Rugby World Cup 2003 - Renee's Round-up

The Grand Finale

England 20 v Australia 17

Wasn't the grand finale one of, if not the best rugby match we've ever seen?
It had all the hallmarks of an epic clash, and if we weren't among the lucky 80,000 spectators at Sydney's Telstra stadium, managed to keep our eyes glued to the screen, albeit with speedy visits to the restroom or the need to order in yet another round.

The match had something for everyone; Jonny Wilkinson's precision kicking under pressure or George Gregan's never-say-die commitment. Non die-hard rugby fans were equally entertained by the match, fitting in easily during crucial cheer and jeer moments. Whatever early doubt there was (and there was plenty) that the hosts wouldn't make it through to the final proved unfounded. As was the belief that in the final England would play an unattractive game.

England led most of the match with the English forwards clearly on top, though Australia opened the scoring when Stephen Larkham sent a kick to Lote Tuqiri in the corner to out-jump Jason Robinson and cross the line for a superb try. As kicking was ultimately a major part of this match it must be mentioned that neither Johnny Wilkinson nor Elton Flately kicked with 100% accuracy on the night. However we witnessed world class play when players like Flately and Wilkinson made amends for early mistakes translating mishaps into cause for celebration. Flately, for levelling the score in the final moments of the second half to send the game into extra time and Wilkinson for kicking the final goal of the tournament in the last minutes of extra time to give England the game. Both teams did well under the sort of pressure most of us can only imagine and showed why both teams deserved to be vying for ultimate victory.

However the winning and runner-ups don't get the last say. I pay homage to hot, sexy players (in no specific order):
New Zealand winger, Doug (Dougie) Howlett with his striking curls and million-dollar smile. French converter, Frederick Michalak, who has a classic look about him which strikes me as suave. Blondes have more fun! Best looking blonde haired guy though (unrelated to his kicking ability, this is based purely on looks) is Johnny Wilkinson.

There are a lot of very promising players who emerged from this tournament and expect to see more from the following players - Joe Rokocoko and Richie McCaw from New Zealand, Rupeni Caunibuca from Fiji, Stephen Larkham and Elton Flately from Australia and Jason Robinson from England.

Coaches likely to keep their jobs for the 2007 contest include Clive Woodward for obvious reasons and Steve Hansen for his work with an impressive Welsh squad. Finally, something for all to think about and a problem I hope the IRB will address: there is a need to contribute money and resources to those countries who suffered a cricket score beating from stronger teams so that they can continue to perform in meaningful competitions and lift their game to a higher level. Roll on France 2007 - I can't wait.

Week Six

Australia 22 New Zealand 10

There is no need to reshuffle the Bledisloe and Tri Nations trophies to make space for the Holy Grail, the William Webb Ellis trophy, back at the All Blacks base in New Zealand. The Australians ended the hopes of the All Blacks entering the final round of the RWC. The Wallabies responded to a crowd of 80,000 in what was a predominantly yellow and green wave of support and hit back at their critics who earlier in the week deemed their match against the All Blacks as their last at this tournament. The match was one of Aussie domination; they were fierce on defence, unafraid on attack and produced accurate kicking. Centre Stirling Mortlock's try resulting from an intercept is one Australians will talk about for a long time, not for the mere reason that Mortlock ran 80 metres before crossing the line but also because the pass came off the hands of Carlos Spencer, whom the Wallabies considered a threat to their team. All Black captain Rueben Thorne scored a try in the 35th minute but any indication that his side would produce more try scoring chances were shut down by the Aussie defence.

England 24 France 7

English supporters would have been lining up to buy Johnny Wilkinson an ale on Sunday. Wilkinson kicked all twenty four points for England, 3 drop goals and 5 penalty kicks. Minutes before half time Wilkinson kicked a penalty to send the English into the changing rooms two points in the lead over their northern hemisphere rivals. A late tackle on Wilkinson by Serge Betsen saw Betsen sin binned for ten minutes and did little to interrupt Wilkinson's form, kicking a penalty as result of Betsen's dangerous late tackle. Kicking was something of a concern for the French team, Frederic Michalak who happens be the top point scorer at this tournament missed four chances at goal before being replaced in the latter half of the game. Defensive pressure from England helped to subdue the French. It's been said before in this rugby round up this English side quite simply, know how to win, and whilst English supporters may shy away from agreement for fear of jinxing the final, I can't help thinking the Webb Ellis trophy is likely to spend the next four years in the northern part of the globe. But, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

France and the All Blacks will vie for third place on Thursday which will make for an interesting match as both these teams have played the most open rugby of the tournament so far. The ABs will field a full-strength line-up whilst the French have made wholesale changes to the team beaten by England.

Week Five

The William Webb Ellis trophy is so close the players can almost smell it. We witnessed meaningful competition at the weekend in the quarterfinals. The semifinals will feature two teams from each hemisphere in opposition. England play France and New Zealand take on Australia. No real surprises that the penultimate stage will include these teams. Although, we wouldn't have been shocked if South Africa had made it through given their RWC pedigree. This is the first time the Springboks have lost a quarterfinal at the Rugby World Cup. Nor would we have been alarmed, but perhaps warmed, if Wales had secured themselves a place in the semis. Based on their strong performances, especially in the last two weeks, the Welsh have turned heads and really proven themselves at this World Cup.

Hosts Australia beat Scotland 33-16. Much of the first half was riddled with mistakes from both sides; the Wallabies dropped a lot of passes and struggled to win their own line out ball. Scotland couldn't progress over the Aussie try line during the first half. At half time the game was level at 9-9 but the Wallabies came back after the break to lift their game and take the match. Australia went back-to-basics; sharpened up on defence and issued some hard attacking. Scotland's only try of the match came from hooker Rob Russell in the last minutes of the match.

France had an impressive win over Ireland posting a score of 43-21. France scored a try in the third minute of the match to set the scene of French domination for the entire game. French kicker, Frederick Michalak, the top point scorer of this tournament, maintained perfect kicking form. It wasn't a case of the Irish playing terribly; they played better in the second half, spreading the ball more and kicking for penalties. However France, who has emerged as a tournament favourite played an efficient and error-free game of rugby.

New Zealand had a convincing win over South Africa, beating them 29-9. Some pre-match concerns that South Africa would dominate up-front proved unfounded. The forwards did great work for the All Blacks, with the likes of Justin Marshall and Carlos Spencer setting up tries and making good yards. The New Zealand defence was good with only four missed tackles. Credit to South Africa's kicker Derick Hougaard, who did well at converter whereas New Zealand's Leon MacDonald had a bad day at the office. Accurate kicking is vital at this stage of the tournament, if the All Blacks expect to progress to the grand final, they must improve their kicking.

England, on the other hand can rely on the trusty left boot of Johnny Wilkinson. Without the five penalties and one drop goal kicked in the second half by Wilkinson, England may not have made it through to the semifinals. At half time Wales led 10-3 and outscored England three tries to one. England were disorganised and couldn't find their form in the first period. Changes were made to the English side in the second half and they came back to take command of the game. They levelled the score 10-10 within two minutes of play. Despite that first half shock, England did what they are well known for, producing a win.

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Week Four

England was given a fright against Samoa last week, but this time it was New Zealand's turn to panic. The New Zealand vs. Wales match, final score 53-37 to New Zealand, was one of the most thrilling games of the tournament so far. Had Wales beaten the All Blacks, it would have been Wales's first win over New Zealand in 50 years. Wales played outstandingly well through good possession, strong forwards and great counter attacking. Welsh kicker Stephen Jones cleared all seven conversions. Wales led early in the second half before the All Blacks made amends for some earlier bad ball handling and missed tackles, to come back and take the match. Wales will play England in the quarter finals, New Zealand line up against South Africa.

A match doesn't have to have tries back and forth to be exciting, as was seen in the Australia vs. Ireland match. Up until the lasting minutes the contest could have gone either way. Ireland put up a valiant effort but ultimately was unable to break the Wallaby defence and possession. Australia won 17-16. Australia will play Scotland in the quarter final, Ireland take on France.

Scotland vs. Fiji was another close game. The Scots won despite trailing for virtually the entire match. Scotland found their form in the second half, throwing the ball around a lot more. The game was decided in the last minutes when prop Tom Smith scored a try which after conversion gave Scotland the lead and final score of 22-20.

England cruised through their match against Uruguay, posting a cricket score of 111-13. England dominated from the outset and showed particularly good form in the second-half when most of their tries were scored. This one-sided result highlights the disparity between countries with money and a meaningful domestic competition and those like Uruguay with neither. Syd Millar, IRB Chairman has promised to look into the problem, though there seems little that can be done in the short term.

France had a comfortable win over USA 41-14. The French played their ¿Bî team who spent virtually the entire first half in USA territory. USA was stronger in the second half, scoring two tries but the French responded on each occasion. South Africa had another comfortable win over Samoa. Samoa was unable to repeat the form which hit the alert buttons in the English camp last week. Instead, ball handling errors and other mistakes helped South Africa seal the game 60-10. Romania beat Namibia 37-7, Romania were particularly strong in the first half scoring four tries. Namibia has not managed to win a RWC match but have still made some World Cup history. Rudi Van Vuuren, a former Namibia cricket World Cup representative played for the Namibian Rugby side, becoming the first player to play in both competitions. Canadian captain Al Charron represented his country for the 76th and final time as Canada ran out 24-7 winners over Tonga.

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Week Three

If Samoa turned heads with their dynamic entry into the World Cup against Uruguay, they were doing more of the same Sunday night against a somewhat unconvincing English side. Samoa shocked the tournament favourites by leading 16-13 at half time and thrived off a lot of mistakes made by England. English captain Martin Johnson admittedhis side had "struggled" to beat Samoa. However it's not all dissatisfaction in the English camp. Assured English coach, Clive Woodward said: "I am totally confident in this team. We won the game and scored four tries to one". 35-22 was the final score as the Samoans tired in the last five minutes. Samoa remain a dark horse and we look forward to their game with South Africa with interest.

As much as Rugby is a team game, there is plenty of opportunity for players to showcase individual skills and post records. Mat Rogers broke the Australian record for the most points scored in one match, 42 points. He also scored 16 points for conversions as Australia posted yet another impressive score - 142-0 to the Wallabies - against wooden-spoon candidates Namibia. The hosts were very strong on attack, used their backs well and were quick with the ball.
Australia's neighbours, New Zealand have had their dose of individual record breaking triumphs as well as convincing wins so far. Kees Meeuws broke the world record for test tries scored by a prop, nine, in the All Blacks vs. Tonga match. Tonga showed promise and good form in the first half with some hard defence and powerful attacking. However, good foot work from the wings, a 100% kicking record from kicker Leon McDonald and unquestionable fitness in this particular match worked well to give the All Blacks a 91-7 point victory. Fitness is undoubtedly a concern in the Azzuri squad. The Italians have had a tough schedule playing four games in fourteen days. Italian coach John Kirwan commented on this stating before the Italy vs. Wales match: ¿If we don't play well enough it's because we're fatiguedî. Evidence of tiredness in the Italian side was seen in their match against Wales. Wales clinched the game three tries to nil with a score of 27-15. However, the Welsh could have had a more comfortable win had their converter not missed three chances at goal.

France ran out comfortable 51-9 winners in their match up with Scotland, who opted for a kicking game in the face of solid attacking and a lot of skill and muscle from a resolute French side. The Ireland vs. Argentina match was much more balanced. The score remained close throughout the entire eighty minutes of play. At half time the score was a mere 10-9 as Ireland were forced to battle a very physical Argentinean side. Ireland's pressure in the final quarter gave them the game 16-15. The win sees Ireland through to the quarter finals. Dubbed the team with the ¿fighting spiritî, Japan certainly did make the USA Eagles fight for their win on Monday night. Japan scored two tries through wingers Toru Kurihara and Daisuke Ohata. Kurihara kicked three penalties and in the 53rd minute, only one-point separated the teams. USA will be thankful to Mike Hercus' notable performance. American born, Australian-raised Hercus scored one try, four conversions and two penalties. Final score was 39-26.

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Week Two

One of the best quotes of this week goes to the jubilant Argentinean coach, Marcelo Loffreda:
¿In the history of the World Cup, Argentina have never posted such a big score,î after the Argentina vs. Namibia match where the Pumas came through in a 67-14 victory. Unlike other coaches who have appeared quite demure subsequent to victory, Loffreda couldn't hold back his elation and why not, the RWC is after all a celebratory event.

Samoa has reason to be more than modest about their performance so far in the RWC. They scored a hat trick of tries over Uruguay posting a score of 60-13 and showed great commitment and pace. You cannot mention the Samoan team without paying tribute to the mammoth effort of Brian Lima; this is his fourth World Cup.

Siblings Denis and Manuel Dallan of the Italian squad were the only try scorers in the Italy vs. Tonga match with the final score 36-12 in favour of the Italians. The Azurri dominated territory and possession with NZ born Rima Wakarua kicking 21 points.

The highest score posted in a match so far goes to the hosts. Australia absolutely dominated Romania as in a 90-8 thrashing. The Wallabies were simply too fast, too powerful and too skillful for a predominantly young Romanian side. Second five eight, Elton Flatley showed good form at converter by kicking eleven out of thirteen goals. As impressive as the score was, management in the Australian camp as well as the Australian media, appear to be down playing this victory. Modesty gone mad or a realistic approach in view of the tougher competition to come?

The closest match of the week was Fiji vs. USA. Fiji clinched the game by one point 19-18 as a result of a missed conversion by the USA first five eighth Mike Hercus moments before the match finished.

Don't let the final score of 51-29 to France over Japan suggest that the Japanese were dominated for the full eighty minutes. At half time a mere one-point separated the teams. Inconsistent play from the French allowed openings for the speedy Japanese who used such opportunities to make the French work hard for their expected win.

Coach John Mitchell fronted a different All Black squad this week. Some might say The B Team. His intent was to test his back-ups in addition to dominating the Canadians, and that the All Blacks did, sealing the game 68-6. The Canadians were toughest against the AB's in the first half, hitting back hard on defence but by the last quarter they struggled to keep up with New Zealand's power and pace. All Black winger Malili Muliaina is currently the competition's top try scorer with 4 tries in one match. He has a host of others behind him, on 3 tries.

The much anticipated match of the second week went down with few surprises. England was always the favorites but as expected the Springboks put up a valiant fight. The score, 25-6, indicates serious competition between South Africa and England who finished 60 and 70 points respectively ahead in their first games. England was able to secure the match by virtue of their strong defence and goal kicking. The one try of the match was scored by English centre Will Greenwood.

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Week One

We kick things off with the four favourites. Hosts Australia beat Argentina 24-8 before a capacity crowd of 81,000 on Friday night. Former Rugby League sensation, Wendell Sailor has had little trouble maintaining his ARL form in the rugby world. Sailor, reputed for his speed, scored two tries for Australia, remaining a player favourites amongst Aussie folk. Although the Wallabies dominated possession and territory, their ball handling let them down at times and lead to a few squandered try scoring chances.

Green and Yellow victories aren't limited to the Aussie camp. South Africa had a very comfortable win over a young Uruguay side. The final score of 72-6 should give the Springboks some confidence for their upcoming run against England this Saturday.

Confidence will be something the English side should be feeling after a 12-try display and a convincing win over Georgia 84-6, though there were injuries to key players Matt Dawson and Kyran Bracken.

Injuries were a feature of the All Blacks vs. Italy match with Carlos Spencer carrying a slight limp and vice- Captain Tana Umaga forced onto the bench after only twenty four minutes of play. Umaga's respite made way for the debut of youngster Ma'a Nonu who impressed with his speedy runs, setting up of tries and hard tackles. The world cup favourites are without well known wing, Jonah Lomu, but new kid on the block, Joe Rockokoko on the left showed why he is picked to be the star of this squad. The All Blacks had a relatively easy 70-7 win over an earnest Italian side.

If we've so far seen displays of good and bad play in the tournament, it's not without a touch of ugly either. Fijian wing Rupeni Caucanibuca will appear before the RWC Judiciary for striking the French flanker over the head and for a separate incident of verbal abuse. Nonetheless, the French beat the Fijians 61-18. Scottish Captain Brian Redpath admits his team's 32-11 win over Japan was ¿a little shakyî with the Scots only securing the game in the last quarter.

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