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Post by Imy on Oct 13, 2007 17:55:03 GMT
right il give my tactical analysis, who needs martin johnson  I think the start to the game is gonna be massive, if we can keep it tight and dont concede and maybe nick the odd penalty here and there it will suit us down to the ground! If the french score early that will get their home crowd going and the momentum will build up and could prove too much for us! Jonny wilkinsons kicking is going to be huge, he needs to take all the penalties and drop goal chances! The kicking game is the only way i can see us beating this extremely talented french side. With the magnificent support we have out there in paris who knows... |
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Post by kokka78 on Oct 13, 2007 18:56:07 GMT
COME ONE ENGLAND!!!!  |
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Post by Imy on Oct 13, 2007 19:48:16 GMT
6-5 to france at half time! amazing start for england, try about a minute in, the 2nd half is gonna be explosive! not to be missed!! Its the little things that will make the difference and hopefully wilko can find his range and start kicking the goals! hes missed a couple in the 1st half.
COME ON ENGLAND
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Post by kokka78 on Oct 13, 2007 20:34:58 GMT
can the game finish now?
please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Vidic>Superman on Oct 13, 2007 20:52:37 GMT
Champions England will go for their second World Cup in a row after winning a gripping semi-final against France.
The champions took a second-minute lead through Josh Lewsey's try but two Lionel Beauxis penalties put France 6-5 up at the break.
A penalty apiece from Beauxis and Jonny Wilkinson maintained the gap.
Wilkinson hit the woodwork with a drop-goal with 20 minutes to go but kicked a late penalty and drop-goal to see the champions home.
The historical rivalry between the cross-channel neighbours has been echoed by a rugby rivalry that stretches back to England's 35-8 win in the initial encounter between the two sides 101 years ago.
France won the two World Cup warm-up matches between the two sides but England beat Les Bleus in the Six Nations and the last time they met in the World Cup, in the 2003 semi-finals, England ground out a 24-7 victory.
Both sides started the tournament badly, with France losing to Argentina first up and England being hammered by South Africa.
But they had improved as the competition wore on and had stunning wins in the quarter-finals to set up a massively anticipated semi-final.
The match started in explosive fashion as England took the lead after just 78 seconds.
Gomarsall clipped a box kick down the line and Traille, usually a centre but playing out of position at full-back, dithered as the ball skittered along near the touchline.
When it popped up Traille momentarily slipped and Lewsey latched onto the ball before blasting over and through the Frenchman to score.
Wilkinson, whose kicking has been below par in France, missed the tricky conversion, with the ball snaking left of the posts as it has done all too often for the England's fly-half's satisfaction all tournament.
It was a stunning start for the champions but France took it on the chin and tried to hit back by playing with width and pace.
England repelled a series of attacks before a large slice of luck helped France get on the board.
Beauxis tried a hugely ambitious drop-goal from near his own 10m line which was partly charged down by the massive Simon Shaw.
Serge Betsen picked up the loose ball and when England infringed at the ruck fly-half Beauxis drilled over the penalty to make it 5-3 after seven minutes.
England then conceded a couple of penalties and threw in some mistakes as well to help France build some momentum.
And when the massive Andy Sheridan, so impressive in the quarter-final win against Australia, was penalised for not taking the bind at a scrum Beauxis, just 21, edged France into the lead.
With Beauxis missing three long-range drop-goal attempts for the hosts and Wilkinson off target with a similar attempt for England, France were only a point clear at the break.
The hosts edged further ahead after 44 minutes through Beauxis' third penalty after England again infringed at a ruck but the visitors soon hit back through Wilkinson's boot.
Dan Hipkiss, on as a replacement for Lewsey after the Wasps man appeared to pull a hamstring, made a break to initiate a surging attack and when France fell offside Wilkinson landed his 50th World Cup penalty to make it 9-8.
France brought on the mercurial Frederic Michalak with half an hour to go but his first contribution was to miss a drop-goal from right in front of the posts.
England came agonisingly close to going back into the lead after an hour but Wilkinson's right-foot drop-goal came cannoning back off the woodwork.
When France kicked the ball clear Jason Robinson beat four or five French defenders on an electric run deep into French territory, but he was eventually halted and Phil Vickery was penalised at the resulting ruck to calm French nerves.
The let-off boosted French morale and after taking control territorially it took a tap tackle from replacement flanker Joe Worsley to prevent Vincent Clerc going over, with Sebastien Chabal eventually halted inches short from the winger's pass.
England were struggling to get out of their half but they eventually turned the tide.
Toby Flood missed with a poor drop-goal attempt for the champions but, when Dimitri Szarzewski was penalised for a high tackle on Robinson, Wilkinson stepped up to put the champions back into the lead.
And England's World Cup-winning hero of 2003 ensured their would be no fairy tale final for the hosts as he slotted a late drop goal to ensure England will feature in their second World Cup final in a row.
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Post by Imy on Oct 13, 2007 21:12:49 GMT
come onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, what a fucking win!!! were in the final again! what a performance! Jonny wilkinson deserves a knighthood! Bring on the argies or sa were ready for any1!! Jason Robinson was also nothing short of sensational aswel! who wudda thought it after the SA defeat!
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Post by schmeichelstarjump! on Oct 13, 2007 23:55:40 GMT
GREAT STUFF!
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Post by Imy on Oct 14, 2007 0:19:15 GMT
right il give my tactical analysis, who needs martin johnson I think the start to the game is gonna be massive, if we can keep it tight and dont concede and maybe nick the odd penalty here and there it will suit us down to the ground! If the french score early that will get their home crowd going and the momentum will build up and could prove too much for us! Jonny wilkinsons kicking is going to be huge, he needs to take all the penalties and drop goal chances! The kicking game is the only way i can see us beating this extremely talented french side. With the magnificent support we have out there in paris who knows... brilliant analysis from me lol ;D, the game went just as i said it should if we were to win. I should be the gaffa who needs brian ashton |
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Post by kokka78 on Oct 14, 2007 0:41:33 GMT
from The Observer
Somehow, against the odds, against the best team left in the tournament and with the sort of doggedness they have made their own, England have reached the World Cup final. Like their win over Australia in the quarter-finals last weekend, it was close, tense, riddled with mistakes and beautifully ugly. But their resolve held, under the most intense pressure from a France team who had enough possession to win two games.
The hosts will undoubtedly feel victory should have been theirs, but England held them tryless, a triumph for their rush-defence tackling and sheer bloodymindedness when it seemed they would crack. They did not. And, almost inevitably, it was Jonny Wilkinson, out of sorts but never less than obdurately determined to pilot them over the winning kick, rescued it, as he has done too many times to recount. The world champions, unloved and all but ignored for most of this tournament, will now reckon they can take the Webb Ellis Cup again. Remarkable. Simply remarkable.
In the Sydney final, Martin Johnson said nothing to his players. He thought it redundant. In Paris last night, Phil Vickery looked as if he would burst a blood vessel in the pre-match huddle. Paul Sackey, at least, looked cool, hands on hips and signalling there was an extra ball on the pitch after the kick-off - and then the celebrations went totally through the roof in only the second minute.
Andy Gomarsall fed Nick Easter from a quick tap, Simon Shaw took it up, Andrew Sheridan was on hand in support, swinging it back to Gomarsall, whose quick kick set Josh Lewsey free. The winger, who has had a so-so tournament, fairly flew down the left in pursuit and was there to capitalise on Damien Traille's hesitant grab at the bouncing ball, right on his line. It was a bad time for the Frenchman having only his second international at full-back to lose composure and Lewsey burst through to touch down in the tackle near the flag.
Starts do not come better than that in a World Cup semi-final. Wilkinson, who had declared himself relaxed with a less than seven-in-10 return from his kicks in earlier games here and had practised for an hour on Thursday with all six match balls, pushed the conversion inches wide. It was not a good omen.
Lionel Beauxis's first shot was a simple pot from in front after Easter had transgressed in the ruck stupidly close to the England line. The tackling was fierce, the commitment total, from both sides. England decided they would rush the French across the line and France were momentarily flustered. Yannick Jauzion saw his kick-through knocked down then richocheted off a team-mate and he had to race back to clear over the dead-ball line, giving England the put-in at five metres. From there, though, the clearout was bungled.
England collapsed a scrum and Beauxis landed again, from just inside the half. With a third of the game gone, there was little in it, a point France's way now and bragging rights up front about even. A crucial error by the South African linesman Marius Jonker might have proved costly for England. Jason Robinson did brilliantly to field a Beauxis cross-kick that was arcing away from him over the line, throw it back in and behind him before slipping out of play, then clearing. Jonker ruled it a French throw-in, but England cleared.
England, vibrant but nervous, looked to run it more here than in any of the knockout games, or the quarter-final, but Wilkinson was always alert to the kicking possibilities. An ambitious drop-goal attempt from 45 metres faded left, then he tried an outrageous penalty that fell to the right. Beauxis was kicking from hand with killing precision and forced Sackey to run the ball over inside the 22.
France were camped for long periods in the opposition half, but England handled the pressure well, Robinson clearing with hefty kicks left and right. He was calm under the high kick and when the chance presented itself he probed the French defence with his jinking genius.
Lewsey hobbled from the fray, unnoticed by Mr Kaplan as play continued, and Dan Hipkiss replaced him on the resumption. England looked to have done brilliantly in retrieving possession after the French backs had cut loose but Kaplan spotted Easter entering the ruck from the side and Beauxis, in better kicking fettle than his opposite number, punished them from 40 metres.
Then, at the tail-end of England's most promising attack, a slick link between forwards and backs that swept the ball to within 10 yards of the French line, Wilkinson was given his fourth shot at goal, five metres in on the left, after the French killed a ruck. Finally, to the relief of the red-and-white hordes, he landed, as a light drizzle fell.
Frederik Michalak, on for Beauxis despite the young fly-half's commanding display in every department, tried for a drop goal but it slewed horribly to the left. England were caught now between their new-found hunger for running at the French and positioning themselves for a Jonny drop-goal; Wilkinson almost delivered with a snap shot that bounced off the left post - then from the clearance, Robinson ran it 40 metres back through an army of befuddled blue jerseys and was within sight of the line before he was eventually chopped down.
Robinson's first poor clearance gave France a throw-in inside the England 22 with a quarter of an hour left, and France mauled 10 metres before Michalak chipped over the defence, but Mathew Tait saved with a sound take. It was all France now, though. A cross-kick by Michalak, a misjudged leap by Sackey and England were rock-and-rolled to within metres of the tryline. But the French were too eager at the ruck.
Dallaglio, the only England player to be on the pitch for every minute of their 2003 campaign, was thrown on for the final 10 here - could the old guy find something to lift his battered compatriots? Or would it be Wilkinson, their saviour so often in the past, who might edge them ahead and into another final? With aching predictability, he was injured again, in a tackle on Chabal, but still standing. What he needed was a field position, but England struggled to get out of their half as the minutes ebbed away, a hauntingly familiar scenario.
Cruelly, so cruelly for France Jonny's killer chance came via a dangerous tackle by Dimitri Szarsewski on Robinson. In one of those look-away-now moments, Wilkinson - the old Wilkinson, the one with the baby face and the deadly boot - did not falter this time, driving it high and straight to take the lead with six minutes left. When the little man polished it off with a left-foot drop goal with two minutes left, the devastated French needed a try. They tried - mon Dieu how they tried - but it didn't come. Would you believe it? England had done it again.
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Post by Stew on Oct 14, 2007 12:39:53 GMT
This is like watching the Scousers winning the Champions League 3 years ago. You know that they should lose to the better team, but still they go on winning. Wilkinson, Gomarsal, Shaw and Seridan have been immense for England in the last few games. They seem to have their name on this trophy..........
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Post by Scott on Oct 14, 2007 15:11:42 GMT
Can't believe they've made it as far as they have. It's a bit of a joke really considering how shit they looked to begin with (and how nervous they still look now). Caveman did very little yesterday.
I think it would work in England's favour if SA meet them in the final. They'll be going in to the game thinking of how they battered them just a few weeks ago. It's always good to go in to a game as the underdogs. Less pressure.
They've just got to be thanking their lucky stars they've made it as far as they have, and that they can have some pride in themselves. This competition looked as though it was going to get embarrassing for them not long ago, so good on em.
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Post by kokka78 on Oct 14, 2007 15:26:35 GMT
i must ask to my mum to say one more time england have no chance....cos in the previous 2 matches englad played she said so and England won ;D
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Post by Imy on Oct 14, 2007 22:44:07 GMT
its south africa in the final.. come on lads one last big upset and bring it home once again, how ironic would it be after that 36-0 battering if we beat them in the final! brian habana was awesome tonight and england need to stop this kunt or the world cup might slip away, i suggest someone like andy sheridan take him out early on |
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Post by Stew on Oct 15, 2007 7:29:13 GMT
its south africa in the final.. come on lads one last big upset and bring it home once again, how ironic would it be after that 36-0 battering if we beat them in the final! brian habana was awesome tonight and england need to stop this kunt or the world cup might slip away, i suggest someone like andy sheridan take him out early on Leave Habana alone. He's going to win me about 300 quid when he finishes top try scorer! Only Clerc can stop him now. Don't forget Gommarsal and Wilkinson weren't playing in the previous game against SA and they've been the best half back pairing for me. They, and the pack give you guys a real chance. |
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Post by missunited on Oct 15, 2007 10:57:49 GMT
I am going to be absolutely gobsmacked if England manage to put up even a decent fight in the final, SA have looked incredibly good and England have... well, less than impressed.
That said I shall be sheering the lads on, which is what I was doing on Saturday when I managed to get excited about the Rugby, but still couldn't make myself enjoy the footy.
Wilko didn't look very good against France, looked scared stiff before it'd even kicked off.
COME ON ENGLAND.
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