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!
Scotland lost. Oh well. Now they HAVE to beat the “Auld Enemy”. It has happened before…just not that often 
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.