Archive for Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup Final

Posted in Rugby with tags , , on October 28, 2023 by telescoper

So, after a tense, scrappy, and error-strewn final, South Africa have retained the Rugby World Cup by beating New Zealand 12-11, all the Springboks’ points coming from penalties kicked by Handré Pollard – shades of the 1995 final, when Joel Stransky kicked all the points for South Africa.

The game hinged on the sending-off of the New Zealand captain Sam Cane in the first half – a decision about which the All Blacks can have no complaints. Despite playing for over 50 minutes with only 14 men, New Zealand had chances to win, specifically the missed conversion of the game’s only try, which would have made it 13-12.

But you can’t blame anyone else if you don’t take your chances, so congratulations to South Africa!

It’s been a strange World Cup, with some cracking games, a fair share of heartbreak (especially for Ireland and France), and an absurdly unbalanced draw. Let’s hope the arrangements for 2027 are thought out better!

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RWC: The Southern Hemisphere Strikes Back!

Posted in Barcelona, Rugby with tags , , on October 15, 2023 by telescoper

Sadly, Ireland’s Rugby World Cup dream came to an end last night with a narrow defeat (24-28) to the All Blacks. After being 13-0 down at one stage, Ireland clawed their way back into the match and at one stage trailed by only a point with New Zealand with a player in the sin bin. But the All Blacks defence held firm as wave after wave of Irish attacks broke on them. It just wasn’t to be. It was another titanic struggle between two excellent teams, which would have made a worthy final. Both teams looked exhausted at the end. For the record I have to say that, on the balance of play, I think the All Blacks deserved their win, just.

Unfortunately, the peculiarities of the draw meant that only two of the top four teams in the world rankings could make the semi-finals. Ireland won’t be one of them.

Earlier yesterday, in the other Quarter Final, there was an upset when Argentina beat Wales. That’s a great result for the Pumas, but Wales can justifiably argue that Argentina should have had a player sent off for a dangerous tackle. Inconsistencies in refereeing are a major issue in this tournament.

It’s interesting that the four teams who came top in their pools (Ireland, France, Wales and England) are all from the Northern Hemisphere. Now two of them are out. Today, France play South Africa and England play Fiji. It’s possible, though I would say not likely, not that all four semi-finalists will be from the Southern Hemisphere. I think if Fiji play their natural game they can give England a scare, and the game between France and South Africa is hard to call. I think the Springboks’ lack of a goal kicker may cost them dear.

At the start of the competition I thought that, with home advantage, France were clear favourites. I still think that’s the case, though I may have to revise that opinion after tonight’s match!

P.S. It’s raining today in Barcelona

UPDATE: England 30 Fiji 24. Fiji certainly made England work for that result! I can’t see England beating either France or South Africa in the semi-final though.

UPDATE: France 28 South Africa 29. Another pulsating match, with 6 tries in the first half, but South Africa just sneak it. Tight margins again, and especially one very dodgy penalty decision. Heartbreak for the hosts. I’m not often right but I was wrong again.

So the semi-finals will be New Zealand v Argentina and England v South Africa. The team that Ireland beat in their pool game goes through with New Zealand, the team that France beat in their pool.

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Barcelona Bound!

Posted in Barcelona, Biographical, Maynooth, Rugby with tags , , on September 24, 2023 by telescoper

At long last I’m ready to go. In fact I’m in the lounge at Dublin Airport Terminal 2 with plenty of time before my flight to Barcelona to sample the freebies in the Aer Lingus Business Class lounge. I spent most of the morning packing and sorting things last-minute things out. As always on such occasions I’m certain that I’ve forgotten something but I’m sure I’ll survive.

On the way through the airport I had a chat with a very friendly chap at the Fast Track security channel, about last night’s epic rugby match between South Africa and Ireland. I was fairly confident beforehand that South Africa would prove too strong for Ireland, and that’s the way it looked for the first 15 minutes, but that turned out not to be the case at the end. It’s true that the Springboks had chances to win, missing four kicks, but if you don’t take your chances at this level you can’t complain that you don’t win as a result.

The second half wasn’t pretty to watch but was in its own way very compelling. Ireland looked to have nicked it at 13-8 with a few minutes to go, but they conceded a penalty that led to a line-out close to their own try line. The resulting South African maul gathered ominously and threatened to roll forward, but stern Irish defence somehow held it up and, with the clock past 80 minutes the move faltered. With the Springboks having failed to “use it” it was inevitable that they would “lose it”. The resulting scrum was awarded to Ireland but there was no time to take it and the game was over.

It was a tense affair between two excellent teams and, although it was a low-scoring game, a marvellous piece of sporting theatre (if not for faint hearts). Watching that match was quite a way to spend my last night in Ireland for a while…

Back to the present, it’s a grey afternoon in Dublin with squally showers blowing in. With lectures starting in Maynooth tomorrow, the nights drawing in, and rainy weather on the way, I can’t say I’m sorry to be departing!

Update: my light was on time and I got safely to the hotel in which I’ll be staying until I get a longer-term arrangement sorted out. It’s a nice place and my room is spacious and comfortable. I took a couple of pictures on the flight, the first showing an interesting sunset over the clouds south of Ireland and the second a clear view down over Barcelona as we made our approach.

I was in Row 1 so got out quickly when we landed and the airport wasn’t busy so the only delay was waiting for my checked luggage to arrive. I usually travel only with cabin baggage, but I’m staying a bit too long for that this time!

P.S. Miraculously, I don’t think I have forgotten anything important!

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R.I.P. Jonah Lomu

Posted in Biographical, Rugby with tags , , , , , , , , on November 18, 2015 by telescoper

At the end of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, I wrote a post recalling the World Cup of 1995, which was held in South Africa while I was visiting there. I had the privilege of seeing the great Jonah Lomu demolishing the England defence that day. Today I learned with greant sadness that he has passed away, aged just 40. Since Jonah Lomu played such a central role in one of the most amazing sporting experiences of my life, which lives in my memory as if it happened yesterday, I wanted to take the opportunity to pay tribute to the awesome sportsman that he was by sharing that memory again.

In 1995 was visiting George Ellis at the University of Cape Town to work on a book, which was published in 1997. The book is now rather out of date, but I think it turned out rather well and it was certainly a lot of fun working on it. Of course it was a complete coincidence that I timed my trip to Cape Town exactly to cover the period of the Rugby Word Cup. Well, perhaps not a complete coincidence. In fact I was lucky enough to get a ticket for the semi-final of that tournament between England and New Zealand at Newlands, in Cape Town. I was in the stand at one end of the ground, and saw New Zealand – spearheaded by the incredible Jonah Lomu – score try after try in the distance at the far end during the first half. Here is the first, very soon after the kickoff when Andrew Mehrtens wrong-footed England by kicking to the other side of the field than where the forwards were lined up. The scrambling defence conceded a scrum which led to a ruck, from which this happened:

Jonah Lomu was unstoppable that day. One of the All Blacks later quipped that “Rugby is a team game. Fourteen players all know that their job is to give the ball to Jonah”.

It was one-way traffic in the first half but England played much better in the second, with the result that all the action was again at the far end of the pitch. However, right at the end of the match Jonah Lomu scored another try, this time at the end I was standing. I’ll never forget the sight of that enormous man sprinting towards me and am glad it wasn’t my job to try to stop him, especially have seen what happened to Underwood, Catt and Carling when they tried to bring him down. Lomu scored four tries in that game, in one of the most memorable performances by any sportsman in any sport. It’s so sad that he has gone. It’s especially hard to believe that such a phenomenal athlete could be taken at such a young age. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

Rest in Peace, Jonah Lomu (1975-2015)

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1995 World Cup Memories

Posted in Biographical, Rugby with tags , , , , , , , , on October 28, 2015 by telescoper

So, the 2015 Rugby World Cup final takes place this weekend. It’s been an interesting tournament with some memorable games (and some notable disappointments). Anyway, I suddenly remembered that in 1995 I was in South Africa during the Rugby World Cup. In fact I was visiting George Ellis at the University of Cape Town to work on a book, which was published in 1997. The book is now rather out of date, but I think it turned out rather well and it was certainly a lot of fun working on it!

Was that really twenty years ago?

Of course it was a complete coincidence that I timed my trip to Cape Town exactly to cover the period of the Rugby Word Cup. Well, perhaps not a complete coincidence. In fact I was lucky enough to get a ticket for the semi-final of that tournament between England and New Zealand at Newlands, in Cape Town. I was in the stand at one end of the ground, and saw New Zealand – spearheaded by the incredible Jonah Lomu – score try after try in the distance at the far end during the first half. Here is the first, very soon after the kickoff when Andrew Mehrtens wrong-footed England by kicking to the other side of the field than where the forwards were lined up. The scrambling defence conceded a scrum which led to a ruck, from which this happened:

Even more impressively I had a very good view when Zinzan Brooke scored at the same end with a drop-goal off the back of a scrum. Not many No. 8 forwards have the skill to do that!

It was one-way traffic in the first half but in the second half England played much better, with the result that all the action was again at the far end of the pitch. However, right at the end of the match Jonah Lomu scored another try, this time at the end I was standing. I’ll never forget the sight of that enormous man sprinting towards me and am glad it wasn’t my job to try to stop him, especially have seen what happened to Underwood, Catt and Carling when they tried to bring him down.

Anyway, I hope it’s a good final on Saturday. For what it’s worth, I did pick the two finalists correctly before the tournament. I’m expecting the All Blacks to beat Australia comfortably, but am not going to bet on the result!

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