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England win the day!


watcher

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Sure, sometimes there's an unexplainable thing that leads a team to victory. Is that called Faith ?

Anyway, England, Argentina or South Africa : they've all shown a marvellous game... Except England...

:lol: Just kidding.^_^

I must say I have never really been a rugby fan, but this time something was really different.

There's one image that impressed me and which I want to remember from this World Cup

"Twenty-two angry men shuffling up across the half-way line to snarl at the All Blacks' haka while being led by an apparently frothing neanderthal."

chabalDM0810_468x357.jpg

:bb: = :chabal:

:3a:

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Twenty-two angry men shuffling up across the half-way line to snarl at the All Blacks' haka while being led by an apparently frothing neanderthal."

I don't know why but that sentence had me in stitches, it just conjures up a wonderful image.

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I am still having withdrawals from the All Blacks losing to the French... sigh...

Well there will be a few more "withdrawals" after what happened to the other Kiwi rugby (League) side today!

Wasn't a game.. it was a shame.

Just a bad week for the Land of the Long White Cloud!

Offshore

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Well there will be a few more "withdrawals" after what happened to the other Kiwi rugby (League) side today!

Wasn't a game.. it was a shame.

Just a bad week for the Land of the Long White Cloud!

Offshore

our league team is pretty hopeless... i don't even get up to watch their games...

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My half-Irish side hung its head in shame as I watched BOD (schooled at my alma mater) and the rest of the boys get "their pants pulled down and spanked" (quote from Zinzan Brooke)

But for some reason, my half-English side just can't get enthused about the prospect of a deathly dull English side winning the World Cup. With the football side, it's obvious, I hate so many 'Ingerrlund' players for partisan club reasons, but I have no such allegiance when it comes to egg-chasing. So unpatriotic as it sounds, I hope England are soundly beaten, humiliated even. Why? The sight of a lumbering, unimaginative and workmanlike England once again lifting the World Cup is frankly too much to stomach. It would be a bloody travesty. And that's not even considering the 36-0 humiliation a few weeks back.

Call me an aesthete, but I just like to see sporting excellence, which in this case means running rugby, a backs' game, hell even a try now and again would be nice. The All Blacks once again choked (is that what they're acting when they stick their tongues out? :p) and the arrogant Wallabies capitulated yet again (oh the shame, eh Ken, Alan, etc. :lol:).

However, there's just something about the 'Boks, that combination of old-school tough Boer stock (Os du Rant or is that Ox du Rant?) and the graceful modern athlete (Montgomery and Habana, player of the tournament) that gives them a clear edge above all other nations - they DESERVE to be World Champions. More in fact than they did when fate, Mandela and a dodgy chef decided to present them with the '95 title. After such a great tournament this time, from Caveman Chabal to the almost-indomitable Pumas, any other result than a South African win would be a disaster for the international game.

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Yes Doc with the All Blacks out we had every chance of taking the cup, except of course we blew it against England, but I think we all know that SA wont make that same mistake.

Ken

Wanna bet?

We'll win the cup again through sheer English grit and determination mixed with a little stiff upper lip. Who cares how? we are the champions.....respect where due....I've a feeling SA will make the same mistake as the Aussies.

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Call me an aesthete,

The last aesthete people respected was Oscar Wilde, and look what happened? People respect winners. Dull, dazzling, defensive, offensive, Brazil or Italy, winning ugly or winning pretty.

But win.

For Harry, England and St. Jonny!

P.S.: South Africa are a side to be respected too. Fair play to them for getting to the Final. Best of luck, to all.

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St Jonny....P.S.: South Africa are a side to be respected too. Fair play to them for getting to the Final.
Been reading the Daily Mail sports pages again have we? :rolleyes:

Honestly, I have nothing against patriotism but when it's misplaced and patronising to other countries' achievements, I just have to stick two fingers down the back of my throat and distance myself from the jingoistic and embarrassing boasts spouted by my fellow countrymen/women, ones usually I've noted that know little to nothing about the sport in question :brow:

South Africa deserve to win this tournament. End of.

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The last aesthete people respected was Oscar Wilde, and look what happened? People respect winners. Dull, dazzling, defensive, offensive, Brazil or Italy, winning ugly or winning pretty.

Oscar Wilde in a rugby thread? Sorry don't get the analogy :huh:

Winning ugly just doesn't wash. Brazil or Italy? Since you mention it, suggest you watch the '82 match between those two and the Final that year, a perfect example of how success and beauty can and should go hand in hand. And why not go back to '70? THAT'S what we remember, never mind the dusty old history books, the magic whether ultimately successful or not, is what inspires...not some dull drawn out stalemate settled by a hopeful kick.

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Oscar Wilde in a rugby thread? Sorry don't get the analogy :huh:

Come on. You know he was dying to get to the bottom of any scrum. :lol:

Winning ugly just doesn't wash. Brazil or Italy? Since you mention it, suggest you watch the '82 match between those two and the Final that year, a perfect example of how success and beauty can and should go hand in hand.

Yeah, and IT KILLS any Brazilian today that that side didn't win it all. They have never forgotten playing some of the most beautiful football ever seen on God's green pitch, and being humiliated by Paolo Rossi, in such brilliant fashion.

I once heard an exchange between a Brazilian and an Italian like this:

"1982 really hurt us."

"1994 hurt us too."

"We give you 1994, if you give us 1982."

"Perfetto."

And why not go back to '70? THAT'S what we remember, never mind the dusty old history books, the magic whether ultimately successful or not, is what inspires...not some dull drawn out stalemate settled by a hopeful kick.

All Brazilians know is that they have 5 stars on their shirt. And all Italians care about is that they have 4.

I also love beautiful football, and would love to see England win with talent and verve over South Africa. But I wouldn't actually cheer against them if not, because they didn't.

OTOH, that's something very British, for all your Irishness. We are a strange people, who love to whinge and moan even when we win. :p

@DBR in the previous response: Right. I grant you I know very little about rugby as compared to football, where I can stand proudly next to any man, in terms of knowledge, analysis, and feel for the game. But I'll be damned if I'm called jingoistic just because I'll be painting my face red-and-white, wearing my tightest Three Lions shirt (having no Roses), and jumping up and down like a fool, singing Jerusalem at the top of my voice come the 20th. All I care is, England are in the final, and there's no shame in being proud of being patriotic, long confused with nationalism by those leaning sinister politically.

Patriotic -- acting the fool by dressing up your sheepdog and yourself like St. George and the Dragon.

Nationalistic -- kicking dachshunds in the streets.

Besides, I'm over here, and you're over there. It's different. What embarrasses you, reminds me of all I treasured and betrayed by leaving. So take that and stuff it up your (no doubt very cute little) nostril.

COME ON ENGLAND!!!

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The Safa's should win, they have a much better pack than Australia and are more dangerous out wide than France. Just depends if SA play smarter than Aus and France did and don't get drawn into a forward battle. Fair play to Eng for doing so well after being written off after the 36-0 drubbing in their first game and although they are much improved since then the Safa's should get up on the weekend.

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