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Yes Zil I would definitely make NZ favourites, not only a day fresher but they’ve practically had this week off. SA are coming off two very tight and hard won matches. Obviously you can’t write them off but NZ have the edge in my book all day long.
As you say Sam they have been slow burning and have almost gone right under the radar which sounds odd to say about New Zealand of all teams.
At the moment I’m picking lots of holes in the Boks and as a sportsman I detected lots and lots of disunity in the camp very similar to the french set up and looks to be factions and cliques there. The isolation and scapegoating of the goalkicker was ironically a pivotal moment and to take a player off before he’d even muddied his boots was more a sign of desperation than inspired tactical genius. The body language of the players was not good in the first half and luckily England without a leader in the back line could not ram home a massive advantage in the second half. That is where the tactical nous of Ford was lost. But enough about England that will all come out in the wash because they not unlucky at all they had a gilt edged opportunity to win and spurned it, the dissent was there in the first half for all to see.
You very rarely see the captain subbed and kicking his heels on the touch line and the kiwis 🥝 will have lapped all of that up. The blond scrum half will be in from the start but they look out on their legs and New Zealand with -1 at 11/10 is probably going to stay the price all week but a few good winning horses in the week and I’ll take the bookies hands off on Saturday. They will put up some more daft football inspired specials and I’m looking forward to more of the same on Saturday bring it on!!!Right first things first . You have the boring benefit of my rugby knowledge at this unwieldy hour courtesy of my cat. He’s insatiable desire to capture and bring prizes to us at the dead of night gets higher as he gets older and mice captured outside are his forte. So armed now with coffee and notebook, here are a few hundred words to explain why Friday’s match will be a tryfest and how yet again the comedian bookmakers want to give us all back the money they have dishonestly purloined from us over the years.
Argentina vs England
Third place play off.
This match is contested by two of the worst teams in the tournament.
We have a side who failed to score a try against 14 men in almost 80 minutes of play against a team who failed to play their best side and therefore missed out on the cup final. I say England are one of the worst sides but don’t seek to expand any more as it’s a moot point.
France are not here and neither are Ireland. Both of those top four teams were given saloon passages to the quarter finals and both fluffed their lines terribly. As both New Zealand and South Africa attest you don’t need to be winning until the final whistle to progress in a tight game. England were not robbed as many are whinging well yes actually they were robbed, but it was an inside job. The three players Borthwick, Farrell and Ford. Two of these have huge Egos the third Ford the meat in the sandwich. Ford finally, -if he accepts the punishment dished out to him- will start at last.
This all goes back to him being stand off with Borthwick at Leicester and a subsequent move to sale sharks that has been allowed to spill over into team selection at test match level.
The press have been oblivious to the issue and it has gone by without the bat of an eye 👁. But unfortunately it has cost a place in the final.
I could go on and on about the conflicts of interest which led to some very odd selections but I won’t, other than to say the following players should start on Friday. ARUNDELL five tries in his only game and a mystery why not picked since. SMITH hard to believe he didn’t figure in the South Africa match, an absolute livewire. CARE proved he can still do a job but a very similar type player to Smith (minus the mobility.) FORD an Hopefully out go may and Daily both raised their game but not to a level worthy of holding a place. The only worry is that half the team retiring here will mean these players continue to hog the game time rather than the coach put out his best side. So I’m waiting for the team news and hoping a negative selection won’t impact on the outcome.
Fingers crossed 🤞 that Shaun Edward’s throw’s his hat into the ring and I would not be averse to the honest stuart Lancaster getting in on the coaching staff too as he did not get a fair crack last time. Bottom line a try fest and the suggestion that two sides who couldn’t score tries are going to goal kick each other into a stupor are misguided.
There will be at least six tries as England and Argentina finally realise that white thing is a ball and the object just like in the village to village pigs bladder fest, is to plant the said bladder in your rival village’s back garden by all known means.
Over Four and a half tries.
Maximum win bet best price. We should have seen at the very least THREE tries by the end of the first break.
Hunt down the best odds but as the highlighter of the FESTIVAL OF FREE MONEY I can happily tell you our pals ( the bookies) have again got it very badly wrong here.Haha does your cat have that same half meow/ half howl as mine does when he’s caught something? As soon as I hear it, I know he’s brought me a present because it’s the only time he ever makes that noise.
Yes I hope the third place match at least serves up some entertainment as it is something of a dead rubber. It will definitely be an old boys love in with many of them in their last England match.
On the final, I would not be surprised to see the -1 disappear on New Zealand as the punters have been slowly coming for them all week. The initial match odds of 10/11 became 5/6 and now 4/5.
You would think that professional English pride will dictate England’s approach to the the 3rd place Play Off on Friday. Surely they will not entertain any melodrama against a team of workmanlike journeymen who are prone to resort to fouling when under stress. Expecting a “Sweet Chariot” exhibition! So 4/5 H/T-F/T must appeal. To manufacture a Double Chance I’m going to ask the Pilgrims and the Owls to deliver some goals tonight ie Over 2.5 @ 5/6. The Owls really have no option but to go for it in this Relegation 6 pointer. That’s a 9/4 Double Chance (1pt)
BTW I can see Young Sam back in the 70s glued on Tuesday nights to the BBC
Floodlight Trophy matches, cat on lap and taking off Uncle Eddie
I did watch a bit of it back then but didn’t have a clue as a kid that there were two Rugbys. Took a long time to work that one out. I ended up playing both.
I went to work up north ( kings lynn!!)
And while I was there, the regional tv was on the edge of Yorkshires TV zone so in addition to Anglia you could tune into both. So every Sunday or Monday night it was Scrumdown and what a treat it was, no monotonous kicking and people who could actually tackle and pass. And there were actually tries every five minutes. (I realised later that was the power of edited highlights!!) But it was non stop and I was hooked. The next thing I did was go out to the charity shop and buy 100 great rugby league tries on video.
It was the next best thing to welsh club rugby where neath were my favourite side.
I’ll definitely go to plough Lane next year to watch London Brocos play a few times.“Sporting Sam’s recommended bets for the penultimate round of the festival of free money “
ARUNDELL TO SCORE AT ANY TIME
5/4 maximum win bet
ARUNDELL
TO SCORE A HAT TRICK
28/1Ben Earle to score the first try
16/1
Ben Earle
To score at anytime
11/4
The likelihood of a pushover try is very strong in this game and if the pack can be coordinated again there is a real chance of the number 8 getting over first at big odds although 16/1 reflects that.
Pound for pound the most exiting player that I have seen in either code since Martin Offiah and Jonah lomu, and but for the utter ineptitude of Steve Borthwick he’d be getting the equivalent of the golden boot on Sunday for most tries in the tournament.
You don’t need to max this bet £20 will be fine.
4.5 tries (over) no brainer on two teams who will throw the ball around as fear of losing will be replaced by fear of being labelled the most boring side in the World Cup. Both of these sides find them selves in a final of which only Argentina had been resigned to qualifying for!!
It has been bumped up only a tiny notch to 5.5 @ 6/5
I’ve already factored all known evidence on likelihoods and the bookies cannot protect themselves from multiple tries tomorrow so fill your boots there. I estimate 6 to 9 tries with the bet landed inside 65 minutes. And if seaward and Arundell cut lose then it might be sooner and I’m confident that Argentina can get into the spirit of things as this type of match lends itself well to a sevens and Rugby league approach.A day early I’ve seen the England team and suprise,suprise no George Ford.
I’m surprised that no press hack has picked up on the fact that this player has been dumped out of the England team.
And to me it illustrates the cozy gravy train set up we have in English Rugby union there is a very smug self centred complancency boardering on arrogance and not one HACK has stuck his head above the paraphet to ask a very simple question why was George Ford not picked to start the match against South Africa?
I’m going to run with it because I know if the issue had occurred in the kiwi or Australian team the press would have been all over it like a red rash😡. But here absolutely nothing. It is even seen as a great achievement to have got as far as the semi final.
They were seeded to reach the semi final and would have been confirmed earlier as inept had they not indeed made it.
I was out for a meal last night and a couple of blokes were talking about the semi final and bigging up Owen Farrell as if he’d won the game rather than the other way around.
Here’s what actually happened superb forward play and fielding of SA tactical kicking by Freddy seaward gave England huge territorial advantage which was converted into goals but crucially this field position was not converted into tries as time and time again possession was kicked away. Secondly disssent and sledging by the England players of the South Africans would have told the coach that despite having team on the verge of being overwhelmed South Africa were being offered a big psychological lifeline by an English team not focussed on dominating their opponents with ball in hand. The South African coach was not bothered about any reputation of players as long as they were able to carry out a team plan. He changed the front row and pulled of his captain playing every card at his disposal ( even the race card) in an effort to win the match at all costs what seemed desperation ended up as a tactical masterclass as England failed to make key tactical moves keeping key players not valued by the coach off the park and ignoring failing tactics and unpunished discipline as referees decisions were questioned time and time again until the whistle came out and SA got the ref inside over the dissent. Can you imagine the springboks keeping FORD ARUNDELL and SMITH out of the match last weekend if they were Springboks?
Player selection a mystery.English rugby press is awful, can’t bring myself to read half of them. As you say, what’s the point if they are never going to question anything?
I hope we don’t end up plodding along with some of the players who still have time left but not enough to make the next World Cup. We don’t need to get to a year out and suddenly realise that everyone is too old. Good to have some experienced heads about obviously but give some of the younger lads test match experience in the cauldrons of Murrayfield and the Millennium over the next few years.
I was definitely pro Borthwick for the tournament but as the plot has unfolded rather like a shakespearian play for whatever reason he has become Shylock and extracted a pound and more from The bleeding Ford 🩸.
I’ve got very little time for people who abuse power and wield it over those who cannot fight back. I’ve come across such folk in life and in my job many times.
Sounds very strong and Rugby is only a game, but just like horse racing, sport is a breathing metaphor of things in our life. there are much much bigger things in life than sport and yet like an art form we can use it as a powerful tool.
Unfortunately England and Argentina are in nursery class with crayons 🖍 and pencils on Saturday the Artists enter stage left all the key actors and they have a blank canvas. Let’s hope they conjure up an old master. 👩🎨 🖼.Wouldn’t it be grand if all our differences cultural and otherwise could be settled amicably on a sports field?
Palestine and Israel could be the first combatants.Big match tonight and obviously I’ve already written a novel on the subplot. Today to hook in punters interests and to secure the patriotic pound, our friends the bookies are obliged to put up a few specials. I don’t think this match is going to be the cakewalk many expect.
Right here we go
The biggest value bet possibly of the entire tournament is points scored in each half. To win this bet England need a try and a conversion and a penalty, or simply two tries. Just three scoring plays in each stanza of forty five minutes. I say forty five because essentially that’s how much extra time is afforded to the match courtesy of the ref calling timeout. Obviously calling timeout doesn’t add time, it’s the time he takes to call it and the continuous phases after time is up that extend the play.England to score 10+ points in each half.
This bet is a maximum so you will feel my pain if it goes down in the first half as the money has been placed already without hesitation. I don’t think this bet will be there long and I really think the layers have made a MOMUMENTAL cock up here.
England to score 10+ points in each half.
Maximum win bet.Yes there’s nothing really on the line here, please let’s at least make this meaningless game entertaining.
I’ll never knock any team for winning ugly in a knockout match, there are no style points on offer, but this match is different with nothing but a tiny bit of pride on offer.
Nothing at stake Richard but possibly the ignominy of losing to a particularly poor Puma outfit and the chance of being no 1 pick in the imminent Six Nations games
All the more reason to put on a show! The kickfest was the right call against SA but let’s see some tries this time.
I’m well ahead financially already in this match. Am I enjoying it? Nope!!
Get Farrell off and England win by forty by half time. We will be lucky if it’s not even at half time as he pursues some obscure personal points tally. Arundell has not seen a pass and likely won’t the entire half. 13 0 when it should be 20/0Absolutely shocking display I’m up massively and will collect but England are as I said one of the most boring teams to watch. The crowd of french fans and neutrals cannot believe that England think the most important thing to do here is win. That belief is what has kept Argentina in the game. George Ford’s involvement here is to talk to the players from the touch line and even that was influential. This is the only team on the planet who would have him not on the pitch. Every other side’s coach would ask why the wingers are wearing mittens to keep warm. Hopefully the changes will be rung at half time and we might just get some entertainment
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