2011 Rugby World Cup [R]

Discussion in 'Rugby & Aussie Rules' started by yankee_rob, Jun 18, 2010.

  1. condor11

    condor11 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 2, 2002
    New Zealand
    apparently Halfpenny took the pk one better back from the actual mark...one meter is all he needed to put that ball over
     
  2. babaorum

    babaorum Member+

    Aug 20, 2005
    Marseille
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Well... It will be a remake of the 87 RWC final : NZ vs France.

    France have all the chances of winning :p :
    - Nobody expects them to win. The French love it. On the other hand NZ will have all the pressure on their shoulders.
    - France almost failed to beat a 14 men Wales team so beating 15 All-Blacks should not be a problem.
    - NZ haven't lost in Eden Park since 17 years. The last team that beat them there was France. Isn't a WC final an excellent occasion to do it again ?
    - France play with two scrum-halves and with zero fly half... brilliant stuff from Lièvremont.
    - France play with two centres who can't defend, can't pass the ball and can't run through defenses whereas the Toulouse pair Jauzion + Fritz -the best in Europe- will watch the game at home because Lièvremont didn't select them. That is tactically brilliant again.
    - France have poor tactical kicking. Tactical kicking is useless anyway.
    - France have great wingers and a brilliant fullback but the other players decided to never pass them the ball : brilliant again.
    - Lièvremont have no game-plan : why would you need it anyway ? A good scrummaging and decent line-outs are obviously enough to win a WC final vs NZ.

    All of this makes me think that France will mash NZ as they did in 99 and 2007. There is little doubt about it. :D
     
  3. superdupont

    superdupont Member

    Jun 5, 2001
    France


    Hmmm, actually i don't think we'll beat them by more than 30 points, NZ are better than Canada, you know.
     
  4. condor11

    condor11 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 2, 2002
    New Zealand
    I picked France to win the WC straight after they lost to Tonga

    people laughed...now they are one game away and they still havnt had their one amazing performance

    hope NZ wins, but would not surprise me one bit if France do what France does best
     
  5. el-capitano

    el-capitano Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 30, 2005
    Sydney
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Australia
    I'd like France to win, just to laugh at the kiwis.... again. :D

    NZ were the only team who could stop Australia winning this thing, and they did it fairly easily. If Weepu could kick it would've been over a lot sooner than it was.
     
  6. condor11

    condor11 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 2, 2002
    New Zealand
    the thing is people over here are pretty much saying the semi was the final and the wc is ours

    its like these people cant remember what has gone on in the past, im gonna put 100 bucks on the french to win

    that way if they do I wont feel as bad;)
     
  7. babaorum

    babaorum Member+

    Aug 20, 2005
    Marseille
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Yes, apparently some people never learn...
    Paradoxically France's awful performance vs Wales and the French bashing in the NZ medias are the best things that could happen to the French team - nobody expect them to win and they will be as motivated as ever. If they play during 80 minutes as they did in the first half vs England there's indeed a (small) chance that they will win the game. Otherwise they will be trashed with a +30 points margin.
     
  8. benztown

    benztown Member+

    Jun 24, 2005
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    If NZ manages to kick properly without Carter, they should be fine IMHO. The game against Oz was a lot tighter than it needed to be because of Weepu's kicking...
     
  9. babaorum

    babaorum Member+

    Aug 20, 2005
    Marseille
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    As expected NZ wins. But damn, that was close. Superb display from the French team. They could have won as well.
     
  10. Dyvel

    Dyvel Member+

    Jul 24, 1999
    The dog end of a day gone by
    Club:
    Leeds United AFC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ireland Republic
  11. babaorum

    babaorum Member+

    Aug 20, 2005
    Marseille
    Nat'l Team:
    France
  12. munsonbulldog

    munsonbulldog Member

    Jul 23, 2008
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    New Zealand
    Typical Frog as usual ,want a little cheese with that whine.

    We won, you didn't ,suck it
     
  13. condor11

    condor11 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 2, 2002
    New Zealand
    we got lucky in some parts for sure

    Weepu kept the french in the game and had to be dragged cause he was terrible

    Cruden didnt do jack we seemed to hide him away with Dagg, Nonu and Weepu doing first receiver duties at time

    end of the day the French (the team everyone vilified) provided the all blacks with their hardest game in this world cup

    NZ didnt choke but they sure came close, not a match I will rewatch cause I suffered way to much

    but at least the curse is over


    best past was Donald being able to leave on a high after being the most hated all black around
     
  14. guignol

    guignol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 28, 2005
    mermoz-les-boss
    Club:
    Olympique Lyonnais
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    i'm not sure it was that bad; in the end it only took one missed call to make the difference... but the "bias" wasn't beyond what's normally expected in front of a home crowd.

    if FTD hits that long one though, i think NZ comes completely unraveled. 10 minutes of possession on a pocket handkerchief was solid serious play and enough to hold on, but i didn't see the all blacks capable of doing a lick more, or different, towards the end.

    but in a way this stolid win becomes the most interesting page to put into the history books: both teams doing everything differently from what they had shown in the rest of the tournament, both kickers coming out for players who turned out to be instrumental, and a first title for the nation that most non-initiates equate with rugby*... what's not to like?

    *everyone knows the all blacks; contrariwise, in an argument with a friend in the states (whose premise was that france was a nation of culture, cuisine and all that but which took no interest in sports) i was unable to convince him rugby was even played here.
     
  15. babaorum

    babaorum Member+

    Aug 20, 2005
    Marseille
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Joubert is one of the better refs going around, but today he was too scared to blow the whistle against NZ. Offsides, NZ players slowing the ball down and lying all over the ruck...

    It's not only this game : 3 games now where the ref has a huge bearing on the GAME, Wales S Africa and France all screwed by the ref. It's farcical.
     
  16. guignol

    guignol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 28, 2005
    mermoz-les-boss
    Club:
    Olympique Lyonnais
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    well, it's not all gone against us then!
     
  17. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    http://www.universalsports.com/news....html#frances+dusautoir+named+irb+player+year

    France's Thierry Dusautoir named IRB player of the year

    By Associated Press

    AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) - France captain Thierry Dusautoir, who scored his team's only try in its loss to New Zealand in the World Cup final, was named the International Rugby Board's player of the year on Monday.

    Dusautoir, man of the match in France's 8-7 loss Sunday, was the only northern hemisphere representative on the six-player short list for the award that included three All Blacks and two Australians.

    The IRB announced the honor at a banquet where New Zealand was named team of the year and the All Blacks' Graham Henry coach of the year for guiding the nation to its first World Cup win in 24 years.

    Dusautoir, who made 22 tackles in the final, is the second player from France to win the award after former captain Fabien Galthie in 2002.

    Scrumhalf Piri Weepu, flanker Jerome Kaino and center Ma'a Nonu, who played for New Zealand against Dusautoir in the final, were also on the player of the year short list, as were flanker David Pocock and scrumhalf Will Genia of Australia.

    The winners were selected by an independent panel of judges chaired by former Australia captain John Eales and other former internationals with more than 500 caps among them. The panel deliberated on every major test match played in 2011, starting with the first Six Nations match and finishing with the Rugby World Cup final.

    In other awards announced Monday, South Africa's Cecil Afrika was named IRB Sevens player of the year and George Ford of Leicester, a member of the England under-20 team that made it to the final of the 2011 junior world championships, was named junior player of the year,

    Radike Samo, Australia's 35-year-old backrower, was awarded try of the year for his lengthy score in the final match of the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup in Brisbane that was won 25-20 by the Wallabies.

    The Fijian-born Samo received the ball on his own 10-metre line and shrugged off several All Black defenders before outsprinting the cover defense to score.

    Former New Zealand Rugby Union chairman and All Black Jock Hobbs, who has been battling cancer, was winner of the Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service. In December of last year, Hobbs stepped down from his position as chairman of both the NZRU and Rugby New Zealand 2011 Limited due to his illness.

    The award is named after the former IRB chairman from Wales who guided rugby into the professional era.

    The IRB Development Award was presented to USA Rugby's Rookie Rugby program for young players between six and 12 years in schools and community- and state-based rugby programs.

    Former All Black star Jonah Lomu was among 19 inductees into the IRB Hall of Fame which included the winning coach and captain of every World Cup-winning team from 1987 to 2007.
     
  18. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-world-cup/rwc-report-card-up-going-down-4486109


    RWC report card: On the up, going down

    On the up

    New Zealand (Champions, won 7, lost 0).

    Arise, Sir Richie. The best team in the world for the past four years now have the trophy to prove it. The backline sparkled in pool play, but who says desperate defence doesn't win World Cups? They conceded just 23 points in their three knockout games. Magnificent.

    Wales (Fourth place, won 4, lost 3)

    Came within a contentious refereeing decision of reaching their first final. Another narrow loss to the Springboks came in controversial circumstances as well, but their insipid loss to the Wallabies showed there's still much to work on.

    France (Finalists, won 4, lost 3)

    An extraordinary journey down under took France within a point of their first world title. Internal ructions, mutinies, shocking defeats to lowly opposition and wonderful backs-to-the-wall rearguard efforts - that's French rugby in a nutshell. Then they had to go spoil it by allegedly gouging Richie.

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    Georgia (Fourth in Group B, won 1, lost 3)

    Would've been targeting the Romania clash as the one to win and did so comfortably. But they were competitive in their three other games too, holding Scotland tryless and leading Argentina at halftime before falling away. They'll keep improving in a country where rugby is the national sport.

    Tonga (Third in Group A, won 2, lost 2)

    The victory over France will go down in Pacific Island rugby folklore, but the Tongans were just as impressive against the All Blacks. The loss to Canada probably ended their quarter-final hopes but they'll gladly take automatic qualification to the next World Cup.

    Samoa (Third in Group D, won 2, lost 2)

    Went into the tournament burdened by ridiculously over-inflated public expectation, but Samoa should be proud of their campaign despite missing the quarters. Gave South Africa and Wales both barrels and farewelled some stalwarts from the World Cup stage in style by beating Fiji.

    Staying put

    Australia (Third place; won 5, lost 2)

    Came to win it and failed. The Aussies expended so much energy talking up their chances that they ran out of juice against the All Blacks in the semis; hampered by a wonky tight five, a woeful Quade Cooper and some questionable selections from coach Robbie Deans.

    Ireland (Quarter-finals, won 4, lost 1)

    Promised so much in pool play but the wait for a final-four appearance goes on. Their victory over Australia was one of the tournament's memorable moments, but they spoiled it by losing to Wales in a quarter-final where they inexplicably turned down three kickable shots at goal.

    Argentina (Quarter-finals, won 3, lost 2)

    A repeat of their dream 2007 run was never likely with a depleted, aging squad. Should've beaten England and topped their pool but that loss left them on a collision course with the All Blacks. Certainly didn't disgrace themselves, though.

    Italy (Third in Group C, won 2, lost 2)

    So close but so far: Italy were right in the hunt at halftime against Australia and Ireland before being blown away after the break. Rock-like prop Martin Castrogiovanni was an inspiration but the Azzurri remain the best team never to make the quarters.

    Canada (Fourth in Group A, won 1, drew 1, lost 2).

    Would've been targeting third in the group but slipped up against Japan and were lucky to escape with a draw. The white-haired speedster DTH Van der Merwe was a constant menace on the wing, and loose forward Adam Kleeburger has the best facial hair in world rugby.

    Russia (Last in Group C, won 0, lost 4)

    Certainly didn't disgrace themselves in their first World Cup. Gave the USA a big fright in their first game and provided one of the tournament's cult heroes in wing Denis Simplikevich, who scored a scorching try as the Russians ran the Aussies ragged in Nelson.

    USA (Fourth in Group C, won 1, lost 3)

    Beat Russia as expected, and produced a couple of creditable performances against Ireland and Italy. Captain Todd Clever led the way at flanker as the Americans went home as one of the more popular teams at the tournament.

    Going down

    England (Quarter-finals, won 4, lost 1).

    Won no friends, on or off the field, with their arrogance, boorishness, unsportsmanlike behaviour and ugly style of play. Ironically they succumbed to France trying to play a game that was too fast and expansive for their meagre abilities. Ta-ra, chaps

    South Africa (Quarter-finals, won 4, lost 1)

    The warning signs should've been there when they failed to put away Samoa, but the Springboks' early exit to Australia underlined their lack of imagination in attack. With an aging and injury-ravaged side, a sweeping cleanout of South African rugby looks likely..

    Scotland (Third in Group B, won 2, lost 2)

    Missed out on the knockout games for the first time, and deservedly so. Scotland were simply listless, coming from behind to beat Romania in their first game and failing to even score a try in their final three.

    Fiji (Fourth in Group D, won 1, lost 3)

    Without doubt the single biggest disappointments of the tournament. Their lack of fight against South Africa and Samoa was puzzling but they really disgraced themselves in their 66-0 loss to Wales and now suffer the indignity of having to qualify for the next World Cup.

    Namibia (Last in group D, won 0, lost 4)

    The hopelessly-outgunned Africans conceded a whopping 266 points; 70 more than the next most porous defence in the tournament. The only highlight of a dreadful campaign was first five Theuns Koetze's three quickfire drop goals against Fiji as the Namibians briefly threatened a massive upset.

    Japan (Last in Group A, won 0, drew 1, lost 3)

    Was there a more tired phrase by the end of pool play than "John Kirwan's Brave Blossoms"? They were far from brave against the All Blacks and blew their best chance of a win against Canada. Given the level of overseas influence in Japanese rugby we expected more.

    Romania (Last in Group B, won 0, lost 4)

    The Oaks had won a game at every world cup bar 1995, but they appear on the slide, in total contrast to rivals Georgia. Apart from a near-victory over Scotland they were thoroughly outplayed as their fabled forward pack failed to make inroads.
     
  19. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    http://www.espnscrum.com/2011-rugby-world-cup/rugby/story/153099.html

    ESPNscrum's RWC 2011 Team of the Tournament


    With the World Cup over, ESPNscrum has a go at naming the team of the tournament. We have put the question to you on our Facebook page and although some have suggested a side consisting solely of All Blacks, here is our XV based on performances during the World Cup...

    15. Israel Dagg

    The fullback edged veteran Mils Muliaina in the All Blacks team during the tournament and crossed the whitewash five times in the process. Despite lacking an effective kicking game, his free-running and heads up style of rugby was a breath of fresh air.

    Unlucky to miss out: Leigh Halfpenny, Kurtley Beale

    14. Vincent Clerc

    Finishing the tournament as joint top try-scorer is no mean feat and he saved France single-handily against Canada with a late flurry of tries. His score got Les Bleus on the right foot against England and he was a constant threat on the right wing throughout.

    Unlucky to miss out: Cory Jane, Vereniki Goneva, Denis Simplikevich

    13. Ma'a Nonu

    We're cheating here as Nonu played predominantly at inside centre throughout the tournament but we simply had to get both our centres in this side. Although Conrad Smith should rightfully be lining up at outside centre, Nonu was the more impressive of the two during the tournament and it was his try against Australia which set the ball rolling as they went on to reach the final.

    Unlucky to miss out: Paul Emerick, Manu Tuilagi, Conrad Smith, Aurelien Rougerie

    12. Jamie Roberts

    The Welsh inside centre re-found his barnstorming 2009 British & Irish Lions form at just the right time. Breaking the gainline with ease and using deft hands, Roberts was the calming presence in the Welsh backline.

    Unlucky to miss out: Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, Francois Steyn

    11. George North

    The 19-year-old was in imperious form for the Welsh using his bulk and pace to great effect. He made 451 metres up to the bronze final and finished the tournament with three tries. The scary thing? He's feasibly got three more World Cups in him.

    Unlucky to miss out: Vasily Artemyev, Keith Earls, Richard Kahui, Digby Ioane

    10. Rhys Priestland

    Although the missed drop-goal against South Africa would have haunted the youngster, his ability to play flat off Mike Phillips caused opposition defences no end of worry. Perhaps the best indication of his influence was James Hook's inability to replicate Priestland's form against France in the semi-final. The fly-half turned in performances far beyond his tender years.

    Unlucky to miss out: Felipe Contepomi, Dan Carter, James Arlidge, Morne Steyn

    9. Kahn Fotuali'i

    The Ospreys bound scrum-half was a constant nuisance around the breakdown and performed superbly to unleash Samoa's dangerous backs. Although they failed to make it past the 'group of death' Fotuali'i was superb in their epic clashes with Wales and South Africa.

    Unlucky to miss out: Mike Phillips, Atsushi Hawasa, Taniela Moa, Francois Hougaard

    8. Toby Faletau

    75 tackles and none missed is an immense statistic for any back-rower and having made his debut for Wales in June, he seamlessly slotted into their engine room. He also contributed well in the points scoring department crossing the line against South Africa and Namibia

    Unlucky to miss out: Aaron Carpenter, Mamkuka Gorgodze, Imanol Harinordoquy, Sergio Parisse

    7. Thierry Dusautoir

    It was the tournament of the opensides with anyone of eight players worthy of a place in the side. Despite lifting the trophy, McCaw is just pipped by the irreplaceable Dusautoir. Having just scooped the IRB Player of the Year and the final's man-of-the-match award, he makes it very hard not to be included.

    Unlucky to miss out: Richie McCaw, Maurie Fa'asavalu, Sam Warburton, David Pocock, Julien Bonnaire, Jacques Burger

    6. Jerome Kaino

    The unsung hero of the All Blacks' campaign played every single minute of the tournament bar the last couple against Australia. A physical presence at the breakdown and a calming influence when McCaw was sidelined, Kaino was superb in every facet of the game.

    Unlucky to miss out: Dan Lydiate, Sean O'Brien, Jebb Sinclair, Schalk Burger

    5. Lionel Nallet

    The former French skipper played vice-captain to Dausautoir superbly. Superb at the line-out and around the field, Nallet was the stand-out lock of the tournament.

    Unlucky to miss out: Alun Wyn-Jones, Victor Matfield, James Horwill

    4. Brad Thorn

    The veteran was quite superb throughout and did his best to restore some normality to a faltering All Blacks lineout in the final. He crossed the line against Argentina and was an integral part of the Kiwi machine.

    Unlucky to miss out: Luke Charteris, Paul O'Connell, Danie Rossouw

    3. Nicolas Mas

    Although the France scrum was missing one third of their three muskateers in Thomas Domingo - Mas made up for it with a series of solid performances. While the other three below are unlucky to miss out, Mas anchored the scrum superbly.

    Unlucky to miss out: Adam Jones, Owen Franks, Martin Castrogiovanni

    2. William Servat

    The French lineout was one facet of their game which performed consistently well throughout the tournament. The Toulouse hooker faces stern competition for a place in the side, but without Servat they would have struggled to reach the final.

    Unlucky to miss out: Stephen Moore, Bismarck du Plessis, Marius Tincu, Mario Ledesma

    1. Tony Woodcock

    Scoring a winning try in a World Cup final is a pheneomenal feat - even more so when you are a prop. And the man can scrummage as shown through his dismantling of the Australian pack in the semi-final. A solid presence throughout, Woodcock aged just 31 looks primed to break into the centurion club if he stays fit.

    Unlucky to miss out: Gethin Jenkins, Jean Baptiste-Poux, David Khinchagishvili

    Coach: Graham Henry

    It is very hard to look past the man who delivered the World Cup back to New Zealand soil for the first time in 24 years. Despite falling short four years ago, Henry's man management was superb and he even overcame the unthinkable obstacle of a tournament ending injury for Dan Carter. A knighthood surely awaits.

    Unlucky to miss out: Marc Lievremont, Warren Gatland

    © ESPN EMEA Ltd
     
  20. Bluebirds Boyo

    Nov 26, 2006
    Bangkok, Thailand
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Wales
    Hello.
     
  21. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Congrats on the Grand Slam!
     
  22. Bluebirds Boyo

    Nov 26, 2006
    Bangkok, Thailand
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Wales
    It seems weird to win one and it not be a surprise.
     
  23. Waliatiger

    Waliatiger Member+

    Jul 1, 2013
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Been reading that rugby in France has been growing in popularity and is even rivaling soccer. What's the truth behind this?
     
  24. babaorum

    babaorum Member+

    Aug 20, 2005
    Marseille
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Rugby has been very popular in France since decades but it remains confortably behind football, except in some areas of the country (South-West France around Toulouse) in which it is indeed close or equal to football in terms of popularity. Once every four years rugby becomes the number 1 sport in the country however : during the Rugby World Cup.
     

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