France profit from moment of madness
15 Oct 2011
JON CARDINELLI writes that a reckless Welsh tackle proved to be the catalyst for an unlikely 9-8 World Cup semi-final win for France.
Up until the 18th minute of Saturday’s play-off at Eden Park, Sam Warburton had been one of the standouts for Wales and indeed one of the stars of the 2011 tournament. Sadly, the young Wales captain will not be remembered for his impressive displays against South Africa in the pool stages and Ireland in the quarter-final, but rather for one brainless tackle that would jettison the Dragons from the global tournament.
Wales were in firm control for much of the first quarter. While their scrum struggled against a lighter but technically superior French eight, they enjoyed the majority of possession and territory, and went to a 3-0 lead in the eighth minute thanks to the boot of James Hook.
France took a pounding at the collisions. Dimitri Yachvili floated a pass to Vincent Clerc well behind the gain line, and this proved to be the game-changing moment, as Warburton, in his enthusiasm to make the hit and possibly force the turnover, lifted Clerc beyond the horizontal and then let the winger fall to ground. Referee Alain Rolland brandished the mandatory red card, and as good as Wales had looked, they were always going to struggle to hang on for 62 minutes with only 14 men.
France used the numerical advantage to good effect at scrum time, but were woefully bad in general play. Morgan Parra had kicked them to a 6-3 lead by half-time, but it was the short-handed Wales that continued to control possession and territory. The French backs battled to field the high balls launched by the Wales halfbacks, and when they did, they often made some shocking decisions which allowed Wales to regain the pill.
It was here where Wales needed to make the best of a bad situation. Hook had done brilliantly to slot his first penalty attempt from the touchline, but proceeded to fluff two subsequent shots from midfield, as well as a drop-goal attempt. France were far too loose towards the end of the first stanza and may have scored more points had they kept it close, but Wales may also have gone to the break in the lead if they had kicked their goals.
Parra bisected the uprights in the 49th minute, but the plucky Welsh refused to lie down. They continued to pressure the French back three, and the tactical substitution of Stephen Jones had the desired effect as they played smarter and tighter. While they had wasted opportunities in the first 40, they took the first chance available to them when Mike Phillips breezed through the French defence for an important try. Tellingly, Jones missed the ensuing conversion to allow France to maintain a slender 9-8 lead.
At times the Tricolores looked like the team with the one-man disadvantage. They were guilty of being too casual in some instances, and too frantic in others. It’s the type of performance many would have expected after their strong showing against England, as they have a reputation for inconsistency. They battled to put a 14-man Wales side away, and in the end, they were the side that held on for the win.
It was always going to be too much to ask of a Wales side one man short. It would have been remembered as one of the great victories had they finished a multiphase attack at the death, but unfortunately it will go down in history as a game they lost in the 18th minute when their captain received his marching orders. Three missed penalty-attempts (Leigh Halfpenny didn’t have the distance with a 50m shot in the 76th minute) and a missed conversion, also cost them dearly.
624 Comments
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15 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm
Conspiracy….
Was that tackle a yellow card.
Wales dominated possession and territory…france made double more tackles…they should have lost. Ref on the side of france…he spoke french…he must have given different instructions in french than in english to the welsh.
Where is professor noakes??
15 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-332: Vintage Skop.
15 Oct 2011, 12:35 pm
Pundy: Must pain one’s heart to live life as a fake.
15 Oct 2011, 12:36 pm
@cane(cane)-344:
yep, i believe it is
15 Oct 2011, 12:36 pm
@cane(cane)-344: G = Ga.t . Its the Afrikaans word for Kiwi…
15 Oct 2011, 12:36 pm
@cane(cane)-344:
Now we know how you think…
It is actually the Afrikaans version of LMFAO.
Cheers manne en maninne,ek het n kopie van Peter Stiff se boek oor die Selous Scouts opgetel en dis tyd om tebraai en n biethie telees.
Lekker aand en praat more.
Keep well kiwis.we shall talk tomorrow
15 Oct 2011, 12:37 pm
@MaraudingJ(MaraudingJ)-292: I think what swayed it to be a red card was the hand pushing into the face from Warburton after had tip tackled the French player.
First thought he would go off for a yellow but seeing his hand pushing into the French player knew Rolland was gonna pull out the red card.
Really feel for Warburton. He has been one of the outstanding players this wc. A brain lapse ruined it for his team, he must be feeling really terrible right now.
This is a useless French side too. If they could hardly beat Wales with 14 men down for almost the whole game they will have no chance against ABs or Wallbies. Whoever wins tomorrow will win the wc.
I think it will be a AB/France final. Jeez same as us in the last wc facing a team from their pool.
15 Oct 2011, 12:37 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-350: No, most of my team will be playing rugby the next two weeks… but with honest refs and no rigging… The Currie Cup
15 Oct 2011, 12:38 pm
Wooden spoon: don’t get upset, your team is back in SA, that’s a fact accept it! As I’ve told you numerous times, I’ve never thought that the AB’s were favourite’s, however with all that said the boks are home and trying to start investigations instead of winning on the field. Sucks!
15 Oct 2011, 12:38 pm
Well done France. Tough luck Wales. Hard call for that red but that rubbish has to stop. Allan Ronald not taking his “hobby” very seriously. Winner of RWC 2011 will come from tomorrow’s game. These Frenchies will not make it next week and I dare say I predict a drubbing.
15 Oct 2011, 12:38 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-356: Cheers Cuzzie.
15 Oct 2011, 12:38 pm
HG found a new gatkruiper to come gatkruip up his heinous horrendous gat, managing to krap out that other sniveling phillified phoefy phony only to invite another serial arselick runtcunt fernly fckface up that ******* that he recently vacated
15 Oct 2011, 12:39 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-317: hell you are pathetic, get this you are not a fckuign kiwi, you have no right to support canes team … get it.
15 Oct 2011, 12:39 pm
Seeing the whinging form the UK makes me feel a whole lot better about our whinging. At least Lawrence DID have a shocker with us, Rolland made 100% the right call. Sad it ruined the game as a spectacle, but should be applauded for his guts in making the call. Giving the yellow wouldve been the easier decision and I’m certain a few refs would’ve done it instead of making the brave and right call and sending him off.
15 Oct 2011, 12:40 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-359: Pundy, it shows how much you know (or don’t) when you were spouting before the tournament ad nauseum that the Boks were favourites….
Go do a haka or make a hangi or something… fake.
15 Oct 2011, 12:42 pm
@Tuna(Tuna)-360: I will give the French at least a 50% chance to win it. Their track record in WC’s deserves that. No matter who they play. Doesn’t matter who wins it so would dearly love a re-match between the AB’s and them. Let’s face it, Wales was never going to upset the AB’s, or Aus for that matter.
15 Oct 2011, 12:43 pm
The International Rugby Board’s rule on ‘spear tackles’ reads: “It is dangerous play to lift a player from the ground and drop or drive that player into the ground whilst that player’s feet are still off the ground so that the player’s head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground.”
Ahead of the tournament a directive was also issued to referees relating to such tackles, which stated: “Foul play – high tackles, grabbing and twisting of the head and tip tackles to be emphasised, with referees to start at red and work backwards.”
IRB recommended sanctions for such tackles start at bans of three weeks for offences considered to be at the lower end of the scale, six weeks for middle-level transgressions and end at 10 weeks or more for the worst ‘spear tackles’.
Now the key here is the word drop, and sadly, Warbuton did indeed drop the Frenchie. So Roland was perfectly in his rights, and had a good game otherwise too – unlike Bryce Lawrence.
15 Oct 2011, 12:43 pm
And they talk about Refs on ITV…
“Where does reffing go to now. A ref determined the outcome of the match unfairly. What now?”
And it will go on… and on…
Thanks Paddy… The Man in the Middle is now the centre of the Rugby Universe everywhere.
RWC 2011… Will be forever known as the Reffing World Cup
15 Oct 2011, 12:44 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-358: I know, maybe the refs are dodgy, lets hope that Saffa fella tomorrow refs fair, otherwise we’ll know for sure..
15 Oct 2011, 12:44 pm
@renoog(silent_shadow)-364:
for sure.
But now the South Africans believe the whole cup is corrupt as thats the only way SA could have lost.
No way the Ozzie team are better, according to SA even though they have had there a$$es handed to them over the last few years from OZ.
Its really sickening.
15 Oct 2011, 12:45 pm
RL: as I’ve told you I could never support the boks, I’d feel sick if I were to put on the bok jersey, it’d give me a rash. I support the ABs and that won’t change ever!!! I’ve no link to the boks at all.
15 Oct 2011, 12:45 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-356:
Cheers manne en maninne,ek het n kopie van Peter Stiff se boek oor die Selous Scouts opgetel en dis tyd om tebraai en n biethie telees.
Lekker aand en praat more.
I’m flattered.
Your post simply says ……………………………………………..I give up.
8)
15 Oct 2011, 12:45 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-366: I predict another 1999 anti climax final. These guys are poor. They had a “good” game against a rubbish England team. No team that lose to Tongo deserves to be in the final. If Wales had their 15 on the park those frogs would have been gone. 60 min playing against 14 and almost losing it, says a lot.
15 Oct 2011, 12:45 pm
Either way it’s going to be a replay of ’87 or ’99. France realy owe it to their rugby legacy and pedigree to finish it off. Geez! Even the AB’s have won it at least once…
15 Oct 2011, 12:45 pm
Pains me to say, but a Rolland had no choice to send Warburton off. Rather like Zinedine Zidane in 2006, you immediately search for all the reasons a red *shouldn’t* be given — “he’s not really that type of player and it would completely spoil the game” — but deep down you know he has to go.
The real tragedy is that this French mob will be representing our sport in it’s finest moment. Some cold comfort in the fact that NZ (I hope) or Aus will stuff ‘em by at least 15 points.
15 Oct 2011, 12:46 pm
Wooden spoon: you know my reasons for saying that boks were favourite’s and you’ve never disputed them. Your team lost it sucks, swallow it and move forward.
15 Oct 2011, 12:47 pm
@frenchiebokfan(frenchiebokfan)-85:
Please present your case to the irb re 2007 as well.
15 Oct 2011, 12:47 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-369: I hope so too Poppa. Jokes and whinging aside.
But you know what, Joubert is not the best Saffa ref by a long shot.
Mark Lawrence is… and he’s at home… probably fixing someones eyesight somewhere as an Optometrist which is what he is, believe it or not.
Thanks Paddy.
15 Oct 2011, 12:48 pm
A speartackle is a straight red card. Don’t understand the apparant confusion… The other villain was Hook for missing 2 relatively easy penalties (not to mention that kick against SA).
15 Oct 2011, 12:48 pm
I wonder if the Fake really feels the pain the real kiwis feel at not winning the RWC in 24 years… or does the Fickle Fake only seize on the success?
15 Oct 2011, 12:49 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-371: So what you basically saying is you have no link to SOUTH AFRICA..
15 Oct 2011, 12:49 pm
@RL(RL)-363:
He has every right to support whoever he wants.
FFS, your such a tosser sometimes. You cant tell anyone who they should watch or support.
15 Oct 2011, 12:49 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-378: I’ll send him your regards
15 Oct 2011, 12:50 pm
Wales can bleat all they want.
Bottom line is a) a tip tackle where you drop the oke is a red card. b) they left 11 points lying on the table.
Just like us Bokke, of you don’t sink the black you lose…..
15 Oct 2011, 12:50 pm
@cane(cane)-309:
…and simply illegal. The player could have gotten a neck injury if he had been planted a little more towards 90 degrees.
15 Oct 2011, 12:50 pm
The whole red card thing today looks unfair. The reason for this is that other incidents like this are treated with a yellow card and warnings, and that is the problem, if all of these are red carded we wouldn’t not have to think about if it fair or not. What we saw this morning is dangerous and needs to stop and more red cards will keep that silly stuff to a minimum.
15 Oct 2011, 12:50 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-383: Happiness is.
15 Oct 2011, 12:51 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-376: lol, check the Fake twisting facts, of course that silly tagline of yours was disputed, by many.
We can all see through a fake.
Especially one who comes on to an SA site and tries to gain some kick out of it.
Traitor Troll Fickle Fake.
15 Oct 2011, 12:51 pm
@wallabie.(wallabie.)-377:
Wallabie, these idiots have nothing at all.
What they are trying to do now is create another RWC where it didnt count.
15 Oct 2011, 12:51 pm
@Tuna(Tuna)-373: Who knows? They might actualy have timed their run much better this time. Saving that one, big, big performance for the final? Are you honestly saying that if their was a chance of France being knocked out by Tonga, they would still have lost that game? Imo that was a pretty authentic French performance and so would having a blinder in the WC final. It would be typical.
15 Oct 2011, 12:52 pm
Puma: for me to be a south African are you suggesting that I’d need to support the boks? As far as I know whenever I apply for a passport and ID book, the Home Affairs questionnaire does not ask me for my sporting affiliation!
15 Oct 2011, 12:52 pm
I am of course referring to sinking the black #8 ball in pool……. before anyone gets all freaky on me and thinks that was some kind of political statement, lol
15 Oct 2011, 12:53 pm
I am going to get a double barrelled shotgun
One bullet has been marked with the name Bryce Lawerence
The other bullet has been marekd “the frog Allain Rolland”
I would glady line those shots up.
15 Oct 2011, 12:53 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-387:
15 Oct 2011, 12:54 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-389:
pants at my ankles… 
15 Oct 2011, 12:54 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-393: threats over the internet, oh no, thought it was only us kiwi’s
15 Oct 2011, 12:55 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-391:
lol
I wouldnt let these clowns get to ya. You have rights in most countries, my understanding is that SA is one of them. But going by a couple on here, they seem a bit,like old school South Africa.
15 Oct 2011, 12:55 pm
That wasnt a threat?
15 Oct 2011, 12:56 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-395:
lol
good one
15 Oct 2011, 12:57 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-393:
OH no, internet tough guy alert.
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