The West London's RWC blog

Reading Between The Lines

Some people have asked how to read the previous 'articles' in this blog.(Well, the ones that are total insomniacs, have read every page on Wikipedia, saddos, tramps etc...)

To see everything for the month, click on 'Archives'. To read any observations made by others following the article, click on 'Comments'. To leave a comment, click on Comment, enter your / a name, email address and hey presto!  - you write. Click 'Post' and watch your words appear. If you have stuff to post, or photos to show then write to me using martinflackatblueyonderdotcodotuk - in the obvious email address format. Try it - it doesn't hurt! (That damn bleu, blanc rouge gets in everywhere doesn't it?!)

Oui Lasta Longa than Tonga!

So farewell Tonga - a plucky performance but not enough to overcome the English gameplan of scrum nudge, lineout, kick... Your correspondent did not see the first half and I depend on others to illuminate my opinion. The bit I saw was ok but nothing to indicate that Australia are going to lose much sleep working out points of attack next week. England players will be a bit more relaxed though so who knows - "it's a funny old game". I spent the whole day organising an exhibition in Manchester and feel right off the pace...roll on tomorrow afternoon when real work can recommence! Bad hair day too - as the IRB put a stop to paddy perm power and the green hair business. Sometimes I wonder where the interference will stop and the amusement be left to run through a tournament  - it maybe wrong, but I think the commercial squeezers are taking the fun out of rugby...too much talk and little fun - but it's the spectator who'll pay every time.
I have to say also that I am surprised that more of the West London members have not taken this opportunity to put forward their points of view - it is an open forum with no censorship...obviously the Rugby World Cup is a private affair between you, the pub and a telly? The picture is a moment of reflection from a disused factory in Palaiseau - on the outskirts of Paris (now that's what I call graffiti!) Have a great evening, a very good morning and good luck all you Ireland, Wales and Scotland supporters...England have done it - are your team going to be joining the fun?

Friday Match - It Could All Go a Bit Pete Tonga...

Tonga are dyeing for England. Hair today, grown tomorrow - or should that be green? In the latest team bonding exercise, the Tonga XV have availed themselves of a hairdresser and a bottle of green dye for the showdown in Parc des Princes (what a cauldron that is...). England's plans to counter this colour blitz are already ahead of target, with a few players familiarising themselves with each other (first time for everything folks...). The great unknown will be match day mentality (how do I know that if it is the great unknown..? Huh?)
Anyway, the England pack will grind away at Tonga - they have no choice as Tonga's back row blast around all over the place when given the opportunity - whether less than 100% scrums from the opposition, or scrappy ball from unforced errors - they will be chasing everything! For England - try again. I think they will probably win simply through experience, a bit of lineout superiority and a lot of  kicking. Does anyone expect an open, controlled and flowing game? Can Jonny hack it with dodgy balls? This is the first of four games which are all or nothing for the sides involved - competition! Theoretically, there could be no British Isles representative in the Quarter finals, come October the sixth... As my friend JR is fond of saying "Someone needs to get their ducks in a row..."

Cartoon - (No, not the UK anthem on a Renault)

A shabby little cartoon for your delicatation during the 'interval' - and while I do some work! This is obviously side-splitting stuff which is doing the rounds...

Balls To France!

Notwithstanding all the fuss about a glut of incompetent buteurs complaining about the match ball, the venerable Sylvain, the Editor in Chief of Le Parisien, has been out and about talking balls in Paris. (We have all done it Sylvain, I assure you!) You can take a look at his balls here...

A+

So, the candle that was lit when France fell at the first hurdle of the pool stage in the Rugby World Cup 2007 is beginning to flicker, as another four nations battle for team pride, searching for that elusive result that will move them from 0 or 1 point in their respective tables. On the face of it, not very exciting games, but we have seen Georgia, Namibia and the USA give their far 'grander' opponents a hard time.  Samoa too - although we have come to expect more from the players with 'pow'! They'll win tonight, as will Georgia - mere peanuts on the bar prior to the three course feast of elimination matches taking place over the weekend...Anyway, what is the common thing linking all four sides playing in tonight's games?
They all end in the beginning of the alphabet!

'Modern Times" - (84mins)

Here's the latest film by Charlie Kaplan - a real stunner with a twist in the tail. The playful comic gets all tangled up in this escapade set in Bordeaux. You've seen it once folks - you'll see it again...hopefully if New Zealand and, say Australia 'get it on'  in a semi final... Oh what a time we can look forward to, with the amiable buffoon upsetting everyone - again!

Corry - Nation's Treat...

Martin Corry has been named as England's captain for their must win game against Tonga. Phil Vickery - who kickstarted England's World Cup campaign - has not been selected for this critical game...possibly a victory for common sense over reputation? Lewis Moody is selected ahead of 'basher' Worsley, and it can only be a few minutes before he (Moody) gives away a penalty for being caught with his hands in the sweetie jar of the ruck (he will not fancy lying around over the ball...) and I expect him to receive a yellow card for slowing play down - particularly if England are under the cosh. Hopefully I'll be wrong again and England will play well..."but it's the Demons you know, perched on me shoulder..." I would also have liked Hipkiss to feature - he always looks as though he makes a right nuisance of himself whenever a Leicester game features on TV - worth a go in my book. It would be simple enough to make a tactical substitution if he is that far out of his depth...

"Good Old Fred"...

That used to be the cry that went up after the Tom and Jerry cartoon had finished at the cinema, but I'm not talking about a game of cat and mouse, I'm talking about "Frederick the Great"  - aka Frederic Humbert!
He has created a fascinating blog (an understatement) about rugby memorabilia and associated things. He describes himself as 'a modest rugby player' (you may gather from this that he is neither South African, New Zealander or Australian..!) and now 'a modest collector'.
Enough said. Take a look at this offering if you have an interest in rugby - and get lost in the 'rooms of the museum!' It is available in English, French, German, Italian and Rugbymanian - but the pictures are in a universal language...great stuff!

Tuesday Matches

Ho hum - Japan's final fling, and they might get a win against Canada's second string...the first XV will be saved for the Australia match on Saturday. It is Portugal's 'final' tomorrow too. The team that has won over the crowds will be jousting against Romania's second XV...as the first team will be saving themselves for a tilt at the All Blacks. It has been a bit quiet on the World Cup front so I'll tell you a little bit about the weather in London. Pelting rain this morning, followed by warm sun with a dessert of Easterly wind. In the middle of England there was a tornado blitz - eleven in all - which caused damage throughout the country. Here's a picture of the rosbif's tournedos...