The West London's RWC blog

England v Asbostralia XV

England J Robinson (unattached); P Sackey (Wasps), M Tait (Newcastle), A Farrell (Saracens), J Lewsey (Wasps); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), A Gomarsall (Harlequins); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), M Regan (Bristol), P Vickery (Wasps, capt), S Shaw (Wasps), B Kay (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins).

Replacements: G Chuter (Leicester), M Stevens (Bath), L Dallaglio (Wasps), J Worsley (Wasps), P Richards (London Irish), O Barkley (Bath), D Hipkiss (Leicester)

...COME ON!

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..."

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...

A Woolley Jumper...

Agent Tony has uncovered the new England kit for 2008. Sales are at an all time high in South Africa he writes. If things carry on the way they have been, the telephone company is going to run out of numbers...

And They're Off!

Ooooh! What an ugly bunch of blokes.
Have a good match.

Cattastrophy...

...or he will have if he can drive his back line through the weak South African midfield defence. A win here will give confidence and put England firmly back at the top of the tree. (REmember, the Aussies will get wiped out, the South Africans will just lose all discipline if they lose this one, and th All Blacks...well, we know they are going to choke somewhere along the line...)
It's time for Catt to stop pussyfooting around and give some value for all the super size meals he seems to have eaten these past few weeks. Andy Farrell was always a beautiful rugby league playmaker, and it would be great to see those skills on display tonight. The forwards? Well, I reckon 50/50 overall contest. Burger would have made a big difference for South Africa but now his absence might make a big difference for England - and Rees in particular - as chief speedster and ball grabber.
Perry at scrum half will need to be at his bubbly best, not ponderous in his delivery, otherwise it is going to be Babychambles behind the scrum... "Get yourselves ready for a tackle in five minutes boys, I'm just about to pass the ball - oh, when I have let Butch know so that he can line you up etc..."
Overall, the second biggest match of the tournament, a week after the opening spectacle that has seen France reduced to a psychologically deficient rabble - a nation in despair!
There is a Springbok Bar in Bedford Street London where this corespondent will be headed in order to 'capture the moment' (and then I'll rush off and get the train home as I can't stand all those big, South Africans in their parrot kit -  yuk! )
May the best team win -and if they don't they'll come second.

Friday's Match. What can you say about South Africa...

...to scare them away?
Everything in this World Cup is so tough, so challenging (apart from the two other Southern Hemisphere spoilsports) I ask the question why do we English not have that nasty, bustling firepower that marks out a lot of players from supposedly 'junior' international teams?
No one is going to drown their sorrows in a bottle of aftershave (because; a)too expensive these days and b) hairy is 'in' - apparently). But I digress. England will only win if they blast their way through the midfield of the Boks, keeping their backs in retreat. The back row battle is lost and it is only Wednesday... Robinson will be hurtling back and forth fielding Big Percy's territorial kicks, which squeeze the opposition into a very tight clearance channel. I would hope for an early Josh Lewsey 'hit up' on Habana - a perfectly legitimate disabling movement - and a mass attack of 'prop cramp' in the S.A. front row. For anybody who doesn't know what prop cramp is, it is a condition that causes a prop's brain to ache after it has been active for more than five minutes, leading to stupidity. We can only hope, and I hope I am proven wrong, but, like the German shopkeeper who was attacked with a sausage the other day, I fear the wurst...

"Through a) Lens Darkly"

Well, well, well.
England got a try, they banked on Barkley and stumbled to an unconvincing win early on Saturday evening. For the most part they looked well oiled - not a well oiled machine and it was a pleasure to watch the sideshow from the American team, inventing, endeavouring and, well, scoring.
It was refreshing to see a shambolic lineout - better today than next Friday when they will have had a Burger, and their chips! I had high hopes for Simon Shaw - maybe next match eh?
Argentina must have enjoyed watching the match. Corny? Beefy? No - just sliced white, without much filling and spread thinly.
I think Ken Livingstone has already cancelled the bus - probably he's inviting Horatio Nelson Mandella back to London again...

The England Team

The first game against USA is looming and it gives the 'mecs' of England a chance to 'beat about the Bush' by taking it out on some unfortunate American rugby players...
...or will they?
No pressure, plenty of fitness and a will to win can drive the Americans forward and make England's initial foray a bit awkward. Here in England we hope that superior skill will prevail and that the pack will flatten a less experienced opposition. In America, they are worried about the amount of ice needed for David Beckham's knee and er...I mean will be cheering on the Eagles come Saturday. OUCH! He's injured already!