugby Blog during the game tomorrow, so if you can’t see the match, check in here at 11ish tomorrow morning (UK time!).
You’re wrong,
All Blacks by 5, with Carter and McAlister they’ve gone for a tactical kicking game. There’s a teenager playing fullback for the wallabies and they’ll put enough pressure on him to show his inexperience. The Kiwi’s will only run from the Aussies half and Mccaw will get the better of Smith and Olsem.
Barnes and Giteu vs Carter and McAlister? Carter and McAlister are better kickers, better on defence and better on attack.
Sherwyn, is that your opinion or is it a fact?!
I suppose we’ll see on Saturday
what a load of rubbish, carter is a game breaker..
I am a captain on a yacht, with guests on board, so cant get to a tv to watch the game.
Can anyone point me to a live streaming page please.
Cheers
Marty
One try scored the entire game, carter kicked for field position most of the game and the aussies still can’t finish
Yeah it was the sort of game that if England v Scotland had played, the SH pundits would be slating the Northern game. I thought the commentators missed a trick too – early on when Mc Allister cut his mouth, I thought surely they would have a little pop about ‘Bloodgate’!
NZ were best of two poor teams on the day and I’m starting to think they might have left it too late to get their team back together before the RWC. I think you need a good two year run in with a settled side to have a good chance of winning it.
Their players seem to lack understanding of one another at the moment, hence several good moves on Saturday ending in mistimed runs and forward passes.
Most surprising of all though, I thought NZ were pretty average at the breakdown, and it was only Australia after all.
I think the Aussie and NZ press are going nuts. They’re complaining about a boring game being played by South Africa, but when these to teams play 80min of rugby with only one Try scored it’s called the best game of the Tri Nations.
Marty: log on to http://www.rugbyzone.com