From: bertram@vxcrna.cern.ch (BERTRAM,IAIN./PPE)
Subject: Re: Oh wail; oh woe !
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 07:42:00 GMT

In article <1992Jul21.150509.5993@csc.canterbury.ac.nz>, wft@math.canterbury.ac.nz (Bill Taylor) writes...
>Oh woe indeed;  19-17 of all things.
> 
>Congratulations indeed to Australia, (gnash, grind), for their fine
>sportsmanlike and gutsy performance, and for winning the series.
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
>I wish I could bring myself to leave it at that, and not spoil my congratulations
>by following up with some petty bitching. But I'm not like that, alas. So, for
>some petty bitching: (i) I don't agree with everyone that the ref was so great;
>yet again the AB's were robbed blind by the 3-point penalty absurdly awarded for
>a (so-called) head-high on Horan; and those 3 points cost us;

Well this was a bad penalty but thems the breaks, this happened early on in the 
match and the ALL BLACKS DIDN'T SCORE ENOUGH TO WIN. The referee made some 
mistakes but that is inevitable if you have referees who haven't used the
new rules yet themselves. The players have to expect this and adapt, playing
the ref's interpretaion is a valid skill that nternationals should have. 

>. Add to this
>the Oz lifting that everyone seems to have seen but the ref, and, well...
>(ii) I am highly doubtful that Carozza's first try was grounded, Loe or no Loe,
>probably it shouldn't have been given.

If you watched the replay Carozza got the ball just down before Timu managed to
roll him over, I sid it was a great cover tackle but it wasn't quite good 
enough. And I'm not sure if ubderstand you but with regards to Loe's attempt 
at smothereing the ball, i didn't see Carozza holding the ball over his nose 
and there is a rule that states dangerous play is forbidden. If he hadn't
scored the ref would have been quite right in awarding a penalty try for the
forearm jolt. I've stooped tries that way before and you do it by grabbing 
the ball not thumping the other guy.
> 
>Well, I know every losing side has bad reffing decisions they can point to, but
>I think NZ has been *very* harshly treated on this tour.   Recall the dreadful
>non-try awarded to Queensland !
> 
> 
>Oh well, bugger it. Anyway; still well-done Oz, for all that. Australian hearts
>can rightly heave and swell at the thought that they've at least equalled, if
>not beaten, the ABs at their own game. But then, they already proved that at
>the world cup, didn't they ?  In fact, their wins have been far less convincing
>here, than then. The two teams seem to be almost exactly equal in their ability,
>I think most unbiassed observers would agree.  So perhaps NZ can be pleased
>that they have narrowed the clear gap that the world cup so cruelly exposed.
> 
Well I hate to disagree (thats probably a lie :-)) but this Australian side
reminds me very much of the 87 All Balcks, Australia often looked like
they could beat them but no matter what the All Blacks always win. It  stops
being a lucky win when it is repeated. The Wallabies just keep grinding on
and never stop trying and when they get in front near the end they stay there
and win the game. Remeber that this Australian side has not had a great 
preparation with several injuries and reshuffles in the side, Little
missed weeks with Glandular fever, Willie O is out,Kearns missed over a month
with a shoulder injury. These guys are tough and know they will wi if they 
don't stop. This is the hallmark of a cha,pion team.  

One last comment on the lifting i the lineouts, if the aussies where doing it
why the hell didn't the All Blacks, thats just stupid, the Aussies where 
thrashed in the line-outs early and won convincingly in the second half
they adapted the All Blacks couldn't lift the rate and so lost.
> 
> 
>HORAN: What a disappointment ! I was looking forward to seeing him sparkle, but
>he's had a very quiet game in every appearance. Maybe, as people say, Little
>and Bunce have really got these guys' numbers. They *have* done their homework.
> 
I disagree, Horan didn't get a lot of ball but when he did he looked dangerous
most of Australias attacking moves came after a short penetrating attack from 
Horan forcoing gaps out wide.

> 
> 
>They can keep the cup, (gnash, maybe next year), but they are not the great
>world champs that NZ were, in 87-8-9.
Only time will tell, this tem is still youn we'll see at the next World Cup.

> 
>        /   )         |=======================================================
>        |  /          |
>       /  _>    <-------- Bill Taylor         wft@math.canterbury.ac.nz
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