SO HERE WE are, at the halfway mark of the Rugby World Cup. The casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that not much has happened yet on the fields of play, with the outcome of games running more or less along predictable lines and no major upsets to talk of — yet.
Except, of course, for Ireland beating one of the hot favorites for the title, Australia, by 15 well-earned points to six miserly ones.
The Ireland victory has put the cat among the pigeons. Pundits who have been betting on lineups for the quarter-finals had to think again and redraw their betting cards. Suddenly a whole new scenario opened up.
Photo: Reuters
All of a sudden the Wallabies, and not the men from the Emerald Isle, became the sturdy Springboks’ most likely opponents in the quarter-finals, with the winner of the showdown probably having to deal with the All Blacks in the semi-finals. That is, if the All Blacks finish leaders of Pool A.
That the All Blacks will finish top of their group is not a certainty — not by a long shot. The men from the Land of the Long White Cloud are today facing their old World Cup nemeses, France, in a game that could easily deliver another upset. Except that it wouldn’t really be a huge surprise, taking into account that the French Cockerels have twice run over the All Blacks in previous tournaments when it really mattered.
In 1999 in France, Les Blues shocked New Zealand 43-31 in the semi-finals, following that up with a masterly display in 2007 when they again punched the All Blacks out of the competition, this time with a scintillating 20-18 quarter-final win in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, before a crowd of jubilant fans of the game of rugby.
New Zealand put on a mediocre display in their first match of this tournament, after which their coach gave them “five out of 10.” They seem to have built up a tad of steam since then and are expected to give their all today against a France lineup that has been criticized as being weak.
A compelling reason for the men wearing silver ferns on their chests to pull out all the stops is that their revered skipper, rugby great Richie McCaw, is scheduled to play his 100th Test for New Zealand. When he runs onto the field today he will become the first ever All Black to be awarded 100 caps — an honor that will resound not only throughout New Zealand, but the entire rugby planet.
Rugby rumor (and some New Zealand newspapers) will have it that the French chose a second-string side, guaranteeing the All Blacks an easy victory and themselves an easier road through the playoffs to the Final.
However, this scenario has been angrily dismissed by France coach Marc Lievremont, who insists that he chose the men who will run onto the pitch today with the sole aim of winning.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry has also tried to throw water onto the fire by saying that the French side will be very difficult to beat.
“They’re a big side, very physical, got a very mature pack and got some outstanding, talented backs. We’ve got a lot of history with them in the World Cup and there’s been a lot of pain for some people, and we don’t want to go through that pain again,” Henry said yesterday … but then he would, wouldn’t he? He would look ridiculous if he slammed the chosen France team and New Zealand got hammered (again) by them.
Only time will tell, and Jenny’s advice is, if you are not already a committed rugby fan and have a moment to spare today — no, hang on, if you have 90 minutes to spare — watch the France-New Zealand match, it’s bound to be a corker.
A match that is also certain to receive a fair amount of attention today is that of England against Romania in Dunedin. This may not be so much for the outcome of the Pool B match which England are sure to win — unless the entire team get struck down with a disabling motor neuron disorder that would prohibit them from lifting a collective finger — but because minor royalty will be in tow to watch from the stands.
After England center Mike Tindall’s much-publicized alcohol-fueled indiscretions with a blonde in the Altitude Bar in Queensland where, incidentally, a dwarf-throwing contest was being hosted, his bride of just on two months slipped into New Zealand “for a charity event,” a full two weeks ahead of schedule.
The bride just happens to be Zara Phillips, the granddaughter of Britain and New Zealand’s Queen Elizabeth II and daughter of Princess Anne, so she’s sure to know how to crack a horse-whip to get an errant hubby back in line.
Chances are that watching rugby and cracking whips would almost certainly be the only things the royal lady would do in Dunedin, a quaint city of 120,000 souls nestling at the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island.
When Richie McCaw was asked what advice he had for Phillips about things to do when she was in Dunedin, he could merely muster: “I don’t know. I was going to say something about seeing some seals out on the peninsula, but I don’t know.”
Another team that need a special mention at this stage is South Africa’s Springboks. The defending champions are quietly going about their business and coming into form, right on time. Their immaculate display against Namibia on Thursday can simply not be described merely as that of a champion against a minnow. They beat their southern African neighbors 87-0 with a display of brilliant offloading, slick back running and brutal tackling, making sure they stay top of Pool D — and eight points clear of their nearest group rivals, Samoa.
Here at the halfway mark of rugby’s showcase tournament, a lot of thrills and spills still beckon, all of which are bound to add up to a rugby weekend of note.
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