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, 12:57 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-391: I’ll be sending a n email to immigration immediately – that should most definitely be a requirement for applying for an SA passport that you support the Boks, otherwise why do you want to support for eg the Kiwis but get an SA passport?
PS Tackler what passport do you have?
15 Oct 2011, 12:57 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-398: I know
15 Oct 2011, 12:57 pm
Ugly thought is that France haven’t played a good game yet! Quite possible that they turn up next week! Imagine that a side that lost twice winning the tournament!
15 Oct 2011, 12:57 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-369: He is the best ref in this tourney Poppa and has been reffing very well. You can be sure none from Wallabies or ABs will get away with cheating at the breakdowns. No high tackles will be missed. He keeps up with the players too. So will see if there is a forward pass or if it was not. Oz and ABs have the best ref. My feeling he will ref the final as well.
We will see a very fair game tomorrow.
I actually read that Craig was gonna ref this game today. Now see he is reffing the sh teams in their semi.
Read here earlier about your mom mate. Sorry to hear. Very sad when one loses a parent.
15 Oct 2011, 12:57 pm
How convenient the Fakes all choose NZ. I’ve yet to find a Fake supporting Australia or Ireland or Wales or England or France.
The one team they all seem to drift to like moths to a flame is the one single team who just happens to [presently] have a better win record over the Boks.
i.e. what better team to support if you want to be confrontational about it? Like coming on to a blog and running down your own countrymen…
Question for the Fakes: do you get more joy out of SA losing, or your adopted team winning?
I suspect we all know the real answer even if you are too scared to admit it.
15 Oct 2011, 12:57 pm
Woodie: the result of the tenets of my argument was refuted but the make up of the position wasn’t. In other words people said you are wrong but we don’t know why.
15 Oct 2011, 12:58 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-387:
I will finish it off
Happiness is a warm gun, great song HG, One of my favourite Beatle songs
15 Oct 2011, 12:58 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-387:
Happiness is……………………………..
Happiness (is a warm whistle)
(Lemon and Macca.)
8)
15 Oct 2011, 12:59 pm
if the Fakes like NZ so much they should fark off to NZ.
I’m sure the real kiwis would love to have them.
15 Oct 2011, 13:00 pm
@Puma(Puma)-404: thanks mate… like all refs he misses things but he is pretty consistent with his rulings… he allows play to flow imo
15 Oct 2011, 13:01 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-405:
Good point. If New Zealand lost on a regular basis one wonders if so many South africans would support them.
I know of a lot of Fijians that support The Sharks during the Super 14/15 and I suspect it’s because they consistently won so many games.
15 Oct 2011, 13:01 pm
Wooden spoon: so now you want to kick out people born in south Africa who don’t support the same team as you?
15 Oct 2011, 13:01 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-407:
Or as Richard Nixon once said…………………………
” I am not a crook”.
8)
(this is private jike among the Huttites).
15 Oct 2011, 13:02 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-407: @cane(cane)-408: No.
Happiness is…
Paddy O’Brien, Old School Kiwi…
And yes, Hurricane, “warm gun” is highly appropriate here…
15 Oct 2011, 13:02 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-318: Fern, very funny
15 Oct 2011, 13:02 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-409:
Wooden, when you land , do you need a ride from Christchurch airport, i will pick ya up
15 Oct 2011, 13:03 pm
@cane(cane)-413:
Dude how do you know him?
Its not me but you are damn close
15 Oct 2011, 13:03 pm
Its a sad indictment on World referees that Craig Joubert is now considered to be the best referee. Imo the best ref outhere never made it to the Cup and since retired. Can’t say I blame him. He is also a Lawrence, but of a better pedigree
15 Oct 2011, 13:04 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-414:
happiness is…
Paddy O’brien leading NZ to WC victory..
15 Oct 2011, 13:04 pm
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-411:
Added to that the Boks 7′s jerseys sell out in Fijian shops like hotcakes due to the demand amongst the general public.
15 Oct 2011, 13:05 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-419: Ja you got that right
15 Oct 2011, 13:05 pm
Woodie: how many SA national sporting teams does a south African need to support to retain their citizenship and be permitted to remain in the country?
15 Oct 2011, 13:06 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-410: Yes and he will blow fair to both sides.
It will be a AB/France final. Wallabies were atrocious last week and very lucky to come away with a win, really can’t see your team losing to them and ABs will not lose to the French in the final. That is a useless French side. Wales with 15men would have beaten them. Pity Warbarton had a brain lapse. Lost it for his team right there.
Cheers mate. Took my Scot visitors to the beach after the Wales game now gonna go and collect them. Getting overcast. Just hope the weather stays fine for my Sharks game later.
15 Oct 2011, 13:08 pm
If I wanted to support a regular WC winning team, I’d be a bok supporter. The ABs may or may not win this WC but I’ll always be BLACK!!!
15 Oct 2011, 13:09 pm
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-420: How big is a sportshop in Fiji? I guess you could say they sell like hotcakes if you sold your one and only Bok jersey.
15 Oct 2011, 13:09 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-422: How do you support something that is nt your own, and wil never be
You can never be proud of that fact, can you?
15 Oct 2011, 13:10 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-424:
All black.
15 Oct 2011, 13:10 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-424:
wow, i started reading that post and i had to stand up and put hand on heart for some reason.
15 Oct 2011, 13:11 pm
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-417:
I’ve never met him Hurricane.
But his name, “Richard” is a name you never forget.
We’ll have to have a beer sometime.
I’m sure his name has been both a blessing and a curse.
I can tell you his current and former occupation.
His Bank and what Branch he uses.
But have not a clue what he looks like.
8)
15 Oct 2011, 13:12 pm
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-425:
Not sure but that’s what my one Fijian mate tells me. The Fijians rate our Bok 7′s big time and a lot do support us.
15 Oct 2011, 13:12 pm
JL1: the boks are not mine, they were never intended to be and I’m proud of the All Blacks incredibly proud!!!
15 Oct 2011, 13:12 pm
Great white shark: indeed.
15 Oct 2011, 13:13 pm
@Puma(Puma)-423: not game enough to think that far ahead Puma, big one against Aust as far as Im looking.. Wales should still have won, unfortunate for Warburton but he is young, going to be a good good player.. good luck in your game later today mate..
15 Oct 2011, 13:14 pm
@cane(cane)-429:
hahaha
Your just a very wise man Cane thats all.
And yeah, a beer sometime when i am visiting the family in Y-nui would be great.
15 Oct 2011, 13:15 pm
Hurricane: that’s how i’m feeling right now, immensely proud, I love the AB’s mate, no other team matters.
15 Oct 2011, 13:15 pm
Almost all RWC games are won or lost by pure luck. It’s how it goes.
Oz may even win the same way against the Kiwis if the Kiwis choke on their gumguards tomorrow.
15 Oct 2011, 13:16 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-431: And their anthem and their haka and their ministers, you sound like you just a tourist in SA at the moment
When you are you going back to New Zealand?
15 Oct 2011, 13:18 pm
I’d like to become a Welshman…their anthem even makes me get all watery eyed.
15 Oct 2011, 13:18 pm
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-430:
One (1) Fijian mate,
and you know the groundswell of Fijian public opinion !
Well I suppose,
1 from 1 is 100%.
(have you apologised yet?)
15 Oct 2011, 13:18 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-424: A fan of the England away kit?
15 Oct 2011, 13:19 pm
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-438: Are you ***, if so then you are already half Welsh
15 Oct 2011, 13:20 pm
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-438: They actually had good singers for the anthems this time, thank god they’ve ditched those stupid church choirs.
15 Oct 2011, 13:20 pm
@JL1(JL1)-441: g a y
15 Oct 2011, 13:20 pm
I love the haka both forms, Kapa o pango being my favourite. My family ancestors have been in south Africa for hundreds of years pre-dating the colonialists. How longer has your family been here and do you have a uk passport?
I’ll be in NZ next year during the four nations tournament, when will you be there?
15 Oct 2011, 13:21 pm
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-438:
There anthem is the most intense their is.
Nothing like it when your at cardiff and they start singing that.
15 Oct 2011, 13:22 pm
@cane(cane)-439:
Nope I know a few. Feeling prickly today I notice. The nerves on edge or is it my comments that have offended you doodums…that stick up your bottom a bit too tight.
15 Oct 2011, 13:22 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-435:
Big Hug ( a manly hug) across the timezones Bro.
We need all the suppport we can get.
Tomorrow is going toi be a very tough day at the office for both teams.
Very tough.
15 Oct 2011, 13:22 pm
@Great White Shark(Predawn)-438: is that like when you finally realise the sharks arent going to make the s!5 playoffs too?
15 Oct 2011, 13:22 pm
@JL1(JL1)-441:
I’m the only g ay in my village.
15 Oct 2011, 13:23 pm
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-444:
lol
Oh i liked this post.
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