South Africa won their second World Cup last night in Paris beating England 15 - 6 in a tense battle. It was, as expected
not exactly a try fest, in fact there were no tries at all but instead spectators were treated to a nail biting match with a disallowed try which perhaps could have changed the game. Both teams seemed far keener to run into each other rather than seek out the space that could have been elsewhere on the pitch. England’s chance came when Mathew Tait broke the South African line and got to within 5 metres of the line. The ball was moved left to Mark Cueto who looked to have squeezed into the corner. Video refs call…….No Try! England took the penalty they were given instead.
South Africa’s chance came when Tait’s opposite number sliced open the English defence. He came close and the Springboks were awarded a scrum 5 metres out from which Danie Roussouw got close. South Africa were awarded a penalty and they gladly took it to extend their lead.
England can come away from the World Cup with huge pride. Their performances started poorly but they have understood how to win ‘cup’ games - winning even if it’s ugly. However, some things need to be addressed to make sure that the path through to the next World Cup is planned and thought about deeply now. The World Cup win in 2003 was still being talked of 4 years later; in any other of the World Cup winning nations, the win would be celebrated and then the development for the next competition would start. England now need to do this in preparation for 2011. Young players need a chance to develop and they need to be given the opportunity to show their talents. It has taken 3 years to see the attacking promise of Mathew Tait so give others the same chance and hopefully England will have a squad of seasoned internationals with the confidence to go into a World Cup and reach the latter stages again.
Mathew Tait has allowed everyone to understand how to deal with matchday nerves……lie on the bathroom floor with the shower on and let the sound of the water calm your nerves! Anyone worried about their water bills should not let Tait anywhere near their bathroom on game day.
For the rest of this afternoon, Tait will be lying on the floor trying to calm himself down before he runs out in Paris in a World Cup Final as it’s youngest ever player at the age of 21.
Tonight England will look to complete their change in fortune by winning the Webb Ellis trophy for the second tournament
in a row. England began the World Cup with some very laboured performances but have managed to progress to the Final, even though fans would not say that performance have got that much better. Who cares? This is after all a results business and a win is a win!
However, Jake White the South African coach beleives that England will start the game as favourites but having lost the last 4 matches against South Africa, starting with the Test match almost a year ago in November. 2 of the 4 defeats were when England took a largely second string squad on their summer tour, while the most memorable is the hammering that the Springboks gave to England in the World Cup group stages.
In terms of match winners, both teams have them. South Africa have Bryan Habana (so fast he raced a Cheetah) who has scored 8 tries already this tournament, only needing 1 more to beat Jonah Lomu’s record of 8 in a tournament. They also have Percy Montgomery who is the World Cup’s most accurate goal kicker. England will also feel that they have players in their side who can produce moments of brilliance which could help them win games. You do not have to look further than Jonny Wilkinson at fly half. If England are within a score or 2 then they will feel that Wilkinson can boot them to victory even though his accuracy is way down on Montgomery’s. Just ask a Frenchman if they think Wilkinson can change a game!
All will be known in less than 7 hours. One of the country’s best sporting achievements could be on the cards………Watch this space!
Mark Cueto will fill the left wing berth for England in the World Cup Final on Saturday night. He was chosen to start ahead
of Dan Hipkiss (who would have played in the centre with Mathew Tait moving to the wing). Hipkiss will retain his place on the bench in the Final and will be confident of playing some part in the game.
Cueto will make his 4th start of the campaign having not played since the Group fixture against Tonga. He has shown himself to be a proven try scorer, reaching 13 tries in just 23 starts for his country. He is the only player to come into the side with both the starting 15 and the bench remaining the same. Ashton said that the choice between the 2 players was very close and it seems that Cueto’s experience at international level was the deciding factor.
4 of the starting line up are survivors of the World Cup Final in 2003 with Jonny Wilkinson, Phil Vickery, Ben Kay and Jason Robinson all playing in successive Finals. Mike Catt will be the oldest player to play in a final at the age of 36, while his centre partner Mathew Tait will be the youngest player invovled in a final the age of 21.
The Organising Committee will put on sale the last remaining tickets for the RWC Final this morning, Wednesday 17th October. Sales will commence from 10am (CET) and 9am (BST) via the following addresses:
www.rugbyworldcup.com and also www.france2007.fr
Bryan Habana, the Rugby World Cup’s joint top scorer has once again dismissed talk of the chance for him to be top try-grabber as press talk. He places far more importance in South Africa achieving success in the final than in him reaching
personal landmarks. The 24 year old, who has now equalled Jonah Lomu’s World Cup record says he is desperate for South Africa to achieve gold in the final on Saturday.
Habana has now scored 30 tries in his 34 test appearances since his try scoring debut against England at Twickenham in 2004, a superb return for a winger in the modern game. This means his strike rate is just above 88%, surpassing that of legendary Bok centre Danie Gerber who held the record at just over 79%. By reaching 8 tries for this year’s tournament, not only has he equalled Lomu’s effort but he is also 1 try ahead of Jaque Fourie at the top of South Africa’s World Cup try scorers of all time. His try scoring ability has earned Habana the right to be chosen as one of five nominees for the IRB Player of the Year, and it would be no surprise if he went on to cap his personal achievements by gathering up this award too.
However, he has made it clear on several occasions to the press that he would happily give up all these personal achievements for the Springbooks to win the Final this weekend. “The tournament’s not about any one individual, it’s about everyonemaking a contribution…………it won’t mean anything if we don’t win”.
Bath full back Nick Abendanon has been flown out to Paris to join up with the England squad ahead of this weekend’s
World Cup Final. He will act as cover for Josh Lewsey who tore his hamstring in the semi final against France. Despite only having 2 caps for his country, the youngster will know the opposition having been born in Johannesburg and having played against the Springboks on this year’s ill-fated summer tour. The player admits he is unlikely to appear in the game as Mathew Tait and Mark Cueto will be ahead of him in the pecking order. He said, “it is pretty exciting for me, especially going out to the final. I know i might not get a chance to play but it will be great to be back with the boys”.
Abendanon can play anywhere across the back three and was part of this summer’s successful England Saxon’s squad who defeated the New Zealand Maori in the final.
England have suffered a set back at the start of their most important week in 4 years. Left wing Josh Lewsey has been
ruled out of the game with a hamstring injury, the RFU announced on Monday. The player sustained a Grade 1 strain of his right hamstring in the 1st half of the match and had to be substituted. Lewsey had a scan on the injury on Sunday and after a meeting involving the player, head coach Brian Ashton and team doctor Simon Kemp, it was decided the player would not be fit for this weekend’s game.
The set back for the winger will mean that there is an opportunity for someone else. Mathew Tait could start on the wing where he finished the game after Lewsey left the field, meaning that Dan Hipkiss is given his first start of the campaign or perhaps Ashton will choose to include Mark Cueto on the wing in a straight swap for the injured player.
After England’s spectacular win against France on Saturday night many would not choose between South Africa or Argentina as their likley opponents in the Final next weekend. However, South Africa defeated a nervous looking Pumas side 32 -13 to reach the Final. South Africa and England now face a tense weeks training in the build up to the game which
could see England become the first side to win the trophy in successive competitions. For Argentina and France there is the deflating fixture of the 3rd and 4th place play off to play. Argentinian scrum half Agustin Pichot said afterwards: “For us the World Cup is over”, showing how the Pumas feel about the game. After having come so far and played so well, Argentina will feel massively dissappointed after their defeat last night.
South Africa’s victory was an odd one as the only thing they did far better than their opponents was to take their chances. Four chance led to four tries. It could be said that they blew three other try scoring chances too but apart from that, their play was not as impressive as in earlier games in the tournament. The Springbok scrum was a disaster and they only managed to get some joy from that area of the game when Juan Martin Scelzo went off. CJ Van Der Linde was simply unable to answer the questions that were being asked of him. This allowed Pichot to come into the game more and more at the set piece, causing Du Preez and Roussow several problems.
The tackle area was sloppy from a team boasting the likes of Schalk Burger and Juan Smith. England will look at this closely for the Final and with players such as Joe Worsley and Lewis Moody could hand England several turn over opportunites which the likes of Paul Sackey and Jason Robinson would love to get their hands on. Jonny Wilkinson will also have noticed how South Africa were slightly wobbly under the high ball.
England lost 36 - 0 to the South Africans in the Group stage of the competition but will approach this game knowing they have come along way from since that night in Paris when the World Cup seemed to be coming to an abrupt end. In a one off game England know they can beat any team in the world and have entered both the quarter and semi final stages as the underdog. England understand how to play these big games and most importantly, how to win them. If they are still close to a side entering the last 15 minutes, they know that with a certain Jonny Wilkinson in their side they have the firepower to knock over drop goals and vital penalty kicks - providing he has a better ratio when kicking at goal. With South Africa having given 14 penaltied away in the semi final he will have to and indeed will, work very hard at this part of his game before the final.
France’s Yannick Jauzion beleives England will have to do more to test the South Africans if they are to win the competition. He said “the English did not do a great deal against us, they just waited. In these types of closely fought matches, it is the team that……… takes it’s chances when they come”. South Africa are more than likely to score at least one try in the Final so England will need to open their game up slightly to beat them. Before the semis, the Springboks had one of the best penalty records in the competition. They are not likely to give away 14 more in the Final meaning the World Champions will need to develop and build scores themselves.
Whatever happens in the Final next weekend, the game is going to be a fantastic and nerve jangling affair. It seems likely that South Africa will be the favourites for the game. For England to win a third game where they are huge underdogs will be a massice feat that seems are tough prospect but who would rule them out after their heroics of the last 2 weeks. Enjoy!
Brian Ashton has named an unchanged side for the World Cup semi final with France on Saturday night in Paris. The French have also named an unchanged squad for the game after they beat New Zealand last weekend. It will be the first time that Ashton has named the same team to play in successive test matches since he took over his role.
Jason Robinson will earn his 50th cap in the game which will be his last in international rugby should England not progess to the final. Andy Farrell has been left out of the team after recovering from the calf injury which meant he had to pull out of last weekends quarter final. Mike Catt will carry on in the inside centre role alongside youngster Mathew Tait.
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