The Rugby World Cup Thread

[terryw]

We stuffed the frogs - bring on the Argies    

[Dieter]

Dieter

[stogie bear]

Wow! England win!!!

[allstar88]

HOW THE F**CK DID WE WIN THAT?   ENGLAND INTO FINAL

[stogie bear]

Great game of erm.... what ever it's called...

France panicked and made crucial mistakes in the last 10 minutes... England kick their way to victory! That Wilkinson... has he been Knighted yet?

[allstar88]

i think our tactics are to bore the other team to death then while they are asleep score france were the better team but our spunk got us into the final

[stogie bear]

I don't know much about the game so maybe I'm talking bollocks, but it seemed to me that France kicked too many times into the sideline and sacrificed possesion too many times when they could have made some ground running the ball.

Watching the game tonight it's impossible to say who the better team was, but in the last few minutes France seemed to lose their heart for it, especially after they got so close to the English goal line with about 10 mintues left to play and came away with nothing.

Is this the same England team that got smacked by South Africa and scraped by the USA only a few short weeks ago?  

[terryw]

England have re-organised their defence since the start of the tournament.

The Frogs were unable to cope with the pressure.

[daveduke007]

Are we in the Final now

Thought we stood "NO" Chance and were "Written Off"

I've been a "nervous wreck" for the last 2 hours I MUST admit

[daveduke007]

(Dieter @ Oct. 13 2007,17:28) Fantastic news.... ..........

Dusautoir out to `destroy` England

[stogie bear]

England have re-organised their defence since the start of the tournament...

There's been a lot of talk about pre-tournament preparation and England came bottom in the press and pundits view in the on-line scribblings that I read. The media gave a lot of desk-jocks the chance to say how poorly England was prepared to play this tournament.

But here they are... (AGAIN!) in the world cup final!

Are they hitting form at the right time? Are they just talented? Do they play their best games against the best opposition they face?

After slipping past Australia and France you have to think that they are feeling confident about whoever they face in the final... (but I do so hope it's the Argies!!!)

[newwriter]

I hope this doesn't sound ungracious but England are great at winning ugly. They are extremely powerful at scrum and their work at ruck and maul has been brilliant.

It's sooo ugly, but sooo effective. Really hard to play against. Wallabies and French better teams skill-wise across the 15 but the game isn't won by just skill.

As s lifetime fan of the game I love to see great rugby winning games (see All Blacks) but these tight games are nothing about pretty and all about ticker, power and aggression and the English have it in spades.

To the Englishmen on the site, congrats. If, as expected, it gets down to England / SA please beat those arrogant cunts. What an irony it would be if England were to lose 36-0 to a side in pool and then beat them in the final.

[stogie bear]

...but the game isn't won by just skill...

Interesting comment from a fan of the game.

Ugly or pretty... does 'skill' have a flavour? An advantage of 'skill' is the talent that makes a person (or team) better than his opponent.

Whether you like the way it comes across as a TV image shouldn't really impact the respect you have for the result.

France lost because their 'skills' did not match their opponents... at least not on the day.

It's funny that soccer teams also get criticised when they play a 'boring' game, but nevertheless find a way to win!

It's about winning so you have to think that the winner has outskilled his opponent... regardless of what looks pretty on camera!

[daveduke007]

Phil Vickery the England Captain

Already encroaching on 19 stone, he has no need to add to his bulk which is already his greatest strength in the set pieces.

Known as "Raging Bull", he enjoys the odd foray on the attack and bears a tattoo which, roughly translated, means "I'll fight you to the death".

[stogie bear]

Always good to know that monsters with an IQ of 80 or less are ready to die for England!!!