brownie Posted October 7, 2007 Report Share Posted October 7, 2007 Splendid second half from the French 15! This was a major upset! France deserved the victory. I feel pity for the All Blacks who did not fight hard enough! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Storer Posted October 7, 2007 Report Share Posted October 7, 2007 As usual, I completely ignore any sport until the French are on the verge of a heroic victory. Then I watch the last half and get all the thrills for free! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted October 7, 2007 Report Share Posted October 7, 2007 The French team stood up to the mighty All Blacks right up from the beginning when they confronted the New Zealand players during their pre-match haka war cry: http://news.yahoo.com/photo/071006/483/cd0...540cb4201baae30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Basten II Posted October 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2007 Souds like 1998 all over again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny weir Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 Wow - wasn't that a whole lotta fun? In both the Aussie and NZ cases, I think you could say that to a fairly large degree they were outcoached rather than outplayed. Blimey. In the Aussie case, there was a lot of smugness and arrogance, in the press and elsewhere, with the ARU CEO John O'Neill boasting in the leadup that all Aussies hate England and that the Wallabies would do 'em like a dinner. Through all that sort of stuff, there was always a sense that the Wallaby preening and claims of vast improvement were pretty brittle. So it proved. Ha ha. In the Kiwis' case, as I think I say above, they peaked too early. Perhaps you simply can't sustain that level of intensity so far out. As well: The burden of of expectation is greater for the Kiwis than all save the Springboks. While I'm sure France, England etc face huge demands from fans, at least they have other football teams, other codes. Not so in NZ and SA. Bring out the firing squad! I suspect it was only the dire fate of the Wallabies and the All Blacks that toughened up the Boks, otherwise they may have suffered the same fate against Fiji, who played real well. All they need is some more consistancy - and less ball fumbling - and they'll be right up there. Well done France and England - despite all the trash talk (Aussies) and ominous reputations (NZ), the southerners simply weren't good enough. Or weren't allowed to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny weir Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 From today's Sydney Morning Herald: - a good summation: Chokers and jokers just as bad Greg Growden | October 8, 2007 MONDAY MAUL What was worse? New Zealand choking again or Australia ending their worst World Cup campaign? Neck and neck. But after one of the most demoralising days in the history of trans-Tasman rugby, the All Blacks still win the atrocity award. Australia will get over their early World Cup departure. New Zealand won't. In Australia, rugby union is a side dish. It isn't in New Zealand. Rugby is the country's heart and soul, its identity. The All Blacks' brand is No.1. The land of the long white cloud is now the land of the long black cloud. New Zealand is in mourning. The ramifications of a nation strangling itself for the fifth World Cup tournament in a row will be immense. There will be sackings, reprisals and, with it, undoubtedly the end of Robbie Deans being in line for the Wallabies coaching job next season. Graham Henry, like all the other failed New Zealand World Cup coaches, will be the scapegoat, and Deans appears his inevitable replacement. Nonetheless, the Wallabies cannot hide behind the All Blacks' disaster in an attempt to avoid the flak, because they also deserve a backhander after their least impressive World Cup campaign. The Wallabies would have been forgiven had they survived another week and disappeared at semi-final stage. No one expected them to go any further than a meaningless third-fourth play-off. But to bow out at quarter-final time against a pedestrian England team is unacceptable and a complete embarrassment for Australian rugby. No wonder anyone wearing green and gold in Marseilles on Saturday night was the subject of endless taunts, forcing them to hide in their hotels before anyone realised they supported a team that huffs and puffs but can't even blow down a cardboard box. And try to ignore all the spin during the next few weeks from those involved in Australian rugby, who in trying to protect their positions keep pushing supposed positives from this cup. The fact is, this is the Wallabies' biggest World Cup failure. Australia also left the tournament at quarter-final time in 1995, but the England team that knocked them out in Cape Town 12 years ago was an appreciably better line-up than the one they faced on Saturday. This England team were rated no chance by their media and their supporters, because they apparently lacked the width, speed and nous of the Australian game. Instead, England didn't even have to play smart to beat Australia. They preferred the most basic of forward smash 'em and bash 'em football. They relied primarily on the most lopsided scrum battles to overcome an opposition of supposed superstars, but who were instead shown up to be overpaid bumblers. In the lead-up, the Australian forwards talked tough, even going on about how they wanted to be the best pack in the world, but when it mattered they were wimps. They were exposed for what they are - a second-rate scrummaging unit. More worrying was that their breakdown play also fell apart under pressure. There was a lack of organisation around the tackle area, with the ball often sitting unattended at the back. As for the departing Wallabies coach John Connolly, his two years in the job were often, to use one of his favourite terms, "one step forward, two steps back". There was some progress under Connolly, but nowhere near as much as he and others at the Australian Rugby Union would have liked. Problems within the team - including members of the coaching staff struggling to gain the respect of several key players - were exacerbated by sometimes erratic managerial direction, including trying to place the blame elsewhere. However, Connolly will be treated far better than his New Zealand counterparts. As All Blacks breakaway Jerry Collins said a few days ago: "It's a long way to swim home." He wasn't kidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 The surprising team from Fiji gave South Africa a hard time before being defeated 20-37 in Marseille yesterday. Wish I had seen more of those Fijians who played exciting rugby throughout the World Cup! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 boasting in the leadup that all Aussies hate England and that the Wallabies would do 'em like a dinner. Always the best motivation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcy62 Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 As All Blacks breakaway Jerry Collins said a few days ago: "It's a long way to swim home." He wasn't kidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted October 13, 2007 Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 (edited) 14-9 to England tonight against France in a close game in Paris. Johnny Wilkinson's golden boot finally came good in the last 10 minutes. Edited October 13, 2007 by sidewinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASNL77 Posted October 13, 2007 Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 14-9 to England tonight against France in a close game in Paris. Johnny Wilkinson's golden boot finally came good in the last 10 minutes. We agree on a lot of things on this board, Bob, but tonight we were not on the same side.... It is very painful to be French tonight and this defeat is hard to take. Well done to England. It was an awful game but Wilkinson managed to win it for his country. England justabout deserved to win it. Best of luck for the final. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted October 13, 2007 Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 You know, I never as a rule watch rugby but the last 20 minutes had me on the edge of my seat. It was a hard fought game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASNL77 Posted October 13, 2007 Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 You know, I never as a rule watch rugby but the last 20 minutes had me on the edge of my seat. It was a hard fought game. I really love that game and I am fortunate to live in the south west of England where there are a lot of good teams with Bristol, Bath and Gloucester. Other sports, and especially football, have a lot to learn from this sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 14-9 to England tonight against France in a close game in Paris. Johnny Wilkinson's golden boot finally came good in the last 10 minutes. We agree on a lot of things on this board, Bob, but tonight we were not on the same side.... It is very painful to be French tonight and this defeat is hard to take. Well done to England. It was an awful game but Wilkinson managed to win it for his country. England justabout deserved to win it. Best of luck for the final. The French simply forgot that rugby is played maintly with hands and did not use either teir hands or their head, just their feet! They did not deserve to win! England was not that much better but they had Jonny Wilkinson. The man is a legend and proved once more he deserves his status Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 south west of England where there are a lot of good teams with Bristol, Bath and Gloucester. Don't know about Bristle, Yves, but in Bath they sure are fanatical about their rugby. Back in the early 90s when the team was winning everything in sight the whole city went mad over it. That's nice stadium location they have over there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny weir Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 Who'd thunk it - Argentina snags third place! Truth to tell, the World Cup has become a blip on the radar here - what with this being in the first formal week of a federal election campaign, a well-known Aussie rule player's continuing drug-fuelled fall from grace and the Wallabies and Kiwis gone. What the hell - I'll get up at 4.55am anyhows. I guess I'll be cheering for the Poms - if they get up it'll be the greater upset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 Who'd thunk it - Argentina snags third place! Argentina played well and deserved that third place. France did not play well. Their performances before and after their match against the All Blacks were an embarassment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 The Rugby fever is building up here but the pessimist/realist in me says that there could be quite a lot of disgruntled and sore heads in England on Sunday morning.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 I guess I'll be cheering for the Poms Wow ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny weir Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 I guess I'll be cheering for the Poms Wow ! Well I can hardly barrack for the All Blacks, can I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 Once more, the english fans have invaded the city! Drove past the Stade France where the final match will take place this evening, the place was already surrounded by hordes of fans who were waiting for the opening of the damn place. They will have a few more hours to wait! As for the actual game, I'll be rooting for South Africa. Habana is a marvel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 Thanks for the links VBII. I don't know whether to support Scotland, where I was born; England, where I was brought up; Wales, where I've lived more than half my life; or Namibia, where we'd planned to live when I retired. I think SA is the likely winner. MG Just to remind y'all of my forecast... MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 Once more, the english fans have invaded the city! Drove past the Stade France where the final match will take place this evening, the place was already surrounded by hordes of fans who were waiting for the opening of the damn place. They will have a few more hours to wait! Just picked this up off the Yahoo news http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20071020...-6323e80_1.html Press Assoc. - 47 minutes agoFrench police praised the behaviour of England's rugby fans ahead of the World Cup final against South Africa. ADVERTISEMENT Olivier Deflon, press officer for the Prefecture of Police in Paris, said their behaviour contrasted with that of some football supporters. He said: "We've had no trouble. "It's not the same as football fans. Everyone is in good spirit. There is not too much drunkenness - maybe later but not yet. At this time there are no problems related to the rugby in Paris and there has been no trouble." Up to 50,000 England followers were expected to arrive in the French capital in the hope of cheering their side on to victory. Brian Ashton's "grumpy old men" would become the first team to retain the Webb Ellis Cup, after England's victory in Australia four years ago. A sea of red and white grew through the day, with Springbok fans greatly outnumbered by their English counterparts. Thousands gathered at bars and cafes around the city, and a major focal point was Rugby Town, set up in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, with thousands of supporters drinking and mingling together. Spontaneous renditions of "swing low, sweet chariot" broke out at regular intervals, while the South African fans were also in good voice as a friendly party atmosphere grew. Highlights of England's semi final victory over France were shown at the Eiffel Tower, on a continuous loop - and supporters cheered loudly each time talismanic kicker Jonny Wilkinson's winning penalty and drop goal were shown. Supporters arriving at the Gare du Nord station found no shortage of people willing to sell tickets for the match, for prices ranging from 750 to 2,500 euros (£523 to £1,745). A strike among transport workers meant taxis in Paris were at a premium and Metro trains packed, while most major roads were severely congested with cars pouring into the city. This is a nice change from footy! MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 Yay! As forecast! I enjoyed the match. England played rather better, I thought, but lost. Just listened to Nkosi Sikelel'i Afrika MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 The Springboks played it safe and deserved to win. The game would probably have been more exciting if both teams had aimed for tries instead on relying on penalty kicks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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