Poms to paste Wobblies
5 Oct 2007
Keo, in the Argus, backs the Poms to end the Wallabies World Cup in Marseilles.
With the greatest respect to South Africa this weekend in Marseilles in not about them or their World Cup quarter-final against Fiji. South Africa it has generally been accepted won’t raise a sweat to win.
All eyes – even those of the Springboks – are on the tournament’s first Super Saturday of showdowns, with champions England or former champions Australia on a plane home before the Springboks even get to the Stade Velodrome.
New Zealand may also not make it back to France and if they do then host nation France’s players will be back in Paris on Sunday but only as spectators to the last fortnight’s play-offs.
France, in the build-up to Saturday, have traded on past glories. They’ve been given a chance against the All Blacks in Cardiff because once in their World Cup history they came from behind to stun New Zealand. France, despite being awful at this tournament and equally poor before the tournament, continue to be given the benefit of the doubt.
Their form against the All Blacks has been ignored, but it shouldn’t be. The French, in the last seven tests against the All Blacks average 11 points to New Zealand’s 41. They’ve scored six tries to New Zealand’s 37. They have been inferior and second rate and it should not be any different in Cardiff.
French coach Bernard Laporte, in explaining the difference between soccer and rugby, described rugby as the thinking man’s game in France. He said it was the more intelligent sport.
So, asked the French waiter, how intelligent is it then that the host nation is playing New Zealand in Wales?
Laporte is not popular and his selections in this tournament have been equally unpopular. You get the feeling the French want the illusion to be ended and they want to see the back of mad Bernie Laporte.
The result in Cardiff may not be as emphatic as 30 points, but the All Blacks are still 20 points better than the French and for all the talk that this French team is capable of anything the reality is they are not. They are a team with limitations, with weary legs and with inexperience in crucial positions. They will lose.
Back here in Marseilles the picture is not as clear for Australia or England. Either side can win. Australia has confidence and rhythm; England has Jonny Wilkinson and a tight five that can squeeze the Australians.
In 1995 the two countries met in Cape Town and England won with a late Rob Andrew drop goal. Back then Australia were the champs who played like chumps. They were the ageing superstars who never got going in the tournament. Now it is England who are playing like pensioners.
So how is it they could win?
Wilkinson, that’s why. He remains a special player and England are a 50 percent better team if Wilkinson is playing. England will also have the greater crowd support, although the Australians in town believe the afternoon kick-off favours the skill of the Australians.
Australia’s players have a healthy respect for Wilkinson and those close to the Wallabies camp talk of the apprehension among the Australians. They believe they are good enough to win and they believe England haven’t played well enough to win. But they also believe Wilkinson is capable of breaking their hearts as he did in the final four years ago.
Wilkinson has played himself into form against Samoa and Tonga. England, desperate against the United States and South Africa, have got better, while no one really knows just how good Australia have been because they haven’t played anyone.
This is a weekend when we’ll have perspective. We’ll know the significance of the Boks win against England and we’ll measure the quality of the Wallabies. A week ago everyone was saying they were very good on the evidence of a 12 point win against Wales in Cardiff. The very good may turn out to be less than good in light of the Welsh defeat to Fiji.
Argentina’s tournament form will also be given perspective once New Zealand have played France because it will also show up the gulf in class between the tournament favourites and those teams that played in the Pool of death which ultimately killed off Ireland.
Argentina against Scotland should be the bore of the weekend as neither side has the outside backs to entertain. The Pumas will win, so too New Zealand and South Africa.
But it’s England and Australia that holds the intrigue.
Keo’s predictions
All Blacks by 20
England by 5
Springboks by 30
Argentina by 10
566 Comments
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6 Oct 2007, 13:24 pm
#546 – Oh man, I wish you well with SABC…..I thought we had it bad with the CRACK Supersport team of Blades and CO. But, I have heard from a few sources here in town, that the SABC studio teams are dreadful………….led by some clown Craig somthing or the other….It’s apparently enough to make you slash those wrists…..
Good luck, and please report back on QUALITY enjoyed.
6 Oct 2007, 13:25 pm
Gomarsall, with lovely pass away to Wilko, Wilko with the drop goal!! He kicks it well, its up high it long, its good!!!10 nil to the English!! the Wallabies have not woken up yet!!
6 Oct 2007, 13:26 pm
545 solanky
That is the only try you are gonna get….enjoy it!
6 Oct 2007, 13:27 pm
552
Probably because ya dreamin!!
6 Oct 2007, 13:27 pm
#423
Big Hit,do yourself a favour and shut up man,as soon as you open ya mouth up and has the word NZ or ABs in the sentence we know you just talking ****
6 Oct 2007, 13:29 pm
Easter has the ball at the back of the scrum, he peels of to the blinside, flips a beautiful pass inside to Corry!! Corry charges to 3 metres out from the Wallaby tryline before he is mowed down by Palu. Ball is available for Gomarsall, he scampers left and throws a long pass away to Wilko, on Tait, Tait has found a gap and an overlap, he’s got Sackey on his outside. Sackey will cross over in the corner!! Superb try!! 15-0 to the English!!
6 Oct 2007, 13:30 pm
#420
What DVDs are those.
Has been Wars
The Has beens strike back
Return of the has beens.
Phhht
6 Oct 2007, 13:31 pm
#555 – Please give Biggles a break today….He only has a couple of hours left to brag about his team, and tell us all how experienced Mike Catt is. Lets give him the floor…..for old times sake.
Surely we can’t deny him this swansong? It just wouldn’t be right……
6 Oct 2007, 13:35 pm
Australia struggling to get any momentum going with their attack!! their pack has been pushed around the paddock like no ones business. Gregan has the ball, he does’nt know whether to run, kick or pass!! Corry and Vickery make the decision for Gregan and drive him back over his own tryline!!! Scrum to England and the pressure mounts on the Aussies!!!
6 Oct 2007, 13:38 pm
#556
See now you could have said try to England and yeah i could believe that but you had them doing moves as well and even passing,straight away i knew you were kidding
6 Oct 2007, 13:39 pm
#558
Fair enough,i didnt think i had wrote that i was just merely thinking it,go figure
6 Oct 2007, 13:49 pm
under 1 hr go ladies!!
6 Oct 2007, 13:54 pm
Regan to throw the ball into the lineout 10 metres out from the Wallaby tryline! Kay leaps high and takes a two handed take!! England set the drive!!! Australia hanging in there!! Dunning tries to collapse the maul but he makes only a little dent!! Dallaglio has it at the back of the maul! they keep driving, one metre, two metre, 5 metre!! they are dangerously getting close to the line now!! Gregan is trapped in the bottom of the maul!! He seems to have no idea what to do!! England drive over the line and its a try!!! Vickery comes up with the ball and its 20-0 to the English with the kick to come!!The Aussies are lucky to have scored zero at the moment!
6 Oct 2007, 13:58 pm
mmmm, a lot of my money rests on the SH teams beating the NH today, so come on Oz & NZ, make me rich…
6 Oct 2007, 14:17 pm
I turn off the TV commentary while the game is on and play Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd at full blast. Or I did, in the days when the SABC still showed games. Now I go to a pub that’s so noisy you can’t hear the commentary anyway. Best of both worlds.
45 mins to go!
6 Oct 2007, 15:45 pm
Well I cant believe it the poms are actually playing rugby. This looks like a really tough game so hope it gets tougher. Bring on the semis.
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