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Rugby World Cup history suggested successful kicking would play a key role in deciding the outcome of the weekend’s quarter-finals and so it proved in Saturday’s match-ups between the Northern Hemisphere teams.
Peter de Villiers called it quits as South Africa coach after the reigining champions lost a World Cup quarter-final to Australia on Sunday.
“It was a brilliant journey,” said de Villiers, who took over from Jake White following the Springboks’ 2007 World Cup win.
Dit was Frans Steyn se heel laaste minuut in die Wêreldbeker.
The Wallabies will have to prove they are outstanding all-weather footballers as the anticipated wet and windy conditions during today’s quarter-final against the Springboks will play a major role in determining whether they stay at the World Cup or head home tomorrow.
A Wales side playing “without fear” defended their way to a Rugby World Cup semi-final by standing up to a muscular Ireland to win the first quarter-final 22-10 on Saturday.
Imanol Harinordoquy gave a barnstorming display to earn the man-of-the-match award as France reached the Rugby World Cup semi-finals with a 19-12 win against England on Saturday.
When England and France line up against each other in Saturday’s quarter-final Martin Johnson’s men will take confidence from a record of three victories in four Rugby World Cup matches against their cross-Channel rivals.
In an exclusive column for the official Rugby World Cup 2011 match programme, South Africa’s RWC 2007 winning coach Jake White analyses this weekend’s epic quarter-finals.
At quarter-final time you play the game with your bags packed.
If you lose, you’re on the next flight out. It’s simple motivation to make sure you keep going for at least one more week.
Rugby’s equivalent of Hollywood’s famous “Brat Pack” went on show before a packed media contingent in downtown Wellington this morning, and while best mates James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale and Tatafu Polota-Nau attracted their share of interest, the spotlight was drawn to Quade Cooper, arguably the biggest gun in the World Cup west and certainly the Most Wanted.
All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen says Richie McCaw will play against Argentina this weekend, despite fears that a troublesome foot injury could keep the New Zealand captain on the sidelines for the quarter-final at Eden Park.
“He’s great,” Hansen told a press conference at the team hotel. “He’s going to play on Sunday.”
South Africa on Thursday in New Zealand named the most experienced team in Springbok history for their Rugby World Cup 2011 quarterfinal against Australia in Wellington on Sunday.
I have raised this point before , here is a article that supports my view. We have spend many hours debating the time frame of the crouch, pause , engage calls by refs. I have asked many times , what did we gain in safety after all of this? Referees claim that they took control of the scrum engagement but with most penalties or free kicks the teams still opt for ANOTHER scrum.
The point i raised before was, how difficult is it for a prop to get a good grip on these skin tight jerseys? Read this article to see how the top players feel about it. At the end some of the comments already made about this article
Five Kiwis, three Irishmen, three South africans, two Welshmen, a Samoan and an Anglo-Samoan. No, it’s not the England team, but RugbyHeaven’s (AUS) best XV for the pool stages as selected by Paul Cully.
We always love to pick our own teams, chop and change.
What do you think of this team?
Who would you pick? Go ahead , have your say in the comments.
If the old cliche about“Defence wins World Cups” applies, then the Wallabies and the All Blacks have cause for concern.
When a player works four years to get in prime condition for the World Cup it is very sad when they get injured. The way a player handles his disappointment shows his metal. There are disappointments in your career and adversity makes you a better person. There might be many more disappointed players at this stage but the three Southern Hemisphere partners each lost one or more of their best players.
Here is the Dan Carter story.
Frans Steyn, Drew Mitchell and Wycliff Palu can be added as big losses.
The International Rugby Board announced the group of match officials who will take charge of the Rugby World Cup 2011 knock-out matches.
Bryce Lawrence will be in charge of the South Africa vs Australia quarter-final match in Wellington.
Does discontent in the France camp threaten to derail Les Bleus’ hopes of winning Rugby World Cup 2011?
Will England be distracted by ball-swapping inquests and newspaper allegations of player misbehaviour?
And, perhaps the question preoccupying all New Zealanders right now, has the loss of injured Dan Carter dealt a fatal blow to the All Blacks’ hopes of glory?
All Blacks (37) 79 / Canada (8) 15 (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and Canada did battle in Wellington at 04:30 SA Time (15:30 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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As expected, the All Black ran riot and scored 12 tries against Canada. Canada could muster 2 good tries but wasted many more and they never stood a chance against New Zealand.
Dan Carter is out of the World Cup!
All Blacks first five-eighth Carter has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament because of the groin injury he suffered at yesterday’s captains run and Colin Slade will now be expected to wear the No 10 jersey for the crucial play-off matches.
Argentina (5) 25 / Georgia (7) 7 (Final Score)
Argentina and Georgia did battle in Palmerston North at 02:00 SA Time (13:00 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Georgia led 7-5 at half time but only one team came out in the second half. Argentina scored 20 unanswered points in the second half. Penalty count against Georgia 17 vs 8.
Places in the quarter-finals of Rugby World Cup 2011 are still in the balance in all but one of the four pools going into Sunday’s final day of action.
South Africa may have guaranteed their place in the Rugby World Cup 2011 quarter-finals but coach Peter de Villiers had plenty of reasons for a restless night after the match against Samoa at North Harbour Stadium on Friday.
As the Rugby World Cup reaches the final weekend of pool stage action, seven quarter-finals spots are mathematically still up for grabs and various theories abound as to which teams may upset the apple cart.
How old is too old? Despite South Africa’s impressive figures from their three matches so far (153 points scored, 19 against, 20 tries), 18 is the one that seems to be exercising the sceptics.
History suggests Saturday’s clash between England and Scotland should be an epic battle between two old foes.
A difference in IRB world ranking places of eight, and South Africa’s commanding RWC track record against them, suggests that the Springboks should have a reasonably smooth ride past Samoa in their last Pool D fixture at North Harbour on Friday.
England made further unwanted headlines on Thursday when they suspended two coaches for illegally swapping match balls, as the Rugby World Cup prepared for the make-or-break last round of pool matches.
When Dan Carter reckons something isn’t quite right with a rugby ball, people listen.
So when the All Blacks’ goal kicking wizard admitted yesterday that the official Gilbert “Virtuo” ball used during the World Cup had caused some frustrations, it was time to dig up a few statistics.
There are five changes in the pack as Bismarck du Plessis is partnered with the returning Tendai Mtawarira and Bismarck’s brother Jannie du Plessis in an all-Sharks front row. The final change among the forwards sees the return of Heinrich Brüssow to the back row.
Victor Matfield will captain the Springbok team to play Samoa in the deciding Rugby World Cup Pool D clash at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland on Friday.
TEAM anouncement at 20:00 (Team in article above)
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers gave his players two days off to recharge the batteries ahead of their final Rugby World Cup 2011 Pool D match against Samoa, on Friday.
Is this a pot of crock by Brenden Nel, or is it just a public relations stunt or is there after all something most of us miss?
Why are senior players like Fourie du Preez and Victor Matfield, who could possibly benifit the most from John Smit’s exclusion, so happy to play under his captaincy?
In Victor Matfield’s absence, Danie Rossouw called the lineouts, ran more with the ball and was one of the Springboks’ most impressive players on the park.
With Matfield set to make his return from a hamstring injury in Friday’s match against Samoa, Rossouw will swap the number five jersey for the number four and revert back to playing a tighter game.