Are you ready for some .... rugby

[Van Basten II]

All the games played today seemed pretty close, tomorrow big meeting between South Africa and England.

Are England as crappy as the reports are saying ?

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/rugbyworldcup2...2167149,00.html

Edited September 13, 2007 by Van Basten II

[kenny weir]

Haven't seen England yet, but on face value the scoreline against the US was none too flattering.

I've already heard and read a lot of whining about lopsided contests and scorelines ... obviously coming from people who haven't actually watched the games.

I have - and can only say to the likes of Georgia, the US, Canada - bravo!

Yes, some of the scores look bad but they don't tell the whole story.

In the matches I've seen, it's not so much that the minnows are unable to match it with the stronger sides but that THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO SO FOR THE FULL 80 MINUTES.

So with Canada against Wales and Georgia against Argentina, the contests, defence and brutal committment was amazing for most of the first half. after that, they - no surprise - ran out of puff.

So in that sense at least, it seems the gap is closing.

Whether it will get close to closing completely is another matter ...

[Van Basten II]

Haven't seen England yet, but on face value the scoreline against the US was none too flattering.

I've already heard and read a lot of whining about lopsided contests and scorelines ... obviously coming from people who haven't actually watched the games.

I plead guilty to the charge, for my defence paying 25 $ for a game that we pretty sure know the result before the game is played ain't my cup of tea.

[kenny weir]

Haven't seen England yet, but on face value the scoreline against the US was none too flattering.

I've already heard and read a lot of whining about lopsided contests and scorelines ... obviously coming from people who haven't actually watched the games.

I plead guilty to the charge, for my defence paying 25 $ for a game that we pretty sure know the result before the game is played ain't my cup of tea.

Van - my comments weren't directed at you, brother.

I'm relaxed about it all - the real action's a few weeks away. But as I say above, I've been pleasantly surpised by the spirited nature of the supposedly one-sided games I've seen so far.

I also expect the TV coverage here in Australia - and no doubt NZ - is far superior to most other places. Here we've got all games on pay and Aussies on free to air as well.

Edited September 13, 2007 by kenny weir

[Van Basten II]

Funny thing, the previous world championships were on regular cable and obviously did not cost a dime, that's how i discovered that our national team was able to their own against decent teams. Like our team qualifying for the quarters in 1991.

I remember also watching the 6 nation tournament for free in the comfort of my home. I guess the network smarten up and figured out that there was not any money to be made by showing it on our air.

Meanwhile Springsteen's song comes to mind, 57 channels and nothing on

Edited September 13, 2007 by Van Basten II

[4%XB]

Here ( Holland) highlights every match. TV5MONDE broadcast just the French games and that`s on our cable. But from quarterfinals every match. So I have to be patiënt. I expect the All Blacks for the Trophy.

[porcy62]

Haven't seen England yet, but on face value the scoreline against the US was none too flattering.

I've already heard and read a lot of whining about lopsided contests and scorelines ... obviously coming from people who haven't actually watched the games.

I have - and can only say to the likes of Georgia, the US, Canada - bravo!

Yes, some of the scores look bad but they don't tell the whole story.

In the matches I've seen, it's not so much that the minnows are unable to match it with the stronger sides but that THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO SO FOR THE FULL 80 MINUTES.

So with Canada against Wales and Georgia against Argentina, the contests, defence and brutal committment was amazing for most of the first half. after that, they - no surprise - ran out of puff.

So in that sense at least, it seems the gap is closing.

Whether it will get close to closing completely is another matter ...

Totally agree.

What I'd add to your analysis is that some minor team's players lack the experience of an high level national league. It's not a case that the best italian players play in France or in other countries with a longer tradition. Anyway, I hope the Italians will have their moments in the Championship. Rugby's movement is increasing over here, and some good results will help.

[Van Basten II]

I guess people were right, England is crap. Or is it a case that they are closer to South Africa than the score shows

[kenny weir]

Wallabies AND Wales didn't look all that impressive.

Canada shoulda done better against Fiji. They just didn't have the confidence to make another, final pass through the backs, ignoring the overlap and certain tries at least a couple of times.

I didn't see Ireland/Georgia, but reports seems to back up my comments about the prowess of at least a few of the minnows.

[kenny weir]

Geeez, enough with the preliminaries already!

Edited September 26, 2007 by kenny weir

[brownie]

The Fiji-Wales match yesterday was the most thrilling game of this World Cup so far, at least from those I have been able to watch.

The Welsh tried to come back after a bad start but the Fijians overpowered them in the end to win 38-34.

Good to see the Fijians qualify for the quarterfinals.

[kenny weir]

The Fiji-Wales match yesterday was the most thrilling game of this World Cup so far, at least from those I have been able to watch.

The Welsh tried to come back after a bad start but the Fijians overpowered them in the end to win 38-34.

Good to see the Fijians qualify for the quarterfinals.

Yep, amazing watching that. Oh boy - teh Cup's gonna get hot now.

[brownie]

Watched France defeat Georgia 64-7 yesterday. Good team game but now France will face New Zealand's All Blacks in Cardiff in a quarterfinals match that should end their career in the tournament!

The All Blacks have been the most consistent team in the World Cup so far.

[Van Basten II]

All Blacks generally look good in the prelims, they seem to do less weil with the pressure of winning single game elimination...

[kenny weir]

All Blacks generally look good in the prelims, they seem to do less weil with the pressure of winning single game elimination...

Ahhh, we'll see - nothing would surprise me and you may be right. I hope not, but I was saying a year ago that the all Blacks were playing far too well that far before the World Cup it self.

Man, this weekend is going to be great. I'm going to watch every game:

AUS - ENG

NZL - FRA

RSA - FJI

ARG - SCO

My tips in bold. Actually, the NZ-France game is probably the hardest to tip, followed by Argentina-Scotland.

[brownie]

All Blacks generally look good in the prelims, they seem to do less weil with the pressure of winning single game elimination...

Ahhh, we'll see - nothing would surprise me and you may be right. I hope not, but I was saying a year ago that the all Blacks were playing far too well that far before the World Cup it self.

Man, this weekend is going to be great. I'm going to watch every game:

AUS - ENG

NZL - FRA

RSA - FJI

ARG - SCO

My tips in bold. Actually, the NZ-France game is probably the hardest to tip, followed by Argentina-Scotland.

Planning to watch all four games too.

As for the NZL-FRA, from what I have seen of the All Blacks and France so far, I would not bet two centimes on a French 15 victory! Those All Blacks look unbeatable!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

My daughter's taking me out to dinner on Saturday - I insisted she finds a restaurant somewhere OUTSIDE Cardiff. Can't go anywhere there'll be all those drunk and depressed French people criticising the great British cuisine

MG

[brownie]

MG, your daughter also should make sure the restaurant is not being used as refuge for disheartened Welsh rugby team unable to cope with their players' World Cup disaster and dreaming forever on of the next Gareth Edwards to enlighten their team's performances

[kenny weir]

Now CEO of the Fairfax media empire, Kirk once captained the All Blacks ... this from his Melbourne Age newspaper a few days back.

************

The Age, Edition 1 TUE 02 OCT 2007, Page 8\

'Home nations' pay price of weak becoming strong

By: David Kirk

With the world cup pool matches over, results suggest that rugby has been turned on its head.

THE world of rugby will never be the same again. A seismic shift has occurred.

The pool matches of the sixth Rugby World Cup are over and I, for one, am gobsmacked.

It is not that hard in hindsight to rationalise what has happened but before the tournament I had no idea what was happening to the relative playing strength of nations.

I didn't know that Argentina was simply stronger, better organised and mentally tougher than any of the British nations. I didn't know that Tonga had the discipline and tactical nous to get within five points of South Africa and be a genuine chance of making the quarter-finals. Or that Fiji was about to return from 20 years in the World Cup wilderness. After making the quarter-finals in 1987, it hasn't looked like doing it again until it emphatically ousted Wales this year.

For every new rugby power rising, an old power has sunk. To sum it up Anglo-Saxons and Celts have given way to Polynesians and Latins. The pupil has become the master and there is no going back.

It is not a matter of Argentina, Tonga and Fiji being lucky - having once-in-a-generation great teams at the right time. No, real and lasting changes have occurred and will remain. The future looks bleak for the once mighty "Home Nations".

The root cause of this re-ordering of world rugby is the professionalisation and globalisation of the game. None of the leading players of Argentina, Tonga and Fiji play rugby regularly in their own countries. Instead they ply their trade as professionals in the great rugby competitions of the world in Europe and Australasia.

It is clear that what protected the British nations and kept them in the top flight of world rugby had more to do with the handicaps visited on the emerging nations - lack of funding, coaching and strong regional competitions - than anything else.

The market for rugby talent has done its job. The world's best players, from wherever they hail, have found their way to the world's best competitions and the world's best coaches. The lack of funding for Pacific island and South American rugby development has become irrelevant. The sponsors and national unions in Australia, New Zealand, Britain and the Continent are paying for the development of their players now. There couldn't be a more delicious irony.

Minor nations, sorely neglected by an International Rugby Board dominated by the traditional Home Nation powers, have turfed two (and nearly three) out of the knock-out stages of the World Cup. Law changes have also contributed to the rise of the new powers. With the ball in play more and a premium on aggressive defence and physical power at the tackle and in the backs, the explosive athleticism of the Pacific island nations becomes all the more effective. The discipline and organisation engendered by professional coaching has done the rest.

The Wallabies were little tested. All the top players played well, but the lack of depth was clear. Berrick Barnes is a fine young player, but Stephen Larkham's return is crucial if the team is to go all the way. Their quarter-final opponent, England, has been mostly rubbish.

In four pool matches the All Blacks hardly broke a sweat and we know nothing more about their prospects of winning the sixth Rugby World Cup than we knew before the tournament began.

The All Blacks are technically ahead of the rest of the world and their speed and fitness are only approached by the Wallabies and Springboks. They have more depth of talent than any other team. But we knew all this a month ago.

First they must get past a desperate France, but I can't see them having too much trouble. The French will throw everything at it but the psychological mountain is too high for them to climb. It is sad for them as hosts and sad for the tournament but the French are going out in Cardiff.

The Springboks will beat Fiji because they have genuine class whereas Wales does not. The Springboks are getting better and better and loom as genuine contenders for the cup.

Argentina is set for its first semi-final. Scotland is earnest but ordinary. So long as Argentina sticks to the game plan and approach it has employed so successfully thus far, it should win well.

David Kirk was captain of the 1987 World Cup-winning All Blacks and is chief executive officer of Fairfax.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

MG, your daughter also should make sure the restaurant is not being used as refuge for disheartened Welsh rugby team unable to cope with their players' World Cup disaster and dreaming forever on of the next Gareth Edwards to enlighten their team's performances

Indeed! The days of JPR are long gone. Wales can sometimes do well, but...

Really, of course, there is the problem of actually finding an uncrowded restaurant in Cardiff on Saturday evening.

MG

[Van Basten II]

Upset in the first quarter final game with England who has resurrected from the dead to beat the Wallabies.

Anybody saw the match, any impressions ?

[Van Basten II]

Did not find a suitable place to watch the game, things are looking bleak for France after the 1st half.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

13 all now. Looks like developing into an exciting match. I'm going to see if I can find a TV channel with it on.

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Cor!!!! Wasn't it an exciting last 15 minutes? Wow!

Fantastic defending from France!

Gripping!

MG

[Van Basten II]

Too bad that i couldn't see it.