Riddle me this: ‘Boks get the job done

Congratulations South Africa!

Firstly, congratulations to the Springboks. You showed great flair and tenacity through-out the tournament and you fully deserved the win. Congratulations to England as well for making it as far as you did. To many you didn’t deserve to make it as far as you did on your feeble efforts of the last four years but you did and hopefully you can build on this.

Well we saw the final on Saturday night and pretty much, like a fair majority of the tournament, it did not happen without a degree of controversy. This time the Cueto try which was disallowed has seen the English up in arms. The English players and their supporters have screamed foul at video referee Stuart Dickinson claiming an Aussie conspiracy. However Dickinson got it right and it was no try. Watching the game initially I thought it was a try but one picture clearly shows Cueto’s foot on the touch line.

‘Boks up – fallen English Roses

Congratulations to South Africa on winning the Rugby World Cup!

Dragged myself out of bed at 3:45 am to see the Springboks lead from beginning to end in what was really a pretty average game of rugby. No tries, no chances taken… but South Africa win by 9 points.

South Africa 15 – England 6

Kicking dominated the game – both as far as scoring and tactics. Both teams relied on it heavily throughout the match, but it was the strength of the South African forwards that realised the victory for the ‘Boks. Neither side particularly threatened out wide, the English lacking the ability to run there (especially once Robinson went off injured), and the ‘Boks lacking the will.

Viva Los Pumas!

3rd place game – Argentina 34 def. France 10

And a big well done to Argentina, who this Rugby World Cup manage to do something twice that the All Blacks couldn’t do once: beat France.

The Argentineans finished the way they started, with a victory over Les Bleus. Not to be outdone with history, the French have also managed to do something never done before in the history of the RWC – with this loss they become the first host to lose 3 games at home. Argentina have now beaten France in 6 of their last 7 games.

The French were absent at the breakdown, Argentina slowed the ball down around the ruck, and made plays when opportunities presented.

Hopefully, from here, Argentina force their way into one of the big annual tournaments. As an Australian, I would love to see them welcomed into the Tri-Nations.

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Trampled English Roses still bloom, but for how much longer?

Sorry England, I just can’t see it happening.

South Africa will win the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

It’s astounding that the two teams from Pool A have both arrived at the final, and what’s even more amazing is the way they’ve gotten here.
Truth: England have struggled more than once throughout this tournament. Pool games against the US, Samoa and Tonga were all won, but hardly in convincing fashion. Against South Africa, they looked way out of their league – losing without even scoring: 36-0.

Riddle me this: England To Be Stopped

The World Cup Final

Time for the big one- the Rugby World Cup final. South Africa is there and that is no surprise. Most were picking them to comfortably qualify from their side of the draw and they did just this. However their opponent is a huge shock. It is England.

After four year of complete hopeless and worthless rugby, the English find themselves in the final against all logical predictions. Do they deserve to be there? On their effort of the last few weeks nobody can deny them. On their efforts of the last four years as champions?  A definite ‘hell no’. On the basis of that it would be a complete travesty to see them salute in this tournament. However I think the ‘Boks have what it takes to ensure England don’t hoist Bill again and the Southern Hemisphere and tri Nations re-affirm their positions as the superior competition and hemisphere.

Riddle me this: Le Frog Choke

Semi Finals in review…

Had the radar on this week when I tipped England to get up in a close affair and the Boks to breeze past Argentina with no problems. As sure as the sun comes up, the French choked after a huge game the prior week. After putting up with the taunts of the cocky French for a week, it was pleasing to see them exit the competition this week. Once again France has proven themselves to be just as big a choker as the All Blacks, if not bigger. After all, of the five consistent powers in rugby, they are the only one to have never held Bill aloft, despite disposing of the favourites at three of the tournaments and making the finals at two of them.

Riddle me this: No French Kisses

The Semi Finals

With the Kiwi’s and Aussies out of the tournament, this world cup has lost a lot of its gloss and the four teams remaining consist of three of the most boring on the planet in England, Argentina and France and one with flair in South Africa. Wont be losing any sleep over the prospect of this lot playing and might turn my focus to the Air NZ semi finals instead which will be a hell of a lot more entertaining.

France versus England
Well it semi-final time and I don’t think many where expecting this match up. Instead of a possible clash between two electric dynamic teams in New Zealand and Australia, we are left with two of the most boring sides in the competition squaring off in France and England.

French History

Rugby World Cup – time to see who’s really here to play in France. Time to see who’s going to put their nation’s name down in the history books… After the surprise victories of the French & English last week, I’m betting that there are a heap of Australian and New Zealand fans hoping that the winner from the second semi-final hold the Webb Ellis trophy aloft. No love lost for the French or English on Antipodean shores… but who will be the nations to get through this weekend’s episodes of Rugby World Cup?

Semi-final 1: France vs England (Oct 13th, Saint-Denis)
3 months ago, I’d have laughed if anyone suggested that this would be a semi-final pairing. Maybe not at the inclusion of the French, but definitely at England being included.
Well, joke’s on me. They are there, and they’re there at the expense of my own Wallabies. Their forwards are playing quite well, and they are riding Jonny’s boot. They exposed flaws in the Australian game, and their passion was unmatched.
But…
In the French I think they’ll find a different beast in Saint-Denis, to that the one they slew in Marseille a week ago. As with the English, Les Bleus went into this match as the underdogs, and whilst some may disagree on the ‘whys & wherefores’, they matched it with the All Blacks for the whole game, and finished in front.

I think the French will be too much for England, especially on home soil. Both teams have come through the fire, both teams are peaking at the right time. However, the French have a better game, and the English forwards won’t find their French counterparts as easy as the Australians were.

Riddle me this: Crap stuff at the RWC

Two major issues from this World Cup that need to be address in my eyes by the time the next tournament comes around.

Issue 1 – The Jerseys
What a complete debacle this was, with the Northern Hemisphere sides using this in an unsportsmanlike attempt to disrupt the All Blacks.
Scotland, who I once respected, were the first guilty of this. Generally when we play Scotland on team is in a darker strip and the other a lighter strip. I have come to accept this seeing the All Blacks don the white against Scotland on many occasions with no fuss. However the Scottish sunk to an unforgivable low in what they did with their jersey. Instead of wearing their tradition dark blue – which they won by toss – they chose a modified jersey almost identical to the All Black away jersey. The game was a joke to watch for spectators and players alike, it caused confusion.

Riddle me this: Wayne Barnes – You Suck!

What a turn of events on Saturday. Completely gutted by the results and justifiably so. What was supposed to be payback week turned into ugly repeats of the past for Aussie and New Zealand.

Firstly the impotent English found their viagra and raped and pillaged the Aussies. Then in the shock of the tournament, the French beat the All Blacks, albeit aided significantly by some terrible refereeing from a clown named Wayne Barnes who is now at the top of New Zealand’s 1st hated list and likely to be for a long time to come.

The joke that has been the Northern Hemisphere for the last four weeks finally gave the Northern Hemisphere something to be vocal and proud about and the Southern Hemisphere a big kick in the guts to boot.

Onto the reviews: