Join host Alex Chapman with special guests Buck Shelford & Michaela Blyde as they review the Semi-Finals of RWC 2019 - All Blacks v England - South Africa v Wales. VIDEO/Spark Sport/RWC/Mark Mitchell/SNTV/AP/Photosport/Gettyimages
New Zealand v Wales for the bronze medal is not how this Rugby World Cup was supposed to turn out.
Yes, it's a tough week, but we dig deep to bring you the low down on the history of RWC bronze medal showdowns, and uncover a few strange occurrences.
1) Name the eight bronze medal winners in order. Glad you asked me that…Wales, New Zealand, France, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, South Africa.
2) Do you think the All Blacks will have the right mentality for this game? Don't be so disrespectful…of course they might if they can get up for it and aren't too depressed about playing like lemons in the semifinal.
3) Where was the first ever bronze medal match played? Great question…it was Rotorua, 1987 of course, and it was an epic between Wales and Australia, with Wales winning by 22 – 21.
In those more innocent times, the game was taken more seriously by some, especially David Codey. The flanker became the first Wallaby sent off in a test match, for twice trampling on opponents in just the first five minutes.
4) Are you saying the bronze medal was really important back then? Maybe not. Aussie captain Andrew Slack told the NZ Herald years later: "None of us wanted to be there playing for consolation prizes."
5) How many Aucklanders made it onto the field in the All Black team which beat Scotland 13 -6 in Cardiff in 1991? Nine. Those were the days.
6) Who was the Kiwi in the Scottish side? The former Counties Manukau midfield back Sean Lineen. He was a trailblazer, the first of the so-called Kilted Kiwis.
7) Who was the Kiwi in the French side which the All Blacks beat 40 – 13 in Sydney, 2003. The former Counties Manukau midfield back Tony Marsh (there's a theme there).
8) Who is the Kiwi likely to line up for Wales against the All Blacks on Friday night? The former Auckland midfield back Hadleigh Parkes (kind of keeps the theme going).
9) How many New Zealand-born players scored points in the 18 – 22 defeat to South Africa in 1999? None. The Durban-born Andrew Mehrtens kicked six penalties for the All Blacks.
10) How would you sum up bronze medal finals? Well, the 2011 re-match between Australia and Wales at Eden Park was described by the BBC as "an error-ridden contest short on quality and atmosphere." The best advice, when approaching a bronze medal match, is don't get your hopes up.
11) Any predictions for New Zealand v Wales in Tokyo? It will probably be an error ridden contest short on quality and atmosphere.
