Bye Bye England
8 Oct 2011
MARK KEOHANE reports from Auckland on another famous French World Cup win.
For once New Zealanders could appreciate it when a group of French rugby players get that mad look in their eye, defy logic, form and common sense and win a rugby game in which few gave them a chance.
France usually reserves the unexpected for the All Blacks (1999 and 2007) but against a limp England passion and patience was enough of a Saturday night drink to daze England and make them look like the rugby drunks they have been all tournament.
France won 19-12 and could have had more points, but for two missed penalties and two missed conversions. They led 16-0 in a first 40 when England came close to scoring in the last movement of the half but never exerted enough pressure to even win a penalty kick at posts.
The French pack was superior and individually hooker William Servat and No 8 Imanol Harinordoquy were immense, especially in the first hour. Scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvilli played conductor in that period in which France triumped because of bloody mindedness more than brilliance. It was similar to the win against the All Blacks in 2007 because this was a grind in the last quarter, but the two matches don’t rate in comparison.
French captain Thierry Dusautoir said as much afterwards, telling the media that in 2007 France had beaten the best team in the world to advance to the semi-finals, but this was not the case at Eden Park.
England are a poor side. They beat Argentina 13-9 and needed 75 minutes to subdue the Pumas. They then needed a 78th minute try to beat Scotland 16-12 and up until the 78th minute against France they trailed 19-7.
England losing is good riddance. They were diabolical on the night, as they have been all tournament. Coach Martin Johnson thought otherwise and applauded the courage of his team. He felt England were the more creative team and that the difference was France took their limited chances and scored early. England, he said, were always chasing the game and were lacking in composure. But he added this was the England team of the future and that he (as coach) wasn’t planning on going anywhere in a hurry.
England, in 2007, were bad in losing to South Africa 36-0 but upstaged Australia 12-10 in the quarter-final before edging France. In the final they were a poor second to the Boks.
In four years little has been advanced in this England team. The Boks and All Blacks have smashed them by record margins in London, the Wallabies have beaten them in London and Wales, Ireland, Scotland and France have also enjoyed success against a side that has never settled on a pattern of play. Neither has Johnson ever had the conviction to axe those who played with him in the 2003 World Cup success in Australia.
Hero of the 2003 World Cup victory Jonny Wilkinson was among those Johnson refused to give up on, but the once great kicker was a shadow of the player who won England the World Cup with a right footed drop goal. Wilkinson, so plagued by injury in the last five years, kicked at 60 percent at the 2007 World Cup in France and he ended this tournament with the worst goalkicking average of the leading kickers with just 10 from 20.
Johnson subbed him on the hour and he will not play for England again. It was a cruel way for him to go, but there was nothing cruel about the manner of English defeat.
England, on the night, were dire and a Marc Cueto try in the 78th minute added to the illusion this was a close match. It never was. England were never in the game and only referee Steve Walsh’s charity ensured they stayed in the game. Walsh penalised France 11 times in the last hour before finally giving the victors a penalty in the last minute.
England at this World Cup have been a disgrace in the way they behaved and played. The tournament is the richer for their departure. Wales will play France in what should be a magnificent World Cup semi-final match.
1,082 Comments
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8 Oct 2011, 16:14 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-848: Gary Teichman didn’t have much of a say, why would Smit be any different?
8 Oct 2011, 16:14 pm
Now they want to send cappie f’ng marvelous aura on to the field for 50 minutes to ‘hold parity’ and not go ‘too far into arrears’ so that saviour Bismark can come on later and SAVE his overrated hapless lardass from being exposed too bad.
What a f’ng crock of garbage, why not just send Bismark on from kickoff and take the game AWAY from the Aussies instead of handing the f’ng game to them on a plate for 50 minutes and then for Alberts and Bismark to have to come on and TAKE IT BACK again.
This schmuck got NO SHAME. He KNOWS he’s a f’ng PASSENGER being CARRIED by others and especially by the one who he’s keeping on the bench, and what’s worse now Beast gotta sit out AS WELL because of this f’ng compromise, and yet he still has this f’ng overrated fantasy of being first f’ng hero to lift Bill twice
8 Oct 2011, 16:14 pm
@Tuna(Tuna)-847: agree mr Tuna
8 Oct 2011, 16:16 pm
Our team is our team.
We are not the selectors;
We have no say in who plays.
We support the “team”;
Not the individuals in the team.
We support the Springboks fully no matter what.
We are behind you all the way!
No caveats;
No conditions;
No “ifs” or “buts”.
And we are behind our captain!
Go Bokke
Do us proud!
8 Oct 2011, 16:17 pm
@Samba Bok(JayDaFiveOh)-850: Forget the sjambok… Skoppie is sitting ready so shove a book somewhere if they lose.
8 Oct 2011, 16:17 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-851: thats cause mallet had balls
8 Oct 2011, 16:18 pm
@grant10(grant10)-843:
hahaha how funny those young men get beaten by the ‘oldest dooses to ever play rugby’…
but you’ve probably got an answer for that.
8 Oct 2011, 16:19 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-854: ‘We have no say, do us proud… same kind of thing with the old National Government – they were evil but no one ever voted for them right…
8 Oct 2011, 16:19 pm
well I will be 1000000% behind the boys at kick off
But I tell you all something for nothing ….Plod has shown his true colours…..and they are not very pretty.
Enjoy gents
outta here
ps….congrats France and Wales…..enjoyed both games immensely!
8 Oct 2011, 16:20 pm
win or lose, both camps with get something positive. for the PdV and Smit fans, you will have some vindication… to the rest of us, we will probably get a new coach
8 Oct 2011, 16:22 pm
Roar!
8 Oct 2011, 16:22 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-851: Gary Teichman wasn’t ‘brought back’ to save the coach’s job.
{ Not that he needed much convincing, Mrs Smit hated France so it wasn’t much to convince an over the hill hooker with a moaning wife to go home and earn some dosh helping prop up an affirmative regime.}
One thing Gary was, and still is though, is a prize plonker of note. Every cent is prisoner and he knows more than the creator herself about everything.
8 Oct 2011, 16:23 pm
@grant10(grant10)-859: @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-852:
Zorba will not save your JWWW coaches team today.
8 Oct 2011, 16:24 pm
I see van der Heever left in Jansens dust in Kimberly. So much for his devastating speed.
8 Oct 2011, 16:31 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-862: is there anyone you approve of?
Jeez but who made you the final arbiter of who’s who in the zoo?
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-858: Labelling Smit “evil” is perhaps going a little far… don’t you think?
8 Oct 2011, 16:37 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-865: No he’s not evil, but the Nats were…
Miscommunication.
Of course there are those I approve of… let’s see..
Nick Mallet for talking out about ticket pricing, and his coaching skills.
Jack the Snake for sneaking the RWC
John Smit for prior 2008
Naas Botha for sitting on the fench
Oregan Hoskins for admitting PDV is a BEE placement
PDV for looking like a BEE placement
Andy Marinos for being a greasy little man
Bobby Skinstad for being drunk on Tv the other day
See, there’s loads of people I like
8 Oct 2011, 16:43 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-842: that was very funny
8 Oct 2011, 16:52 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-866:
keep going
8 Oct 2011, 16:59 pm
@once more unto the breach, dear springboks, once more…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-868: Ok
Francious Pienaar for never being from a family that voted Nat
Johan Prinsloo for keeping the boys up at night
Earl Rose for confusing PDV
Mark Andrews for being tighter than a nun on Sundays
Lem for being awesome
8 Oct 2011, 17:13 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-869: So is this your oscar speech
8 Oct 2011, 17:56 pm
Just watched the France v England game, Pierre Spies should take a note out of Harinordoquy’s book
Wow and Wales look really well organised. I wonder if that means we are a little better than every thinks we are or not …
Go Bokke, make us proud
8 Oct 2011, 18:05 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-869:
yes very funny
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-870:
if its the anti-john smit oscar then yes. maybe.
8 Oct 2011, 18:17 pm
SA are now ranked 5th favourites by the bookies to win the Cup:
NZ 4/6
Wales 11/2
France 11/2
Australia 7/1
SA 8/1
Arg 200/1
8 Oct 2011, 18:18 pm
Despite losing to Ireland earlier in the tournament, Australia are the bookies favourites to beat SA:
Aus 4/6
SA 6/5
8 Oct 2011, 18:53 pm
Has no-one noticed the deja vu with 2007???
SA/England same group…. ended up in the final. Easy group win for SA, but a lot closer in final.
2011 – SA/Wales same group and will contest the final. Tough group win for SA, but will coast in the final
Yours in the ultimate seering…. the Bod.
By the way, no mention of the game here in Espanol… what time does the game begin, SA time???
8 Oct 2011, 19:01 pm
@Bod(bod)-875: 7am I think.
8 Oct 2011, 19:03 pm
@Bod(bod)-875: Bod? Brian O’Driscoll?
Dunno mat, thinks that’s a little optimistic. Let’s see after tomorrow, however I think we are definitely going is as underdogs. Hopefully we’ll see a lot of the players show a bit impact tomorrow, including Matfield, Spies, FdP, JDV and Habana …
I think Wales will fancy their chances against us currently.
Damn, I’m already feeling the nerves …
8 Oct 2011, 19:09 pm
Ag, we never lose to Wales.
I hope if we do reach the final (long way to go still) we meet Wales and slaughter them, the way it should be.
8 Oct 2011, 19:12 pm
@TheAgent(TheAgent)-876:
Thanks Bud…. 7.00am?
Maybe a good reason to oversleep, wake up and pray like hell as you turn on the PC and move to “sports results”…..
Boks win and out with the Champers and watch the replay 5 times over
Boks lose, the sun still comes up the next day and you are still adamant that rugby is a kak sport
8 Oct 2011, 19:20 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-874:
I guess that is very fair. The outcome of the Ireland /Aus game or any other game during the group stage of the world cup has no real relevance tomorrow imo.
Are you not the bloke who said earlier this week that Ireland and England will win today to prove the theory that teams that lose during the first round never win the world cup?
I also thought Ireland and England were going to win today but not because they were undefeated so we were both wrong but for different reasons.
I have put some money on Australia to win tomorrow (cause I think they are the better team and will win) but I hope SA pulls it off – so in a way it is a win-win situation for me, lol.
8 Oct 2011, 19:21 pm
@Bod(bod)-879: I was thinking the same thing.
At about 10am I’ll click on keo, and pray like never before. I’ll hold my hand over the screen, lowering it bit by bit.
8 Oct 2011, 19:24 pm
Going to interesting the rest of the RWC. Definitely hope we beat the Aussies, don’t mind loosing to ABs in semis, but hope we beat them.
If we get beaten then I’ll support ABs, shame cause they need a break as well, lol
8 Oct 2011, 19:24 pm
@TheAgent(TheAgent)-881:
hehehe, and then try to peep from left to right so that you do not see it all in at once? i have also done it, mainly for the Stormers but my win/loss ratio is not very good so i am not doing it any more like that.
8 Oct 2011, 19:25 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-880: No, I wasn’t that person. I did however say England and Ireland would win, and that the result would leave only unbeaten teams in the tournament (not because of it).
Both good games this morning. Very entertaining to watch.
8 Oct 2011, 19:29 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-883: LOL. And here I was thinking I was the only “*****”. It is so stupid actually, to think that by trying not to look too fast will change the result.
I’ve even clicked on the page, and read a few comments. If I see the comments point to something I feared, I exit the site. If it looks good, I scroll to the top to read the article.
8 Oct 2011, 19:29 pm
There were some dodgy decisions today, but the most dodgy decision was making Martin Johnson coach. Why on Earth do you have 3 2nd rows on the bench?!?!?!?! His selection has been dire for his entire tenure as coach. I could rant on for ages, but I wont and think that I’ll agree with keo in that its probably best that England are out of the tournament, because a radical overhaul is needed in English rugby and a flukey tournament would probably have covered up the real mess that it is in. English rugby has been in recession since 2003, the people in charge need to be honest with themselves, step aside and allow new fresh blood in. Conservatism has cursed and destroyed a once mighty rugby nation and left us as the laughing stock of world rugby.
I so hope to see change, but I wont be holding my breath!
8 Oct 2011, 19:31 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-884:
Must have been someone else then.
This round was always going to be hard to predict with only the All Blacks having a relatively easy game.it will be amazing if a team that has lost twice (France) eventually win this tournament and at this stage they have as good a chance as any of the remaining teams to do it. Its all on the day.
8 Oct 2011, 19:32 pm
@Bod(bod)-875: Bod i’m seeing it, but with NZ and France…. easy group game, final slightly tougher… but still an NZ win
8 Oct 2011, 19:34 pm
@HongKongSlong(HongKongSlong)-886: The players did not take this RWC seriously enough, too much off the game stuff going on. For English supporters I spoke to today this reminds them of the Football world cup
8 Oct 2011, 19:34 pm
@TheAgent(TheAgent)-885:
8 Oct 2011, 19:37 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-890: You’re telling me. I have 2 schedules for tomorrow. If we lose, I’ll take the wife and kid out, come back and read a book. If we win, I’ll watch the game, and the NZ game. Then I’ll watch the game again, to do some match analysis for next week. The wife and kid can then do what they want.
8 Oct 2011, 19:38 pm
Israel Dagg and Corey Jane keeping it real.
Jane’s wife says he was not drinking and she knows where he was at all times
WTF?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby-world-cup-2011/news/article.cfm?c_id=522&objectid=10757700
8 Oct 2011, 19:38 pm
Agent!
8 Oct 2011, 20:17 pm
@cab(cab)-804:
are the teams at
‘full strength’
yet, Mr Cab Driver ?
just so I know.
8 Oct 2011, 20:25 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-894: Panty, so how many points in your opinion will the kiwis win by tomorrow?
8 Oct 2011, 20:28 pm
Bring the “GEES” manne!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fGjD6-uxoU&feature=related
8 Oct 2011, 20:28 pm
More “GEES”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cM2rElkC8Y
8 Oct 2011, 20:28 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-892: Oh dear, less than 72 hours before the game. It doesn’t seem Jane is taking the Argies very seriously, is he?
Stunned bar patrons have told how the two backline stars appeared to be swaying and slurring their words.
Witnesses said Jane lit a cigarette in the bar – breaking the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 banning smoking in pubs, in force since 2004.
When police showed up for a regulation check, bar staff “hid” the players in the bar’s kitchen.
Married father-of-three Jane reportedly waved a wad of $50 notes at the bar, offering to buy patrons a drink. He also allegedly ventured behind the bar and acted like he was going to pour himself a drink.
8 Oct 2011, 20:30 pm
He from Lower Hutt
8 Oct 2011, 20:31 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-895: more importantly Mr. Smitty ra ra disciple how many points you reckon Boks gonna win by tomorrow under HRH Sir f’ng Blue Eyed Pumpnose Galahad ?
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