A Big Week Ahead

So here we go, the last week of Pool Games before the Quarter Finals are defined, and there is still a fair bit to play for. While New Zealand know where they will be playing, they still don't know who, and the other 3 groups don't officially have anything decided, even if, to all intents and purposes, the draw should end up looking like this:

New Zealand vs Scotland/Argentina/England
winners to play
South Africa vs Australia

England/Argentina/Scotland vs France
winners to play
Ireland vs Wales

If you held a gun to my head and asked me what I thought, I, along with most, would probably say New Zealand vs Argentina and England vs France.

For Scotland to qualify, they need to beat England and either match or better their total of bonus points. Should that happen and Argentina beat Georgia with a bonus point, England can be eliminated. Should teams finish level, the head-to-head result is taken, which means anything could happen. Should all 3 teams finish on 14 points, it goes on tries scored. Confused yet? Here's hoping England win to avoid the need for the calculators. Obviously the fact that I'm English has a certain weight in this.....

Wales could in theory lose out, but they would need to lose to Fiji and see Samoa beat South Africa. South Africa could also lose out in that scenario, but given the Welsh and Springbok form, either of those losing would be a big surprise.

 Ireland and Australia could theoretically switch places, but that would need an Irish loss to Italy, and close though that came to happening in Rome earlier this year, I can't see them being, as Edmund Blackadder once said, "at home to Mr Cock-up" this time.

France could also conceivably lose out, but that would mean them losing to Tonga, by more than 8 points, with Tonga scoring 4 tries and France not.

Team of the World Cup..... so far
Pretty arbitrary this, but in my opinion, with brief (I promise) explanations:

1. Cian Healy (IRE) - Immense against the Aussies
2. William Servat (FRA) - He IS the French front row
3. Gethin Jenkins - a prop picked for a 40-yard try, a dummy and a sidestep on the way.
4. Paul O'Connell (IRE) - Back to his brutal best after injury
5. Danie Rossouw (SAF) - Botha and Matfield's are big boots to fill. He hasn't needed an extra pair of socks
6. Stephen Ferris (IRE) - 4 Irishmen in the pack? The effort against Australia deserves it
7. Sean O'Brien (IRE) - Dominant against Australia and Russia as Ireland gained momentum
8. Juan Martin Fernandez-Lobbe (ARG) - Talismanic effort against England and early against Scotland. Will be missed
9. Will Genia (AUS) - 1 bright spot for dismal Australia
10. Daniel Carter (NZL) - No fly half has really taken the tournament by the scruff of the neck yet. Carter did against France, so he gets the nod (for now)
11. Richard Kahui (NZL) - Consistently impressive
12. Ma'a Nonu (NZL) - Head and shoulders above every other centre on show
13. Frans Steyn (SAF) - Moved to centre, and impressed enormously since
14. Chris Ashton (ENG) - Leading try scorer, busy in every game
15. Israel Dagg (NZL) - Power, pace and precision

Itinerary
As any regular reader will know, I depart these shores on Wednesday afternoon and after a brief passage by the time-space continuum where I go back in time to suddenly go forward a day as I land in New Zealand, I will be landing in time for the weekend's do-or-die encounters.

I will be updating as and when I can from my hotel room, but here is a rough guide to the itinerary:

Sept 30th to October 3rd - Auckland (including England vs Scotland)
October 4th to October 8th - Queenstown
October 8th and 9th - Auckland (including both Eden park quarter finals)
October 10th and 11th - Wellington
October 12th to 14th - Rotorua
October 15th and 16th - Auckland (including both Semi Finals)
October 17th to 10th - To be arranged
October 21st to 25th - Auckland (including 3rd Place game and Final)

So seven games, three internal flights and probably 2 road trips. I intend to sample almost everything New Zealand life has to offer, though my current knee ligament injury will preclude a bungee jump (I'm well up for it, it's the knee that's stopping me honest).

I'll be hoping to grab some time with some big names of rugby past and present while there, so if I do manage to do that, there will hopefully be the odd Q & A session added here, to change things up a bit.... keep 'em peeled.

And finally....
The injustice has been talked about, and I have defended the IRB, but I really feel for Namibia. 4 games in 16 days is ridiculous when New Zealand will have played 4 games in 23. The Poll that people have been studiously avoiding, suggested people would be open to a 24 team tournament. I think it's time for the IRB to start standing up to the bigger Nations and insisting that they play 1 of the games at a non-peak slot, maybe against the smaller nation in the group, so that all teams have the level playing field they deserve.

There have been some strange Man of the Match awards at this tournament, with many of the lesser sides getting pummelled and seeing one of their side named MOTM. Gorgodze of Georgia against England, Du Plessis of Namibia in a drubbing by Wales are two that spring to mind. I'm still at a loss to explain how Ruaraidh Jackson (no, not how that first name can be said Rory) was named MOTM against Argentina.

3 ITV pundits (Evans, Dempsey and Fitzpatrick) were convinced Contepomi was offside. 3 NZ experts on host TV coverage were convinced it was not. Whatever the story, Scotland and referee Wayne Barnes could learn from the video. Scotland, rather than going towards the post to set up the drop and tying in Contepomi and the rest of the midfield, inexplicably went to the wing leaving the Puams an open route to Parks's right boot. Mr Barnes, was concentrating so much on the ruck, that he never even cast the slightest glance at the Argentinian line looking for offside. It may or may not have been offside, but if the referee doesn't look, it's irrelevant, and he's 'guessing'.

Beware the wounded Scot. I'm sure England will be ready for marauding warriors as Andy Robinson's men know what they have to do. There is history (Grand Slam in 1991; Grand Slam party-poopers in a rainy Murrayfield in 2000) but Martin Johnson and his coaching team will I'm sure not let complacency sink in this week.

In a poll for l'Equipe, the French sports newspaper, 64% of people said they had no confidence in Marc Lievremont. I'm sure given the way he looks at things, he thinks that's a good showing....

Fiji, quarter finalists 4 years ago, have slumped to their lowest ever World Ranking (16). After the last round of games. For the record, Argentina and Scotland swapped places (8 & 9), Samoa moved up to 10, relegating Italy and Canada to 11 and 12, while Tonga and Georgia leaped over Japan and Fiji (13th to 16th in that order). Doe these mean anything? Probably not, but at the top end, New Zealand are well clear, and that reflects performances so far I believe.

England are back up to 30, after Thomas Waldrom was finally announced as replacement for Andrew Sheridan. A Number 8 for a prop, A New Zealander for an Englishman. Nick Easter has been given till Sunday (Easter/Sunday - too many gags are possible so I won't bother.... yet) and if he fails a fitness test he will be replaced. Given the first swap, maybe a 38 year-old ex fly-half who hasn,t played for 14 years is an option.... I warm a mean bench if you're reading Jonno.

Harlequins continue to lead the way in the English Premiership. Though this week's start performers were Saracens, who came away from Welford Road, Leicester having put 50 points on an ever-more depleted Tigers side (Waldrom is a Tiger for those not in the know). Hard times for Leicester indeed. Exeter also continued their good start as the Premiership, as is its wont every 4 years, turns itself on its head while the International players are away.

Clermont still lead the way in France, with Toulouse scraping by Agen this weekend and following three points behind. The 26 game season in France is a long one, and many sides have seen huge departures to the World Cup (Argentinians, Italians, Georgians, Englishmen and even the odd Frenchman). There will be some tired legs come the Heineken Cup Final and the Top 14 Final next summer.

That's all for now folks. There may be more tomorrow evening, but if not, forgive me if there is no entry till Friday, as I will be in a metallic bird flying off on the adventure of a life line.

Any questions, criticism, etc can be sent here as a Comment, to my e-mail marktheeggchaser@googlemail.com or on my Twitter account @theeggchaser (follow me and add me to your #ff list if you don't mind).

See y'all soon