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Post by jaymac1980 on Oct 7, 2007 20:38:05 GMT
Another brave exit for a Scotland team. God dammit!!
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Post by Imy on Oct 8, 2007 0:20:42 GMT
yh sadly scotland go out. brave effort against the argies tho! was kinda hoping it would be an anglo scottish final.. oh well
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Post by johnboy14 on Oct 8, 2007 13:11:40 GMT
You english have gotta be loving this, touted as the worst of the home nations and worst world champions ever after the south africa game, and 2 weeks later your the only bloody home nation left and knocked out joint favourites australia. Sport is damn strange sometimes.
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Post by Imy on Oct 9, 2007 15:27:12 GMT
You english have gotta be loving this, touted as the worst of the home nations and worst world champions ever after the south africa game, and 2 weeks later your the only bloody home nation left and knocked out joint favourites australia. Sport is damn strange sometimes. we certainly are loving it.. as u said after th SA game we got so much stick that i think it brought the players together and created a fantastic team spirit. That will undoubtedly have an influence on the way the boys perform on the pitch. We heard all the worst world champs and all that rubbish but who knows we could be the first to defend our title!! |
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Post by kokka78 on Oct 9, 2007 20:25:39 GMT
France coach Bernard Laporte believes that if his side can stop Jonny Wilkinson at the Stade de France on Saturday, they will have one foot in the World Cup final.
The flyhalf's return to the England starting line-up following a right ankle injury that kept him on the sidelines for the first two group games has been the catalyst behind the team's remarkable transformation from chumps to potential champs.
Without him England struggled to beat the United States and were taken apart 36-0 by South Africa.
With him they have beaten Samoa, Tonga and most importantly Australia to reach the last four.
Laporte, whose own side have got back up off the floor following their opening night loss to Argentina, knows only too well how vital Wilkinson is to the English cause having lost to him in the World Cup semi-finals in Sydney four years ago.
"He has come back well. He is the motor of the team. You can see that England do not perform as well when he is not there. He gives the team confidence and plays flat out," Laporte said.
"They have had a similar route to us. They have gained in confidence, especially in their last match against Australia. They are good and one mustn't forget that it was England who stopped us from winning the Grand Slam this year."
Despite the allusions to past matches, the French team management and players are insisting that they want to stay in the present and not hark back to past battles.
That includes the World Cup final in 1999 which saw Australia easily defeat an under-performing French team that was coming off a remarkable semi-final win over the All Blacks.
Things are different now, said French team manager Jo Maso.
"We are not looking back. We have moved on since then. In 1999 we were partying in London (after the win over the All Blacks).
"There were loads of Australians singing in the hotel where we were. This time we are preparing well."
One person who was looking back, however, was football legend Laurent Blanc whose hour of glory came in 1998 when France won the football World Cup in Paris even though he missed the match through suspension.
Blanc, now manager at Bordeaux, said that there were similarities in the way that the French got off to slow starts on both occasions before moving up through the gears.
"I hope that the similarities continue and above all else I hope that the end result is the same," Blanc said.
"I believe they can do it. How can you not believe after that game against the All Blacks (France beat New Zealand in the quarter-finals last weekend)?
"They got off to the worst of possible starts by losing their first game and I think that they are now in the process of putting everything back into place again in the best of possible ways."
Eurosport
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Post by Sky Sports 1 on Oct 9, 2007 20:55:18 GMT
They should be thinking about stopping our forwards then, because it's them who've constantly given Jonny the chances, the only other way to stop him is to really cripple him and get one in the sin bin
Unfortunately for France, they play in patches at the moment and English forwards are on fire, good luck to them!
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Post by Stew on Oct 10, 2007 8:29:18 GMT
They should be thinking about stopping our forwards then, because it's them who've constantly given Jonny the chances, the only other way to stop him is to really cripple him and get one in the sin bin Unfortunately for France, they play in patches at the moment and English forwards are on fire, good luck to them! As I said before the Aussie game, any team with a pack like England and Wilkinson will always have a chance. Aston really got it right with Gomorsal too. And France have normally followed one amazing WC performance with a crap one (Final in 99, Semi in 03) But....I still think they'll beat England!! Just... |
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Post by stonecarver on Oct 10, 2007 9:31:23 GMT
Another brave exit for a Scotland team. God dammit!! Aye but a young team that will be back. This is the foundation for Scotland to build on. I think they will go from strenght to strenght over the next 2 or 3 years. If the basic handeling errors were elimanated they would have beaten the Argies.. Look out for them this 6 nations. As for England.... It is going to be a very tough match. Both sides have had up and down performances all year. The most recent games between the two have seen France take the victories in close games. It really will be a very physical battle and could go either way. Unfortunatly, I think the French will win it ( home support will make a difference ). It will be tight. Looking forward to this one. |
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Post by Imy on Oct 10, 2007 17:07:41 GMT
cant wait for england france.. gonna be awesome! another final would be nothing short of amazing! dont wanna look too far ahead but if we get there .. we will outnumber the opposition fans by 80/20 so that could be massive ;D
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Post by stonecarver on Oct 11, 2007 9:39:16 GMT
It is a deffinate possibility....but I aint gonna hold my breath.
Fingers crossed for this one. Which France will turn up and which England for that matter.
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arnoldv
United Youth Teamer
plg%%Roy Keane/Nemanja Vidic/Paul Scholes%%
Posts: 83
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Post by arnoldv on Oct 11, 2007 9:47:50 GMT
Can't help but notice nobody's saying anything about South Africa...
I am PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN!!!!! Our boys will do the business...i hope, i remember some aussie sticking out his neck in this thread and lookin daft afterwards!!!
The french will beat england (CHABAL!!!! the Eric Cantona of Rugby!!!) settting up my dream final: France vs The Mighty Springboks!
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Post by kokka78 on Oct 11, 2007 9:59:33 GMT
I hope Wilko kick some french asses properly on Saturday!!! would be great to see England wins in France against Le Blue. ;D
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Post by stonecarver on Oct 11, 2007 12:02:01 GMT
Can't help but notice nobody's saying anything about South Africa... I am PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN!!!!! Our boys will do the business...i hope, i remember some aussie sticking out his neck in this thread and lookin daft afterwards!!! The french will beat england (CHABAL!!!! the Eric Cantona of Rugby!!!) settting up my dream final: France vs The Mighty Springboks! The south affricans have been very impressive. Great kicking, fantastic running game too. The Argentines are a hard hitting pack. Your gonna have to deal with them first. One thing at a time eh  |
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Post by Imy on Oct 13, 2007 13:48:43 GMT
not long to go now.. i cant wait! what a game its gonna be! the england fans will be making the noise in paris!
COME ON ENGLAND
LE CRUNCH
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Post by Imy on Oct 13, 2007 17:04:14 GMT
2 hours to go, i cant wait
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