Pool Review - Best 5 matches
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POOL REVIEW: Best five matches
(Rugby News Service) Wednesday 3 October 2007
By Mick Donohoe
From Paris
PARIS, 3 October - There have been plenty of exciting matches at RWC 2007, none more so than Fiji's thrilling encounter with Wales.
Here are our top five in order:
1 Fiji 38-34 Wales - Pool B
Three tries in a frenetic 10-minute spell seemed to have set Fiji on the road to a first quarter-final since the inaugural tournament in 1987, but a yellow card for flanker Akapusi Qera on the stroke of half time nearly proved their undoing.
He left the field with Fiji leading 25-3, but by the time he returned the deficit had been cut to 10 points after tries by Shane Williams and captain Gareth Thomas for Wales, who then took the lead with another by Mark Jones.
Two penalties from fly half Nicky Little edged Fiji into a 31-29 lead, only for flanker Martyn Williams to intercept a stray pass and race away to score, giving Wales a 34-31 advantage with only six minutes remaining.
Wales though had not counted on one last Fijian push and a try for prop Graham Dewes, which was confirmed by the television match official, three minutes from time as Pacific islanders once again derailed Welsh world cup dreams.
2 Canada 12-12 Japan - Pool B
Another match that went right down to the wire before ending in only the second draw in RWC history was at Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux as Japan's Koji Taira crossed in injury time to set up a dramatic finish to their match with Canada.
Centre Shotaro Onishi calmly stepped up to slot the conversion from near the touchline, sending his team-mates and the Japanese fans into a frenzy after ending their 13-match losing streak in the world cup.
Japan had led only 5-0 at half time with Kosuke Endo had crossing for the only try, but hooker Pat Riordan soon put Canada back in the match when he burrowed over the line, before Dth van der Merwe strolled over the line in the 65th minute.
3 Ireland 14-10 Georgia - Pool D
Irish eyes were certainly smiling as they survived a huge scare against Georgia to keep alive their hopes in the tournament, Ireland denying their opponents a first ever RWC victory despite having their line pounded for phase upon phase.
Georgia couldn't find the breakthrough for the match-winning try and had to settle for Giorgi Shkinin's 70-metre run in that gave them the lead - 10-7 - after the wing intercepted Peter Stringer's weak pass to captain Brian O'Driscoll.
Ireland had taken 17 minutes to make the breakthrough, a drive parting for hooker Rory Best to dive over the line, and they only regained the lead when Georgia lost a line-out near the Irish line and they scored at the other end through Girvan Dempsey.
4 South Africa 30-25 Tonga - Pool A
Boosted by a first win over Samoa in seven years, Tonga set their sights on South Africa and gave their second-string side an almighty scare before the Springboks clicked into gear at Stade Felix-Bollaert in Lens.
Tonga had led this thrilling encounter 10-7 early in the second half and a major upset looked on the cards until Francois Steyn's penalty in the 54th minute started a run of 20 unanswered points in a devastating 15-minute spell for South Africa.
The Pacific islanders though were not finished yet and ensured a tense finale with tries by Sukanaivalu Hufanga and Viliami Vaki cutting the deficit to 27-22 with eight minutes remaining.
South Africa held on though to confirm themselves as pool winners.
5 France 12-17 Argentina - Pool D
Argentina caused a huge upset in the opening match of RWC 2007 with a 17-12 victory at the Stade de France, handing the host nation their first ever pool defeat in the process.
Fly half Juan Martín Hernández's pin-point kicking and the Pumas' resolute defence, repelling drive after drive, proved decisive as they turned a 17-9 half time advantage into the victory.
It could have been a different story, though, had David Skrela not missed a penalty attempt just before the hour mark and his replacement Frédéric Michalak then not skewed his first attempt with nine minutes to go.
POOL REVIEW: Best five tries
POOL REVIEW: Best five tries
(Rugby News Service) Wednesday 3 October 2007
By Matt Porter
From Paris
1 Takudzwa Ngwenya
Surely there's no faster man in world rugby than USA wing Takudzwa Ngwenya. The Eagles' flyer left noted speedster Bryan Habana in his dust in the match against South Africa in Montpellier on Sunday.
Receiving a lofted pass from his captain Mike Hercus 40m out from the Springbok line, Zimbabwean-born Ngwenya lined up the fast-approaching Habana, shimmied past him with a beautiful in-and-away and snapped on the after-burners to leave the South African clutching at air.
2 Shane Williams
The wing commander provided a rare highlight to illuminate the gloom of Wales' shock loss to Fiji and RWC 2007 exit in Nantes last Saturday.
Receiving the ball from inside his 22m, the diminutive Williams set off on a dazzling run that saw him step inside two would-be defenders and run around the full back to dive over near the posts.
Despite being on the losing side, the effort - Williams' sixth of this cup - was a significant factor in the Welshman claiming the man of the match award.
3 Kosuke Endo
Although on the losing end against Wales in their Pool B encounter in Cardiff, Japan were responsible for the best moment of the match courtesy of Kosuke Endo.
The pacey wing latched on to the end of a sweeping move that started 80m away, after second row Hitoshi Ono helped himself to some unattended ball at the back of a Welsh ruck. The ball moved through three sets of hands before Endo burst on to beat the desperate cover for the try.
4 Bryan Habana
Habana kicked off his world cup campaign in great style with four tries in the Springboks' opening match against Samoa at Parc des Princes.
The first was the best, Habana demonstrating his unique array of attacking skills to bamboozle the vaunted Samoan defence with a bobbing, stepping and weaving 25m dance to the line.
5 Rui Cordeiro
They may not have won a match in their debut world cup but Portugal certainly won some hearts for their enterprising play and gracious good humour.
Their greatest moment was provided by replacement forward Rui Cordeiro against the All Blacks. The big prop crashed over in the 48th minute following a strong maul that had the All Blacks back pedalling. The try completed a full house for the Portuguese, as it was converted and added to a penalty and RWC 2007's first drop goal.
POOL REVIEW: Best five hair styles
POOL REVIEW: Best five hair styles
(Rugby News Service) Wednesday 3 October 2007
By Mick Reid
From Paris
PARIS, 3 October – Coming into the tournament, France number 8 Sébastien Chabal was perhaps the face of the world cup, especially in the host nation, where his wild, woolly appearance was as ubiquitous in all manner of media as it was arresting.
The unkempt wash 'n go look was a popular style across most of the teams, Aussie Matt Giteau's steepling bouffant a case in point. But Wales' hair-bear duo Duncan and Adam Jones continue to lead the field in wire-brush coiffure.
Here is a selection of other bonces we felt were a cut above the rest.
1 Finau Maka
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:.../srtong127.jpg
The Tonga number 8 is officially listed as weighing 110kg but he was surely lugging a good deal more than that around thanks to his ballooning afro. What the Jackson Five might have looked like if they'd spent all their time in gym rather than the studio.
2 Carl Hayman
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:...eyman-ch07.gif
Rivalling Chabal in the bearded stakes was the New Zealand prop, whose facial fur matures him well beyond his 28 years.
3 Sean-Michael Stephen
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:...mg/stephen.jpg
The Canucks are looking to the future after departing the world cup winless for the first time, but the flanker's mullet was a welcome blast from the past.
(Personally think this should go to Dunning)
4 Paul Griffen
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:...ul_griffen.jpg
England flyer Paul Sackey, Fiji centre Seru Rabeni and Tonga flanker Hale T Pole were among several players to sport impressive rasta locks but the New Zealand-born Italy scrum half gets the nod in that style department for his value added hint-of-ginger mutton chops.
5 Jerry Collins
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:...nsJerry160.jpg
There was a suspicion of lemon rinse about the moptops of England's Jonny Wilkinson and Wales' Alix Popham, but the All Black flanker with all-white lid was the standout bottle blond.
