Quote: Bullseye "Since Sinfield retired from internationals before this tour you’ll never know for sure if McNamara would’ve selected him.
Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't it a given previous to the announcement from Sinfield that he was going to be Captain again?
We bombed as many chances as the Kiwis. We’d have grabbed a draw at the end (a fair result) if we hadn’t needed to go for the win.
Personally I was amazed we did not go for that draw considering that time had already been blown.
For had the miracle occurred that Samoa did win with 8 points V Oz we would have been finalists anyhow with 3 league points to our name and a draw would still have looked better on the CV than yet another loss, wouldn't it?
TBH you don’t know that for sure – I think the England side has improved quite a bit as the tour went on.
Agreed, but the fact is most rep sides do as a rule when a league system is in force. I think we deserved to win both games V Oz and the Kiwi's but again we did not, do you know WHY, I don't?
Sheens has been lucky this time. Australia were well beaten in game 1 due to him not selecting enough props. They scraped a win in game 2 and came up against a Samoa that had shot their bolt the previous week in game 3. The Aussies improved as the tournament went on but I think you over rate them.'"
Samoa played the ref until they got behind too far and I believe that Luelea was penalised at least three times for offences that Aussie players were getting overlooked for.
But they, the Aussies do know how to cash in when the opposition is under the cosh and yet again they did so
when they could.
Sheens has been lucky? Beg to differ.
He did choose poorly for the first match, but when looking like getting beaten by a better English team, in the first half of the second game, he pulled out the master strokes. Made his side play a different game and got the win by a masterstroke of subbing a prop, for an half back, who literally, as Craig Wing used to do, changed the game in their favour.
I accept that there are contentions over the ref but really they won because they had the ability to change the impetus when they were practically down and out.
I am certainly not overrating them at all, we should have beaten , WE DID'NT.
