England arrive home empty-handed whilst the Boks take care of their new trophy ...

The South Africans have arrived home in Jo'burg with the cup, whilst the English landed back in Blighty after a night on the tiles drowning their sorrows.

Ol' JW looks positively chipper!

The big event is almost upon us ... the Final of the Rugby World Cup 2007

The pinnacle of all this rugger playing is finally here - the Final between South Africa and England.

The Springboks will need to be tightly drilled and very disciplined - their captain Smit admitted it himself today in the international media. The English try to stop their opponents playing rugby. They like to see them make errors so JW can score penalties. The Boks will need to play the most disciplined game of their lives to win. Once JW gets the ball his kicking boot takes over.

May the best team win.

The Bokke carry the hopes of the Southern Hemisphere ...

The Springboks did what was expected - crushed the spirits of a spirited Argentinian side in the 2nd Semi Final. Well done Argentina - it'd be great to see you in a Four Nations competition very soon!

I was at my Pilates class last night and one of my pals laughingly suggested inciting the fans at the Final into some biffo. He also wants to see an all-in brawl on the pitch! With the bitey Boks and the fat English forwards it could be on :-D

I want the Boks to win (go Southern Hemisphere), however I suspect the English will do it off the back of JW kicking penalties - the Boks are not the most disciplined of teams and their forwards are notorious for their biffo. The South Africans need to be tight and well drilled, and not get carried away into putting the boot in. I predict a couple of send-offs!

On another note, the young English fans on sites such as Facebook have become ugly in their online behaviour. It makes me laugh that public schoolboys from Harrow and Rugby Schools etc are so proficient in profanity. I'm sure their parents are paying for a different type of education ;-D I taught in a boys' school many years ago and I know what teenage boys can be like; however, some of these boys on Facebook are just plain toffy-nosed gits.

By all means be proud of your team's accomplishments, and engage in cheerful, teasing banter to irritate your South African pals at work etc, but be a supporter not a foul-mouthed, dim-witted hooligan.

That's what soccer (sorry, football) is for.

Drat those French ... NOW who am I going to go for?

I can't bring myself to barrack for JW and the English in the Final. I'm sorry English readers, as a die-hard Wallaby supporter, with a thing for a certain All Black, I'm left with South Africa as my Southern Hemisphere team - aaagggh! It feels so unnatural!

The silly Frogs got themselves beat by JW and his damned kicking boot. I HATE DROP GOALS! Bloody Jonny should join the English soccer team. The French were winning 9 - 8 with 5 minutes to go, and then JW kicked a penalty and a drop goal with virtually seconds to spare.

William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it all those years ago. This is how he invented rugby!

What does a rugby fan do when she has no teams left to support in the RWC? Get her beauty sleep!

Out go the ANZACs, defeated by Poms and Frogs ... aaaggh!

This morning (or should I call it afternoon? Given I got up for the second time at 1.30pm today after watching both quarter-finals, it feels like morning to me) I am both frustrated and speechless: frustrated by the Wallabies and rendered speechless by the All Blacks. What an event is this Rugby World Cup!

The English deserved to win their match against Australia (there, I've said it): the Wallabies were ill-disciplined and flabby against an urgent and attacking English side. The scrums were a travesty on both sides (how many scrum re-sets did we have to endure, huh? Set the bloody thing and don't collapse it, bozos!) and the Australians' ball-handling skills were flawed and careless. So many dropped balls out wide. Lote's try was a thrill; however, too many penalties allowed JW to put the points on the board and Sterling's missed kicks at goal sealed the deal. The Australians lost the match because of poor play and that's really really annoying!

Full credit to the English - they obviously wanted it more and played like a team out to show their critics they were up to defending their crown. They lifted over the last week and played like a well-drilled machine. I still can't stand Jonny Wilkinson though - lay the egg and get on with it!

The All Blacks' match against the French is another story: why do the New Zealanders choke in the World Cup?? They don't choke in the Bledisloe or the Tri Nations ... why in this competition? Why? Why?

This was their event for the winning. The best team in the world and a flawless run through the pool rounds. Their first half was immaculate. They played tight, disciplined, fearsome rugby and made several attacks on the French line. Their ball-handling was perfect and they moved the ball around quickly and precisely. At half-time they seemed unbeatable at 13 - 3.

In the second half it was if the two teams had swapped jerseys. The French regrouped and ground down the All Blacks' resolve. McAlister was sent off for ten minutes for blocking, and the beginnings of what could be called rot set in. A try set up by late ring-in Michalak (passing it on to Jauzion to score) came of what appeared to be a forward pass but it did its job - the French could see the door was open. Dan and Byron came off injured in the second half and the panic set in. Despite a determined effort by the men in black to drive the ball over (the forwards would be knackered - they made several attempts at scrummaging the ball over the line, and did in fact score another try) our little ANZAC brothers couldn't keep the Frogs out. A last minute penalty from the French and Les Bleus secured a spot against England in the Semis.

So my tipping for the Semis is now 50% wrong and we're left with the Frogs and the Poms to fight it out next week - I'm practising my 2nd language even harder now - Vivent Les Bleus! I cannot bear the thought of the English winning the RWC for a 2nd time as they'll bloody beatify them and then eract statues and rename the English counties after each of the players. Yuck. The spectacle of the French side playing in Paris to contest the Final is much more attractive.

Who will they play? God knows! If the next two quarters play out like the first two the Fijians will win by 30 and the Scots by 50! Every Australian should be made to barrack for Fiji this evening - not hard, they're a super team and deserving of their large fan base. Plus, the team I absolutely hate the most are the South Africans. The Argentinians will make it a cinderella story if they make it through to the Finals ... imagine the Falkland Wars II should the English be their foe .....

Bah! Go Fiji! Go Argentina! Go France!

The pool rounds are over ... and now the real fun begins!

Eight teams are through to the Quarter Finals and the real fun of the RWC begins ... the knockout rounds.

Australia have their chance to avenge their loss to England in 2003, the French face the All Black juggernaut, the Fijians have caused the upset of the tournament (to face the Springboks), and Argentina lines up against the Scots.

I'm excited for Fiji; they'll be thrilled with their Quarter Final spot even though they face a seemingly ascendant South Africa. Let's hope they give the 'Boks the same drubbing they gave Wales ;-) [Good luck Greg :-)]

Argentina have presented a very strong case for inclusion in an expanded Tri Nations by finishing top of their pool. I predict a Semi Final spot for them.

After a few weeks of reading the rugby results rather than staying up all night to watch the matches, now I start the alarm-clock setting and sleeping in. Thank goodness I'm on 2 weeks holidays. I have a hen's day to attend on the 6th - perfect reason to stay up even later to watch the Wallabies play the English :-) I'll be at the chic Loft Bar in Sydney, in a posh frock - Chic Rugby to the max :-)

England defeat Tonga and line themselves up against a Wallaby team ready for revenge :-)

The Tongans played very well against the English to go down 36 - 20. The Poms secured their place in the Quarter-Finals with some room to spare, but the Tongans were not disgraced and were praised by their opposition for their strong play and natural ability.

The Australians now have the chance to avenge their defeat against the English in the 2003 World Cup Final. It will be a close game, especially with Jonny "I'm a pain' Wilkinson finding kicking form. Zut alors!

The All Blacks line up against the Romanians shortly, with the Australians versus the Canadians a couple of hours later. By tomorrow morning the 8 teams to play the Quarters will be decided and then the really tough stuff begins :-)

Go Australia!

A mixed bag of results ... and Chic Rugby is coming 2nd in her tipping group - still.

Who'd have thought the Canadians would tie with the Japanese?

Not Chic Rugby and hence her performance in her Facebook tipping competition isn't so hot this week. I'm 6 points behind my pal Reece, because I didn't pick a 12-all tie between the Canucks and the Cherry Blossoms. Grrr.

In other games the Samoans beat the USA for their first win of the RWC, the Georgians thrashed Namibia 30 nil and the Romanians just beat the Portuguese (picked that one - phew!).

The next match of interest will be the Poms against the Tongans. I've picked the English to win but not by much (less than 12 points). We'll see.

Not much longer now - 7 matches - til the knock-out rounds begin. Australia will most likely play England in the Quarters, unless the Tongans beat them, and then we'll play the Tongans instead!

Go Tonga!

The ANZACs clean up, and the Tongans give South Africa a scare.

Australia and New Zealand have virtually secured their berths in the RWC quarterfinals with good wins over Fiji and Scotland.

The All Blacks (wearing a nice grey jersey this match – the All Greys doesn’t have the same ring though) held the Scots to a scoreless result for the boys in blue, beating them 40 nil. The Wallabies met more resistance from the Fijians, who always play with heart and flair, but held on to win 55 – 12.

The Fijians meet Wales in their final pool match – let’s barrack for them so they come second in our group. Then they can play the South Africans and scare them like the Tongans did in their 30 – 25 game in Lens. There’s a lesson to be learnt here for coaches – resting star players is great for preventing injuries leading into the knockout rounds; however, you risk losing your pool game and finishing second in your group! The South Africans held on to win; however, the Tongans revealed some chinks in the Springboks armour. Don’t expect them to make that mistake again

As for Chic Rugby’s tipping results … she’s back to coming second in her group of fellow tipsters. Her friend Reece is pipping her by three points, and he’s a soccer player! Some score-lines are easier to pick than others.

Oh, and the English beat the Samoans, but only because JW is a girly kicker of the rugby ball - 2 drop goals ... huh, I ask you! Score a try, Jonny! I dare you :-) Eng 44 - Sam 22

Go the Wallabies/Fijians/Cherry Blossoms!

Australia wins, the French find form again, and the English look like their days are numbered ...

Lots has happened at the RWC since ChicRugby's last post. Apologies to readers but CR's been busy at work.

The Australians defeated the Welsh in a spirited game. Alas, I only caught the highlights (I fell asleep ... damn this time difference), but from what I saw the Australians played well with scope for further improvement. Stephen Larkham thinks he'll be fit to play in the semis, so let's hope the quarters are kind to the Wallabies so we can enjoy him back on the pitch. Berrick Barnes, the baby of the Australians, played a fantastic game, with a lightening fast pass to Matt Giteau to score under the goal-posts. He also nicely emulated Jonny Wilkinson by kicking a field-goal. I'd love it if we met them in the quarters and he did the same thing to win. Karma can be sweet!

Australia 32 - Wales 20

The English met the Springboks and quivered in their presence. By some accounts, even though JW looks set to return for their match against Samoa, the English are all over the place. It will be a tough game for the English as the Samoans are very physical players. Expect to see more Poms taken off on stretchers.

Other results in games are:

Fiji 29 - Can 16 in Cardiff
Samoa 15 - Tonga 19 in Montpellier
France 87 - Namibia 10 in Toulouse (thanks for coming Namibia - ouch!)
Scotland 42 - Romania 0 in Edinburgh (another poor little minnow)

The French seem to have found form again, this time against Namibia. Easy beats but very physical. The French next play Ireland in what will be a fantastic game. The Irish played very well in the 6 Nations - however, they have been known to bottle when they play away from Lansdowne Road in Dublin. Nevertheless, I'm barracking for the men in green.

So much rugby! So little time to read and watch and report on it all.

Gotta do some work now.

South Africa dominate the English ... and Australia really needs to beat Wales!

The Springboks have kept the English from scoring in a match that saw the World Cup champions lose several key players through injury. I've not seen the 'Boks play as well in quite a while; their defences were rock solid and their attack formidable.

The English were without Mr 'I can kick field goals' Wilkinson as he is still injured. It's unlikely we'll see him now until the quarters, as they're unlikely to play him in the matches against the Tongans or the Samoans. Those islander bros are very physical players and the last thing he needs is to get belted and taken off!

The pressure is now on the Australians and the Welsh as neither will want to play South Africa in the quarters. The Welsh will have the hometown advantage in Cardiff; all those locals singing their hearts out in one of the most atmospheric stadiums rugby can provide.

With uncertainty now surrounding Stephen Larkham and his knee, our boys have a job ahead of them.

Oh, go Australia!

RSA 36 - Eng 0

Big wins to the Wallabies and the All Blacks!

ChicRugby and ChicRugby's friend Cat stayed up last night to watch the Wallabies v Japanese and the All Blacks v Italians.

Actually we drank champagne and chatted during the All Blacks game. I could see Dan kicking away, with my peripheral vision, but we had other things to talk about and we got distracted ...

No matter. The upshot is that this morning both the Australians and the All Blacks are sitting nicely at the tops of their pools with cricket scores against their names - excellent. I pity the poor Cherry Blossoms; they got hammered. They continued attacking as best they could but tiredness and the superior fitness of the Wallabies wore them down in the second half. Rocky Elsom played very well and scored the fastest hat-trick by a forward in the Cup's history. The Wallabies scored 13 tries!

The All Black match just seemed to feature Dan kicking a lot. The New Zealanders scored 11 tries.

Very tired this morning (I fell asleep on Cat's sofa) and am thinking that coffee will be my best friend until the 20 October.

Oh, and the English won as well - but we don't care about them.

This looks promising ... the French beat England on the weekend!

France has defeated England 21 - 15 in a World Cup warm-up at Twickenham. Apparently the English did alright, but never seemed too threatening of the French line. The English were coming off the back of a 62 - 5 smashing of the Welsh, also at Twickenham. This win will give Les Bleus some confidence in the run up to The Big One.

They play the Poms again this weekend. The picture above shows a deeply unattractive French guy scoring a try despite England's Olly Barkly.

Oh no. That man with the boot is back for England.

Jonny 'I can kick field goals' Wilkinson is coming back to the English team - eeeeeeaaaaagggghhh!

I can't stand him!

I appreciate he kicks the football very well, and apparently he is meant to be a 'nice bloke'. But really ...... am I alone in remembering that field goal he kicked in the dying seconds of extra time in the 2003 RWC Final? Only England could give their players bloody knighthoods (almost) for winning a game with a kicked goal rather than a try ... Rugby is NOT SOCCER!

I always reckon that Jonny Wilkinson looks like he's laying an egg when he lines up the ball for the kick. I say we hatch a plan (an egg - hee hee!) to nobble him and get him out of the game, once and for all :-D

One consolation is the English are known for choking when they're defending any sort of cup they may have won - viz The Ashes. So perhaps there is hope that Mr W won't offend our eyes with his weird stance and his girly FIELD GOAL KICKING!