Rugby
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Be nice to think so
The french seem to be blowing hot and cold as usual. Never forget watching the 2003 World Cup semi final over here in France with my in-laws. I think it was this match that got me hooked 
Yeah, horrible memories: it had to fucking rain and Jonny Wilkinson had to be in one of those days…
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thanks for the great images jimmy
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After day 1-2, no team has made a fantastic impression. I still like NZ's performance better than the French or the British games. I dont know how we can beat NZ and more importantly, advance to semis with a game most likely against England, unless…. we beat NZ. I have a notion there is a wee possibility France can beat up NZ if we are crushing them in the front, if SBW gets sick, Carter injured, McCaw continues to be a shadow of his former self, Dagg gets ejected, Nonu cant find his way to the stadium that day... Lots of if's but who knows, in 1999 and 2007 we beat them, so why not this time again?
Would not be the end of the world for NZ, as they'd face England then Australia to meet France (having beaten SA in the semis and Argentina in the 1/4) in the final again, just like in 1987...
Shit do I love talking about Rugby! -
Miracles are miracles, which means they happen only very infrequently. The French had exhausted their credit of miracles and therefore could not do anything against the All-Blacks today.
I fear the worse in the quarter finals against England…
Anyone got a couple of miracles to spare for France? Actually 3: one against England, one against whoever in the semis, and a third one against NZ or SA in the final...
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Well done Tonga!
Excuse-moi M. Bougard but I don't get many chances to gloatno problem, the way France was playing, I was looking for a way to hang myself or shoot the tv screen. Hardly ever seen such a poor French rugby team. No impact, utterly predictable, Parra at 10 totally lost, nothing nothing nothing.
Cant say the English played much better but they DID NOT LOSE. They know how to win ugly games.
Another world cup and another source of frustration. Fucking criminals, not o much the players, but everything else in that squad. Especially management and the incompetent, arrogant, selfish, greedy, corrupt French Rugby League refusing to make the necessary changes everyone know are long overdue, naming a coach because he makes no waves and so forth…
I could rant on and on, but I'll just go slip on my new 25oz 34's and go for a spin on my motorcycle in Paris...
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Bookmakers are kind to the French, giving them a 35% chance of beating England…
We are sooooo in need of a freaking miracle.
Clever selection of Jonny Wilkinson AND Tobby Flood. two great kickers vs .... erm, nobody in the French team. They are going to spend the whole evening kicking high on Palisson who's gonna get pummeled by England's flankers. Then the English are going to kick penalties after penalties and despite some heroic but un productive last minute effort, the French will be on their way back to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport the next morning.Tell you what, take all the French women you want, they're unsufferable anyway. Just let France win the RWC once in my lifetime. I'm 48 so I guess I have 7-8 more RWC's in me...
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Totally agree on the "unsufferable" bit….better type this quick before the missus comes in
I'm not so sure the french are gonna be coming home just yet...England have a tendency to surprise us...and usually NOT in a good way either. Gonna be watching this in the hope they surprise me in a good way...couldn't face goin back to work if we lost....too many unsufferable winners for my liking
Good luck anyway Mr Bougard! -
Bertoni, after your gloating post last week, I had to wait one week to post this and quite frankly, I was a wreck this morning, thinking we might lose by 37 points, until….
I realized that England was England as we love it: arrogant before the game, wrong game plan (let's not play the way that has ALWAYS bothered the French, let's try and humiliate them by playing like what we think the French should play, let's teach France a lesson in French flair), unable to change their game plan during the game (let's continue to pass the ball to Tuilagi even though there are 5 Frenchmen on top of him, let's never ever try the true and tested method to beat France, which is to kick the ball to the weakest link of the French defense and rush with our third row like mad dogs and get those penalties, 3 points at a time until the French lose their temper and passion...).
Dont you freaking love it when a game is won not by sheer physicality but because of human faults on the favorite team? Usually, it's the French who are guilty of being cocky, lackadaisical, of committing idiotic fouls, dropping the ball because of this sloppy last pass..
But once in a while, God forgets to favor the English side and remains just neutral, and the French regain their legendary inspiration, are able to channel their Gallic rage and passion in a positive way to feed their almost anarchic creativity, while the English have a bad day. True, against Northern Hemisphere teams, we don't need God on our side, just neutral!!! (We'll need God's assistance against SA or NZ if we're able to beat Wales.)
So, thank you England and Wales, you really made my day. The only thing about Ireland losing, was that O'Driscoll is such a great player. One of the few Northern Hemisphere player who could be selected in any of NZ, Oz or SA's teams.
PS = the sad thing about France is that on any given day they can play well, but never 3 games in a row, meaning that even if we beat Wales (by no means a given, after seeing how well Wales has been playing this whole tournament), beating South Africa or New Zealand in the final could be an unsurmountable challenge...
If we beat Wales, I'm thinking of going to burn a few candles in church to leave a message to God that we'll need Him...
