There was a debate going on at work over whether or not you'd rather win a World Cup or be the #1 team for every year. Personally, I prefer the latter - and that's what I have to keep thinking about in my head while this goes on, to console myself. We're still #1 - Fuck what anyone else says, we're still better.
Yeah, damn straight. It's a hard choice. On basic principle, I'd rather be #1 year after year, but all the attention and hype that goes into the World Cup gives it a meaningfulness that #1 doesn't have. At the end of the day, though, what I know is that we have a positive win record against every country on earth (the only close one being against South Africa) and we're clearly the single best rugby country, both today and historically. World Cups just have a nice way of showing us that we do have bad days sometimes.
I was thinking of a more interesting way to decide the world champion. Three years are just played as normal, and then the top eight in the world play each other in the fourth year, throughout the year in a series of home and away games - 14 total for each, the same amount the All Blacks play in a normal year and the Bledisloe, Tri-Nations, and possible grand slam all work nicely into that. Whoever has the most points at the end of that year is crowned world champions. Probably will never happen for the simple
( ... )
We'll lose it. The pressure will be far too immense.
(Yes, yes, I know this is traditional Kiwi "you lost one game, I'm writing you off for the next four years" shit, but ... well, when was the last time we won the Cup? Exactly.)
Ha, people are even blaming the IRB now? My father and I spent an hour ranting about this game on the phone but we didn't even think to target the IRB. We eventually concluded it was mainly the coach and selectors' fault.
Heh, I don't see how the pools are rigged when much of it depends on qualifying that can't be predicted! NZ's pool really should've been better though - I blame Scotland for simply being woeful nowadays.
As for the rules claim, what?! They're currently trialling new rules to speed up the game that I think will be introduced internationally next year, and the All Blacks and Springboks stand to benefit most. Though the ref ... that was an abysmal pick, his first game at that level and he failed. I can't believe someone was experienced as Tony Spreadbury was a touch judge while Wayne incompetent Barnes was the ref.
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I was thinking of a more interesting way to decide the world champion. Three years are just played as normal, and then the top eight in the world play each other in the fourth year, throughout the year in a series of home and away games - 14 total for each, the same amount the All Blacks play in a normal year and the Bledisloe, Tri-Nations, and possible grand slam all work nicely into that. Whoever has the most points at the end of that year is crowned world champions. Probably will never happen for the simple ( ... )
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(Yes, yes, I know this is traditional Kiwi "you lost one game, I'm writing you off for the next four years" shit, but ... well, when was the last time we won the Cup? Exactly.)
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Ah well, at least my favourite driver won the Bathurst 1000 today.
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As for the rules claim, what?! They're currently trialling new rules to speed up the game that I think will be introduced internationally next year, and the All Blacks and Springboks stand to benefit most. Though the ref ... that was an abysmal pick, his first game at that level and he failed. I can't believe someone was experienced as Tony Spreadbury was a touch judge while Wayne incompetent Barnes was the ref.
Ah well, I'm largely over it now.
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