Anyone else following the fortunes of the twenty nations currently battling it out for the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand? New Zealand France Tonga Canada Japan England Scotland Argentina Georgia Romania Australia Ireland Italy USA Russia South Africa Samoa Wales Fiji Namibia http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/fixtures/poolstage.html

Of course! Ireland got a good start this time. I cheer for Namibia and Tonga too for no particular reason. Matches are on odd time and it’s kind of weird to start drinking at 8 in the morning but you simply can’t watch rugby without beer.

I have always loved the game. Will be drawn in as usual.

Nice to see England above Scotland in the table ;-). Stefan

@Walrus1985 When hasn’t that been the case since 1990? My great-uncle was chairman of the SRU for a couple of years just after the '90 Grand Slam…don’t think the national team replicated their success to any real extent during his tenure! As far as RWC 2011 goes, I’m frustratingly unable to watch it due to my laptop being slow and ITV insisting on uploading the games in HD. Far too juddery!

I would love to watch these games but since I’m in America and the games are in New Zealand most of the matches take place far too early 3-5am or so my time so I am unfortunately unable to keep up with them

Of course! Ireland got a good start this time. I cheer for Namibia and Tonga too for no particular reason. Ireland’s feeble win over minnows USA was unconvincing, but beating Australia 15-6 was a delight to watch for the shell-shocked expression on Aussie faces. After Ireland experiencing four consecutive losses before the tournament few thought they could win against the mighty Wallabies. Ireland now plays Russia this Sunday, but the result is almost a foregone conclusion, as is England’s match against Romania the same day. Today’s New Zealand v France match is better sport. France might win, but the mightfulness is terrific - indeed they are already 19 points down after 25 minutes.

I cheer for Namibia too since their team must be the most inept contender in the entire tournament. But at least their recent 87-0 defeat by South Africa shows improvement since the 2003 tournament. The Australians sportingly fielded their B-team against Namibia in 2003 and still beat them 142-0. The match involving Tonga I particularly recall was not based on sporting prowess, but the ridiculous pre-match war dance Polynesian teams perform. In 2003 the All Blacks performed the Haka nose to nose with their opponents simultaneously engaged in the Sipi Tau. Such a lot of fierce posturing. Such a lot of nonsense.

Good reasons there to cheer for Namibia and Tonga! Ireland should win Russia easily tomorrow but it is interesting to see Vasily Artemyev, who played rugby and studied here in Dublin at Blackrock College and UCD 2002-2008. He is one of us, even speaks English with Dublin accent!

I will be rooting for Ireland as well after Scotland’s (almost) inevitable demise. I live in England and love the place dearly, but can’t quite bring myself to cheer for the rugger team!

South Africa is defending their title but we, as fans, have little hope because our stubborn, so called coach keep on selecting old has beens like Habana, Matfield and Smith. As for Namibia against South Adrica, Namibia was quite lucky to get that nil points, it could have been worse.

Didn’t one of the Namibian players at the last world cup, play international cricket as well? Can’t remember where I read that, it just seems to stick in my mind. Stefan

The All Blacks looked formidable against France. I understand the French have an easier draw…and they are notoriously unpredictable, volatile, mercurial, so perhaps they are not finished yet. Hats off as usual to New Zealand for continuing to play the game just about as well as it can be played. Lovely running.

“South Africa is defending their title but we, as fans, have little hope because our stubborn, so called coach keep on selecting old has beens like Habana, Matfield and Smith.” Much the same criticism was levelled at the 2003 England squad (grumpy old men), and we all know how that tournament ended. Anyway, Habana and Matfield didn’t, I recall, play in the win against Fiji.

“Didn’t one of the Namibian players at the last world cup, play international cricket as well? Can’t remember where I read that, it just seems to stick in my mind.” Yes, Rudi van Vuuren. He participated in both the Cricket and Rugby World Cups of 2003.

Scotland v Argentina tomorrow should be interesting. The Puma’s believe the Scottish scrum is too weak and inexperienced, but whether the Argentine pack tramples them underfoot remains to be seen. If Scotland win (which they should, given their forwards) then they are set up for a tussle with the auld enemy in the final pool match. Any match between England and Scotland or Wales annoys me over the increasingly vexed question of anthems. As a nation England has been unified since the days of good king Athelstan in 927. Strange, then, that alone amongst the competing nations, England is the only one still without even a de facto national anthem. France has “La Marseillaise”, Wales has “Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau“, Scotland has the unofficial “Flower of Scotland”, but England - like the little piggy in the rhyme - has none. http://anthem4england.co.uk/

It should be Jerusalem. That’s got to be one of the most stirring, songs to get you wound up before a match. Altogether now! #And did those feet in ancient times Walk upon England’s mountains green? And was the Holy Lamb of God On England’s pleasent pastures seen? And did the countenance divine Shine forth upon those clouded hills? And was Jerusalem build’ed here Among those dark Satanic mills? Bring me my bow of burning gold! Bring me arrows of desire, Bring me my spear, oh clouds unfold Bring me my chariot of fire! I will not cease from mental fight Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand, Till we have built Jerusalem In England’s green and pleasent land!# Thank you. Stefan

I’d think we’d go with Elgar. Though the idea of England as a land of mystics after Blake does appeal. Watched the unfortunate Scots a few minutes ago. The big clashes are coming up. I like the idea of a Namibian CB Fry. (I think Fry’s were cricket, soccer, and Olympic gold long jump. He was born just down the road from me in this fascinationg laughing stock of a town.)

South Africa won by one point against Fidji. Samoa is going to beat Fidji. South Africa plays Samoa on Friday. South Africa is going to lose against Samoa. Agree??

Pieter, the logic seems there - but I think SA will be digging a little deeper.

Jerusalem is beautiful. The orchestration gives me goosebumps (I always sing it proud during the Proms, even though I’m from north of the border!) One must bear in mind, however, that Blake was an anti-establishment mentalist. If he were alive today, he would probably be horrified to learn that his subversive poem has achieved national anthem status!

during the northern ireland football ( soccer ) games they played danny boy for the anthem not sure if they still do

The SA-Fiji score was 49-3

Stefan Certain national anthems (especially those of some Latin countries) are almost complete operas. That of El Salvidor is a good example. It’s just as well these anthems are rarely heard at sporting events since there would be very little time for anything else. Anthems often express glorification of the nation and stirring tales of magnificent deeds past and present. Jerusalem, by contrast, admits the imperfection of society, and while Blake’s Jerusalem can never be completed by any nation a sincere desire to constantly improve nationhood is a worthy one. Indeed Parry wrote the music for Blake’s wonderful verses in the cause of women’s suffrage in 1916. England used Jerusalem as the unofficial anthem at the Commonwealth games last year. I’d like it to be used at all of England’s sporting fixtures. Keep GSTK/Q and the union flag for the union, as was intended.

“South Africa won by one point against Fidji. Samoa is going to beat Fidji. South Africa plays Samoa on Friday. South Africa is going to lose against Samoa. Agree?” Not sure I follow you there, Pieter. South Africa beat Fiji 49-3. I don’t yet know what the full SA squad will be and injuries have taken their toll, but SA can afford to lose against Samoa. We’ll see. It won’t be easy against Samoa although a quarter-final match against Australia is likely.

Wherever you are in the world and if you haven’t watched international Rugby, the Scotland/England game kicks off at 8:30 UK time this morning. This might provide an interesting experience if you are new to the game.

Wonderful Toby. Johny managed to keep his self-respect, and England in the game. Toby’s boot looked better and he released Ashton with a beautiful pass. I have just received Viking Brown and Dark. I fully agree with P that the Dark is specially good. Saturday mornings do not get better than this.

Drat and confound it, I missed the game - the one I really, really wanted to watch. Spent last night and the early hours discussing the forthcoming match, but the unusual richness of the wine and the soporific company caused me, like Epimenides of old to oversleep. By the time I bounced out of bed it was all over. Can almost feel Shakespeare’s scorn …and gentlemen in England now-a-bed. shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap,… Bother, damnation etc.

You will at least be able to watch the highlights. Thoungh I perhaps spoiled any plan you had of remaining willfully ignorant of the outcome, and if this is so I apologise. Thoroughly agree with you that The proposition ‘Viking dark is strong’ is true and only true if Viking dark is strong, moreover Viking Dark is stong.

@PhilipS, yes I’m sorry, I got mixed up with SA vs Wales! De Villiers selected his strongest team available against Samoa so it’s clear that they know it’s not going to be a walk over.

Lovely northern hemisphere fixtures: Ireland/Wales. England/France. (France mercurial: crap at the moment, but do they Flatter to Deceive?)

I have work to do on Saturday morning. This is a personal tragedy. Despite their form I expect France to be formidable and there could be a heck of a battle. But must make some money before it all disappears into some one else’s outsize pockets,

Im thinking in the Semi Finals it will be England v Wales and South Africa v New Zealand. If that turns out to be the case they would be two absolutely cracking games, and we’ll hopefully see an England v New Zealand Final…fair way to go yet though.

Ireland vs Wales’ll be exciting for sure. Only pairing w/o clear favourite. Hope Ireland makes it this time!

"Im thinking in the Semi Finals it will be England v Wales and South Africa v New Zealand. If that turns out to be the case they would be two absolutely cracking games, and we’ll hopefully see an England v New Zealand Final…fair way to go yet though. " Let’s see how things go against France in Auckland tomorrow. Remember that unpredictable France defeated New Zealand in the 1999 and 2007 tournaments. An aspect that worries me is that France has been criticised (and rightly so) for their abysmal performance so far. It’s worrying because they, the French, have the nasty gallic habit of confounding critics. Just look at the England-France match in the last World Cup. That was billed as Le Crunch, where les bleus and their fearsome pack in particular were destined to trample England underfoot. Of course the French lost because they were expected to win (or was it that England won because they were expected to loose?) Neither France or England are particularly disciplined and I shouldn’t wonder if we see a little unauthorised violence tomorrow, perhaps like the England-France 1991 World Cup quarter final at the Parc de Princes. That match was full of players fighting and there were two mass brawls. Who can forget poor Nigel Heslop, caught by Serge Blanco and Eric Champ and viciously punched unconscious, right under President Mitterand’s gallic nose. Les blues have been mauled in this tournament and, like a wounded animal, are supremely dangerous - especially against the old foe. Hopefully they simply will roll over and die, but England is right to be extremely wary.

Final: France vs Australia

Well…I was wrong there then, looks like Les Blues finally got their act together, and England forgot how to play rugby. Wales v France is going to be and excellent match.

Yes, as feared, the ghost of Napoleon directed this one.

Glad I was at work. This would have gutted me.

Our coach has learned a lesson; you can’t win the world cup with has beens. We told him this 1,356,978 times but he would not listen. Now it’s to late.

Ragged defence, too many knock-ons and conceded penalties through ill-discipline, uninspired loose play and poor passing/off-loads with silly mistakes in set pieces and feeble goal kicking from England. While her consistently mediocre performance was good enough to beat group teams it was bound to fail against a world class team. Unfortunately France (which lost two pool matches and was only in the quarter finals by an undeserved miracle) played a class act yesterday, brutally exposing England‘s limitations at this level. Well, at least Britain has one team left for the quarter finals. The youthful Welsh side have played impressively, beating Pool C winners, a very experienced Irish line up. If Wales don’t win the tournament (and the iff-fullness is terrific) then I’d like to see the favourites win, New Zealand. If NZ or Oz win the cup then Britain (minus Wales) can feel they’ve won a quarter of it (the handles and the base at least), as this is equivalent to the area of the ANZAC’s national flags covered by the Union Jack.

Pieter, Not unsurprisingly De Villiers has quit as Springboks coach. What, by the way, was missy’s prognosis?

Your bitter quotation of Hal V after missing the Scots should have been saved for Friday night…

OK so I got 2 right, 2 wrong. Aus beating SA was a bit of a suprise, but obviously Aus v NZ is going to be a tasty match whatever happens. Wales v France should be pretty interesting, both have big hard hitting packs and I can see it turning into a bit of a grinder. Wales v NZ for the final me thinks.

@PhilipS, a biopsy confirm the mesothelioma and life expectency is between 4 and 18 months. Doctors may try chemo therapy but that will only be trying to bring back a bit of quality life for her. Her health is detorating at an alarming speed, she weighs 52kg only and has got no energy. Breathing is difficult, she’s coughing and I’m wondering whether she will still be with us by end of this year. But, we’ve placed this whole trauma in the hands of out Higher Power, that’s all we can do know. Thanks for asking and take care. Pietet

@Pieter, I’ve tried to PM you but my connection is rubbish, if you ever want to talk PM me. I know what you are going through I’ve seen my best friend, and uncle taken by cancer, it is horrendous beyond words. If you want a chat, the offer is there. My thoughts, prayers and condolences to you both. Take it easy and enjoy every moment. Stefan

I’m so sorry, Pieter.

How is it possible France did nothing to get to final? If you are Welsh and see this post, your team was heroic and deserved better.

Sending off the Wales captain after eighteen minutes of play seems to have courted controversy. However, tip tackles where a player is lifted off his feet, tipped upside down and dropped or driven into the ground head first were deemed red-card offences right at the start of this tournament. Vincent Clerc isn’t a big fellow by rugby standards and unintentionally up-ending him was easy for the captain. Too easy. A heavier player would have kept shoulders above hips and Sam Warburton wouldn’t have been sent off. Isaac Newton could probably explain all this in more erudite terms but he is dead. It was very much a display of "Ils ne passeront pas” by the French. Only good kicking would have saved the day for Wales, but they were found wanting. Overall, a huge disappointment. I’m hoping now that New Zealand defeats Australia tomorrow and beats France in the final.

Magnificent New Zealand to hold France in such good form.

French were very good but cheers for New Zealand! It’s their game anyway. Epic struggle final was, players were totally exhausted.

It was one of the most sustained displays of hard physical contact I’ve seen. The two sides just threw themselves at each other throughout the whole match. Those who wrote off the French early on made a school boy error in my view. What a fine equipe. Amazing that NZ could contain them as they did.

Most people I know wanted France to win, to bring the trophy to the upper hemisphere for a change, and with one point in it the match could so easily have gone either way. New Zealand defence during the last fifteen minutes was particularly good - one almost expected a conceded penalty at the least in the face of incessant French attack but it was not to be. Glad that NZ won, but feel very sorry for France, loosing so cruelly by just one point.

Yes the discipline shown by NZ in holding them like that without the fatal error was superbon. The French had nothing to be ashamed of.