2007 Rugby Union World Cup

[Twizzle]

Only a few weeks to go to the usual AB's choke-a-thon.

I think its pretty open atm, not alot of form being shown by other countries.

Ausies having a day off today, not sure what from what, we haven't done anything except play tourist.

Schedule:


Rugby World Cup 2007 fixtures
Pool A
England, South Africa, Samoa, USA, Tonga

Pool B
Australia, Wales, Fiji, Canada, Japan

Pool C
New Zealand, Scotland, Italy, Romania, Portugal

Pool D
France, Ireland, Argentina, Georgia, Namibia



7 September:
France v Argentina, Stade de France, St Denis, Pool D (2000 BST)

8 September:
England v USA, Lens, Pool A (1700 BST)
Australia v Japan, Lyon, Pool B (1445 BST)
New Zealand v Italy, Marseille, Pool C (1245 BST)

9 September:
Ireland v Namibia, Bordeaux, Pool D (1900 BST)
Wales v Canada, Nantes, Pool B (1300 BST)
South Africa v Samoa, Parc des Princes, Paris, Pool A (1500 BST)
Scotland v Portugal, St Etienne, Pool C (1700 BST)

11 September:
Argentina v Georgia, Lyon, Pool D (1900 BST)

12 September:
Italy v Romania, Marseille, Pool C (1900 BST)
USA v Tonga, Montpellier, Pool A (1300 BST)
Japan v Fiji, Toulouse, Pool B (1700 BST)

14 September:
England v South Africa, Stade de France, Pool A (2000 BST)

15 September:
Ireland v Georgia, Bordeaux, Pool D (2000 BST)
Wales v Australia, Cardiff, Pool B (1400 BST)
New Zealand v Portugal, Lyon, Pool C (1200 BST)

16 September:
Fiji v Canada, Cardiff, Pool B (1300 BST)
Samoa v Tonga, Montpellier, Pool A (1500 BST)
France v Namibia, Toulouse, Pool D (2000 BST)

18 September:
Scotland v Romania, Edinburgh, Pool C (2000 BST)

19 September:
Italy v Portugal, Parc des Princes, Pool C (1900 BST)

20 September:
Wales v Japan, Cardiff, Pool B (2000 BST)

21 September:
France v Ireland, Stade de France, Pool D (2000 BST)

22 September:
South Africa v Tonga, Lens, Pool A (1300 BST)
Argentina v Namibia, Marseille, Pool D (2000 BST)
England v Samoa, Nantes, Pool A (1500 BST)

23 September:
Scotland v New Zealand, Edinburgh, Pool C (1600 BST)
Australia v Fiji, Montpellier, Pool B (1330 BST)

25 September:
Canada v Japan, Bordeaux, Pool B (1700 BST)
Romania v Portugal, Toulouse, Pool C (1900 BST)

26 September:
Georgia v Namibia, Lens, Pool D (1700 BST)
Samoa v USA, St Etienne, Pool A (1900 BST)

28 September:
England v Tonga, Parc des Princes, Pool A (2000 BST)

29 September:
Australia v Canada, Bordeaux, Pool B (1400 BST)
Wales v Fiji, Nantes, Pool B (1600 BST)
Scotland v Italy, St Etienne, Pool C (2000 BST)
New Zealand v Romania, Toulouse, Pool C (1200 BST)

30 September:
France v Georgia, Marseille, Pool D (1400 BST)
South Africa v USA, Montpellier, Pool A (1900 BST)
Ireland v Argentina, Parc des Princes, Pool D (1600 BST)

6 October:
QF1: W Pool B v RU Pool A, Marseille (1400 BST)
QF2: W Pool C v RU Pool D, Cardiff (2000 BST)

7 October:
QF3: W Pool A v RU Pool B, Marseille (1400 BST)
QF4: W Pool D v RU Pool C, Stade de France (2000 BST)

13 October:
SF1: W QF1 v W QF2, Stade de France (2000 BST)

14 October:
SF2: W QF3 v W QF4, Stade de France (2000 BST)

19 October:
3rd place play-off, Parc des Princes (2000 BST)

20 October:
Final, Stade de France (2000 BST)

 

[ozbash]

Only a few weeks to go to the usual AB's choke-a-thon.

:lol: :lol:


Heres a good site for those of you interested in watching history being made. It will be the first time, ever, in the history of the W/Cup that a team (NZ ) wins the Cup without a point being scored against them.

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/

ok, while you are waiting for history in the making, heres a story for ewe...

All Blacks coach Graham Henry has vowed that his side "will bleed" in its bid to win the rugby World Cup that gets under way next week.
With the slew of warm-up matches over, the 20 teams that have qualified for rugby union's showcase tournament are busy going through their final paces before the action starts on September 7.
New Zealand, winners of the inaugural 1987 tournament and hot favourites this time around, have touched down on the French island of Corsica to fine-tune their preparations before relocating to the mainland and an opening game against Italy on September 8.
The All Blacks had to content themselves with a squad match last weekend while closest Cup rivals South Africa and France coasted to impressive wins over Scotland (27-3) and Wales (34-7).
They were performances impressive enough to suggest that Henry's New Zealanders will have to win a second World Cup the hard way, something the former Kiwi headmaster said he was prepared for.

"We will do our best," Henry said as his side set off for France. "We will give 150 per cent. We will bleed for you."
Henry said he was satisfied with his side's preparations. "We just have to put the icing on it now," he told RugbyHeaven.
Captain Richie McCaw added: "It's been a long build-up. That's gone well but I guess the next two months are what it is all about now."
McCaw said the 30-strong squad were attempting to offload the pressures of a nation desperate for World Cup success after a 20-year drought by focusing on personal performances.
"You have to put the weight of expectation aside a little bit and just do the job well, that's the way you have to look at it.
"For my personal point of view I'm going up to enjoy playing in what will be a special two months at the World Cup," said McCaw, whose side have not played since beating Australia 26-12 in the last match of the Tri-Nations series on July 21.

In South Africa, coach Jake White was sweating on the fitness of centre Jean de Villiers and also hoping that Northern Bulls winger Akona Ndungane will recover in time for the French adventure.
Both De Villiers and Ndungane are nursing rib injuries picked up during the Boks' earlier warm-up games against Namibia (105-13) and Connacht (18-3) respectively.
The loss of De Villiers would be a massive blow to the Boks' chances in the World Cup. The experienced No 12 is seen by many as the creative genius in midfield for White's team.
But Toulon-bound lock forward Victor Matfield was in no doubt over where the Boks were headed. "I believe we can go all the way," he said.
"We know World Cups are won by great defence and against Scotland we didn't concede any tries. We feel good and the more matches we play throughout the World Cup will see our conditioning get even better."

Hosts France can also approach the final run-in to an event expected to attract 350,000 visitors in buoyant mood.
Not only did France outscore Wales by four tries to one in the 34-7 thrashing, they did so with a side showing 11 changes to the starting line-up that beat England 22-9 in Marseille a week earlier.
"We don't care about talk of being favourites. The important thing is what we tell each other," said coach Bernard Laporte.
The Irish, who are in the same pool as France and the dangerous Argentina, have plenty of work to do after needing a last-minute try last weekend to beat Italy 23-20 in their first appearance in Belfast in 53 years.
Australia, meanwhile, will not be able to count on any input from retired Australian rugby league superstar Andrew Johns, who was ruled out of any World Cup role with the Wallabies after admitting being caught with ecstasy in London.
The legendary former Newcastle Knights captain and Australian halfback had worked with the Wallabies ahead of the World Cup and coach John Connolly said recently he hoped Johns could join the team in France.

But Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill said Thursday the ARU had not entered into any formal arrangement with him.
"It wasn't a done deal that he'd be contributing to the team in France," O'Neill said through a spokesman. "Given the current circumstances, the Wallabies will continue as is in France." :roll:

 

[ozbash]

hey, we should have a tipping comp ???

Twizz, TK ?

 

[Te Kaha]

hey, we should have a tipping comp ???

Twizz, TK ?

As much as I would love to rub an AB's victory in... i will not be around a lot for the next two months... The advantage of having a lawyer as a wife...

[Gloat]
I'm off to the world cup and then the Kiwis tour... two solid months of Rugby and League...[/Gloat]

 

[ozbash]

lol, you lucky bugger, enjoy.

 

[Twizzle]

As much as I would love to rub an AB's victory in... i will not be around a lot for the next two months... The advantage of having a lawyer as a wife...

[Gloat]
I'm off to the world cup and then the Kiwis tour... two solid months of Rugby and League...[/Gloat]

lucky bastard,

enjoy mate

 

[Twizzle]

hey, we should have a tipping comp ???

Twizz, TK ?

LU isn't going to have one.

I can set one up at Oztips if we have enough people interrested.

 

[shiznit]

enter the foxsports fantasy comp. make a LU league

 

[gunnamatta bay]

Has the f**ken thing started yet. I mean the real games?

So much hype so little to show for it.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Has the f**ken thing started yet. I mean the real games?

So much hype so little to show for it.

Nah, nothing worth watching involving Australia or NZ for another week. Been a couple of worthwhile games in the pool with France, Argentina and Ireland so far but thats about it.

 

[shiznit]

Favourate games so far France V Argentina, Ireland V Georgia, Samoa V Tonga, South Africa V Tonga & Japan V Canada.

 

[Dirty Hoe]

i have a carton of beer on a nz victory if nz play and beat australia

is there a chance this could happen??

 

[ozbash]

a very good chance hoe,

seems the top 3 teams (in order) are
NZ
SA
OZ

 

[Iafeta]

I thought Tonga got dudded against the Yarpies... they got a try disallowed on half time for a forward pass to the prop forward, that I am here to tell you was so not forward. That was the difference in the margin.

The last try from Tonga was a ripping try too.

 

[gunnamatta bay]

the poor journos are scratching for stories so far.

 

[mean_maori_mean]

I'm glad tonga lost - should of seen them come out of the wood work out in Manukau past couple of days.
On Friday tongan fans had like cars with 10 little tongan flags some how attached on to them - repedeatly driving around manukau shopping centre aswell as Otahuhu main street - where there was a big fight against other pacific islanders.

Mainly the samoans who from what I have seen are all now proudly sporting all blacks flags.

Hardcase - half the tongans were playing out of position. The only reason there any good because know they have more opportunities to play professional rugby in europe/japan as opposed to in NZ - which limits there ability to play for anyone except NZ.

 

[NK Arsenal]

Being half english and wanting Tonga to win, I now have mixed emotions.

 

[shiznit]

Fiji knocks out Wales!!! what a shocker!!!
but probably the game of the tournoment so far!!!

mean_maori_mean you think the tongans were bad... you wait for the Fijians to break out the flags... lol

 

[aussies1st]

Lol can't believe Wales got knocked out. It's great to see Fiji has started improving their 15 a side rugby.

 

[CycloneSteve]

Well one of the "middle of the road" teams are assured of a Semi Final spot when Argentina play Scotland. Neither team has reached the semi final stage before. South Africa must be laughing their asses off with the prospect of having to play Fiji followed by either of those teams. Also the team from the other side of the draw who loses their semi final will no doubt have 3rd place locked down. Stupid France!!! Why did you have to lose to the Pumas!!!!!! To be honest I am sick of seeing Australia play the All Blacks in the semi final. They are the best two teams going around at the moment, its fitting they play in the final against each other.