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.