World Rankings

Took this from the ruckersforum home page
1. New Zealand – 92.89
2. Australia – 90.93
3. South Africa – 86.80
4. Argentina – 85.07
5. Wales – 83.49
6. Ireland – 81.17
7. France – 79.77
8. England – 79.77
9. Scotland – 77.94
10. Japan – 77.05
11. Fiji – 76.96
12. Italy – 72.74
13. Tonga -71.60
14. Georgia – 71.45
15. Samoa – 70.36  
16 USA – 68.66       
17 Romania – 66.59    
18 Canada – 62.65     
19 Uruguay – 62.11 
20 Namibia – 61.75

No real surprises here, but who would have though Japan would be ranked ahead of Fiji, Italy, Tonga and Samoa by the end of the World Cup? This is the team that lost 145-17 to New Zealand in 1995! Great work Japan, and may the World Cup on your home turf be a raging success!!!! 

Good to see Argentina back up there.

Yeah, also glad to see Argentina getting up there. It seems the Rugby Champs has improved their competitiveness! Although, they have made it to the Semi's before! So much for Desert Fox's theory that the South play soft rugby! Well Fox, it may be "soft" but it also works!

 The Faux Desert Fox thinks that dour rugby based around set-pieces to generate penalties ala the NH sides like England is the way to go .

 The issue here is that Mozart and Desert Disaster's idea of rugby is archaic and in line with NH concepts - which has been totally discredited during this WC.  I wrote a thread about the present debate in NH rugby circles as to what is wrong and why the NH countries are not competitive in contests with SH countries.
The problem is that SA is excessively lucky in this case.  We are stuck in the same quagmire the NH countries find themselves in.  No skills and finesse in playing the game and a game plan of 30 years ago.  If we do not find our way soon - we will end up much lower on the rating scale.     

 Yep lets play a team with Reinach as scrummie, Lambie at flyhlaf, Taute at fullback, Labuscagne on the flank and captain (pity about those Bools hey) and Stephanie as our lock. If we played those guys Perv would you predict a win over Samoa ....hahahaha. Talk about discredited. 

 This is weird - Mozart does not comprehend what happened in the WC.  He can see no wrong in SA losing to Japan with a team comprising of all his favurites - bar Alberts,  He does not realize that his concept of rugby - as played in NH countries and South Africa - has been discredited totally during this WC.   
It is not what I think and say that counts in this case - it is what is being said essentially in NH countries that is important.   SA was lucky in the Samoan test especially in changing the team in critical areas.  That made a huge difference and fortunately enough De Jager came from the bench early enough to show us how really useless Matfield is.   In the Japan test we played our most experienced team ever - but got unstuck.  Mozart blames Kriel - but that was not the problem at all - a scapegoat had to be found and the easy one was Kriel - not the critically inadequate game plan.  .
However, personalities is not the issue here.  The issue is what is wrong with our playing style in NH Countries and in SA.   We got run over in the RC and ended up bottom of the log exactly because of inadequacies in the game plan and performance by our senior players.
The realization has not hit home in this case - we must adept our playing style r we go the same way as the NH countries are going.  
He mentioned some players - but what about those that has disgraced us over the past 18 months in a string of test losses.  What about Pienaar, Matfield, Jannie and even De Villiers?  Not hahaha - just a disgrace.             

Players that disgraced us....Jannie, Victor, Jean and Pienaar?  Nonsense. As for playing styles you told us the Bools are the future....why aren't they in the CC final?

 Easy - because the Bulls still need the props to turn them into a competitive enough side up front.    However, that is not the issue - the issue is on higher level.  The Bulls without Ludeke and Matfield will be far more competitive on Super Rugby level next year than they were this year.    
Yes, Jean was really not up to standard after his injury.  Pienaar was absolute BS this year.  Matfield was totally inadequate on Super 14 level and test level.  On test level he buggered up badly in six of the 12 tests he played in and we lost - and even in two tests we won caused major hassles.  Matfield made no contribution in Tight 5 play and destroyed our competitiveness up front.  Jannie was poor in scrumming throughout the period and his contribution outside of scrumming was permanently negative.
However, these are side-issues 0 what remains the major issue is  the following:-
"The issue is what is wrong with our playing style in NH Countries and in SA.   We got run over in the RC and ended up bottom of the log exactly because of inadequacies in the game plan and performance by our senior players.
The realization has not hit home in this case - we must adept our playing style r we go the same way as the NH countries are going."
Why no comment on the major issue here?  
       

So we try a me too strategy against the best backs in the world...after the same strategy flopped against lowly CC opposition. How naive can you get Perv. But don't look for my approval, talk to Humungous , he will be barking off the same page. 

What style of play are you in favour of - 
*  the style of the NH countries which their own people regard as inadequate; or*  the style which is more suited to world rugby at present.
Do you still believe that -
*   90% of what s required from a flyhalf is kicking ability?*   scoring of tries is not important in World Cup Rugby?*   that breakdown ball protection and recovery is not important?*   the role of backline players are only defensive and nothing else counts?      

Tell you what Tokkie. You produce the posts where I claimed those things and I'll answer your question. Have fun.