.
New Zealand beat Argentina without really convincing, but they did convince previously... when they had Dan Carter. Without Dan Carter, New Zealand can lose to any of the teams still in the semi-finals...
South Africa lost against Australia mostly due to their poor performance, but one must admit that the New Zealand referre did not help... he did not whistle a hand in a ruck 5 cms away from the goal line which by other standards could have been a penalty try for South Africa and give them the victory. But South Africa also dropped more balls or did more knock-ons than any other international team in this tournament. Australia was theirs to eat, yes, but... when Australia scored twice in their three pasages in South Africa 22m in the first 30 mn, South Africa did not score a single point in the first 30 mn in the 7 or 8 presences in the Australian 22m... SOrry for you South Africa, you were my favorite, but you blew it, when you could have gone all the way.
So... France - Wales Saturday... anybody's guess, it will all depend how Wales counter the persistent help of the French full back 15 to his backs for defense or attack, often at their level.
As for New Zealand without Dan Carter, or Australia the way they played Sunday... they could both be beaten by an exalted French or Welsh team. The kicker will probably make the difference,... and the referee...
No comments:
Post a Comment