:D

Can't believe it. NZ had like 70% ball possession, but the french just kept tackling them over and over. Very fun game. Congrats to France.

Hope Argentina performs well tomorrow.

Kassios

France1424 Posts

October 07 2007 10:05 GMT

#143

it's SA year

RowdierBob

Australia13536 Posts

October 07 2007 10:13 GMT

#144

It's looking like a South Africa v France final atm.

Should be a crazy final.

fbs

United Kingdom2476 Posts

October 07 2007 14:50 GMT

#145

damn Fiji lost

With 20 mins to go they looked like they were going to score a try with every attack.

Daigomi

South Africa4316 Posts

October 07 2007 15:04 GMT

#146

That was one of the most disgusting games i've ever seen. Definitely the worst referee I've ever seen in an international match, I counted 5 penalties that he didn't give in the first 20 minutes of the game, and obvious penalties. There were 3 very high tackles that he just let go, and two massive offsides. And then as the game progressed the fijians just started playing more and more dirty. I saw so many punches being thrown in the last 10 minutes of the game. In one scrum in the last three minutes, the fijian #8 ran past their flanker and tackled the SA scrum from the back, and the referee just did nothing. Absolutely shocking refereeing, and the Fijians took full advantage of that.

Worst international game I've seen in a very long time.

IntoTheWow

is awesome32282 Posts

October 07 2007 21:04 GMT

#147

Phew~

TaG]SiG

United Kingdom53 Posts

October 07 2007 22:30 GMT

#148

hier kom die bokke! ya sa didnt play well and that ref cudnt keep it together but hey sa are through and looking strong

sc2Owns

Germany13 Posts

October 08 2007 10:58 GMT

#149

Great SA, Argies, England and France. I go for SA!!

PePe QuiCoSE

Argentina1204 Posts

October 08 2007 12:46 GMT

#150

before the game against Scotland i thought Argentina had a decent chance against SA...

Daigomi

South Africa4316 Posts

October 08 2007 14:20 GMT

#151

I agree 100% PePe. I thought Argentina looked very strong before the game against Scotland. They really disappointed in that game (as did Scotland).

Smurg

Canada3819 Posts

October 08 2007 14:56 GMT

#152

Oh well Australia...next time. :/ I got drunk that night though.

Looking like it should be a good final. :o

LG)cheloman

Argentina159 Posts

October 08 2007 18:13 GMT

#153

come on, SA either played their best rugby.
Argentina made a lot of penalties without any sense... and they worked as they had to do.

You can´t kick to line out against scotland, because they have a great line... Argentina worked with the fowards, they did the right... yes, is not so pretty, but effective.

Don´t give the semis as lost before play. Argentina will be hard to win.

fbs

United Kingdom2476 Posts

October 08 2007 18:31 GMT

#154

The difference between Scotland and Argentina was that Argentina got a good piece of luck and subsequent try following a charged down clearance attempt by Dan Parks whereas Scotland got nothing from a similar situation 2 minutes earlier.

PePe QuiCoSE

Argentina1204 Posts

October 08 2007 18:32 GMT

#155

of course, I'm just off the media bandwagon of "how great the pumas are" and did a reality check. They are, again, the underdogs and defeating SA would be huge, and a bold prediction.

BTW, i haven't watched the all the matches and only SA games briefings.

edit: btw, it would be hilarious to re-read this thread and quote all the guys that simply stated that AUS and NZ were the only countries that had rugby and the rest were just crap :D

Daigomi

South Africa4316 Posts

October 08 2007 18:46 GMT

#156

Well, I definitely won't say it will be an easy win, but as PePe said, SA has to be favourites for this game (which I wasn't so sure about before the scotland game).

And as to NZ and Aus, I still believe they are far better teams than their opponents, when they are playing properly. Australia played an extremely lackluster game, I guess they just weren't used to being pressed, while NZ just didn't follow their game plan.

All credits to France for winning, and even England for taking the win. Both teams defended their leads very well.

That said, if I had to choose the team I would least want SA to face in the finals it would be France. They showed that they can feed of the home advantage like few teams can ('98 as well), and they looked very solid against NZ. England would be the team I felt safest against in the finals, if only because they lost their last 4 (3?) consecutive games against SA in quite resounding fashion. I would also face Scotland in the semis much rather than Argentina. I always feel that Argentina can upset any team in the competition, if they have a good day. Scotland on the other hand plays more consistent rugby, but I think they pose less of a threat.

I'm think SA will make it to the finals, but these quarter-finals showed us that anything can happen.

RowdierBob

Australia13536 Posts

October 09 2007 00:18 GMT

#157

On October 09 2007 03:32 PePe QuiCoSE wrote:
of course, I'm just off the media bandwagon of "how great the pumas are" and did a reality check. They are, again, the underdogs and defeating SA would be huge, and a bold prediction.

BTW, i haven't watched the all the matches and only SA games briefings.

edit: btw, it would be hilarious to re-read this thread and quote all the guys that simply stated that AUS and NZ were the only countries that had rugby and the rest were just crap :D

In all honesty Australia were probably the 4th best team heading into this WC. Yes we were a chance of winning it, but pretty unlikely.

NZ
SA
France
Australia
Argentina
England

I'd say that was a pretty accurate reflection of where the teams were at coming into this WC. I put France at #3 because they had home field advantage. If it were in the Southern Hemisphere you could probably bump Aus to #3. So while it is a shock Aus lost in the Quarters, most people were expecting us to lose to the Blacks in the Semis anyway.

I think the poor Argies are running out of puff. They've performed soso well up to this point, but I think their tiring schedule is starting to take its toll.

I hope France make the final as it will make for a really intense atmosphere.