The Final Piece (Delayed)

Reasons and Excuses.

Okay, so the final happened a week ago – its old news by now right? Well yes, but I had absolutely no chance to write-up the result last week – and for good reason. That thing I have been mentioning over the past few weeks – that curious sign off I’ve been using at the end of my last few posts, warning of a breakdown in punctuality – well that thing happened. Namely, I moved house! Which ment, coincidently, that I watched the Bronze Final in my old [much shitter] house and the final in my new one [on a TV with crappy reception].

So, why am I bothering with this post over a week late – when anyone who would care to read it has already gotten over the excitement of the world cup? Well that is simple – firstly I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving it unfinished [there has been far too much of that on this blog already] and secondly, when I come to read these posts back in four months time, It’ll really bug me if it doesn’t have a final part.

So, for no one elses’ satisfaction but my own – here is a very brief outline of what happened…

The Bronze Final – Wales vs Australia.

Like I said, this game happened the day before I moved and so I was slightly distracted while watching it. Shame really because I have been lending my support to our Welsh friends from the start and I would dearly have liked to give their final game a full and proper write-up. Unfortunately, all I remember is Australia showing up with something to prove and taking the game in hand for 80 minutes.

I do, however, remember the last few minutes of the game – which provided the perfect example of why Wales are one of my favorite teams. Let me paint the picture – the game is all but over, the clock has turned red and the next time the ball goes dead or is put out of play the whistle will blow for full-time – the score board reads 11 to Australia’s 21. There is nothing the Welsh can do to win the game – so what do they do?… Well, dig down deep and score one of the hardest earned tries of the tournament, that’s what. And that is why Wales are one of the best teams ion the world and, after their performance throughout the cup, will surly now be counted as such.

Well done Wales – See you in February at Twickenham!

Final Result: Wales 18 – Australia 21

The Final – France vs New Zealand.

And so it came to pass that North took on South as France attempted to avenge their 37-17 defeat from all the way back in the pool stages while the hosts silently dreamed of a grand slam finish. It also came to pass that I watched the match through a snowstorm having not unpacked a good enough ariel for my TV. I actually missed most of the first half trying to get a reception that didn’t make it look like there were sixty men on the field.

Anyway, as for the match itself. I quite enjoyed France fronting up to the Haka. I’ve always wondered what you are supposed to do when you are opposite the New Zealand squad when they are engaged in their ceremonial opening to the game. Essentially – as is my understanding – the Haka is a way of laying down the gauntlet, an effort to intimidate your opponents while unifying your own team [and, clearly, it works]. France answered this challenge, admittedly in a less theatrical manner, by linking arms and slowly advancing to the halfway line. They didn’t interfere with the New Zealand tradition [after all, they did want to be able to leave the stadium in one piece] but at the same time they showed that they were not going to be intimidated by it either. An impressive display.

Unfortunately, that was about it for impressive displays, as the game turned out to be quite scrappy and surprisingly low scoring [just 15 points in total.] Given what was at stake it is understandable that the game turned into a turf war – and I don’t want to give the impression that it was not an enjoyable game – it’s only that, if you are looking for a clinic in how to play good, professional rugby, then the final is not the place to find it.

And so, to the score… I have been quite mean to France over the course of these posts – and it is still my opinion that there were more ‘worthy’ teams who could have taken their spot in the final [but then again those teams didn’t win their games and so didn’t get there] However, to lose out on the trophy for the sake of one point – I wouldn’t wish that heartache on anyone [although that is exactly what they did to Wales in order to make the final, but still].

As for New Zealand, well they have proved themselves more than worthy to hold the mantle of champion and I think that it would be very difficult to argue otherwise. Taking the grand slam and, in most cases, winning their games comfortably with clear daylight shinning between the scoreboards – The All Blacks just took an attitude that seemed to say that defeat was impossible. You have to respect that and my congratulations go out to all those who now have a shiny gold medal in their trophy case and also to their fans and countrymen who kept the train moving – you guys throw a hell of a world cup!

Final Result: France 7 – New Zealand 8
And that’s about it so…

Just for Fun – Let’s see how the 20 Nations Stack Up had the pool stage scoring system been applied to the knockouts.

Place (Previous Place) – Team (Pool) – Points (Finished) – (Win-Draw-Lost) – [For/Against] – Difference

1st (1st) New Zealand (A) 32pts (Champions) – (7/0/0) – [301/72] +229

2nd (6th) Australia (C) 23pts (Bronze) – (5/0/2) – [211/95] +116

3rd (5th) Wales (D) 21pts (Forth Place) – (4/0/3) – [228/74] +154

4th (8th) France (A) 20pts (Silver) – (4/0/3) – [159/124] +35

5th (2nd) South Africa (D) 19pts (Quarter) – (4/0/1) – [175/35] +140

6th (3rd) England (B) 19pts (Quarter) – (4/0/1) – [149/53] +96

7th (4th) Ireland (C) 17pts (Quarter) – (4/0/1) – [145/56] +89

8th (7th) Argentina (B) 14pts (Quarter) – (3/0/2) – [100/73] +27

9th (9th) Scotland (B) 11pts – (2/0/2) – [73/59] +14

10th (10th) Samoa (D) 10pts – (2/0/2) – [91/49] +42

11th (11th) Italy (C) 10pts – (2/0/2) – [91/95] -3

12th (12th) Tonga (A) 9pts – (2/0/2) – [80/98] -18

13th (13th) Canada (A) 6pts – (1/1/3) – [82/168] -86

14th (14th) Fiji (D) 5pts – (1/0/3) – [59/167] -108

15th (15th) Georgia (B) 4pts – (1/0/3) – [48/90] -42

16th (16th) USA (C) 4pts – (1/0/3) – [38/122] -84

17th (17th) Japan (A) 2pts – (0/1/3) – [69/184] -115

18th (18th) Russia (C) 1pt – (0/0/4) – [57/196] -139

19th (19th) Romania (B) 0pts – (0/0/4) – [44/169] -125

20th (20th) Namibia (D) 0pts – (0/0/4) – [44/266] -222

And so… what have we learned?

Well, I have learned that WordPress people are not in the slightest bit interested in my opinions on the rugby world cup. That’s fine by me, like I have said before, I only use this blog to post up things that I am interested in so that I can find them later if I want to i.e. I now have the results to all the pertinent games in a nice convenient location. If other people find my ramblings interesting then great – if not [as in this case] then that’s fine by me too. But now I’m going to have to think of something else to write about…

And that’s about it.

For another four years anyway. The next World Cup will be held in 2015 and will be hosted by England and Wales. Will we be able to do what the All Blacks did and lift the title in front of a home crowd? There’s only one way to find out…

Let The Banter Conclude – It’s all over now 😦

Insert Joke About Having A Semi Here…

Setting The Table.

So by now we know what our final is going to be for the rugby world cup 2011, but just for fun – y’know, if you fancy it – lets have a little look at how we got there…

Wales vs France.

Having failed to satisfy their critics in the game prior [which I would rather not talk about], pundits were still making a massive deal over France’s shaky progression through the tournament. Wales on the other hand looked practically unstoppable.

As the opening minutes ticked by, this seemed a fair enough assessment as the Welsh dug down in to the match from the outset. Then Wales were to be dealt two stiff blows that would put them on their heals. The First came in the shape of Adam Jones having to leave the field early due to an injury. The second would be a refereeing decision that would be one of the most controversial moments of the championship.

It all came about when Welsh captain Sam Warburton made a tackle on Vincent Clerc which lifted him off the ground. Admittedly, to the letter of the law, this is a dangerous tackle and the responsibility is on the attacking player to return the man safely to the ground. This is a perfectly sensible law, designed to prevent injury – so it’s right that Warburton be penalised. When referee Alain Rolland reached into his pocket and pulled out a red, well, everyone was shocked. Red cards in rugby are relatively rare [only sixteen have been shown to date in world cup matches] – to the point that I was starting to believe that you had to walk over and punch someone in the face without provocation in order to get one [in fact, you quite often see little scuffles going on which hardly ever get penalised.] Regardless whether it was fair or not, it is left to the referees discretion as to whether or not Warburton returned Clerc to the ground safely or not, and he obviously felt it was dangerous enough to warrant a dismissal.

So, with an hour left to play, Wales had two of their key players on the bench and a man short to withstand the French attack. Then the scoreboard started to turn against them aswell despite valiant efforts to reassert their opening momentum. It is the scoreboard that counts however, and at halftime it told that Wales trailed by three points.

As the second half progressed, the territory battles continued, with Wales refusing to acknowledge that being a man down was some kind of disadvantage. I said at the outset of the tournament that Wales are one of my favorite teams to watch, and situations like this are the reason why – If England were in this position you would see their heads start to go down a bit and they would likely play the game on the back foot [if it happened to France, in their current form, they would be devastated and would probably fall apart] – Wales, by contrast, just dug in, stayed focused and tried to make plays that would put points on the board [as well as keeping a tight defence]. This patience and persistence eventually paid off as Mike Phillips broke through to take the only try of the game. The missed conversion left Wales still needing three points for the win – not an impossible challenge with a fair portion of the clock left.

Sadly, it was not to be, as Welsh attempts to kick their way into the final fell short – literally in the case of Leigh Halfpenny’s last-minute penalty from halfway line. The full-time whistle set in stone the heartbreaking truth that Wales were not going to the final, having lost by only one point.

You’ll notice that I haven’t mention France (the actual victors of the match) all that much in this note. Well there is a reason for that – there is not much to say. France had all the advantages in that match (a man up, an early – if not comfortable – lead) yet they only managed to win by a single point. A good portion of that result can be put down to Welsh valence but you cant help but think that a greater side (dare I say a side more worthy of their place in the final) would have punished them and put clear daylight between the scorelines. [At least Welsh fans only have to wait until the next Six Nations for their chance at vengeance – and France have a lot of grief coming their way.]

Final Result: Wales 8 – France 9

Australia vs New Zealand.

A perfectly credible final in its own right, the key words through out this match were intensity and pressure. The two players bearing the burden of this were New Zealand’s Piri Weepu [who had a hell of a week] and Australia’s (but New Zealand born) Quade Cooper [who was fast becoming dubbed ‘Public Enemy No. 1’] He whoever withstood these intense pressures would be the one to win the day.

Well it wasnt Cooper, that’s for sure. Almost everything he touched he stumbled or fluffed – I take no pleasure in saying that, it’s just what I saw. Weepu, after a jittery start that saw him miss a couple of chances to kick some points, eventually settled in – along with the rest of his side. New Zealand’s hard work was paid off in the end in the shape of a try for Ma’a Nonu.

Elsewhere on the field, the game soon became one not for the squeamish. A physical game was always on the cards for this one (as is the case with most long-term rivalries) and it wasn’t long before the claret started flowing. Some would argue that this reveals an uglier side to the game and fords the line between physicality and violence. And, if it’s left unchecked, that is a perfectly valid argument. In this kind of game, in a rivalry such as this (and we [England] share a similar rivalry with the Scots) a certain level of physicality is to be expected. In fact, the rivalry almost justifies it as both teams silently agree that, because of the status of the match, you must push that little bit harder, tackle that little bit stronger, scrap the ball out that little bit more ferociously. With this unspoken mutual agreement in place (for now and ever more), along with the understanding that those things are to be confined to the eighty minutes play and left on the field at the conclusion, both teams are freed to attempt some more aggressive plays. That is why it was quite a rough game, but I saw no evidence of violence or that the sacred, unspoken oath had been broken.

In the end it was New Zealand who showed just that little bit more class and composure under pressure. The All Black attack that resulted in Aaron Cruden’s drop goal was a clinic in how to play the game. [A lesson made all the more painful by the fact that this was exactly the kind of move the Welsh needed to make in order to put themselves through]. A convincing and hard fought victory for the All Blacks which puts them to the final with seemingly unstoppable momentum. [At least Aussie fans only have to wait until the next Tri-Nations for their chance at vengeance – and that will be a game – well it’ll be much like this one only with its own surprises.]

Final Result: Australia 6 – New Zealand 20

And so… we know where it all leads…

Well, to the Grand Final of course… where we finally bridge the north/south divide. Also, it gives us the Bronze final to determine third place.

21st October – Bronze Final – Wales vs Australia – 08:30 BST

Ahh, the Bronze playoff – where crushing disappointment meets one gilded chance of redemption. It’s like getting a lollipop after having a physical – you feel a little better but you still ache like hell. This game, for me, as all about whether or not Wales has the stamina to prove themselves the new world force in rugby by defeating the battle tested and always dangerous Wallabies. Should be a good game – and it’ll be nice to see Wales play with a full team.

23rd October – THE Final – France vs New Zealand – 09:00 BST

It ends tonight! Well, this morning, but you know what I mean. Last week I posed the question:

So does that mean that a little humility actually drives a team to perform better, as though tasting defeat sours your appetite for it?

With this match, we find out. France, who are probably not the team you would have picked out of the qualifying eight having dropped two games, take on New Zealand who are on route for the grand slam. I know I said that I would begrudgingly support France as the Northern side but that was before they knocked us out and limped their way into the final – now I just can’t bring myself to. I would rather see New Zealand take the grand slam and become home town heroes than support the French. Plus also, I don’t think the French can do it. I just have this feeling that the All Blacks are going to steamroll their way to the top of the podium.

But, if this tournament has proven nothing else, it is that you can never say never.

And that’s about it.

That ties things up for this, my penultimate post on the rugby world cup (so I’m going to have to think of something else to talk about). This time next week I’ll be able to tell you how it turned out – Who won, who lost and most importantly who gets to call themselves World Champion for the next four years. See you then, and enjoy the final.

Let The Banter Conclude – It’s all about bragging rights now!

Second… It’s the New First.

The Point of No Return.

The knockout stages – no more extra lives, no more free chances – it’s a battle for survival, do or die. As it has always been, it comes down to one day, one game – and if you do not perform when the time comes then you and your teammates are on your way home. And that is exactly what happened to four of our eight remaining teams – so let’s see who is left…

England vs France.

Prior to the game, pundits had made a massive deal over France’s shaky progression into the quarter finals [indeed, of the eight qualifiers, France had the worst record with two wins and two losses] but there was little to no evidence of this come match time.

Within minutes of the opening whistle France were picking up points and their lead steadily increased over the first half, leaving a disorganised England to try to play catch up. This recovery never really occurred however as England returned to the dressing room at halftime yet to score.

One possible explanation for this (or at least the conclusion I have been drawn to) is that the England side seemed too unsettled, the team selection seeming to be too experimental with many players fielded out of their normal positions. The clearest example of this was the decision to start both Johnny Wilkinson and Toby Flood at the same time. Now I’m not about to jump on the “let’s blame Martian Johnson for everything” bandwagon, but clearly some questions should be asked.

Moving into the second half, which saw the French advance their lead further despite some poor kicking which prevented them from sealing the game totally. England eventually managed to get a score on the board, courtesy of a converted try, which allowed England fans to believe that, despite all evidence to the contrary, We could do it.

With Flood moved over to number 10 (along with a few other rearrangements and substitutions) England started to look more like their old self and play a little better – resulting in one of the oddest tries I have seen in a good long while from Mark Cueto [it went this way, it went that way and then it finally went down].

In the end it was all too little, too late; as France – who had been in the driver’s seat since the match started – took the victory. As an England fan, I am obviously disappointed that we are out of the tournament but it hard to be bitter about it. On balance, based on their performance on Saturday, and coupled with their wavering performance against Scotland the week previous, you have to say [painful though it may be] we deserved our ticket home. The other teams simply played better than us and we will have to wait another four years before we can prove otherwise. [At least English fans only have to wait until the next Six Nations for their chance at vengeance – and that is a game I will undoubtedly get the jitters over.]

Final Result: England 12 – France 19

In Other News.

I only managed to see highlights of the other quarter finals (y’know with the whole “six o’clock in the morning issue”) but I did manage to see enough to know that the remaining matches should prove to be absolute belters. Here is a quick round-up…

Ireland took on Wales in the opening quarter-final and my lingering impression was “damn, I watched the wrong match”. Compared to the stogey, error-laden performance described above, this game seemed to be a more back-and-forth, attack the gainline sort of match (then again, this was highlights, so they all kind of look like that) In the end, it was the Welsh who took the game, racking up a twelve point lead that Ireland just couldn’t level. [At least Irish fans only have to wait until the next Six Nations for their chance at vengeance – and that is a game I will probably watch.]

Final Result: Ireland 10 – Wales 22

Sunday saw the southern hemisphere teams take to the field, starting with South Africa vs Australia. First thoughts, and this applies to New Zealand and Argentina aswell, I’m almost glad that we got knocked out when we did because any one of these sides could have really embarrassed us (of course, I’m not glad that we got knocked out – that would be a stupid thing to say – I still would have preferred to have a crack at them). As for this game, it was a close run thing, with a very low scoreline (20 points in total) – but then it was always going to be that or an absolute torrent of tries. In the end it was Australia who edged it, sending the defending champions on their way.

Final Result: South Africa 9 – Australia 11

Lastly, it was the hosts New Zealand taking on Argentina. Once again, highlights preclude me from making any in-depth comment on the game, but one thing is of note: New Zealand ended up winning the match by quite a reasonable margin, however, that margin would have been significantly bigger had it not been for the Argentinians relentless work in defence. Even though we have to say farewell to them for this tournament, I feel that they might have just done enough to turn the longstanding rumour that they are to join Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to form the Four Nations (not to be confused with the Four Nations) into a fact.

Final Result: New Zealand 33 – Argentina 10

And so… where does it all lead?

Well, to the Semi Finals of course… where we still can’t bridge the north/south divide. Also, it puts us in the middle of a very strange quandary when you regard how we got here. Of the four teams left, only one [New Zealand] took the so-called “easy road” to the semi’s, the other three (Wales, France & Australia) all qualified second in their pool, picking up at least one loss along the way. So does that mean that a little humility actually drives a team to perform better, as though tasting defeat sours your appetite for it? Well, there is only one real way to find out:

15th October – Wales vs France – 09:00 BST

Had we managed to get the job done this weekend it would be us staring down the barrel of a determined Welsh side. As it happens however, it’s France. I have supported Wales as my second team (if you can allow such a thing) from the outset and now, with my beloved England in the knackers yard, I would dearly love to see the Welsh lift the trophy. Not only because they are playing France and they beat us (and they are one of our oldest rivals, and they are French), not only because they are the last British team left, not only because I would love to see a Northern Hemisphere side take the title (apart from us of course) but because I think they deserve it. What’s more – I think they can do it. So, even though we will never hear the end of it if they do win, I fully intend to support our neighbours to the west and hope they can get one step closer to their dream.

16th October – Australia vs New Zealand – 09:00 BST

# “That’s when good neighbours become… bitter rivals.#

One of the best known rivalries in Rugby – both are former champions and both have something to prove. New Zealand, aside from being the hosts and wanting to fulfill the dream of winning at home (the dream we shattered for Australia back in 2003 – but I digress to make myself feel better) The All Blacks are the only team left who are capable of performing a grand slam (winning all seven games). The Wallabies on the other hand have a different dream, one to become the first team to lift the trophy three times and enter the record books. Only one can do it, someone has to go home heartbroken. Thankfully, whoever that happens to be, won’t have far to go to get home will they.

And that’s about it.

Again, this is kind of two posts rolled into one, but – like I said that I said – there are things going on and I’m still not sure if I would have time before the weekend to do it. Hopefully, I will be able to post up the results without too much delay but in case I don’t – Enjoy the rugby, again!

Let The Banter Resume – Who cares, we’re out now anyway!

No Quarter Given

Rounding off the pool stages.

So that’s it! The results are in, the final whistles blown, spelling heartbreak for some and lending confidence to others. As eight nations march on into the quarter finals – twelve are left behind to take that lonly flight home. And here is how it happened…

The Main Event – England vs Scotland.

I highlighed eairlier the focus and pressures being thrown down on this match – and, at the openening whistle, not only had these been brought to the feild but also it seemed that they had brought the weather with them too. Under a stiff breeze and a chourus of singing from the respective armies of fanatics, it really could have been a showdown at Murrayfield or Twickenham.

As for the game itself, well… Early in the first half, Scotland put England on the back foot and we never really got a hold on it after. To thier credit, Scotland didn’t allow England to gather any momentum, bombarding us with quick paced and creative play which left us looking stodgy and reluctent to engadge the Scottish defence. With a few too many errors and a stern referee (English disapiline has been an issue for a number of years now) things were looking bleak unless we could find a way to get our shoulder behind the game.

Liturally minutes into the second half, and after an unimpressive first half, Johnny Wilkinson put one between the uprights to close the gap. Just as the “Wilko vs Flood” debate was about to rear its head again, Johnny proved his worth – but in terms of consistancy and accumalative performance, I beleive that particular debate has still got some legs and will likley crop up again before the championship is finished.

The game continued back and forth, with Scotland desperatly trying to break the crucial 8 point difference (which would earn them the bonus point they need to progress). They reained calm under mounting pressure and continued to search out gaps and gain territory but then… three minutes from fulltime, England enact (in my opinion) thier only good fluid play of the match – which resulted in the Ashton’s try that broke Scottish hearts.

I have to admit (as an unflinching England supporter) the Scottish defeat at Eden Park was undeserved, they did look to be the better side, but by the same token they couldn’t get the job done in terms of getting the ball over the line. I spoke previously about how much pride each nation brings to an encounter such as this, and it is my opinion that The Scots can leave the tornament with that pride intact (although that dosn’t lessen the sting of an early exit) England however, leave the feild once again with serious questions to answer. [At least Scottish fans only have to wait until the next Six Nations for thier chance at vengence – and that is a game I will look forward to seeing.]

Final Result: England 16 – Scotland 12

In Other News.

Both of the other “home nations” (and also France) progressed into the Quarters. I didn’t see either game but here are the results. Ireland topped thier pool after beating fellow Six Nation team Italy by 36 points to 6. With four wins from four – Ireland have proved themselves real contenders for the trophy. The Welsh managed to come through as runners up (loosing out on the top spot to South Africa – which is fair enough) after massacring Fiji 66 – 0. Wales are still one of my favorites, not necesserily to lift the title (though I wouldn’t rule it out) but just to watch and enjoy.

Just for Fun – Let’s see how the 20 Nations Stack Up after the Pools.

Place – Team (Pool) – Points (Qualified) – (Win-Draw-Lost) – [For/Against] – Difference

1st New Zealand (A) 20pts (Q) – (4/0/0) – [240/49] +191

2nd South Africa (D) 18pts (Q) – (4/0/0) – [166/24] +142

3rd England (B) 18pts (Q) – (4/0/0) – [137/34] +103

4th Ireland (C) 17pts (Q) – (4/0/0) – [135/34] +101

5th Wales (D) 15pts (Q) – (3/0/1) – [180/34] +146

6th Australia (C) 15pts (Q) – (3/0/1) – [173/48] +125

7th Argentina (B) 14pts (Q) – (3/0/1) – [90/40] +50

8th France (A) 11pts (Q) – (2/0/2) – [124/96] +28

9th Scotland (B) 11pts – (2/0/2) – [73/59] +14

10th Samoa (D) 10pts – (2/0/2) – [91/49] +42

11th Italy (C) 10pts – (2/0/2) – [91/95] -3

12th Tonga (A) 9pts – (2/0/2) – [80/98] -18

13th Canada (A) 6pts – (1/1/3) – [82/168] -86

14th Fiji (D) 5pts – (1/0/3) – [59/167] -108

15th Georgia (B) 4pts – (1/0/3) – [48/90] -42

16th USA (C) 4pts – (1/0/3) – [38/122] -84

17th Japan (A) 2pts – (0/1/3) – [69/184] -115

18th Russia (C) 1pt – (0/0/4) – [57/196] -139

19th Romania (B) 0pts – (0/0/4) – [44/169] -125

20th Namibia (D) 0pts – (0/0/4) – [44/266] -222

And so… where does it all lead?

Well, to the Quarter Finals of course… and I gotta say, a very interesting round of matches it will be. It will inevitably become dubbed the “Six Nations vs Tri Nations (plus Argentina)” but each match individualy taps into a deeper rivalry:

8th October – Ireland vs Wales – 06:00 BST

A clash of The Celts and a popular fixture on the Six Nations calender. But this is not the Six Nations – this is do-or-die, single elimination knockout – which means, no matter what happens, one of the teams I’ve been following will be coming home (but at least in means that one of “us” made the Semis)

8th October – England vs France – 08:30 BST

As if having to see off the Auld Enemy wasn’t bad enough, England will have to meet another of our strongest rivals in France. It’s as if the Auld Alliance has been resurected to threaten the  Entente Cordiale [these vaugly historical references doing anything for ya?] Anyway, niether side have progressed to this stage without controversy, so I feel both have something to prove on Saturday. (I always get jittery when we play France)

9th October – South Africa vs Australia – 6:00BST

Two union heavyweights face off in a match that is guaranteed to capture the attention of rugby fans across the globe. I’m sure the smart money will go on South Africa who had a slightly stronger showing in the pool stages but then again this is Australia and knockouts always change the complextion of the game. It is also worth pointing out that, of the six previous tornaments, Australia and South Africa are tied at two championships each [South Africa 2007 & 1995, Australia 1999 & 1991] This one is well worth getting up for.

9th October – New Zealand vs Argentina – 08:30 BST

Okay, so this one is less of a long standing rivalry, but thats exactly what makes it interesting. Argentina have been making steady improvement through the years, reaching the Semi-finals in the previous cup, and can be viewed as the “upstarts” of the tornament. New Zealand, on the other hand, are considered one of the longstanding cornerstones of the international game. So the question becomes, can the “underdog” Argentina pull off the upset and dump the hosts (and strong favorites) out at this comparativly early stage?

And that’s about it.

This is kind of two posts rolled into one, but – like I said – there are thing going on and I wasn’t sure if I would have time before the weekend to do it. Hopefully, I will be able to post up the results without too much delay but in case I don’t – Enjoy the rugby!

Let The Banter Conclude – This Just Got Serious.

Rugby World Cup 2011 – Opening matches.

First match results:

 Scotland 34 – 24 Romania

I didn’t see much of this game – It was a choice between staying up to watch this one or getting up early to watch England (I chose England). But I doubt very much the Scots will be too disappointed with a ten point victory.

Argentina 9 – 13 England

First off, the result doesn’t reflect this but, we were awful. Well maybe not awful, but we certainly need to improve if we want to progress.
I have a couple of reservations about this match – firstly with our kit. Since when is black our colours? Our national colours are White (Home kit) or Red (away) – its very simple to remember, just look at the flag. On this basis, if for some reason we can’t use either of those colours then I would settle for blue. But black? Who thought that was a good idea?
Secondly is the refereeing. I don’t think the ref did anything “wrong” but he was a little inflexible for my taste – particularly in the opening minutes. He seemed to blow his whistle every ten seconds which doesn’t allow the game to settle – at one point he even gave us a caution for incurring too many penalties. I’m not suggesting that the first 5-10 minutes of any game should be a free for all – and I do understand that the nature of the tournament insists on firm refereeing – but I still feel he could have shown a little more restraint. Also most of our penalties were infringements (being off-side etc.) and we got carded for it – while I saw two instances of dangerous play (a tackle in the air and what can only be described as a pole-axe) on behalf of the Argentineans, which didn’t pick up the same penalty.
Lastly, Wilkinson’s poor kicking performance. I’ve never been big on “Wilko-worship” – there were 14 other players on the field the day we won the cup. I do however expect him to perform when it matters. In conclusion: there is much work to be done!

Ireland 22 – 10 United States

Again, I only saw highlights of this game – but from what I saw Ireland turned in a typically solid performance. Personally, I would have expected a slightly stronger result against The States but then a win is a win.

South Africa 17 – 16 Wales

How heart-breaking to lose out for the sake of one point. Don’t let the result fool you – this is practically a win for Wales (aka my second team for the tournament) who many felt, pre-game, were in for an absolute spanking. Strangely, this performance (even though a defeat) should inspire the welsh side to escape their group.

Still To Come:

14th Sept. – Scotland vs. Georgia (08:30 BST)

Coming off of their win against Romania, Scotland face off against a fresh Georgian side and former Scotland coach Richie Dixion.

17th Sept. – Australia vs. Ireland (09:30 BST)

Australia were always going to be strong favourites and smashing Italy 32-6 hasn’t dimmed that opinion any. A true test for Ireland.

18th Sept. – Wales vs. Samoa (04:30 BST)

They’ve yet to play at time of writing, but Samoa come with a reputation for hard hitting rugby. Wales will have to find ways to play around them and not get stuck into a test of strength.

18th Sept. – England vs. Georgia (07:00 BST)

We’ll have to see what happens with Scotland before we can speculate further on this match – but whatever England do, they’ll have to do it without Courtney Lawes (lock) – who has gone and got himself a two match ban. [Can‘t find a video of what happened but you can read about it here.

Plenty more heart-break and triumph to come – and feast of matches to argue about, analyze and discuss.

Let The Banter Continue!