The Rugby World Cup official thread

[Menydh]

All-Blacks canter past Azurri

Planet Rugby
September 8, 2007

New Zealand beat Italy surprisingly easily in their opening Pool C clash in Marseille on Saturday, recording a 76-14 victory in blistering heat.


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[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Theobald

Any comment ?

For the record, Spain does not play because we wouldn't like to abuse our superiority in the field.

[Heretik]

Originally Posted by Theobald

I wholeheartedly agree with Carnyx, but if you want to play this game...



2007 : France-Italy 39-3
2006 : France-Italy 37-12
2005 : France-Italy 56-13
2004 : France-Italy 25-0
2003 : France-Italy 53-27
2002 : France-Italy 33-12
2001 : France-Italy 30-19
2000 : France-Italy 42-31

Any comment ?

I have one... Why on earth have you lost against Argentina???
I thought it would be a one way game... I mean, Argentina has a good squad but France is way stronger then them.

BTW. RSA beat Samoa 59 - 7! Great game by RSA.

[Errigal]

Originally Posted by Porcelain

I have one... Why on earth have you lost against Argentina???
I thought it would be a one way game... I mean, Argentina has a good squad but France is way stronger then them.

BTW. RSA beat Samoa 59 - 7! Great game by RSA.

Argentina and Uruguay have a pretty strong rugby tradition so I wasn't surprised they did well against France.That match wasn't very fun to watch; too much kicking.

I liked watching Ireland vs. Namibia. The Namibians were quite skilled and the Irish were messing up pretty badly so it was good entertainment.

[Errigal]

Originally Posted by Galaico

I agree, that team can hardly represent France except for a couple of players.

Right now I was watching Eurobasket's France-Lithuania, and I was just thinking for a funny name for France's team, such as Frafrica, Senegrance, or Frangeria.

I really miss the French teams.

The French rugby team is not bad at all compared to the football team.

RWC 2007

You can see the team member's photos when you roll the mouse over their names.

[Kernunnos]

Originally Posted by Errigal

The French rugby team is not bad at all compared to the football team.

RWC 2007

You can see the team member's photos when you roll the mouse over their names.

I prefer the girl in your avatar ....

[Señor Malo]

Originally Posted by Theobald

Yes, cheating, taking a dive, pretending to be knocked out, milking penalties and referee corruption are enough "sports" where the ability and success of Italians is unequalled.

Come, you must admit that their third essay was unfairly refused, no?

[Señor Malo]

Originally Posted by Porcelain

I have one... Why on earth have you lost against Argentina???

French medias also put a lot of unnecessary pression on french team; a radio was saying that if French team won that match it would boadt the country economy...Beside the fact that if France gets to the final will be a greater number of french residents who 'll go to the stadium (hence, probably a higher number of locations will be sold) I really do not see how could it affect the french economy; would french people productivity decrease just because their team lost one match? will the public transport cmpanies go an strike till the french team wons the final?
Really ridiculous

[Heretik]

Originally Posted by searcher of truth

French medias also put a lot of unnecessary pression on french team; a radio was saying that if French team won that match it would boadt the country economy...Beside the fact that if France gets to the final will be a greater number of french residents who 'll go to the stadium (hence, probably a higher number of locations will be sold) I really do not see how could it affect the french economy; would french people productivity decrease just because their team lost one match? will the public transport cmpanies go an strike till the french team wons the final?
Really ridiculous

OMG, french media is worse than croatian. Our media puts a lot of pressure on athletes and national teams (especially football and handball teams) but even they never told such rubbish.

Nevertheless I'll still be cheering for France... Except if/when they'll play Ireland.

[Theobald]

England reduced to zero




South Africa have shredded England's World Cup ambitions, inflicting a humiliating 36-0 World Cup defeat upon the English in Paris on Friday.

While the Springboks were tactically adept, and their execution and discipline spot-on, the focus will be on England.

It is rare to see any international team beaten to zero, and for the full eighty minutes England constructed not one meaningful scoring chance. When Jason Robinson leaving the pitch in the second half, England's lone inspiration went with him, and it is difficult to see where any other may come from.

More to follow...

[Savorgnan]

Even if I once said that I was not commenting on rugby,well...Sometimes we have to say that some Afrikaan(er)s are good at some sports.

[Theobald]

France fire at last

France are back on song in the World Cup, making amends for their opening night loss with a 87-10 demolition of Namibia on Sunday.

What a turn up for the books! Here, finally, was an established side making mince meat out of a school of minnows - and how the French needed this fillip.

It seems like a year since last Friday, but not for France. Les Bleus had been accused of "betraying" the nation following the loss to Argentina on the opening night of the World Cup.

They duly removed themselves from the spotlight and went into hiding to brood and plot revenge on all comers, and Namibia bore the brunt of their pent-up aggression.

This was a very different French side to the one that froze in Paris last week. Gone were the nerves, replaced by confidence, hunger, steel and straight running.

France's forwards, relentless in attack and defence, built a solid platform on which the likes of Vincent Clerc, David Marty and Cédric Heymans danced a merry jig.

The Toulouse connection worked well: pulling the strings were local heroes Frédéric Michalak, sporting an odd shaven corn-row hairdo, and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde.

The big win will serve to exorcise the Argentine demons, but one question remains: did Bernard Laporte pick the right team for that opening game? France's future minister for sport might yet need the help of a spin doctor or two.

France exploded out of the blocks, attacking the Namibians on the hoof, eager to expunge their sins through speed of thought and limb. Running away from their problems, if you will.

(...)

So all eyes now turn to Friday's crunch encounter between the hosts and Ireland in Paris.

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan said witnessing his side's ugly win over Georgia was akin to watching a "horror movie". He might be moved to compare this video nasty to being buried alive in a casket of rabid cockerels. Allez les Bleus - on this evidence they might yet go all the way.

Man of the match: There are so many contenders that we feel compelled to award a collective gone. If individuals must be name, we'll point to the contributions of Sébastien Chabal, Thierry Dusautoir, Frédéric Michalak, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and Vincent Clerc. But just pipping the post is Cédric Heymans, who sent a message to his boss that simply read: 'I'm not a fullback, I'm a wing'!

Moment of the match: The standing ovation at the stoke of half-time told a story in itself, but how can we ignore Sébastien Chabal's 55-metre run for his second try?


More here

[Theobald]

France sent Ireland's high hopes of World Cup quarter-final qualification into freefall on Friday, beating the Irish 25-3, and leaving the Irish needing a huge win over Argentina.

It was France, France all the way. The glory was all theirs - much to the relief of the anxious nation. In the end they deserved their margin of victory and maybe more. They also seem assured of making the quarter-final, " a chance to play a little more in the competition", as captain Raphaël Ibañez said afterwards.

Except for some moments in the first half and a brief bit of battering at the French line, Ireland did not look like scoring anything worthwhile. Even when they battered the French looked too organised and too strong for them. The Maginot Line did not save France in World War II but there were no chinks in the French defence at Stade de France and no way round it either. On defence they were superb.

That said, the Irish defence in the face of an onslaught was also superb, breached only by a genius of a kick by Frédéric Michalak and a slightly lucky chip by Jean-Baptiste Elissalde which a mixture of bungling by the Irish and excellent work by Vincent Clerc made into France's second try.

(...)

Man of the Match: There were lots of French candidates but none did as much to secure the winning as Jean-Baptiste Elissalde who was the general and the maker of winning points.

Moment of the Match: The making and the scoring of the first try by Vincent Clerc.

Source

[Errigal]

I haven't commented on the France-Ireland game because I didn't want to know the score until I'd watched a recording of the game. I managed to maintain my very own media blackout and so Ireland's defeat just came as an unwelcome surprise.

Oh well, France did a good job and we can still beat Argentina.