Rugby World Cup 2007 - Twiddling Our Thumbs!

[Havak]

Thanks Finbar.

At the end of the day a two horse race is never a completely foregone conclusion - but I'm not expecting too much.

Then again NZ vs Portugal is a two horse race as well. Apparently.

[LDiCesare]

Here's a poll after SA/England match.
Is Havak
- drunk out of despair?
- drunk out of despair?
or
- drunk out of despair?

I thought Tait brought up a little bit of something when he entered play, and so did Chutter. Farrell was considered slow even by the French commentators who're not specially bright.
Habana and Duprez are very good players.

The boks kept things simple: Play forward, and then kick, and when near enough play around the forwards with their wingers. I don't think they sent the ball wide once in the game, but they played a very good game around the rucks and in the closed side.

[finbar]

Mrs finbar watched quite a lot of the match with me. She must have a morbid streak. Anyway, as the game progressed, she said she felt sorry for England. I soon set her right!

Yes, the Boks played an intelligent, controlled game. But an astonishing game from Du Preez helped. I don't think #9s can play much better than that. He showed up the fat England #9 for what he is: a lump. Who can't tackle.

The England pack won on the night. And that's where it ended for them.

A very honourable mention to J. Robinson. Never stopped trying. Even if the ground he made - which was a lot - was mostly wasted because he didn't have support behind him. His injury was, in the context of the match, a tragedy. Much overused word, but, in context, apposite. And an honourable mention to the sportsmanship of the Boks who, knowing Robinson was injured on the ground, refrained from piling in as they otherwise would have.

I suspect that it's in English rugby's long-term interests to lose to Samoa. Only then might a curtain be drawn on the idiocy of the last four years, those responsible disposed of, and a new direction found.

[Havak]

Drunk out of Despair of course.

Between you gents you have named just about the only positives amongst the players - Robinson, Tait, Chuter were the only ones who looked like rugby players. Oh how we miss Ellis - I heard Richard Hill (Bristol coach) talking up Perry before the game but I simply don't see it myself. At least Gomersall looked like a scrummy when he came on.

Terrible bad luck for Robinson - he never stopped trying even if he got little support. Noon also probably out with medial ligament damage - and whilst I hate to laud an injury that might be a good thing as both Hipkiss and Tait are more rugby players than one dimensional defensive tanks.

They could lose to Samoa Finbar - they could even lose to Tonga. But they don't need to. Last night was the "wake up and smell the coffee" moment for the RFU. Change will happen after this tournament - I don't think English rugby fans will settle for anything less. A new coach and a 75% different (younger) squad will start the 6N I believe.

I'm off Monday - and thats a good thing as I really can't wait to hear what my old sparring partner the (rugby) anglophobe has to say about friday nights game.

[Havak]

Whilst Australia look very much the better side about 30 mins in there have been some cheap shots detracting from the game.

Moore on Williams was unnecessary but Alfie on young Barnes was bang out of order and should have been carded.

I expect OZ to win this comfortably - famous last words?

[finbar]

There were unnecessary hits all round. Stupid hooker Steven Moore should be cited for sliding into The Ant with the elbow and the person you call Alfie should have been carded. Drew Mitchell's dangerous tackle warranted a yellow card.

EDIT. Forgot to suggest that Kevin Morgan should have been carded for appalling acting.

The Wallabies were always the superior team but bad handling and terrible discipline let them down. Wales, in attack, were mostly a rabble, and only silly penalties from the Wallabies kept their score respectable. The only highlight for me was Berrick Barnes' nice debut at #10. For 21 years of age he's a very mature talent.

[finbar]

Q. What's the only comfort Ireland fans can take from their narrowest of wins over Georgia?

A. That they're not England fans.

[finbar]

Cripes, Samoa flubbed it badly against Tonga today. Schoolboy handling sank them. Even with Tonga down to thirteen men for the last five minutes.

EDIT. Forgot to mention. Not unexpectedly, there were more coat hangers than you'd find in your local dry cleaners.

[LDiCesare]

Barnes looked good indeed.
I'm afraid the hit from the welsh may have very bad consequences on the young player though. He got away without a card and without a penalty. Barnes had such a smile on his face before he was hit that I think his morale suffered a bit afterward. If referees don't defend players who make a great move, particularly players as exposed as a fly half or a full back, will these try the same moves again or will they be paralysed with fear? For these reasons, in addition to the act itself, the welsh player should have been sent off. I hope Barnes will forget it and just play, he looks like he can become very good.

The Irish result is good for us French, since they didn't take a bonus point, but it's really showing that NH teams are doing badly. Most of Georgia players are playing in bad French clubs and they almost won!
I hope the French will manage to beat Namibia by at least 4 tries, but we'll know soon whether I'm just dreaming.

[finbar]

At least the offender got his comeuppance. In spades. From Stirling Mortlock.

I think young Mr Barnes will cope with it. He has the confidence of youth on his side. Ah, youth. I remember it. Vaguely...

Berrick Barnes is one of a couple of very talented young half backs in Australia. The other one is Kurtley Beale, plays for the Waratahs. Barnes is more conventional; Beale more mercurial, and even younger. Barnes was possibly lucky to be picked for this squad. He had a very up and down S14 season with the Queensland Reds, mainly because the Reds had a dreadful season. As the coach said, he was picked on his form in 2006, his debut season. And, of course, his obvious potential. Anyway, one thing the Wallabies won't struggle for is quality half backs in the coming years.

I was going to ask if anyone knew whether the Georgians play their rugby outside Georgia. Some of them are useful. I like watching them play. They're big, pretty quick, and their game is relatively well organised for a minnow.

I'd also like to know how rugby even made it to Georgia. Of all places.

My fingers are crossed for you tonight, mon ami.

[finbar]

Many many many years ago, my now dear departed mother said to me one night as she tucked me into bed: "Son, never trust a bi-lingual rugby referee because he will surely turn a blind eye to French forward passes".

But who cares? It was fun tonight. The French playing as we know they can, even against a minnow. That's the minnow that Ireland struggled to put away. And how nice to see C. Haymans back where he belongs.

My play of the night? S. Chabal's glorious, thunderous charge to the try line.

LdiC, can you do me a favour? Hunt down that f*****g brass band and drown them for me? Please?

[LDiCesare]

Well, France crushed Namibia as they should have. The red card was overly severe in my opinion, but I think it was the same player that high tackled Clerc earlier after the ref had whistled. I suppose the referee would have gone back to the scrum at that time because the tackled had happened when play had ceased, but he probably warned the Namibian not to high tackle again, and then at the next occasion, he aims the neck. And it would be hard to pretend high tackling Chabal was an accident.
The French made very bold moves at times and would have been countered far more often by any other team. Still, the second row, Elissalde (9) and Clerc (14) had a very good day.
I don't think it's often that each lock scores two tries. And it was nice to see a number 8 scoring a try on a scrum making all its way to the in-goal.

About Georgia, among the 30 players, one plays in Russia (Krasnoiarsk), one in Romania (Constanta), one in Georgia, and the 27 remaining play in France. Some in good clubs, but others... The scrum halves play in Orleans and Bastia, the full back in Cannes. I don't even know if any of these clubs is actually professional... The tight five should be good considering most play in Top14.

[finbar]

Yes, it was the same idiot who necked Clerc a couple of minutes earlier and had been warned for it. He deserved the red card, IMHO.

[LDiCesare]

Forward passes? My son kept talking about these too. Well, the referee did whistle every time our 13 knocked on, didn't he? And that was often enough, wasn't it?

I checked where Georgians play. The scrum halves play in federal 1, and the full back in federale 2. Back in the short span when I played in club (I now play what we call 'folklo'), I played in 2nde division (actually in reserve, but never mind). Which became federale 1 later. So I really don't expect most of these players to be good (though some play in good federale 1 clubs like Massy).

[finbar]

Thanks for that. They're obviously not great players, but their game is pretty well organised for a minnow.

Your son is an astute observer of the game.

Don't forget to hunt down that f*****g brass band for me!

And whatever Francia's ultimate fate in the tournament, the national anthem remains the greatest on the planet.