RUGBY UNION WORLD CUP

[harry hackedoff]

Atlanta Braves, pah

Another cracking game, the last quarter was incredible! Kermit tried his best and it just wasn`t enough, sadly for him. The effort from both sides was fantastic to see but England never gave up and Johnny’s last kick was a dream
Now all we need is the Spicks to beat the Yarpys and it`s England V them in the final
Won’t happen, sadly. England V Sarf Efrica next Saturday, get plenty of beer in
England have improved their game at an exponential rate and the big question has to be can they continue and take it to the next level? Of course they can!
We’ll see how the Sarf Efricans are going later today
Bring it on and let’s see England do the impossible and successfully defend the World Cup.
What an achievement that will be

[Sully]

Aye, and hats off to Joe Worsley. That's the fella I think should be in the headlines. Great game and that tap tackle towards the end was when I think we won it.

It'll be interesting tonight but I wouldn't mind a flutter on the Argies although it would be good to meet the yarpies in the final and revisit that thrashing we had.

[harry hackedoff]

Either one will do for me Sull, as long as we get the right result

[harry hackedoff]

A lot of smirking going on with the local Yarpies. "I hope England don`t win, we`ll never hear the end of it"
Winkers
Starting to get on my breasts to be honest.
And that whinging twat of an ex Aussie coach, traitor Eddie Jones really needs a good slap.
Roll on Saturday, England 35, RSA 23

[harry hackedoff]

Cricket practice tonight with me lad. I`m the only Pom and a few of the other dads know me from soccer. One fat fugger was giving it large about how he had no real interest but would watch the final anyway. An even fatter Kiwi agreed with him, quoting the general lack of interest.
"It`s easy for youse blokes to say that, " sez oi, " after all, you`ve got to be in it to win it, losers"

There was then a general concensus that the Saffas would piss it because "after all, they are the better team"

That`s what the wobblies thought last time sez oi.

[harry hackedoff]

Good on you PAG
To crystalise the differences between sport in Aus and in UK, generally, I would have to say it`s all down to having the passion. Every skool, suburb, town, city, shire and state have teams in every code of football, basketball, swimming, cricket, etc etc etc.
In England I hardly knew anyone whose kids played team sports. Down here, I hardly know anyone who doesn`t Besides buying some kit, I take my lad to practice twice a week for an hour or so, and a game/match on Sunday morning. It`s not hard, we both expand our social circles and have a great time! Far better than staying in bed
And it`s Fremantle, btw If you ever make it down here, giz a hoy.

[Tab]

Sports in schools are discouraged here Harry as the teachers feel that the loser will have low self esteem. Well you can't upset the blighters can you

[harry hackedoff]

I`m aware of that Tab.
We don`t encourage competitive sport because the less fit feel hard done by.
Well try harder then, you lazy barsts
I`m not knocking special needs kids, btw.
Life is competitive, generally. Team effort generally succeeds.
Taking those elements out of children’s education has obviously been a raging success Possibly not
Socialist comprehensive education doctrine is one way. One size fits all.
But it isn`t the only way and it deffo isn`t the best way.
Meanwhile, "standards" of education continue to improve in UK as real standards fall to levels not previously seen since the nineteenth century.
It`s a win-win situation, er possibly not

[Mr_Kiwi]

Well i mentioned it on MFAT so its only fair I mention it here...

I'm off to Paris to watch the game on the big screens, should be a great atmosphere.

I knew NZ wouldnt make it, they only won it once, yet everytime people expect great things from them.
I did hear a few funny jokes about the ABs tho heres a few:

Whats the difference between an arsonist and the All Blacks? An arsonist doesnt waste 5 matches

Whats the difference between viagra and the All Blacks? Viagra always gives you a semi at least.

Have you heard of the All Black bra? Its got all the support but no cup.

Anyway, thats all I can remember. Personaly my money is on South Africa to win, I think they have played better games of rugby than England throughout the tournament. But in saying that I would love to see England be the first to successfully defend the cup!

Cheers

P.S. Almost forgot, the trip to paris is free!!

[harry hackedoff]

Bastard
What`s the diff between the All Blacks and a tea bag

A tea bag stays in the cup longer

Enjoy the game mate, if you haven`t been to Paris before, stanf by to be blown away

And don`t write England off too soon Kiwi, maybe the Saffers have blown themselves out

Either way, it`s going to be a cracker.

[harry hackedoff]

Well girls, here we are
And who`d`ve thunk it?
Certainly not the whole of Australia, I can tell you that for nowt
Saffers think it`s theirs by right. And that`s fine.
Wallabies had it won last time, according to them.
We just go out there and play to our strengths, close down the Saffer`s big game shite. Punish them.
Swing low, Sea Harrier
One more time boys. That`s all it needs.
And we’ll do what no-one has ever done in the history of the game.
Successfully defend a World Cup.
Well, I`m away to watch it, fridge full of beer, 01 30 local, see you all on Sunday
We really can win this bastard you know

[jabcrosshook]

What the fcuk was that!!!
We had that try, the ref needs shutting fcuking cnut.
That has to be said the w@#k game ever, RSA are an incrdibly dirty team, the whole match was bullsh!t.

[Tab]

Regardless of that try that was not allowed I think the best side won. Much of the problem in Englands game is that give away so many silly penalties. Most of the of the points South Africa got came from these

[Rogue Chef]

Well done to SA who played a reasonable game, with a good lineout and Montgomery's boot. Fortunately for them them they also had three extra players. The referee was brilliant and clearly spotted every English infingement (even when they didn't happen) and didn't spot a number of high/dangerous tackles, crossing over, obstruction etc by SA. Sour grapes? Nope England were the better side and a trophy won't change that. Well done lads.

PS. Towards the end of the second half, deep in SA territory the ref blew the whistle on a ruck situation and clearly made the sign indicating hands in the ruck and awarded England a scrum?????

On the bright side every other Rugby nation in the world got the result they wanted. Well done Alain Rolland, you succeeded where Andre Watson failed.

Having said all that, I predicted a NZ v RSA final with RSA to snatch a victory. RSA looked like the best side all through the tournament and are worthy champions. The final could have gone either way though.

[jabcrosshook]

Rolland the referee who does not like to be noticed
By Derrick Whyte
Published: 19 October 2007
The man in charge of the World Cup final at the Stade de France tomorrow night knows a referee's place in the scheme of things.

"You want to come in, do a game and get out, with the spectators asking, 'By the way, who was that?'" says Alain Rolland. "The best referees are the ones you don't notice."

The 41-year-old Irishman of French extraction – full name Alain Colm Pierre Rolland – is unusual in that he is a former international, having won three caps and spending his club and provincial career with Blackrock College in Dublin and Leinster.

He took up the whistle in 1998, his first Test as a referee coming in September 2001, when Wales beat Romania 81-9 at the Millennium Stadium. He made his Six Nations debut six months later when France beat Scotland at Murrayfield.

Widely acknowledged as one of the best officials in the game, Rolland combines roles as a full-time referee and mortgage broker in Dublin. His fluency in French helped him to earn rave reviews in some highly charged Heineken Cup ties and, although there was some criticism of how he handled the scrummaging in the England v Australia semi-final in this World Cup, it is likely that his overall display will overshadow his countrymen's.

Read bolds in particular.