You are browsing the archive for 2011 rugby world cup.

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Who’d have thunk it?

23 October, 2011 in Rugby, Sport

So the 2011 Rugby World Cup is over and New Zealand are crowned World Champions, but France… ‘the worst side in the tournament’… made the All Blacks fight tooth and claw to scrabble to a one point win: amazing!

The age old question ‘which France will turn up on the day?’ never seems to go away does it? Perhaps that’s just as well to ensure cup rugby doesn’t become too boring.

France, who have not even flattered to deceive in the tournament thus far, came out fighting. New Zealand, who have sparkled from day one, were made to look second best for long periods of today’s match. Not pretty, not boring, just totally absorbing as a neutral; not sure I’d have wanted to watch as either a France or New Zealand fan today.

Final Score:

New Zealand 8 – 7 France

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Congratulations Australia!

21 October, 2011 in Rugby, Sport

Well it’s all over now for Wales and Australia with the Aussies taking the plaudits in Auckland this morning.

It is often said there’s nothing riding on the third/forth place play-off for the bronze medals at a rugby world cup, but obviously no-one told the Australian or Welsh players because both sides put their bodies on the line this morning in what turned out to be a physical encounter.

Wales may have set the tournament alight with their style of play and won many friends along the way, but with Rhys Priestland sidelined through injury they have lacked direction and certainly missed opportunities when it comes to goal kicking. This was high-lit again today with James Hook playing at stand-off and one can only wonder at what might have been had Priestland remained fit for the duration of the tournament, or Stephen Jones given more opportunity in the No 10 shirt. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Hook fan and would love to see him playing more rugby at outside-half, however I fail to understand how a player who is not regularly playing at 10 for his club can seriously be considered to fill that slot on the international stage.

Much as I’d like to have seen the Welsh boys picking up the medals (I am Welsh myself after all) and make no mistake they ought to have won the game, but for the failure to secure points with the boot again, Australia looked the better side on the day and deserved their win this morning.

What does the future hold for Wales? Nothing short of greatness I suspect with so many talented young players bursting onto the scene. The future is bright… the future is RED!

Final Score:

Wales 18 – 21 Australia

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Gutted, simply gutted

15 October, 2011 in Rugby, Sport

Wales’ World Cup dream ended in Auckland this morning when they failed to beat France in the first of the 2011 Rugby World Cup semi-finals.

It would be easy to place Wales’ defeat squarely at the feet of referee Alain Rolland (Ireland) following his bizarre and game-changing decision to red card Wales captain Sam Warburton for a ‘dangerous tackle’ on Vincent Clerc in the 19th minute of the match, but the truth is Wales missed four shots at goal, which would have seen the 14 man side safely through to next weekend’s final.

France, who lost twice in the pool stage and have seemed very much out of sorts, looked dangerous with ball in hand on occasion; stern Welsh defence prevented them crossing the whitewash however.  Morgan Parra was successful with three penalty attempts, two in the first half and one in the second.

The only try of the game was scored in the second half by Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips. Steven Jones’ conversion attempt, which would have given Wales a one point advantage, hit the upright and bounced wide.

James Hook was successful with one penalty attempt from three opportunities in the first half and Leigh Halfpenny’s shot at goal from the half-way line dipped just below the bar with just six minutes playing time remaining. Had any of the four missed chances gone home I have no doubt the end result would have been very different and Wales would have gone though to the world cup final. Despite their numerical superiority France never looked like deserving victors.

Final Score:

France 9 – 8 Wales

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Semi-final 2

9 October, 2011 in Rugby, Sport

So it’ll be Australia v New Zealand in the second semi-final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup next week… and neither side had an easy run through this morning since both South Africa and Argentina played their part at the quarter-final stage.

With France & Wales featuring in the other quarter-final the prospect of a North v South final between hosts New Zealand and most improved northern hemisphere side Wales is quite mouth watering.

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France to face Wales in semi

8 October, 2011 in Rugby, Sport

France booked their semi-final place in the 2011 Rugby World Cup by beating England in Auckland this morning; a scrappy affair in many respects with just a few snatches of individual brilliance marking the game.

In simple terms France were the better side on the day and deserved their win, despite being very much below par so far in the competition.

So England’s world cup dreams are over… one wonders whether we’ll be hearing how all the adverse press dispirited the England camp… and if we do, how the England management will justify certain member of the England squad’s behaviour.  In my view the real question is whether or not the England management will have the guts to discipline those involved in both on and off-field incidents.

Final Score:

England 12 – 19 France

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Magnificent Wales bag first semi-final slot

8 October, 2011 in Rugby, Sport

An enthralling contest in Wellington as both sides played some really excellent rugby. Stunning defence from Wales prevented Ireland from crossing the whitewash time and time again.

A try count of three to one sees Wales safely through to the semi-finals of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but those three tries are just a small part of the whole story. A truly excellent team effort with numbers one to fifteen playing for each other, massive hits in the tackle, devastating line breaks, support in the breakdown, game awareness and fitness tell more about Wales than anything. The guys in red this morning were little short of magnificent… bring on England/France!

Final Score:

Ireland 10 – 22 Wales

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Wales show the rest the way forward

2 October, 2011 in Rugby, Sport

Take note England, France & Scotland – rugby really can be played by all 15 men in the side. None of that prating around you like to think of as ‘Northern Hemisphere Rugby’ but real, open, exciting, running rugby!

A stunning performance from Wales this morning really showing their cutting edge. Yes there were still mistakes made, but the effort the lads put in to defend against determined Fijian attacks before opening the islanders up was nothing short of poetry.

Final Score from Hamilton:

Fiji 0 – 66 Wales

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Hmmm…. poor, very poor

1 October, 2011 in Rugby, Sport

Okay being Welsh I guess I may be a little biased, BUT:

France were truly dreadful against Tonga earlier this morning. Such a shame in many respects the game hadn’t been in the knock-out stages because despite losing to Tonga, France go through to a quarter-final slot, which I’m not sure they deserve.

England were not much better in their game against Scotland and I know I’ll get slated for saying that because I’m Welsh, but hey, the truth often hurts! The fact is Scotland out-performed in every area in the first half; England were made to look very much second best. Scotland however don’t seem to know where the whitewash is… they simply cannot score tries. Yes England eventually got the win this morning, but it was far from pretty. A couple of individual performances and that’s about it. The side looked leaderless, headless, fractious and insipid. That aside, England go through to the quarter-finals.

So what happens now? Well England will meet France in the quarter-final stage; what a feast of rugby that promises to be… NOT!

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Wales 81 – 7 Namibia

26 September, 2011 in Rugby, Sport

Namibia conceded 80 points for the second time in a week as Wales brushed the Pool D minnows aside to jump into second place in the table; Wales now look set for a quarter-final showdown against Ireland in Wellington on Saturday 8th October.

Tries from Scott Williams (3), George North (2), Aled Brew, Toby Faletau, Gethin Jenkins, Jonathan Davies, Lloyd Williams, Lee Byrne and Alun Wyn Jones helped Wales secure a 81 – 7 victory over a dispirited looking Namibian side at New Plymouth earlier this morning.

An interception by Nico Esterhuyse led to a fine try by fellow lock Heinz Kohl offering some crumb of consolation to Namibia, but once again the Africans looked totally outclassed.

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What game in Wellington!

25 September, 2011 in Rugby, Sport

Go Pumas! A hard fought game deservedly won by Argentina thanks to the stunning feet of Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino and his brilliant 71st minute try.

Final Score:

Argentina 13 – 12 Scotland

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