RWC Day 1: A Haka, A Pimp Suit and Sonny Delight

So finally the day dawned, and the 24 year wait for the Rugby World Cup to return to the stadium where the first final had been played was over. The host welcoming the world with a show based on Maori culture and a rugby journey. The young boy undergoing the rugby journey poignantly sporting the colours of Canterbury as a reminder that there is 1 rugby city in New Zealand which is undergoing a far different time currently (far removed from the sporting party they were expecting, the citizens of Christchurch are re-building after the terrible earthquakes which ravaged the city). At the end of his journey, he met up with a bizarrely clad Jonah Lomu (black pinstriped suit, white tie, white shoes) who looked as if he had walked straight off the set of Starsky and Hutch having guest starred as a pimp. A haka, a stirring rendition of the rugby hymn World In Union and the de rigueur speeches from the host Prime Minister and the head of the IRB Bernard Lapasset and it was time for the fireworks to light the Auckland skyline.

Ceremonies over, the field was cleared and the teams entered the fray for the traditional anthems. Tonga then gave us their haka, which was responded to by the All Blacks in customary style; Ali Williams seemingly unable to stop his feet moving in the general direction of the Tongans. We were then left with a strange spectacle; 2 sides, whipped into the frenzy of battle by their tribal war cries, forced to wait for fully 2 minutes while the host broadcaster went to an ad break. The fervour which had built in the crowd diminished as referee calmly held up proceedings (the notoriously ad-hungry ITV in the UK, who had given us 7 ad breaks in the hour leading up didn't even bother going to the break) and it was a relatively benign beginning which followed given everything that had gone before.

New Zealand started, I thought, nervously, with Carter's boot not operating to its full efficiency. That said, it was a short-lived edginess, and when they exploded into life (to continue the firework analogy) they certainly burned the fingers of the Tongans. After an early Carter penalty, the All Blacks started throwing the ball around with gay abandon. It was almost too carefree at times, and the back line frequently resembled a disorganised mess, but with Sonny Bill Williams at his majestic offloading best, showing the sleight of hand of David Copperfield, with Kahui and Dagg looking extremely sharp at the back, and with Carter playing flat and looking to pass, the tries started coming. There were 4 in the first half (2 each for Dagg and Kahui) and three of these were converted by Carter, Tonga closed the half with a penalty of their own, and a score of 29-3 was illuminated around Eden Park as the sides wandered into the dressing rooms for half time.

As the sides re-took the field, most of the talk was about how many points it would be for the All Blacks. Tonga had shown very little, and the All Blacks cut through them at will in the latter stages of the first half. However, there was too much individuality in the early stages of the second half. Isolated players gave away penalties, the game was made too complicated, and how Toeava didn't score when sent clear was beyond me. Toeava also had a close run thing in the corner, but he should be re-christened Toeintouch, as the TMO denied a try thanks to the extra coat of whitewash that had been put on the line (or was it where Jonah had polished his shoes earlier?)

20 minutes of uninspiring rugby from both sides were finally broken when Weepu, who had replaced the largely ineffective and shaky Cowan, broke and fed Kahui, who toe-poked it through, collected and fed Kaino who went over. Carter, uncharacteristically, hit the post with an eminently gettable kick and the score was 34-3. Tonga had more than held their own in the second half though and they scored a deserved try when Taumalolo barged his way over from close to make it 34-10 and effectively give them the 2nd half lead.

Much discussion has surrounded the choice at centre for the All Blacks, and with Sonny delighting the crowds with his offloads (and the ladies with his bare torso after a jersey malfunction) and with Conrad Smith chomping at the bit having been rested/left out (delete as appropriate) Ma'a Nonu decided to muddy the waters with the final try of the game after a Colin Slade pass. I still feel Smith is one of the best in the world, and makes a great pair with Nonu. So, given Williams's game, with the exception of the offloads, was not the greatest, Henry will probably revert to type for Game 2.

Final Score New Zealand 41 Tonga 10


The All Blacks have now played 21 Pool games in Rugby World Cups, and won all 21. The only Nation never to have lost a Pool game. They still haven't let a side get within 20 points of them in a home World Cup tie. The stats are impressive, substantially more impressive than the second half performance it must be said.

It was a true 'fireworks' performance. A brief pause after the touchpaper was lit before they exploded into life with 4 quick and incisive first half tries. However, once the spectacle of those 4 tries was over, there was a definite anti-climactic end with their damp squib of a second half performance.

I also draw a parallel with the recent Tri Nations, where the first 2 games saw proper New Zealand performances, while the last 2 games saw them lose with rarely more than a whimper.

At times they looked like the probable world-beaters they will end up being, at times the pretenders to the throne will have been licking their lips while watching.

What of the coach? Graham Henry was his usual grumpy self afterwards. Understandably so given the poor end to the day. He saw the 8 minute siege laid on their line by Tonga, which included a 4 minute scrum, as dreadfully dull. I disagree. It's part of the game, and the New Zealand front row failed to deal with the pressure exerted on them by a substantial, but not necessarily technically gifted, Tongan scrum. Henry sees what he wants to in games, but he came across like a kid who had enjoyed his fun and was now taking his bat and ball home. In fact, that's  unfair to the kids. He is like the competitive Dad who loves playing games while he beats his kids, but as soon as they grow old enough to gain the upper hand, cries off playing as they are just 'silly games'. Henry must be worried after performances against Australia and Tonga which, far from reassuring, have actually served to show sides where the All Blacks are beatable.

Kahui and Dagg enhanced their reputations, and there are some (Carter & McCaw) who are indelibly inked on the team sheet. Many All Blacks will be sweating after stuttering performances though.

TV Rugby


For those of you not in the UK, a brief explanation. The 6 Nations is shown on the BBC. Live club Rugby is shown on Sky. Both of these channels provide excellent (and I'm highly critical when it comes to TV sport so this is high praise indeed) coverage year after year. Every 4 years, the Rugby World Cup comes around, and ITV, for some unknown reason, throw their hat into the ring. The studio host, Steve Rider, is a consummate professional, and the experts, who would appear to be Dallaglio, Fitzpatrick, Pienaar and Lynagh, certainly know what they are talking about. The frequent adverts and the inexperienced and lightweight commentary pairing of Gillingham and Gomarsall certainly added little value to this first game. I hope this doesn't become a recurring theme of these early reports, but if it does, I can only apologise. Take solace that, from the 28th September onwards, you won't be hearing me complaining :-)

And Finally...

My opening prediction of a 70 point New Zealand win was well out on the face of it, with just 31 points being the actual winning margin. Had Toeava scored in the corner early in the second half, things could have been different, but I currently lie well adrift of the leaders in the Prediction game at www.sportguru.co.uk. It's not too late to join by the way, and you'll only be 2.5 points adrift if you do (League name The Egg Chasers password prosflea).

What does tonight hold in store? A 2am start for the Scots against Romania, Fiji vs Namibia at 0430, France vs Japan at 0700 and England vs Argentina at 0930. It would appear I will be sleeping on the sofa from 0345 to 0700 (with the TV on of course). I may try to do the whole marathon with a few hours sleep to start, we'll see.

There's so much rugby on this weekend it's untrue. Leaving aside the 7 games on at the RWC, Harlequins vs Northampton and Bath vs Saracens from England, 2 Currie Cup games on Sky, Wasps vs Leicester on ESPN on Sunday as well as Toulouse vs Racing Metro from France. I make that 13 games, plus the inevitable highlight shows....

Taniela Moa, the Tongan scrum half, is 6 feet tall and 102kg.. according to the official stats. He certainly looked even bigger than that, but his effort from start to finish was exemplary. He saw off Jimmy Cowan, who did untold damage to his future in the tournament.

Who'd be a hooker? Leaving aside the obvious downside of having 14 colossal humans surrounding you in every scrum, you have to pick yourself up and hit your moving targets in the lineout. If that's not enough, in Wellington tomorrow for Wales vs South Africa, the wind can frequently reach 37mph, which makes that target even harder to hit.

Reports of punches thrown at the Australian training session. A fully opposed session (that means with full tackling for the uninitiated) ended with a few guys getting a little hot under the collar. A 30 man squad with only 22 places in the matchday squad, I suppose it's natural to a degree.

At times during the opening game, I felt I was watching a sort of Harlem Globetrotters performance from New Zealand. Backs and forwards in each other's way, glory passes being looked for, points trying to be proved. It was most unlike the well-oiled All Blacks machine I'm used to seeing. Too many riches at their disposal? Does Henry really know his best side?

England are criticised for their occasional selection of non-English born players (Tuilagi being the latest example) but they aren't the only ones as we know. 6 of the players in the first game were Auckland born - 3 on each side. It seems to be a bizarre mix when you look at New Zealand squads. You have the Samoan and Tongan exiles who play for the All Blacks, while New Zealanders seem to head in the other direction to fill the gap created. I hereby officially give up understanding the rules as to International qualification.

Finally a Maori elder is hoping Argentina defeat England after England "disrespected the New Zealanders by wearing 'their' black colours in their home country". Please. This is frankly ridiculous now. I give as evidence, the All Blacks away jersey for 2012:

How dare the New Zealanders disrespect 'our' white jersey?

I rest my case.

That's enough for now. Prepare to be bombarded with my thoughts tomorrow and Sunday. Pass on the link to your friends. Follow me on Twitter for comment during the games themselves @theeggchaser

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage

The World Cup approaches at high speed, and if this were a scrum, I think we would, if following the above scrum instructions, be at the 'touch' stage. All the teams are there, most of the capping ceremonies have taken place, the communities have taken the teams to their heart as 'next favourites' if the All Blacks can't win it. Tomorrow sees us 'pause' before the 'engage' of Friday morning (UK time) when I can already see, hear and feel the first probably bone-crunching impact.

A quick glance at the website of the Rugby World Cup tells us there are 36 hours and 25 minutes remaining till kick off at the time of publishing.... 

It really is all about numbers at the moment. 20 teams, 600 players, 40 Pool matches, 8 knockout games, 12 stadia, 8 games between Friday morning and Sunday morning this week alone.... A little less than 21 days till I board the flight for LA that will ultimately see me board another flight for Auckland (US and NZ Immigration permitting... no I’m not and never have been a Communist, no I don’t have any apples in any of my luggage or secreted about my person – unless you count the half-digested one I’ve just eaten in the queue).

First selections have been made. There have been some surprises in those selections, some injuries, some extremely powerful looking lineups named. Yes the excitement is building, and I’m just a spectator. What must it be like to be involved in a squad, or even more, named in a starting line-up at the beginning of a potentially glorious journey.

Confidence or Bluff? Weekend 1 Preview

The curves of confidence of my friends who support a variety of different nations have been going up and down like the proverbial fiddlers elbow over the past fortnight and still are. The Welsh (yes I do have Welsh friends, but in my defence I didn’t know they were Welsh till post-friendship – just kidding Welsh people) are riding a wave of confidence after their Cardiff victory over England. The confidence bubble is a notoriously thin one though, and a substantial defeat at the hands of the Springboks in their opener on Sunday will see their hopes plummet. While not the end of the world, a defeat with any margin could see doubts return amidst nightmare images of rampaging Pacific Islanders of tournaments past.

Those Scots who have had little to shout about in recent times, with the possible exception of a Quarter Final 4 years ago, have seen their hopes rise with the 2 recent wins against Ireland and Italy. A gentle start for them against Romania on Saturday should pose no banana skin, and give them a smooth entry into the tournament. Andy Robinson has been clever I believe in not over-playing his, relatively speaking, shallow squad in warm-up matches. 2 games was substantially less than any other Nation, but opening games against Romania and Georgia should see them play themselves into form before the crunch against Argentina and England, when his squad should be relatively fresh. Shrewd guy Mr Robinson....

My Irish friends are putting a brave face on things at the moment. The Golden generation, as they are known in some quarters, are performing like a shower at the moment, but there is an unflinching belief in the ranks of the supporters that this will be the crowning glory of BOD’s career, and that he will take the side to their first ever RWC Semi Final.... at least. Brave posturing, or genuine thoughts? I’m sure it’s a bit of both, but the arrival of a USA side coached by Declan Kidney’s predecessor Eddie O’Sullivan should at least see them get a ‘W’ (that’s for win for the uninitiated) on the board come Sunday.

Ah, les Francais. Les hommes de l’Hexagone demarrent contre les Japonais. La France sous Lievremont n’est jamais a l’abri d’une surprise, mais une defaite contre les Japonais serait plus que ca. Une chose qui est certaine, c’est que les Francais ont, depuis un certain temps, mal demarre les Coupes du Monde, et au rugby et au foot, mais mes amis sont plus que 100% certain qu’on ne devrait pas ajouter le nom du Japon a la liste de Argentine (Rugby 2007) et Senegal (Foot 2002); les deux defaites les plus tristes de l’histoire sportive de la France. Jamais deux sans trois, comme on dit, et pour chaque personne qui voit la France echouer en quart, il y a quelqu’un qui dit que les tricolores sont prets a prendre la revanche des anglais (defaites en demi-finale des deux dernieres editions) et au meme temps terminer la serie de trois victoires contre les All Blacks (demi en 1999 et quart en 2007).

Ah, the French, who start against the Japanese. Under Lievremont, France are never completely protected from a surprise, but a defeat against Japan would be much more than that. One thing is for sure, the French have a recent habit of starting World Cups badly, be they of the rugby or football variety, but my friends are 100% sure that we won’t be adding Japan 2011 to a list of Argentina 2007 and Senegal 2002 (2 of the sorriest defeats in France’s sporting history). As I have said already twice (therefore you should be expecting this) the French say never 2 without the third, and for every person who sees the French losing in the Quarter Final, there is one who sees them gaining revenge over England (for semi final defeats in 03 and 07) and continuing their jinx over the All Blacks (99 semi final and 07 quarter final).

The Tri Nations victory for Australia has done 2 things; firstly it has re-affirmed the thoughts of every Aussie fan that they will win the Tournament and secondly it has led every New Zealand fan to seek solace in the fact that, every year before a World Cup they win the Tri Nations and subsequently blow up during the main event, so losing this may be a blessing in disguise. New Zealand have never had to break sweat in games against Tonga before, and confidence remains high in Graham Henry’s squad (or so we believe, as the old dinosaur has banned his players from communicating via Twitter – how hilarious is his joke that Twitter is the new English fly half? Not at all? Agreed). The Aussies have a slightly tougher opener against the Italians, but that should still result in a comfortable Southern Hemisphere win. I expect both sets of fans to be even more bullish come the end of the weekend.... if that’s possible!

While their Southern hemisphere rivals have genuine optimism as to their chances, the South Africans actually believe they can go on and defend the title too, thus becoming the first team to do so. I would have to say, that I find this optimism misplaced. The players don’t appear to be in form, the coach often leaves me scratching my head at decisions and I just think there are several better groups than the Springboks. Add to that the fact that the statistics don’t back them up..... No side has ever defended the title and no captain has ever been at the helm for 2 titles. It’s a big ask, and given the relatively weak performance in the Tri Nations, surely there is some doubt in the camp and amongst the fans? If that is the case, you wouldn’t really know it. Most fans seem convinced that this is their destiny, and that the Tri Nations is not a good indicator for success moving forward. Time will tell. First up are the Welsh, who will probably come out blazing from the start. A reasonable test first up for the South Africans.

Finally on to England, whose supporters are split as is usually the case. I’m a big believer in the former England football coach Terry Venables’ approach when it comes to the English psyche regarding their sporting sides. “People think we are either the best or the worst side in the World. The truth is we are very rarely either.” England’s fans are split. There are those who believe a Final place is a distinct possibility, given the recent performances and the likelihood that a dominant pack will be crucial in conditions likely to be encountered in New Zealand. There are however still a fair number of doomsayers who decry everything Martin Johnson does, deplore the absence of certain players (and by association the presence of others) and who say that a Quarter Final is the best they can expect. I’m one of the former if I’m being honest, though as said previously, I see England falling at the Semi Final stage.

A tricky opener against the Pumas is not what you would want for an opening game, but England will not underestimate the Argentinians, and despite losing Moody (I repeat my affirmation that he shouldn’t be in New Zealand) and Cueto (a much bigger loss as the most reliable of England’s vaunted back 3 in defence). England fans, believe me, are starting to feel the tension.

ABTE

Confident or not confident, there is one thing that the fans of the Celtic Nations, France and the Southern Hemisphere sides all seem to agree on.... “ANYONE BUT THE ENGLISH!”

“ABTE” is a frequently heard mantra when discussing who you want to win if your side doesn’t. It is something that I have put up with for most of my rugby supporting life. I try to remain dispassionate when there is a game on, but it is beyond me. I cannot help but jump up and down, berate appalling decisions by officials, lambaste opposition players, over-hype England’s chances and a whole host of other things, but come the end of the game, there will always be a handshake with opposition supporters in the vicinity, along with a round of applause for the winning side. It is the rugby ethos, one of the last vestiges of the amateur traditions that formed the basis of the game. Where my gripe is in this ABTE attitude, is in the fact that if you take me out of the context of the game; remove all English identity; replace it with the identity of another Nation and transport me into that game, this attitude is seen as creditable and endearing. Why does this anti-English feeling come in? Where does it come from? It’s a bit of a mystery to me. I guess it’s really a compliment at the end of the day, as there isn’t a Nation that wouldn’t want England’s record in World Cups this century......

And Finally.....

My XV to watch has been a bit of a curse. Ducalcon and Conrad Smith both being overlooked for a starting berth. Oh well, can I help it if Messrs Henry and Lievremont don’t know what they’re on about? (Note:  World Cups won: Henry & Lievremont 0 The Egg Chaser 0)

All the sides should now have arrived in New Zealand, with the parsimonious Scots the last to do so.. watching the pennies to the last.... No national stereotypes here though (if you believe that you’ll believe anything)

A quick whizz through the squads shows that there will be an incredible 12 sets of brothers taking part at this World Cup, including 1 set with siblings playing for different Nations (Tuilagi). In addition, had his career not been tragically cut short by injury, Thom Evans would undoubtedly have joined his brother Max to make it 13.

Stories abound about the bizarre things teams take to World Cups. Here are just a few to titillate you: England have apparently shipped their own scrum machine; Japan have an oxygen chamber in their kit; France have 10,000 Euros worth of coffee beans. My English mind boggles... while somewhere a French body gives a Gallic shrug, sips an espresso and shakes a Gitanes from its packet (told you there’d be some stereotyping).

I will be updating the blog over the weekend, with a brief taste of the game that has just taken place. There will be a blog per day basically, but I will add to the existing piece as games go on. I really hope to see you interacting and telling me where I’ve gone wrong. I enjoy the banter and have broad shoulders, so tell me what you think.

Club rugby continues this weekend as well, with games Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. I think it could be possible, with judicious programme selection, the use of Sky+ (other TV recording devices are available) and a stock of coffee to rival the French squad, you could watch about 24 hours of rugby this weekend... I think i’d better stock up on sleep, Nespresso and the shopping tomorrow – could be a long weekend

Last chance to join me in the Rugby World Cup prediction league I have entered. The site is www.sportguru.co.uk/rwc/pool.asp?p=10011264 and the Pool Code is prosflea. It’s a fun looking game and you’re all welcome to join me there (I’m currently leading the Pool by default as I’m Billy No Mates)

Thanks for reading and can you tell I’m excited?

Aussies Edge All Blacks In Thriller

Australia's home advantage was neutralised by the posturing that is the Haka; yes I know it's tradition and as a spectacle it is truly something, but this has long since passed the stage of being a "laying down of a challenge" and sides use a fair bit of mental energy facing up to it in any way they choose. England's reaction to it during the days of Richard Cockerill remains fresh in the memory, and the different methods of facing up to it in recent times have met with a variety of success. Sebastien Chabal's idea of lining up in red, white and blue tracksuits to leave a visual impact on their opponents seemed to inspire the French in the 2007 Quarter Final though.  

Psychological advantage duly taken, the 99% Blacks, as they really ought to be known given the white collar on their new shirts (isn't it more than a little ironic the fuss that was made about England moving to an All Black away kit at a time when the ALL Blacks moved from a 100% black shirt?), started under severe pressure and conceded an early penalty which Quade Cooper slotted. Cooper also wasted a massive overlap in the first ten minutes which could have given the Aussies some serious breathing space, but his elusive running in the early passages of play showed just how dangerous he can be. Indeed, after winning a free kick at a scrum, Cooper broke and fed Ashley-Cooper who seemed to initially benefit from some sluggish tackling, before Weepu and Muliaina produced a stunning combination tackle to prevent a certain try, but from the resulting 5 metre scrum (which replays suggest they were lucky to be awarded) the pressure finally told and Will Genia strolled through the gap between prop and hooker to go over next to the posts. Cooper kicked the extras to make it 10-0.

After 15 minutes, I started thinking the Aussies had maybe been underestimated by me on previous performances, and with Samo, Genia and Cooper pulling every imaginable string, I began to think the Aussies could really push for the World Cup if these three remain fit. This was possibly compounded by the fact that, in those opening exchanges, the All Blacks, particularly at half back, looked ponderous. In defence though it was a different matter and they systematically slowed the ball down (legally I might add), picked the occasionally fantastic angles of the Aussies and when not missing tackles, tackled ferociously in key areas to keep themselves in the game. The ever-reliable Carter kicked them to within 7 points mid-way through the first half, but it was very much a performance on the back foot for the New Zealanders, not being able to get any possession or territory. The steady drip of penalties again saw Cooper kick Australia 10 points clear after Nonu held back the man without the ball.

Straight from the kick-off, Pocock rose to take a high ball from above McCaw and Samo pushed Thompson off on his own ten metre line and sprinted 60 metres to score under the posts. The unbelievable score of 20-3 to the Aussies with 4 minutes to half-time now adorned the scoreboards, and most worryingly for Graham Henry was that this was 100% deserved. The All Blacks had no penetration and no inspiration. Even after a poor box kick from Genia went straight into touch, New Zealand couldn't profit and the disorganisation behind the scrum spoke volumes.

Half-time Australia 20 New Zealand 3

Two different teams took the field for the second half, or seemingly so. The 99% Blacks started in attritional mode, grinding the yards around the base of the maul, earning a penalty when Elsom came in from the side, and Carter took them within two scores. As the half went on, the considered approach started paying dividends, and in the 12th minute, from the 26th phase of possession, Carter fed Conrad Smith who ran over unopposed to put the cat amongst the pigeons. 10 unanswered points in the opening 13 minutes for the All Blacks and the Wallabies looked rattled; none more so than Quade Cooper, whose knee in the face of a prone New Zealand forward will no doubt provoke some action from the citing commissioner. 

Indeed when Nonu and Smith combined, somewhat chaotically initially, and Nonu found himself opposite a prop, the equalising try was scored. The phrase 'like a knife through butter' is used a little too often, but the second half had seen New Zealand's knife cutting through Australia's defence as if they were yoghurt, not butter, and there was only one winner from now on, or so you would think; Genia immediately slipped clear from another missed tackle, slipped it wide and Beale finished things off to give the Aussies the lead again, though only by 5 as Cooper missed the kick.  

Ill discipline should have cost New Zealand three more points after a needless obstruction as Ashley-Cooper followed a Genia kick, but Cooper missed a second consecutive kick to leave the game with a 1 score deficit. Crucially though the game was being played in the All Blacks' half now, and though Ellis looked more incisive than Weepu, the Aussies yoghurt defence had firmed up and as the game entered the last 7 minutes, it was truly anyone's game. Each time the Aussie defence looked like being prised open, the All Blacks were penalised at the breakdown though, and given their traditional strength in this area, and their dominance over the last few years, it must be worrying for Henry to see them being so easily dominated here as we enter the World Cup. 

The last ten minutes saw the pace, unsurprisingly, slow substantially, as the efforts of both sides started to show. As the All Blacks started one final attempt to steal the game, space seemed to open up, but Beale snagged an interception, and the Aussies rucked and mauled away the last 90 seconds, before a penalty saw them give Cooper the chance to belt the ball into touch and crown their first Tri-Nations success since 2001. 

New Zealand will regret a lacklustre 1st half and maybe even more so their weakened side which lost to South Africa last weekend. Australia will feel that they have a squad that can go to New Zealand with every chance of surprising their neighbours and taking the real trophy that matters back across the Tasman Sea at the end of October. The wisdom of such a high intensity game 2 weeks before the World Cup opener will be called into question again. Injuries to Keiran Reid and Adam Thompson could prove costly over the next 7 weeks.

Final Score Australia 25 New Zealand 20

Man of the Match - Radike Samo: a stunning 50 minutes from the 35 year old capped with a fantastic try. He popped up everywhere during Australia's early dominance and, should he stay fit and should his legs last the demands of Tournament rugby, Australia have a decent chance in New Zealand.

RWC 2011 Pool B Preview

A little earlier than previously predicted, due to me having forgotten that I had plans this weekend that involved being away from the creature comforts of wireless internet, laptop and iPad (what did I do before I got hold of this gadget?), here comes a preview of Pool B.

As the song goes "There'll always be an England", and in RWC terms, there has always been an England in the Final. Well, since 2003 there has. While 2003's victory was, if not completely expected, somewhat predictable, the appearance in the 2007 Final was a real surprise.

Indeed, 4 years ago, England suffered an awful mauling at the hands of the Springboks in the group stage, and my fear at the time was this would cause them to implode. However, with Brian Ashton performing miracles of a motivational kind, and with the big names stepping up and performing, they recovered to beat Tonga in what was effectively a sudden death match for qualification, before edging past Australia and France and reaching that final. On another day, they may have retained their title, but the South Africans were the best side and deservedly won their second final.

England are actually the second seeds in this group, with Argentina actually being the side ranked in the Top 4 when the Pools were announced. From that perspective, England got a good draw, as the Pumas have slipped substantially since 2007, and Scotland should not pose a problem outside of Murrayfield. The minnow of the group are Georgia and the returning Romania = absolute cannon fodder to not put too fine a point on it.

While England's build-up has been far from convincing, I sense a solidarity in the team, and with the experience provided by old heads such as Wilkinson, Tindall and Cueto behind the scrum, and Thompson, Easter and Moody up front, to say nothing of Simon Shaw (the last direct link of my playing days to professional rugby as we once locked horns in University days) who at 39 when the tournament starts will become the 2nd oldest player ever to grace the RWC.

England should have too much for everyone and should win the group with 4 wins. This will leave Argentina and Scotland playing off for 2nd place. The Pumas' stunning performance in France stirred the authorities into action belatedly as they tried to insist on their integration in an annual tournament (4 years to late to be of real benefit). Their squad looks a little weaker this time around; old in certain positions and too green in others. This is why I have them not competing with England. Continuing the music theme, I fear that "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" could be due an outing come the end of the Pool...

The reason being, that Scotland have been solid in their preparation matches, and Andy Robinson has turned them into a unit which wears the jersey with pride, which previous coaches had failed to do. They are an immensely proud Nation, and will give everything, but england will be a step too far for me, and I see Scotland's game with the Pumas being decisive and ultimately, if I remove the fence-like splinters from my derriere, I can see Scotland getting out of the Group. "Oh flower of Scotland, when will we see your like again?" Well, I guess it depends on what vintage we're looking for, QFs are attainable, but France or New Zealand in that Quarter Final will both be too strong for them.

Georgia and Romania will play off for 4th place effectively. Georgia are progressing and have some mighty forwards plying their trade in France (actually the high proportion of Argentinian, Italian, Georgian and Romanian prop forwards has left the French side with dilemmas in that area more than any other in recent years). There was a time in the 1980s that Romania were the 6th best side in Europe and were rumoured to be the side who would benefit and become the 6th Nation of the Northern hemisphere's foremost tournament. It didn't happen though, for any number of reasons both political, economic and pertaining to 'Old Farts'. What's for certain is that these two will be heading off home after the Pool stage; On a midnight train to Georgia? Probably not. I have them beating the Romanians though, and not just because I can't get the word Romania into a song title!

Time to get off the fence then I guess.

Predicted Pool B Standings

1. England, 2. Scotland, 3. Argentina, 4. Georgia, 5. Romania

Star of the Pool
The obvious candidate is Chris Ashton, whose tries and celebrations earned many column inches during England's 6 Nations Championship win. Fit and on form he is potentially the most devastating wing in World Rugby, as his positional play tends to see him in the right place at the right time more often that not. The potential star is another 'Englishman' in Manu Tuilagi. The Leicester centre has been stupendous this season, and after a sizeable rest at the end of the season due to, ironically, laying out his teammate Ashton with a real haymaker, he looks fresh and ready to go straight into England's problem centre position.

And finally...
The Tri-Nations decider this weekend sees New Zealand face Australia, and the All Blacks are back to something like full strength after putting the kids out against the South Africans last week. I remain far from convinced by the Australians, and this is their last chance to make me re-assess before I look at their Pool (I'm sure I can hear them quaking). New Zealand with a bonus point for me....

Meanwhile, in Dublin, Ireland and England complete their preparations with a repeat of the final game of this year's 6 Nations. A very different line-up on each side of the coin this time, and with neither side having really impressed in their warm-up games thus far, it could be a spicier game than you may otherwise have thought. No O'Driscoll or O'Brien for Ireland, and Wilkinson getting the nod for England may tilt the balance slightly in England's favour. Whatever, I can't shake the feeling that, useful though these warm-up matches must be on so many levels for the coaches, the feeling in the stands watching them is sometimes akin to that you get when watching a tin of magnolia dry on your walls (Note: I reserve the right to wax lyrical next week though if England win).

That's it for this blog. 2 more preview blogs to come over the next ten days or so, then I can get down to what I like best, the slightly off-beat look at the games as they start. Please add your comments or rate the blog at the bottom, all added encouragement gratefully received.

RWC 2011 - Pool A Preview

16 days to go till RWC11 (or #RWC11 if you’re a tweeter). Is it really nearly 4 years since South Africa broke a resurgent England’s resistance at the Stade de France? Is it really approaching 8 since Saint Jonny dropped the goal that won the Northern Hemisphere’s first trophy? Surely it’s not 24 years since this fantastic tournament spluttered into existence and saw David Kirk lift the crown for the host All Blacks.

Well, the answers are Yes, Yes (if you’ll forgive the premature canonisation of Mr Wilkinson) and Yes. I think of these 3, it has to be the last stat that provokes the most unbelievable offshoot statistic: New Zealand’s victory in that first tournament remains their only one, despite them being favourites in every single tournament bar one since.

The perennial underachievers, unsurprisingly, enter this tournament, which they will be hosting alone for the very first time, as massive favourites on the back of 4 years of near constant victories and following another pretty inspirational Tri Nations tournament – note 1 game still to go, but the All Blacks are massive favourites.

They have, if you believe the massed rugby writers, the best forward in the world in captain Richie McCaw, and the best back in the world, in Dan Carter. What could go wrong? What indeed? It is a question I have asked myself in the build-up to every single World Cup since 1987, always with the same answer: “I really can’t see anything beating them this time”. Yet each time, they have failed their rugby-mad Nation, who will not look upon failure anywhere near as sympathetically if it happens on their own doorstep on or before the 25^th September.

They kick off the tournament on 9^th September against the hard-hitting Tongans, who will as ever provide a physical presence to rival the very best, but whose tactical awareness usually leaves a lot to be desired. Indeed, in 3 games against New Zealand, 2 in World Cups, their best performance is a 45-9 defeat in Bristol in 1999, while the other 2 games have seen 102-0 and 91-7 reversals; hardly statistics to provoke any thoughts of an upset. That said, 4 years ago, they hit a jittery England very hard at the Parc des Princes in Paris, but naivety let England off the hook, and indeed resuscitated the England challenge. The All Blacks should be comfortable favourites for this and subsequent games against Canada and Japan.

The only real test of the All Blacks’ Group stage comes against their bête-noir (if I may be so bold as to use the word black in relation to a team other than New Zealand.... – Ref: the ridiculous reaction to England’s new change kit of black) France. France, for whatever reason seem to have the Indian sign over the All Blacks, and their Quarter Final win in Cardiff in 2007 on one of the Northern Hemisphere’s most glorious rugby days of all-time (England had earlier beaten Australia in Marseille) came at a point where most people would have had the engraver starting to work on the ‘N’ of 'New' on the Webb Ellis Cup. 1999 had earlier seen another memorable French triumph at Twickenham (I’ve never written that particular phrase before trust me) in a stunning semi final which thwarted the anticipated Anzac final.

As the French say “Jamais deux sans trois” which paraphrased means Good (or bad) things happen in threes. Can the French upset the applecart again? Who knows, but I would be very surprised, as I really can’t see anyone in the group beating them this time....

France have problems it has to be said; wingers failing drug tests, experienced props (Marconnet and Domingo) being overlooked at the last minute and a coach whose selection technique seems to have had the word bizarre invented for it. Marc Lievremont comes in for much criticism in the Hexagon and is being ridiculed as much as former National football coach Aime Jacquet before he won the World Cup in 1998 (omen?), and how he managed to keep his job after the defeat in Rome against Italy in March is beyond a lot of French rugby supporters. Lievremont looks more and more stressed and downtrodden every time I see him. Indeed, he looks remarkably like a French friend of mine who has accompanied me on several trips across Europe, and who as the day goes on and the Merlot and Guinness go down, takes on a tired look which rivals the stress-worn features of the coach come the end of a losing battle.

They shouldn't have anything to worry about in their games with the three minnows, so it will be a question of whether they give the New Zealand game (24^th Sept in Auckland) their absolute everything or whether they let it go by and save some juice for the Quarter Finals. They are in an advantageous situation as, being in the same pool as the All Blacks, they can’t meet them again before the Final. Given that both halves of the draw would appear as difficult as each other, I’d be tempted to free-wheel a little in that first encounter I think.

The Tongans, Japanese and Canadians will play out an interesting battle for 3^rd place in the group. 12^th, 13^th and 14^th in the IRB’s rankings, they couldn’t be closer, and indeed Japan and Canada played out the only draw of the 2007 World Cup, while Tonga beat Samoa and the USA and came within a score of the Springboks to finish 3^rd in their pool. Much of the interest of the World Cup for me is seeing how these smaller nations progress from tournament to tournament, so this “Tri-Nations” championship within Pool A promises much.

Predicted Pool A Table:
1 New Zealand, 2 France, 3 Tonga, 4 Japan, 5 Canada

Star of the Pool: This should be Dan Carter, though 130kg Tongan prop forward Soane Tonga’uiha will be looking to reinforce a growing reputation after a big season in England’s Premiership with Northampton, and not many will look forward to facing him.

I look forward to reading your comments......

Pool B will follow next, probably at the weekend I would have thought. England start their campaign for a 3^rd consecutive final against Argentina, Scotland, Romania and Georgia.

In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Twitter @markbonsall and to share this blog with anyone you feel may be interested.

A New Venture

I have been fortunate enough to travel Europe watching rugby of the highest order, with good friends as company and meeting new friends on every occasion. As I embark on my biggest and longest journey to New Zealand for Rugby World Cup 2011, I decided to create this blog to allow me to share photos and thoughts (serious, anecdotal and who knows journalistic). I am sure there will be a certain element of travelog about this too, but I will try to emphasise the rugby more than anything else.

Hopefully this will grow to become a regular blog, even after the RWC11 experience has come to an end. I'm looking forward to interaction from friends, friends of friends and friends of friends of friends, so feel free to circulate this link to anyone you think may find this of interest.

My schedule is to arrive in New Zealand for the business end of the tournament, and my first game will be England vs Scotland at Eden Park, Auckland. I then attend every other game at that stadium over the remaining 23 days, including the Final. Trips around New Zealand have been shoe-horned into the weeks between the games and I'll hope to bring some colour and anecdotes from my travels too. Until then you will be able to see my thoughts on the different games before I head out to Auckland.

Starting this week there will be a preview of each of the Pools, with my predictions (such as they are) as to who will progress and who will be going home early. So share the link amongst people you think may be interested, and feel free to comment on any article I publish, I look forward to the interaction.

Hope you enjoy the blog, and look forward to hearing from you as this place grows.