Rugby World Cup 2007

[Donnyboy]

Wouldn't want to be French this morning.

I wouldn't want to do that any morning.

Agreed Boksida, what a dreadful thought.

Well done to the Argies, surley must be given entry into the Tri Nation series very soon ?

been there done that in the semis/finals of RWC too many times to mention, it aint a good feeling esp when rugby is your nations number 1 sport, the whole nations in grief for 3 months

re Trinations, not sure if it will happen soon due to contracts with News corp. Not sure when the contract runs to. But it will be great to have them included, and possibly a combined pacific islands team?

The travel schedule would be sapping thou on the road ,crossing the oceans a few times from SA to Arg to Aus/NZ

[Donnyboy]

Press Release

International Rugby Board (IRB) Rugby World Cup 2007

Following complaints to the IRB about the All Blacks being allowed to motivate themselves by performing the ‘Haka’ before their games,

other nations were asked to suggest pre-match rituals of their own. The IRB Rugby World Cup 2007 Organizing Committee has now agreed

to the following pre-match displays:

1) The England team will chat about the weather, wave hankies in the air and attach bells to their ankles before moaning about

how they invented the game and gave it to the world, but no one appreciates them.

2) The Scotland team will chant “You lookin’ at me Jimmy?” before each of them smash a bottle of beer over their opponents’ heads.

3) The Ireland team will split into two, with the Southern half performing a Riverdance, while the Northerners march the Traditional

route from their dressing room to the pitch, via their opponents dressing room.

4) Unfortunately the Committee was unable to accept the Welsh proposal to form a choir and sing Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual”.

5) Argentina will unexpectedly invade a small part of opposition territory, claim it as their own “Las In-Goals-Areas” and have to be

forcibly removed by the match stewards.

6) Two members of the South African team will claim to be more important than the other 13 whom they will imprison between

the posts. These two will then go about selecting the best parts of the pitch to settle on and claim that they have been there for centuries.

7) The Americans will not attend until almost full time. In future years they will amend the records to show that they were in fact

the most important team in the tournament and Hollywood will make a blockbuster fi lm called ‘Saving Flanker Ryan’.

8) Five of the Canadian team will sing La Marseillaise and hold the rest of the team to ransom.

9) The Italian team will arrive in Armani gear, sexually harass the female officials and then prepare pasta dishes, which they will flog

to the crowd for a fortune.

10) The Japanese will shock fans buy demonstrating how to capture a whale for scientific research buy harpooning an opposition prop.

11) The French won’t have a pre-match display and will simply hide in fear in the dressing room for the whole match.

12) The Australians will have a BBQ on their side of the field and invite the opposition over before the game. The food and alcohol

will be in abundance and by the start of the game no-one will remember what they came to the stadium for. After some

streaking, the singing of dirty songs and the occasional chunder everyone will go home thoroughly convinced it was a bloody

good night.

13) The Moroccan team will quietly pray during the first half and then launch suicide attacks against the opposition after the break.

Unfortunately, this strategy works well for the fi rst game only, after which Morocco is forced to withdraw from the Rugby World

Cup due to lack of players.

14) Samoa will prepare a huge feast in the middle of the pitch by digging a large hole and fi lling it with burning embers. They invite

the opposition over by saying, “We’d like to have you for dinner”. It’s only when the opposition get to the pit that they realize

there is no meat and that they are the dinner!

Hopefully, with these policies now in place, further problems is this area of the game should cease to exists.

Regards,

Syd Miller

IRB Chairman

[cdnvic]

Hmmmm.... $49 for 24hr delay broadband access? Or,,,, watch it live on cable at unusual times?

Gotta love the age of digital video recording

[miltonbentley]

Hmmmm.... $49 for 24hr delay broadband access? Or,,,, watch it live on cable at unusual times?

Come and watch it live in the pub. Great atmosphere and plenty of friendly banter. Plus we can watch Donnyboy gnaw his nails to the bone as a succession of teams but the AB's under pressure

[miltonbentley]

Well done to the Argies, surley must be given entry into the Tri Nation series very soon ?

Sod that. The Six Nations should offer Argentina a place in an expanded 7 Nations and Argentina should play there home games out of France or Spain with perhaps one being played in Buenos Aries every year. They all play their rugby in France anyway.

I know there are huge logistical difficulties but Argentina deserve a place at the top table and the Tri Nations has been dragging it's feet forever. It would make the Europena competition even more attractive.

[miltonbentley]

From the Daily Telegraph

Argentina shake France to core

France 12 Argentina 17

Argentina - gloriously, deservedly and courageously - sent France's Rugby World Cup into turmoil last night with a sensational win over the hosts in the opening game at the Stade de France.

The team that nobody in world rugby will embrace did their talking on the pitch with the best and most complete performance in their history, producing one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. They dominated the contact area, defended with discipline, attacked with flair whenever possible and but for a couple of scruffy dropped-goal attempts and two missed penalties by Felipe Contepomi, would have won by more.

Juan Martin Hernandez, as had been suspected, brought opportunism and an unpredictability to the Pumas' game, sending France scurrying in all directions in a pulsating first half. The gifted Argentine often does not know what he is going to do next, so new is he to the fly-half position, but he is a world-class footballer with a dazzling future.

With the more direct and experienced Felipe Contepomi on his shoulder and the ageless scrum-half Agustin Pichot at his impish best, Argentina were firing from the start. They were, too, defending like a team with decades of resentment at being excluded from competitions involving the senior nations to work out of their system.

Felipe Contepomi and David Skrela swapped early penalties before Argentina - mixing garryowens and cross-field kicks with fluid handling - pressed on with another two from the Leinster man.

The French crowd remained loyal, but their patience was tested in the 27th minute when Ignacio Corleto raced 40 yards for an invaluable interception try after alert work by specialist poacher Felipe Contepomi.

France hit back through Skrela but failed to dominate up front and as half-time approached, after as good an opening 40 minutes as the World Cup has seen, Felipe Contepomi and Skrela swapped penalties to leave France still eight points adrift.

Bernard Laporte's side began strongly after the break but again Argentina held firm - defending heroically in one prolonged passage as France looked to barge their way over. Discipline, all the time discipline. This was an Argentina we have not seen before.

Skrela did peg back one final penalty as the tension grew - there has never been such a crucial game so early in a World Cup - and France showed their attacking intent by producing their two jokers in the pack, Freddie Michalak and Sebastien Chabal, mercurial but considerable talents both.

Hernandez kept testing Cedric Haymans but his kicks began to lose accuracy and France's experimental full-back regained his composure. It was from such an ill-directed high ball that France counter-attacked and Corleto was penalised for not releasing, but Michalak fluffed his kick horribly

Both sides were at a standstill now, a legacy of that extraordinarily draining first half, and you could see the mental process slowing almost to a halt as they headed for the final whistle. Contepomi could have sewn the game up with a final penalty but, frankly, who cared? Victory was theirs.

"It was a marvellous match, it was tough. The French came at us head-on. We are overcome with happiness, but we shouldn't get above ourselves because it is only the first match," Argentine coach Marcelo Loffreda said with splendid restraint.

Loffreda was right, of course, but this win was truly significant. It was the night Argentina finally joined rugby's top table, even if they had to gatecrash the party.

[cdnvic]

Hmmmm.... $49 for 24hr delay broadband access? Or,,,, watch it live on cable at unusual times?

Come and watch it live in the pub. Great atmosphere and plenty of friendly banter. Plus we can watch Donnyboy gnaw his nails to the bone as a succession of teams but the AB's under pressure

Be nice to the AB's. After Canada get's knocked out they're all I've got

[Thailion]

milton,

Who are you on PR?

[Donnyboy]

Hmmmm.... $49 for 24hr delay broadband access? Or,,,, watch it live on cable at unusual times?

Come and watch it live in the pub. Great atmosphere and plenty of friendly banter. Plus we can watch Donnyboy gnaw his nails to the bone as a succession of teams but the AB's under pressure

I will be at Tuskers tonight to watch the ABs have spagetti n meatballs for dinner

as for me gnaw my nails....forgetaboutit and you canna taka thata to the bank!

[Donnyboy]

Well done to the Argies, surley must be given entry into the Tri Nation series very soon ?

Sod that. The Six Nations should offer Argentina a place in an expanded 7 Nations and Argentina should play there home games out of France or Spain with perhaps one being played in Buenos Aries every year. They all play their rugby in France anyway.

I know there are huge logistical difficulties but Argentina deserve a place at the top table and the Tri Nations has been dragging it's feet forever. It would make the Europena competition even more attractive.

but that will probably send England lower down the table in the 7 Nations Competition

Edited September 8, 2007 by Donnyboy

[Donnyboy]

Hmmmm.... $49 for 24hr delay broadband access? Or,,,, watch it live on cable at unusual times?

Come and watch it live in the pub. Great atmosphere and plenty of friendly banter. Plus we can watch Donnyboy gnaw his nails to the bone as a succession of teams but the AB's under pressure

Be nice to the AB's. After Canada get's knocked out they're all I've got

"come over to the darkside cdnvic, and we will rule the Rugby Universe"

Edited September 8, 2007 by Donnyboy

[Donnyboy]

Hmmmm.... $49 for 24hr delay broadband access? Or,,,, watch it live on cable at unusual times?

Come and watch it live in the pub. Great atmosphere and plenty of friendly banter. Plus we can watch Donnyboy gnaw his nails to the bone as a succession of teams but the AB's under pressure

Be nice to the AB's. After Canada get's knocked out they're all I've got

"come over to the darkside cdnvic, and we will rule the Rugby Universe"

"the darkside is strong in you young jedi"

Edited September 8, 2007 by Donnyboy

[miltonbentley]

milton,

Who are you on PR?

I am more a lurker than a poster.

[Donnyboy]

milton,

Who are you on PR?

I am more a lurker than a poster.

youre alot of things MB

btw your predictions tonight?

mine as follows;

All Blacks vs Italy- All Blacks by 40

Australia vs Japan -Aus by 80

England vs USA - Eng by 60

[Thailion]

I am more a lurker than a poster.

No worries mate....I post on there occasionally!

[Donnyboy]

I am more a lurker than a poster.

No worries mate....I post on there occasionally!

I should sign up there and wind em up abit

[Humphrey Bear]

Does no one give any credit to the English referee for the French being beaten?

I'll bet the whole of France does.

But well done the Pumas. At least half play their club rugby in France and therefore know the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents.

Now it's time for Brian O'Driscoll's lot to repeat the exercise.

[miltonbentley]

All Blacks vs Italy- All Blacks by 35

Australia vs Japan -Aus by 100

England vs USA - Eng by 50

Not as competitive as yesterday's game unfortunately but still a tasty feast to be enjoyed.

Now Donnyboy have you considered this -

NZ win their group - inevitable

Argentina beat Ireland - 50/50

France Beat Ireland - 70/30

NZ v France quarter final.

Assuming a real French team turns up that could be a tasty battle

[Thailion]

I am more a lurker than a poster.

No worries mate....I post on there occasionally!

I should sign up there and wind em up abit

Should mate....not a bad site and plenty to catch!

[miltonbentley]

I am more a lurker than a poster.

No worries mate....I post on there occasionally!

I would post more but TV takes up all my allotted internet forum time. PR does make me laugh though and some of the posters are very knowledgeable. Are you part of the Asian Cabal?

[Thailion]

I would post more but TV takes up all my allotted internet forum time. PR does make me laugh though and some of the posters are very knowledgeable. Are you part of the Asian Cabal?

I am...a Thai foreigner

[miltonbentley]

Very impressive from the All Blacks and Australia. Put weaker opposition away with a minimum of fuss. Highly professional.

England on the otherhand were a complete bag of poo. They had no gamebreaker, lacked leadership and were utterly bereft of ideas. That was a woeful performance from the World Champions, a tag they will not carry for much longer. The players and management should be ashamed of such an inept defence of such a hard won title.

I think you're right Donny England will struggle against Samoa. The South Africa game lis foregone certainty.

[Donnyboy]

Very impressive from the All Blacks and Australia. Put weaker opposition away with a minimum of fuss. Highly professional.

England on the otherhand were a complete bag of poo. They had no gamebreaker, lacked leadership and were utterly bereft of ideas. That was a woeful performance from the World Champions, a tag they will not carry for much longer. The players and management should be ashamed of such an inept defence of such a hard won title.

I think you're right Donny England will struggle against Samoa. The South Africa game lis foregone certainty.

arh, MB- you have finally woken up and smelt the coffee!

Those Samoans will be gunning for that second spot, and will be going in all guns blazing

I wouldnt be at all surprised at a real upset here.

[miltonbentley]

Very impressive from the All Blacks and Australia. Put weaker opposition away with a minimum of fuss. Highly professional.

England on the otherhand were a complete bag of poo. They had no gamebreaker, lacked leadership and were utterly bereft of ideas. That was a woeful performance from the World Champions, a tag they will not carry for much longer. The players and management should be ashamed of such an inept defence of such a hard won title.

I think you're right Donny England will struggle against Samoa. The South Africa game lis foregone certainty.

arh, MB- you have finally woken up and smelt the coffee!

Those Samoans will be gunning for that second spot, and will be going in all guns blazing

I wouldnt be at all surprised at a real upset here.

[Donnyboy]

milton,

Who are you on PR?

I am more a lurker than a poster.

youre alot of things MB

btw your predictions tonight?

mine as follows;

All Blacks vs Italy- All Blacks by 40 All Blacks 76 Italy 14 All Blacks by 62

Australia vs Japan -Aus by 80 Australia 91 Japan 3 Australia by 88

England vs USA - Eng by 60 England 28 USA 10 England by 18

not sure what happened to England, perhaps the current world champs are just warming up? Hmmm

Im sure if they faced South Africa first up last night, England may have suffered a huge loss. The 2nd spot is up for grabs I reckon.

All Blacks were awesome last night, perhaps the Italians were guilty of ball watching and not really getting into the game but the game was a solid performance from the ABs... a good blow out of cobwebs, Im wondering what Scotland is thinking, let alone Romania and Portugal ????

[mrbojangles]

Can anyone explain why New Zealand and Australia have got 5 points for their wins but Argentina and England only got 4 points?

[Donnyboy]

Can anyone explain why New Zealand and Australia have got 5 points for their wins but Argentina and England only got 4 points?

The winning team gets a bonus point for scoring more than four tries in the game, also, if the losing teams margin is seven points or less, they get one point.

Edited September 9, 2007 by Donnyboy

[mrbojangles]

Can anyone explain why New Zealand and Australia have got 5 points for their wins but Argentina and England only got 4 points?

The winning team gets a bonus point for scoring more than four tries in the game, also, if the losing teams margin is seven points or less, they get one point.

Cheers Donny

[Donnyboy]

milton,

Who are you on PR?

I am more a lurker than a poster.

youre alot of things MB

btw your predictions tonight?

mine as follows;

All Blacks vs Italy- All Blacks by 40 All Blacks 76 Italy 14 All Blacks by 62

Australia vs Japan -Aus by 80 Australia 91 Japan 3 Australia by 88

England vs USA - Eng by 60 England 28 USA 10 England by 18

not sure what happened to England, perhaps the current world champs are just warming up? Hmmm

Im sure if they faced South Africa first up last night, England may have suffered a huge loss. The 2nd spot is up for grabs I reckon.

All Blacks were awesome last night, perhaps the Italians were guilty of ball watching and not really getting into the game but the game was a solid performance from the ABs... a good blow out of cobwebs, Im wondering what Scotland is thinking, let alone Romania and Portugal ????

looks like some records are going to be broken if the ABs keep playing lke they did last night.

quotes

For the All Blacks, whose next opponent are minnows Portugal next Saturday, there will be no let-up.

"There's 30 players in the squad here and we all want to play," said scrum-half Byron Kelleher. "There'll be no easing back."

"There will be some sensitivity there," promised Henry.

"But not a huge amount."

[miltonbentley]

Tonights predictions

Wales v Canada Boyos by 32

South Africa v Samoa Boks by 28

Scotland v Portugal Jocks by 60

Ireland v Namibia Paddys by 42

SA V Samoa to be the game of the night