| We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
| Rugby Thread; All the Rugby news | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Sep 7 2007, 12:51 PM (192 Views) | |
| Sam | Oct 13 2007, 09:43 PM Post #16 |
Newbie
|
Fantastic match!.....wow....Jonny Wilkinson really came through when it mattered. I could hardly breathe at the end....wow...we are in the final next saturday! |
 |
 
|
| Ninja Boi | Oct 14 2007, 02:54 AM Post #17 |
The Lego Master
|
Yeah way to go England! I dont normally watch Rugby but I watched the final last time and watched this tonight, it was thrilling!! :clap |
|
|
|
| Ninja Boi | Oct 20 2007, 03:17 PM Post #18 |
|
The Lego Master
|
RUGBY WORLD CUP FINAL TONIGHT! England v South Africa Saturday, 20 October Stade de France, Paris Kick-off: 2000 BST Live on BBC Radio 5live and the BBC Sport website Defending champions England will aim to put the seal on a miraculous recovery with victory over South Africa in the World Cup final in Paris on Saturday. England have had a torrid time since 2003 but have ripped up the form book to reach their second final in a row. Their dire run reached a low point with a 36-0 thrashing by the Springboks, the 1995 champions, in the pool stages. England have brought in wing Mark Cueto for the injured Josh Lewsey, while favourites South Africa are unchanged. England's chances of becoming the first champions to successfully defend their title looked remote at best after that rout by the Springboks five weeks ago. There have been one or two changes tactically...will there be something different from us? Maybe Brian Ashton It was their fourth defeat in a row by the Boks but England coach Brian Ashton has no doubt his side will be a different proposition at the Stade de France on Saturday. "We are playing better, the players are much closer together, we've moved on massively," he insisted. "These players were written off before the tournament, during the warm-ups and in the pool games but they've come back and proved everybody wrong." The champions arrived in France after a four-year run which saw them plummet to seventh in the world rankings. Almost immediately after Jonny Wilkinson's last-gasp drop-goal clinched victory in 2003 the team was hit by a series of blows. Inspirational captain Martin Johnson retired and when winning coach Sir Clive Woodward rapidly followed him through the exit the decline had begun. The talismanic Wilkinson was hit by a series of injuries and with a combination of injuries and retirements removing other mainstays the World Cup winners began their tumble down the rankings. Jason Robinson tries top gather a high ball in the group game in September Jason Robinson has been England's most potent attacker in France New coach Andy Robinson struggled to reverse the slide and when he was axed at the end of 2006, the floundering champions had finished fourth in the Six Nations two years in a row and had become a laughing stock. Under Ashton England were inconsistent at best, beating France in the Six Nations but losing heavily to both Ireland and Wales. They lost both Tests on the summer tour to South Africa and went into the World Cup on the back of two warm-up defeats to France. A laboured win over the USA was followed by the humiliation against South Africa, but a series of team meetings in the immediate aftermath marked a watershed. England's pack looked increasingly impressive and with Wilkinson - now the World Cup's all-time leading scorer with 243 points - back from injury, they beat Samoa and Tonga to qualify second from their group. Ashton's men stunned first Australia and then France to reach the final but, despite their revival, South Africa will go into the match as odds-on favourites. They have a massive pack to match England's and although the champions may have the edge in the scrum, the South African line-out is among the slickest in the world game. The Springboks' powerful back-row gives them a physical presence at rucks and mauls and scrum-half Fourie du Preez - described by Ashton as the "fulcrum" of the side - reads the game superbly. Winger Bryan Habana, the tournament's leading try scorer with eight, is the most lethal finisher in the world game, while full-back Percy Montgomery is the top scorer in France with 93 points. England have weapons of their own and they also have the edge when it comes to experience. Ten of the starting XV were part of the victorious squad in 2003 although only Wilkinson, Jason Robinson, Ben Kay and Phil Vickery started in Sydney, along with Lawrence Dallaglio, who is on the bench on Saturday. South Africa coach Jake White said it would be foolish to write off a team which can call on that much experience. "England players have won a World Cup away from home before. They've got guys like Dallaglio, (Joe) Worsley, Robinson, (Mike) Catt, Vickery - all those guys being there is a huge advantage," he said. Being in the final is not good enough - we want to go out and perform and retain our trophy England captain Phil Vickery "They must be in a great mindset. They came back, they beat Australia and France in two consecutive weekends." The key to England's revival, along with Wilkinson's return to fitness after he was forced to sit out the first two games, has been the performance of the mighty pack, with prop Andrew Sheridan and second row Simon Shaw in outstanding form. Sheridan is being tipped to get the better of huge South Africa tight-head CJ van der Linde at the scrum. In the battle between Shaw and Bakkies Botha - both 6ft 8in and over 18 stone - the England man's athleticism could prove decisive. The Springbok defence lines up as England look to pick and drive England could find no way through South Africa's defence last month The clash between blonde bombshell flankers Lewis Moody and Schalk Burger could be seismic in its impact all round the field. In contrast to Ashton, who was tinkering all the way through to the knock-out stages, South Africa coach White knew his 1st XV for months before the tournament began. Of the side which thrashed England in the group stages 13 are back for the final, while nine England players get the chance to avenge that defeat. "I'd like to be able to erase the memories of a 36-0 defeat but unfortunately they don't go away," said Vickery. "But whatever has happened in the past counts for nothing, it's a one-off game. "We thoroughly deserve our chance but being here is not good enough - we want to go out and perform and retain our trophy." Ashton said in his final news conference on Friday: "All in all it's been a very good, relaxed week's training. "There have been one or two changes tactically, which I will keep to myself for you to hopefully see tomorrow, but we're feeling good. Will there be something different from us? Maybe." England: Robinson; Sackey, Tait, Catt, Cueto; Wilkinson, Gomarsall; Sheridan, Regan, Vickery (capt), Shaw, Kay, Corry, Moody, Easter. Replacements: Chuter, Stevens, Dallaglio, Worsley, Richards, Flood, Hipkiss. South Africa: Montgomery; Pietersen, Fourie, Steyn, Habana; James, Du Preez; Du Randt, Smit (capt), Van der Linde, B Botha, Matfield, Burger, Smith, Rossouw. Replacements: B du Plessis, J du Plessis, Muller, Van Heerden, Pienaar, Pretorius, Olivier. |
|
|
|
| Mrs. Artois | Oct 21 2007, 10:16 AM Post #19 |
Cyril's Femme
|
England lose the kicking game as dream dies England 6-15 South Africa Kevin Mitchell at the Stade de France Sunday October 21, 2007 For weeks, England's obdurate, unfashionable old troupers had defied logic. At the final reckoning, striving against the rugby gods once more, they were forced to accept the reality of their shortcomings, although again not a soul present or watching from afar could fault their commitment. South Africa, the arch apostles of pragmatism, deserved their win, their second Webb Ellis Cup, five goals to two, an old-style, tryless grind that failed to excite, not because they were that much a better side but because they were marginally more efficient, and just as stubborn. And in one area, the line-out, they got the better of jumpers who had done so well all tournament. There could be no arguments. And there were not. Nobody expects a classic running final - especially not at the tail end of this extraordinary tournament - but there were extended periods last night when both teams were treating the tradition of a game started, according to legend, by a schoolboy who picked up the ball and ran, as some form of elaborate joke. It often looked more like Australian Rules than rugby. The ball went up. And up. And up again. It was as if they had signed a pact not to mark the Stade turf with too much of that nasty contact stuff and wait for a kind bounce, a dropped ball here, a fluff ed clearance there. It has been like this since the minnows went home, the serious players tensing up under the strain of expectation . Both teams were running with the choke full out on the chilliest night so far. The rugby was cold, clinical, cautious. It seemed this sixth Rugby World Cup final would be a night when discipline triumphed over adventure. There were hopes that the thunder in the scrummage and at the breakdown would warm proceedings up. It did not start quite that way. England's renowned heavyweights, the tournament bouncers who had somehow got the team here in the fi rst place, were not going to be drawn into a street brawl; they twisted and bullied at the set piece, mauled as a tight unit and strove to ensure Alain Rolland had no reason to respond to the pre-match suggestions by South Africa's coach Jake White that their front row were law-breaking thugs. The first half went marginally South Africa's way, Percy Montgomery potting all but one of this four chances, Jonny Wilkinson guiding over a diffi cult penalty, but missing a rather straightforward drop goal with his left foot from just outside the 22. England had 68 per cent of the ball in the first session and rarely scared the defence; they had two turnovers each and England's vaunted pack had a slight edge. But the South African backs went looking for it with more verve and, but for a knock-on on the England line five minutes before the break, would have capitalised on the best three-quarter minute of the stanza. England's defence held, but an England hand in the ruck did not go unnoticed and Montgomery was clinical in his punishment. Then, when they returned, some proper rugby at last. Andy Gomarsall set Mathew Tait free and he sliced open a defence that has often been static in the early rounds. Mark Cueto, so grateful to be here again after replacing the injured Josh Lewsey, dived through Danie Rossouw's tackle next to the left corner flag . But the packed stadium had to wait an inordinately long time for the Australian video referee Stuart Dickenson to make his judgment , eventually ruling that the winger had put a foot in touch. Then the referee restarted with a penalty for Schalk Burger going over the top on Tait in the tackle. This game is a mystery sometimes even to those who play it , but Jonny was unfazed and pulled back three points from a handy angle. England had the momentum now. Their forwards were in control, their backs lifted by Tait's exhilarating run, Cueto's thrilling but vain dive for the line. And then the sight nobody wanted to see: Jason Robinson, the comeback kid, the man with no club and a million friends, limping off eight minutes into the second half. How he wanted to help England over the line here again, as he had so valiantly done in Sydney. Four years older but every bit as inventive, dangerous and committed, this was his last game for England - his last game for anybody, in fact. He did not look back. He had no regrets. Montgomery soon had South Africa six points ahead again, as England sought to replenish their resources with more youth, Toby Flood taking over from Mike Catt. He, too, has finished his stint for England. While his return was more of a surprise than the recall of Robinson last year, he has given all he had left here. With only a converted try separating them, this was getting down to punitive rugby, playing the percentages, keeping it tight and waiting - with all eyes on Mr Rolland's whistle. All eyes on Jonny and Percy. The question fairly to be asked was would the referee hold his nerve alongside the players? A wrong call by the Irishman and the finale could be ruined. Flood pushed Montgomery over the hoardings in following through on Gomarsall's devilish, teasing chip, the full-back clattering a TV cameraman. No hard feelings - apart from the bruises. Then Rolland goofed. Badly. He saw an obstruction that wasn't there when Cueto took the ball up passed the stationary Paul Sackey and Ben Kay and Montgomery landed the long penalty. It was a superb kick, though, and England needed two scores to hold their title. With a quarter of an hour left, the championship stretch, the very last chance, South Africa were fi nally breathing fire; England, throwing on their replacements in hope rather than expectation, had lost some of their zip. They did not give up, it is almost redundant to say. Flood ran crazily and often. Tait was snapping like a bad-tempered dog. And Cueto was downright bemused when John Smit shoulder-charged him off the ball. Wilkinson drove them deep and England were roused again. Still, high ball or drive through route one, box-kick or maul, they couldn't crack the Boks. Time, as it has been for four years, was against them. It wasn't that they had grown old - their youngsters now were carrying the fight - but they had run out ideas, space, time, energy. Their line-out, so dependable in the games they had won to get them this far, was poor. France could not run the clock down clinging to a one-point lead for 75 minutes last weekend; the Springboks showed how to do it here. There would be no more challenging logic. England, with honour but no title, got what their endeavours deserved - and sport can't deliver a fairer verdict than that. Stade de France: 80,000 England: Robinson (Hipkiss 47); Sackey, Tait, Catt (Flood 51), Cueto; Wilkinson, Gomarsall; Sheridan, Regan (Chuter 61), Vickery (capt; Stevens 43), Shaw, Kay, Corry, Moody (Worsley 64; Richards 71), Easter (Dallaglio 65) Pens Wilkinson 2 South Africa: Montgomery; Pietersen, Fourie, Steyn, Habana; James, Du Preez; Du Randt, Smit (capt), Van der Linde, Botha, Matfi eld, Burger, Smith, Rossouw (Van Heerden 73) Pens Montgomery 4 Steyn Referee: A Rolland (Ireland) http://sport.guardian.co.uk/rugbyworldcup2...2196213,00.html |
|
|
|
| Ninja Boi | Oct 21 2007, 03:11 PM Post #20 |
|
The Lego Master
|
:cry |
|
|
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · The Sports Dom (e) · Next Topic » |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
11:48 AM Nov 23
