Boks Are Champs!

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The Springboks are the new holders of the Webb Ellis Cup which means that for the next four years they will carry the title of world champions everywhere they go.  South Africa had a fantastic tourney and fully deserved their win over England on Saturday night at the Stade de France. 

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The Final itself was a pretty stodgy affair with tight defense and endless kicking dominating the match.  No tries were scored in eighty minutes at Saint Denis – England’s Mark Cueto came close but was denied by the TMO – and it was the boot of Percy Montgomery that provided the winners with their relatively slim margin of victory.This is the first Rugby World Cup that I’ve covered from start to finish in the host country and what follows are a few of my most memorable moments.Quarterfinal Weekend – Watching England stun Australia in Marseille would probably have been sufficiently spectacular but it was followed up by France upsetting New Zealand later that evening, which sent the town into a partying frenzy.  It’s unlikely that we’ll every have two such huge upsets on the same day ever again at a RWC and it was extremely fun to get to experience it firsthand.

Canadian Disappointment – Canada came oh so close to beating both Fiji and Japan but in the end had to settle for a loss and a draw.  Losing at the world cup is always tough but losing when winning is right there in front of you has to be even harder to stomach.  Hopefully Ric Suggitt will get to keep his job and will continue the good work he’s done over the years.

Opening Match – The atmosphere before the tournament’s first game was incredible and the contest didn’t disappoint as Argentina vanquished hosts France to set the stage for six weeks of surprising results.  Los Pumas proved to be a serious contender and ended up finishing third overall.

Meeting the Maggots – I toured with the Maggots to the World Cups in 1999 and 2003 and was looking forward to doing so again in 2007 before work intervened.  I did manage to catch up with them in Carcassone for a night and had a magnificent time in an Irish pub watching the Argentina vs. Georgia match.  The adventure of getting to the USA vs. Tonga match the next day in Montpellier was typically Maggoty and wouldn’t have been possible without Tex’s GPS!

Interviews – I got the chance to interview a large number of former players, broadcasters, and rugby luminaries over the last six weeks but my favorite had to be Super Sport’s Kobus Wiese, a massive man and a really good guy.

People – I ran into a lot of old friends at various venues in France, Wales, and Scotland – some slightly planned and others totally out of the blue.  After a while I began to expect that I’d randomly meet somebody everywhere I went and was hardly ever disappointed.

And if you still need to watch more rugby, don’t forget that this Saturday at 10:30 am ET is the Currie Cup Final featuring a battle for feline predatory supremacy as the Cheetahs host the Lions at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein.

 
 

Argentina Spanks France

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The third place match – this year dubbed the Bronze Final – at all Rugby World Cups is a difficult one for the teams to get ready to play because after dreaming of hoisting the Webb Ellis trophy a week before, they’re now shattered to be playing in a meaningless encounter.

E-mail Brownie at MediaZone’s MailbagOriginally the consolation match had some value as the winner was spared the necessity of qualifying for the next tournament but that ended after 1999.  Now it’s just an extra fixture to generate revenue that both teams usually would rather skip.  Last night, however, Argentina used the game to show that their earlier performances in the tourney were not just flukes, that they do indeed belong amongst the top teams in the world and that they deserve to face quality opposition on a regular basis.

France, on the other hand, showed that at best they are a streaky team who can occasionally win big matches but struggle to achieve much outside of the Six Nations.  The amazing Tricolors defense that led them to victory over the All Blacks in the quarterfinals was nowhere to be seen as the Pumas ran in try after try to put the contest out of reach well before the end.  France’s highly rated backline only came alive late when the outcome was already decided.

So what does this third place finish mean for the Pumas and will it help them earn a berth in a major international competition in the near future?  The answer to the first question is that it has given the sport a huge boost of momentum back home and has raised their profile in the world game.  The answer to the second query is, unfortunately, a likely no. 

SANZAR and Newscorp rightfully don’t see any monetary advantage to adding the Pumas to the Tri Nations so it probably isn’t going to happen, at least until their current contract expires.  The Six Nations also has broadcast deals in place and the addition of six more matches would further upset the clubs who have to release their most expensive players to their countries.

So what’s the solution?  If they can’t be accommodated in an existing competition then they have to be given better touring fixtures as soon as possible because starting a new comp with North American or Islander teams would be a step backwards for the Pumas.  
At the very least they should be given a grand slam opportunity next Fall, and they should host a proper, minimum three test tour by one of the big three southern hemisphere nations each June.

What has tended to happen in the past is that whenever the top countries travel to Argentina they bring seriously under strength or even development sides, play a test or two, and then are gone without really doing much to build local excitement.  If the IRB really wants to help develop the game in a place where the play is already strong, then why not give Argentina a little extra support in this way?           

Springboks Make The Final!

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Next Saturday night in Paris the Springboks will have a chance to get their hands on the William Webb Ellis trophy for the first time since 1995.  They earned the right to play for the world title by soundly beating Argentina at Stade de France, in the process bringing joy to South African supporters all around the world.

E-mail Brownie at MediaZone’s MailbagI wonder what the odds were before the tourney for an England vs. South Africa championship match?  I wonder what the odds were for the same matchup after South Africa humiliated England 36 – 0 in the second week of pool play?  I have no doubt that it was considerably higher than the 2-1 now being offered that England will defend their crown!

Let me say right up front that I believe the Boks will overcome England in the final and emerge with their second RWC triumph.  That being said, it’s not going to be an easy win to nail down just by showing up.  South Africa finished well ahead on the scoreline in Saint Denis but they certainly didn’t play their best rugby against Argentina and England will be emboldened by their overall performance.

The Springboks are a better team than England at almost every position but the men in white have a couple of rare sports commodities going for them right now; team belief and momentum.  England will have watched the second semi and rightly thought to themselves, ‘if they play like that again, we can beat them’.  So why am I so firmly backing the Boks to win it all?  Because I expect them to understand the rarity of the opportunity, rise to the occasion, play fully up to their capabilities, and make history.

Argentina had a very good world cup.  They made it to the semis for the first time, they forced the rugby world to take notice of their progress against all odds, and they energized the fans back home into a rugby frenzy so huge that it actually knocked soccer off the front pages for at least a little while.  Normally the Bronze Final is less than meaningless but for the Pumas it is vitally important.  If they win it will allow them to end their campaign on a high note because finishing third will be their best ever result.  For France – win or lose – it can only be a disappointment as they failed in their quest to provide their countrymen with an excuse to throw one of the biggest parties ever!

On a completely different note, if you haven’t yet had a chance to check out this past weekend’s semifinals from the Currie Cup and the Air New Zealand Cup, then I suggest you do so.  Three of the four were thrillers – Auckland handily beat Hawke’s Bay – and they are well worth watching.  The ANZC Final takes place on Saturday, October 20 at 2:35 am ET and the Currie Cup Final is the following week on Saturday, October 27 at 10:30 am ET.     

England Through To The Final!

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Less than a month ago it looked like England might not even make it to the knockout stage but now after a hard fought win over France they’re going to get a shot at defending their title next Saturday night in Saint Denis. 

E-mail Brownie at MediaZone’s MailbagThe match was a typical win for England – they tackled hard, played tough in the set pieces, scored an opportunistic early try, and Jonny Wilkinson kicked two penalties and a late drop goal.

This certainly wasn’t a pretty match but it did have plenty of drama.  The crowd was barely settled into their seats when England scored the only try of the evening on a little chip ahead in the second minute.  Les Bleus looked stunned that they could be down so quickly and the gift five points obviously strengthened England’s resolve.

The contest went right down to the final minute as France tried desperately to penetrate England’s defensive curtain.  They went through several promising phases before finally knocking the ball on and booking themselves a slot in the bronze final. 

How could this team be the same one that got crushed by South Africa in the pool stages?  What did they change and how did they suddenly come right?  Can they win one more game and become the first nation to repeat as world champions?  I don’t have the answers to any of these questions but I do know that whichever country they face in the final won’t take them lightly.

And who exactly is that going to be?  I think it will be South Africa but if this tourney has shown us anything, it’s that no team is unbeatable.  On paper the Springboks should beat the Pumas but the match will be played on the grass at Stade de France and we’ve already seen Argentina pull off one massive upset there in the tournament’s opening match.

     

Madrid

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So I’m in Madrid.  Not sure exactly why but I’m glad I came because it’s a fantastic city.  Basically just wanted to get out of Paris for a couple of days and have always wanted to see the Spanish capital, so a twelve hour train ride seemed the right course of action.  I wish I could stay longer but duty calls back in France so I’ll get back on the train shortly.

E-mail Brownie at MediaZone’s MailbagThe fallout from the losses by New Zealand and Australia is certainly entertaining unless you happen to be a Kiwi or an Aussie.  In Australia it’s a fairly big deal but they’ll move on to other pursuits quickly enough.  In New Zealand it’s just the beginning of what promises to be a four-year inquisition.

Why did they lose?  Who’s to blame? How much will it cost the NZRU in lost future revenue?  Why couldn’t the world’s supposedly dominant rugby team make it past the quarterfinals?

They lost because once again they choked.  They couldn’t cope with the loss of Daniel Carter and the overall passion of the French and now they get to watch the rest of the tourney on the tube.

Graham Henry, his coaching staff, and the players who took the pitch in Cardiff are ultimately responsible for the debacle.  Rotation and reconditioning can now be considered totally useless concepts.  Having the best players on the planet prepare for the biggest moment in their lives by playing less rugby has been proven to be an abject failure.  Henry was prepared to reap the rewards of winning so now he has to pay the price for losing so early.  Administrators who gave Henry everything he wanted should also be chastised but probably not fired because so much of the other stuff they’re doing for the game in New Zealand is spot on.

People will still want to watch the All Blacks play rugby but worldwide corporate sponsors might not want to be associated with a virtually guaranteed quadrennial loser.  The All Blacks are the Alex Rodriguez of rugby.  If it seems like I’m piling on, I am.  I’m one of many who were convinced that this time it was going to be different and I’m unhappy that I was made to look foolish by picking them to win it all.  I believed that Henry was in control and all would be well.  Wrong.  

The simple fact is that after months of inactivity the All Blacks were called upon to perform and they couldn’t.  They missed the savvy of Aaron Mauger in the midfield, they suffered from Leon MacDonald’s poor kicking at fullback, and they couldn’t break through the Tricolor’s stout defensive line nearly often enough to secure victory.  But they did a great haka!

Sure, Wayne Barnes was weak.  He actually looked scared out there at times.  He definitely blew the Luke McAlister sinbinning and totally missed the Dominic Traille forward pass but blaming the referee is a cop out.  It should never have been close enough to let him make the difference.  

Hopefully this latest disaster will instill some much needed humility into the entire rugby establishment in New Zealand.  After all, they still have the best players in the world, they just can’t win when it counts!

Upset Saturday!

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Let me start off by saying that Saturday was the most amazing Rugby World Cup day I’ve ever experienced.  England and France beating Australia and New Zealand on the same day was as incredibly exciting as it was unexpected, a true double stunner that has thrown the chase for the Webb Ellis Cup wide open.

E-mail Brownie at MediaZone’s MailbagI got into Marseille on Friday afternoon and the city was already buzzing with excitement as tens of thousands of English, Australian, South African, and Welsh fans jammed into every bar and café along the harbor’s edge.  The inconvenient fact that Wales’ national team wasn’t there didn’t seem to lessen the enthusiasm of the red-clad supporters very much if at all.   All four groups plus many more of all stripes were already drinking and singing with wild abandon by about 3 pm and many were still going strong at 3 am. 

England have sent Australia home from the world cup three times, in 1995, 2003, and now 2007.  The Wallabies dearly missed the incisive running of playmaker Stephen Larkham but the real reason they lost was that they simply got manhandled up front by the English pack.  Right to the very end I thought Australia was going to somehow pull out the win but it wasn’t to be and as a result their quest for a third world title is over.

The Australian rugby public wasn’t necessarily expecting this team to go all the way to the final on October 20 but it was sort of a given that at the very least they’d make the semifinals so there’s plenty of disappointment down under right about now.  There are significant changes coming to the Wallabies in the very near future, including a new coach and a new era without George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, and probably Chris Latham as well.        

The huge numbers of England fans thoroughly enjoyed their team’s victory and it essentially wiped the slate clean of all the disappointing outing in the last year because instead of heading home early they’re still the defending champions and they’re still in the tournament! 

After the match Marseille was jumping once again.  I walked back to my hotel from the Stade Velodrome amongst a moving sea of supporters.  The police had shut off many of the streets around the harbor and they were flooded with rugby people.  Ray Viers, Dave Sitton, Mark Thomas, Johnnie Cocks and I settled in at O’Malley’s pub for some Guinness and some more rugby on the tube from Cardiff.  What happened next is still a little bit unbelievable. 

At numerous points in the match it looked like New Zealand was going to pull away from France and put their demons to rest but lightning struck again in the form of another passionate French performance.  The atmosphere in the bar – which was packed to the rafters with singing Frenchmen – was electric and after the Tricolors emerged victorious the whole city seemed to get an enormous boost of energy. 

Les Bleus have beaten the favorite All Blacks and that means the entire nation will be keyed up for a repeat of 1998 when France won the soccer world cup at the Stade de France.  Awesome!    

 

Random People At Rugby World Cup

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One of the best things about attending matches at the Rugby World Cup is that you never know who you’re going to run into.  I’ve been here in France for about a month now and almost every game I’ve gone to, I’ve seen someone I know from my rugby past.  And I’m not talking about pre-arranged meetings with definite times and places, these are the kind that just happen.

E-mail Brownie at MediaZone’s MailbagOne of the first guys I ran into was Bernard Frei, the sponsor of Brownie’s Rugby Bunker on World Cup Tour, outside of Parc des Princes before the South Africa vs. Samoa match kicked off.  I assumed that he’d be at some of the matches but seeing him there was a complete coincidence.

The next person who I saw out of the blue was Scott ‘Sammy’ Littell.  Sammy is from Milwaukee and has been to all of the world cups.  He toured with the Oxy Olde Boys to Australia in 2003 and is reputed to have an awesome rugby museum in his basement back home.  I vividly remember distracting bartenders in Brisbane while he liberated memorabilia for his collection.  I saw Sammy before the USA vs. Tonga match in Montpellier.

Twice I ran into Lyndon and Jay from the Hawaii Harlequins, once in Cardiff and once in Paris but unfortunately never had a real chance to talk to them on either occasion.

It was also in Cardiff that I ran into Neil Lakin outside of Millennium Stadium prior to the Australia vs. Wales clash.  Neil is a buddy from the Oxy Olde Boys and I ended up bunking at his mate’s place in Caerphilly that evening after a big night out at The Swan Pub.  If you watch the Brownie’s Rugby Bunker episode from the Canada vs. Fiji match I mistakenly called it the ‘Swamp’ Pub.

One of the most exceptional bits of happenstance was seeing my old club (Rigas Miesnieks) and national team (Latvija) coach Uldis Bautris in the press room in Cardiff.  What made it so entertaining was that I’d seen him exactly twice before then in the last eight years; once at the South Africa vs. Australia semifinal in 1999 at Twickenham and once in the pool stages in Australia in 2003.  Uldis is a tireless worker for rugby in Latvija and still coaches Miesnieks.  

One of the biggest shocks was running into Viz in St. Etienne before the USA vs. Samoa fixture.  I figured he might be there but we hadn’t actually talked since the USA Sevens in San Diego so it was pretty cool when he strolled up and we did the open just like the old days!

Back in Paris I saw Eric Taber at the Italy vs. Portugal game.  Taber was a little different in that we’d traded a few emails but when we saw each other at Parc des Princes it was just coincidence as we’d made plans to connect later in the week.  Taber is a former intern from The Rugby Club and also a Maggot and Oxy Olde Boy.

Tomorrow I’m on a train to Marseille and no doubt will run into even more old friends at the quarterfinals!

The Quarterfinals Are Set!

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Now the fun really begins!  Eight teams have qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament which begins next Saturday.  There were some exciting contests in the final weekend of pool play but only one real upset as Fiji toppled Wales to earn their first ever quarterfinal berth.  Italy came close to beating Scotland but missed a crucial kick that would have given them the victory.  Here’s how the quarters shape up.

The first quarterfinal takes place in Marseille and features Pool B winners Australia taking on Pool A runners-up England in a rematch of the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final.  The bad news for the Wallabies is that they’re going to have to make do without flyhalf Stephen Larkham whose knee problems continue to sideline him.  I can’t see England winning this match even with youngster Berrick Barnes wearing number ten.  Australia’s defense is too tight for England to crack and the Wallabies’ backline should be able to slice up the defending champions. 

The second quarterfinal will be played in Cardiff and pits New Zealand against France.  This match-up wasn’t supposed to happen this early but since the French didn’t win their pool, they have to make the trip to Wales to take on the tourney favorites.  The All Blacks have yet to be seriously challenged so it’s going to be a huge step up in intensity when they meet the Tricolors at Millennium Stadium on Saturday night.  This is a battle that is going to leave one very disappointed loser.  If it’s the All Blacks, New Zealand will go into prolonged mourning.  If it’s Les Bleus, all France will suffer a notable letdown in enthusiasm for the tournament.  I think this one will go to the All Blacks.

The third quarterfinal is on Sunday in Marseille and it features South Africa and Fiji.  The Fijians shocked Wales in Nantes on Saturday but in the process they lost their field general – flyhalf Nicky Little – to a leg injury.  It’s going to be very difficult for the Fijians to find as many holes in South Africa’s defense as they did in Wales’ and I imagine their task will be made even harder because they won’t get nearly as much ball to work with.  It’s a great accomplishment for Fiji to make it this far but they won’t be going any farther because the Springboks are simply a much better overall side.   

The last quarterfinal was supposed to have France playing at home in front of a packed house but instead it will be Argentina taking on Scotland at Stade de France.  Scotland might be the weakest of the eight teams in the quarters and I just don’t see how they’re going to stop the Pumas from advancing to the semis.  Scotland played just well enough to win against the Italians but will find the going significantly more difficult on Sunday night against Argentina.  The Pumas’ defensive work has been outstanding so far in the tourney and I expect them to easily throttle the Scots.

I’d love to be in Cardiff next weekend but I made the decision before the world cup began to travel to Marseille to catch those two quarters instead.

England Makes the Quarterfinals!

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I just got back from Parc des Princes where England overpowered Tonga by a score of 36-20 in the final pool match for both teams.  Tonga got off to an outstanding start but couldn’t sustain their early accuracy against a determined and very physical England.

It was always going to be an uphill battle for the Ikale Tahi to overcome the men in white with a berth in the knockout stage on the line and the defending champions were up to the task.  Tonga needed to play almost perfect footy to get the win and they just couldn’t pull it off despite strong matches from the likes of Hale T-Pole, Nili Latu, and Finau Maka.

Tonga put in a good showing at this world cup and the fact that they were even considered to be serious contenders to get into the top eight shows just how far they’ve come since before the tourney began.  What killed them tonight was falling asleep on the first Sackey try, untimely and unforced handling errors, and an inability to stop England from mauling at will.

England’s victory sets up an intriguing quarterfinal down in Marseille next weekend as they take on Australia in a rematch of the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final.  I don’t think that England has much chance of beating the Wallabies but there are several things beginning to work in their favor. 

First, England will have bolstered their self-belief quite a bit by delivering two decent efforts in a row against Samoa and Tonga.  A tight win over either after a sluggish outing against the USA and a pitiful performance against South Africa would have seen them limp into the first elimination round.  Sure, beating these sides should have been easier for them but wins are wins and confidence is a funny thing in sport, often having to do far less with reality than narrow perception.

Second, Stephen Larkham is out indefinitely with a knee infection that was caused by his most recent round of arthroscopic surgery on that troublesome joint.  Berrick Barnes stepped in and filled the void well against Wales and Fiji but facing an old rival like England is a step up in intensity.  I like Barnes and know he’s Australia’s flyhalf of the future but Larkham is such a big game player that anyone trying to fill his place is going to struggle to perform at his level.   

That being said, I’m certainly not rushing out to put any wagers on England beating Australia because I think the Wallabies are going to do the business next weekend and move on to the semifinals.

Tomorrow I’m going to watch four matches at a variety of Irish pubs in town but the two biggest are Fiji vs. Wales and Scotland vs. Italy in virtual quarterfinals.  Once again I’m hoping that the Fijians can work some magic and upset the established order a bit but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Wales has as easy a time getting through to the last eight tomorrow as England did tonight! 

No Wins for North America!

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Before the World Cup started I picked the USA to win one match and Canada to win two.

I figured that the Eagles would be able to at least beat the seemingly dysfunctional Tongans and that the Canadians would overcome both Fiji and Japan.  It sounded good at the time but it proved to be a totally inaccurate prediction that was most likely skewed by desire to see both countries perform well on the sport’s biggest stage.

The last two days were not great ones for the rugby teams from Canada and the USA.  On Tuesday we flew into Bordeaux from Edinburgh and were prepared to watch Canada beat Japan.  And it looked like that was exactly what would happen except that at the end the Canadians couldn’t hold their discipline and the Cherry Blossoms wouldn’t give up. 

The ending was thoroughly dramatic.  All Canada had to do was hang onto the ball for a few more phases and they would have won.  Instead, a kick was launched directly into touch a tad early, Japan proceeded to draw a succession of penalties that kept the game alive, and eventually scored from a final infringement that was ruled on by the TMO.  And to top it all off, the Japan had to convert from about five meters in from touch to secure the draw at the death.

On Wednesday we returned to Paris briefly and got right back on the train to St. Etienne – something about there not being trains between Bordeaux and St. Etienne – to watch the USA play Samoa.  Prior to the tourney I would have given the USA no chance to beat Samoa but since they’d been playing less than stellar rugby and they’d lost to Tonga in an island grudge match, I believed that the Eagles could sneak a win against them.  Wrong again.

After the first quarter it looked like Manu Samoa was going to run away with it when they got tries from Lome Fa’atau and Alesana Tuilagi.  A third five pointer from Kane Thompson seemed to seal the deal.  Going into halftime down 22-3 I thought that the Eagles were out of it but they fought back in the second half, just not quite enough.

What this means is that for the first time ever, the two North American qualifiers are going to go home without a single win between them.  I know that they each still have a match left but if you really believe that the USA is going to beat South Africa or that Canada is going to upset Australia then I’d love to do some betting with you!

So why can’t the USA and Canada beat the pool opponents who are closest to them in the world rankings?

I think some of it has to do with professionalism.  Many if not most of the islanders are playing rugby for money in top level set-ups.  All the players on the Japanese team are also full-time pros.  This gives them a couple of advantages over the handful of Americans and decent bunch of Canadians who have contracts.  First, they are immersed in the sport because everyone around them is on the same page thinking about rugby.  And second, they face a regular diet of quality opposition whereas the North American based players tend to be stars who play for the best teams in their competitions.  That doesn’t necessarily help them that much in getting better.

I think a good example of this is the Georgian team.  They finally got their first win and are playing some cohesive, forward oriented rugby.  Not terribly exciting I’ll admit but it has proven effective for them.  And where do they learn it?  By playing mostly in the French second division, mostly as semiprofessionals, but almost all participating in a competition that tests them every week.

Okay, so now that I’ve isolated the problem all we need to do is either get a new pro league in North America or figure out a way to export five times as many players to different competitions around the world!

This weekend is going to be huge and I’ll be attending and reporting back from England vs. Tonga, Fiji vs. Wales, and Ireland vs. Argentina.