Filed under: Rugby
Thanks to stuff.co.nz for the story…
US rugby boss tips LA-based S14 side
By DAVID LONG – Sunday News | Sunday, 03 February 2008
USA Rugby’s influential chairman Kevin Roberts believes Sanzar can cash-in on including a team from Los Angeles in an expanded Super 14.
Roberts a former board member of the NZRU and currently the worldwide CEO for advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi says to include a team from the US in the competition will open up a massive market for rugby.
“The media partners, sponsors, apparel suppliers, Rupert Murdoch, they’d all be interested in seeing a West Coast side that is competitive,” Roberts told Sunday News from Los Angeles.
“It would do for the Super 14 what Italy has done for the Six Nations because the most popular trip for fans is the weekend in Rome.”
Throughout his professional career Roberts has been able to make things happen. With him chairing the board at USA Rugby the sport won’t be standing still in the world’s most powerful country.
The game will go professional in USA this year with Roberts having impressive plans for the sport.
“Playing in top-class competition is vital,” he said.
“We’ll have our own Super 6 with the Canadian teams this year, in 2009 we’ll include the Argentinian provinces and within the next time-frame have a (Super 14) franchise based in LA.
“The whole world is interested in where the USA is going,” he added.
“I had dinner last week in the UK with Sean Fitzpatrick and Stephen Jones, the Sunday Times journalist. For both these guys nothing is more important than the USA succeeding.
“The IRB help us with grants and they want us to succeed because they need the US to make rugby truly global.
“We’ve just signed Sony as our shirt sponsor, Guinness as our beer sponsor, Setanta as our media rights sponsor, we’re about to announce a major apparel deal and we’ve just done a seven-figure recruitment deal with the National Guard because they want rugby players.”
Last week, USA Rugby and the NZRU announced the signing of a formal agreement to promote rugby in the States.
While it will allow the USA to tap into New Zealand’s knowledge and resources, it also gives the NZRU a foothold in the US market.
“For the USA side, what we need more than anything else right now is intellectual property, technical know-how, referee skills and player development skills,” Roberts said.
“We looked around the world for that and it was no surprise I found the best systems and intellectual property is in New Zealand by a country mile.
“We had terrific co-operation from the All Blacks coaches during our World Cup preparation. Graham (Henry) allowed Mike Cron and Mick Byrne to come up for a couple of weeks.
“From the New Zealand perspective, the NZRU are interested in their most obvious commercial, trading and social partner.
“There’s no doubt the commercial market in the States dwarfs any other. You can talk about Japan and China until the cows come home but the big opportunity for the All Blacks, the next unconquered terrain for them, is the US.
“If you want to think about how you can fund professional rugby in New Zealand against the might of England and France, it really is by opening up new commerical opportunities and the only one with any scale is the US.
“What we pledge to do for New Zealand is ensure we open up those commercial opportunities for the All Blacks and NZRU.
“The NZRU see the only real short and long-term solution to staying competitively positioned in the professional game, for a small country like New Zealand, is to pioneer the adidas deal Mk II outside of the norm.
“They did that with Iveco, the Italian truck supplier, and they need to expand that to the world’s biggest companies. And they pretty much all have their HQs in the US.
“New Zealand are very far-seeing in that they see US rugby as a way of accessing that commercial pool.”
It would be seriously awesome!!!
Filed under: RWC Final
South Africa win world cup
PARIS, 20 October – South Africa defeated England 15-6 in the world cup final at Stade de France on Saturday to add a second Webb Ellis Cup to the one they won as hosts in 1995.
Reigning champions England came into the match on the back of four impressive victories after a poor start to the tournament but were unable to find a way through a disciplined Springboks outfit who were miserly in defence, dominated the line-outs and kicked five penalties.
England fly half Jonny Wilkinson, the hero of their 2003 triumph in Sydney, was unable to turn on the magic this time, missing two drop goal attempts and given little chance to impose himself on the match.
South Africa led England 9-3 at the break after an even first half marked by tactical high kicking and little open play.
Both sides sought to flex their muscle and apply pressure with a series of up-and-unders, though to little avail.
Percy Montgomery opened the scoring with a three-pointer on seven minutes after centre Mathew Tait had slipped and become isolated in the ruck and England were penalised for failing to release.
Wilkinson squared the ledger on 13 minutes after South Africa wing Bryan Habana was called for lying on the tackled player, counterpart Paul Sackey.
Repelled on line
But Montgomery regained the advantage for South Africa three minutes later after team-mate Butch James was adjudged to have been impeded on a kick and chase.
Wilkinson tried a quick riposte but pushed his drop goal attempt wide.
South Africa twice attacked late in the half but were repelled on the line on both occasions.
However, they were awarded a penalty for the second drive and Montgomery kicked truly to push the margin out to six points.
England began the second half in sensational style as Tait cut a swathe through the middle of the South Africa defence with a series of steps and swerves to set Mark Cueto up for a try. But after a long deliberation by the TV match official, the wing was ruled to have been in touch when he crossed over in the corner.
A Wilkinson penalty kick for an infringement earlier in the movement was some consolation, though.
England’s hopes were hit on 48 minutes when full back Jason Robinson, playing his last match before retirement, left the field with a shoulder injury.
Montogmery squeezed home his fourth penalty from as many kicks on 51 minutes to restore his side’s six-point lead (12-6) after England conceded for handling in a ruck.
Francois Steyn took over the kicking duties on 62 minutes when England were penalised for obstruction and the impressive young centre didn’t let his side down, piercing the uprights from 46 metres.
RNS mr
Filed under: RWC Final
Pumas blitz hosts with emotional performance
PARIS, 19 October – Argentina played their best match of the tournament to beat France 34-10 and secure the bronze medal, making history with their best ever world cup result.
The Pumas showed they are more than a team of hard-nosed forwards, proving they deserve all the plaudits handed to them over the past two months.
Argentina scored five tries to France’s one, putting away their kicking game and finding more open space.
Argentina’s head coach Marcelo Loffreda beamed with pride when explaining his reaction to his team’s performance.
“I am feeling such great happiness, this whole week was going to be really difficult for us but the players equipped themselves well. Today they played an incredible game, from a technical point of view every aspect was spot on,” he said.
“I am so proud, grateful, to all of them for the eight years we have spent together and especially with the captain (Agustín Pichot) who has allowed me to spend a spectacular time with him.”
Painful end for hosts
France, for all their efforts, were undone by a lack of presence at the breakdown.
French captain Raphaël Ibanez said his team became frustrated with Argentina’s play around the ruck, which was aimed at slowing the ball down.
He said this led to frustration and ill discipline, especially in the first half.
“We want the match to be controlled as much as possible, it was not the case, especially around the ruck.
“The (Argentina) players were lying on the ball and we lost our composure a bit. I don’t condone this but frankly, after a while, we had to react.”
French coach Bernard Laporte conceded his team could not match Argentina, and rued their missed opportunities.
“The best one won. They’ve won twice against us and shown they are better than us and finished third,” he said.
“In the first 30 minutes we dominated but we made mistakes. They took advantage of them and scored tries.
“We tried to get back into the game but couldn’t.”
End of an era
With both teams bidding farewell to many of their veteran stars it was an emotional finish.
Several of the Argentina players almost had to be dragged off the pitch as they thanked their fans and celebrated.
Pichot, playing in his last cup match, explained what the moment meant to him.
“You cannot give much more than this. Psychologically, with heart, with spirit – I am not a very talented footballer, but in the last eight years I gave everything,” he said.
“It’s the end of a great period with the Argentina jersey on.
“Today has been the end of the best team I have ever been part of in sport.”
RNS jf/gs
Filed under: RWC Final
So, as you can imagine, I am a bit unhappy about the way this world cup is turning out. I am officially rooting for South Africa now for this simple reason: in my opinion, England doesn’t deserve to be in the final and they cannot be allowed to win. If they win, there will be another four years of bragging… bragging on a result that doesn’t at all mirror the effort to get there. Whether they win or not, they are not the best team in the world.
Filed under: RWC Semifinals
Habana double fires Boks into the final
Reuters | Sunday, 14 October 2007
Bryan Habana equalled Jonah Lomu’s World Cup tryscoring record to help South Africa join holders England in next weekend’s final with a ruthless 37-13 win over Argentina at the Stade de France in Paris this morning.
Habana scored two of his team’s four tries in an awesome display of power and speed from the Springboks that ended Argentina’s fairytale run to the semi-finals and sent South Africa through to their first final since they won the Webb Ellis Cup at home 12 years ago.
Habana showed why he remains the deadliest finisher in the game with two spectacular tries to overtake Australian Drew Mitchell as the tournament’s top tryscorer and match New Zealander Lomu’s record haul of eight from the 1999 tournament.
“We had a pretty distinct plan for the first 40 and I think that went pretty well,” Springboks captain John Smit said in a televised interview.
“We rested on our laurels in the first part of the second half but their try certainly switched us back on and we got back into test rugby and got ourselves back on the front foot.
“We’re pretty happy with how things went today.”
Scrumhalf Fourie du Preez and No 8 Danie Rossouw also helped themselves to tries and fullback Percy Montgomery kicked 17 points while the Pumas managed a consolation try from outside centre Manuel Contepomi.
South Africa delivered a ruthless masterclass in rugby opportunism to seized on a series of Argentine errors to earn a return to the World Cup final they last graced on home soil 12 years ago.
The Springboks had to absorb long spells of Argentina pressure but when the Pumas erred, which they did far too often to have any realistic hope of victory, the favourites punished them in devastating fashion.
“It was a really tough game. South Africa are a really good team,” said Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda. “They were very consistent. We made a lot of errors and we paid a high price.”
Argentina had provided one of the great feelgood stories of a tournament packed with surprises by making the last four but wilted under the enormous pressure applied by the Springboks.
The Pumas were unable to dominate the South African scrum the way they had with other teams and made too many crucial mistakes after being battered by the South African defenders.
They gifted the Springboks a try after just seven minutes when du Preez intercepted a poorly-judged pass from Felipe Contepomi and sprinted 70 metres, then conceded two more tries before halftime off turnovers.
Habana’s instincts for making something out of nothing saw him score a 60-metre try after Schalk Burger stripped Argentine No 8 Gonzalo Longo of the ball and Francois Steyn flung it wide to Habana who chipped the ball over Lucas Borges to score at the other end of the field.
“Bryan is a special player,” South Africa manager Zola Yeye said. “He has a killer instinct that few players have and in a few years’ time his achievements will be in the history books.”
Felipe Contepomi booted two first-half penalties to calm Argentina’s nerves in the biggest match the Pumas have ever been involved in before another blunder on the stroke of halftime handed the Springboks a third try which effectively killed the match as a contest.
Flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez dropped a sloppy pass from Agustin Pichot which Steyn combined with Jaque Fourie and Burger to put Rossouw over.
Argentina went to the break trailing 24-6 and briefly threatened to make a comeback when Manuel Contepomi was given the benefit of the doubt and awarded a try early in the second half but they faded in the last quarter as the Springboks piled on 13 unanswered points.
Montgomery landed another two penalties to extend his lead as the leading pointscorer in the tournament before Habana intercepted a pass from Hernandez for his second in the final moments, as tempers started to fray and Juan Smith and Felipe Contepomi were both yellow-carded.
South Africa will go into Saturday’s final as overwhelming favourites after thumping England 36-0 in the pool stages, while Argentina play tournament hosts France on Friday in a repeat of the opening game.
South Africa 37: Fourie du Preez, Bryan Habana 2, Danie Roussouw tries; Percy Montgomery 4 cons, 3 pens.
Argentina 13: Manuel Contepomi try; Felipe Contepomi 2 pens, con. Ht: 24-6.
Filed under: RWC Semifinals
The Brits, you know, the ones who made it into the quarters by the skin of their teeth. The Brits have made it into the final. I think I may be sick.
England beat France to book place in final
PARIS, 13 October – Jonny Wilkinson performed more world cup heroics at the Stade de France on Saturday night to steer England to a 14-9 victory over France and send them into their second consecutive world cup final.
Wilkinson’s goal-kicking had again been below par, landing only one of five attempts prior to his match-winning contribution.
But he delivered when it mattered most, kicking a penalty on 75 minutes after a dangerous tackle on Jason Robinson, then landing a drop goal on 78 minutes to clinch the victory.
In what had been a tense, closely fought match France looked to have the edge when they led 9-8 with five minutes remaining.
The hosts had led England 6-5 at half time after an even opening 40 minutes dominated by the boot. Both sides battled to assert their authority but neither were able to gain control.
England opened the match in sensational style when wing Josh Lewsey took advantage of a fortuitous bounce to crash over in the corner inside two minutes, though France full back Damien Traille should have been more assertive in attacking the ball to clear the danger.
The England try stung France into action and Lionel Beauxis had reduced the margin to two points when he kicked truly on eight minutes after England were penalised for not staying on their feet in a ruck.
And the fly half booted France ahead 6-5 when he landed another penalty goal on 18 minutes from just inside 50 metres after England were penalised for incorrect binding at the scrum.
Beauxis booted France further ahead four minutes after the restart when England conceded a penalty for coming in at the side of a ruck.
But Wilkinson finally found his kicking boot to cancel that out three minutes later after France were penalised for the same offence.
However, the England fly half missed again on 59 minutes when he wobbled another snapped drop goal attempt with his right boot off an upright back into French possession.
When it mattered most, though, Wilkinson again proved England’s go-to man and he didn’t fail them.
RNS mr
Filed under: RWC Semifinals
The semifinal matches should be over around 2pm PST, so I will post new articles not long after.
Filed under: RWC 2007
I read this article on Rugby Heaven:
Australian newspapers sought to ease the pain of the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup exit at the hands of England – and the boot of Jonny Wilkinson – by taunting the All Blacks.
“At least we didn’t choke,” Brisbane’s Courier-Mail screamed across its back page, asserting that Australia were simply beaten by a better team, whereas New Zealand fell apart under the pressure from an inspired French team.
“While Australia was edged out of the cup 12-10 by England’s Grumpy Old Men, New Zealand was French fried by the tournament host in another quarter-final, extending the Kiwis’ catalogue of World Cup disasters,” the newspaper said.
The paper also pointed out that the only Australian still involved in the World Cup was sacked Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, now a consultant with South Africa.
Veteran Australian rugby reporter Peter Jenkins offered a more sober assessment of the Wallabies’ demise.
“Just three months ago hopes were high after a breakthrough victory over the All Blacks in Melbourne, another over the Springboks in Sydney and Australia almost stealing their first win in South Africa for seven years,” Jenkins wrote in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.
“A soft underbelly in the forwards, supposedly consigned to the past, was exposed.
“The scrum was man-handled by England. Even worse, they were comprehensively out-muscled at the breakdown, driven off the ball on crucial occasions when the Red Rose heroes flooded the tackle contest.”
The Sydney Morning Herald also said that no matter how bad the Wallabies were, the All Blacks were worse.
“Has there ever been a more horrible day in Australian-New Zealand rugby history?” it asked.
“Probably not. In the first quarter-final, Australia ended their worst World Cup campaign by losing to a substandard England, suffering greater humiliation than they did four years ago when defeated by the same team in the final.
“Losing a World Cup final is forgivable. Being defeated in a quarter-final by B-grade opponents isn’t.
“But this is nothing compared to the doom and gloom New Zealand is now suffering.
“For 20 years, the All Blacks have supposedly been the best rugby team in the world. And all they have to show for it is one World Cup triumph – in 1987.”
Former Australian rugby coach Alan Jones, now Sydney’s highest rating radio host, was brutal in his assessment.
“Well the self-indulgence of the trans-Tasman rugby world has been ruthlessly punished at the weekend,” he said.
“One can only wonder where the so-called defenders of the system that produced this are now going to hide.
Jones said the Australian and New Zealand squads had been weighed down by too many coaching and administrative staff and said complacency was the key factor in the losses.
He said the Australian Rugby Union’s determination to sign a New Zealand coach to replace John Connolly, believed to be Canterbury’s Robbie Deans, was not the answer.
So, I have a response to the Aussies: Saying the All Blacks choked is like the pot calling the kettle black. England didn’t do anything special to win that match. Australia lost it by being unorganized and conceding penalties. All England did was rely on Jonny Wilkinson’s foot. They didn’t even score a try!
Filed under: RWC Quarterfinals
Pumas edge Scots to make history
Reuters | Sunday, 7 October 2007
Argentina hung on in the face of determined Scotland pressure to win their quarter-final 19-13 and reach the last four in the World Cup for the first time.
In by far the least attractive match of the quarter-finals weekend, the tiring Pumas defended their tryline tooth and nail against a last-ditch Scottish onslaught to earn a semifinal against South Africa.
“We were very tired and Scotland played really well. We stuck with it, we wanted to be in our first semi-final and we are,” Pumas captain Agustin Pichot said.
Argentine players and fans, some beating drums, became locked in a frenzy of soccer-style celebration as the Pumas, unlikely semi-final candidates when the tournament started a month ago, notched a historic fifth World Cup victory in a row.
The teams scored one try apiece, number eight Gonzalo Longo for Argentina in the first half and replacement scrumhalf Chris Cusiter for the Scots with 16 minutes remaining.
The difference between the sides in the end were six of the points from the boot of centre Felipe Contepomi, whose three penalties and a conversion took his tournament tally to 64 points.
The Argentines, notching their sixth successive victory over Scotland, had a nervous final quarter of an hour as Scotland, their dream of a second semi-final since 1991 ebbing away, threw everything they had into a potential match-winning try.
In the poorest of the four quarter-finals following the exciting upset victories by hosts France and defending champions England to reach the other semifinal, the packs dominated from the off in a battle of attrition.
Scotland went ahead with a Dan Parks penalty from just inside the halfway line after Contepomi had missed his first effort.
Contepomi, however, put the Pumas level and then 6-3 up with successive penalties either side of the half hour.
Then Argentina made the breakthrough when Longo charged down an attempted clearance deep in the Scottish half by wing Sean Lamont, chased the loose ball and beat two Scots to the touchdown. Contepomi converted.
Chris Paterson reduced Argentina’s lead to 13-6 with a penalty just before halftime.
Pumas flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez had a poor first half which might have started brightly if his drop goal attempt in the opening minute from some 35 metres had not sailed just wide of the upright.
The flyhalf’s kicking from hand was wayward and when he tried to run the ball he was usually stopped dead or slipped on the damp turf.
But there was a marked improvement after the interval including a fine left-footed drop goal in the 55th minute that gave Argentina a seeming unassailable a 19-6 lead.
However, with most of the fresh Scottish replacements on the field, Scotland launched a counter-attack down the left and the ball went blindside out of a maul with Cusiter darting over in the corner.
Paterson maintained his 100 percent kicking record in the tournament with the conversion and when Hernandez missed a drop attempt minutes later the scene was set for a dramatic denouement.
Argentina 19: Gonzalo Longo try; Felipe Contepomi con, 3 pen; Juan Martin Hernandez dg.
Scotland 13: Chris Cusiter try; Chris Paterson con, pen; Dan Parks pen.
HT: 13-6.
Filed under: RWC Quarterfinals
Fijians brave, but Boks prevail
By MARC HINTON in Marseille - RugbyHeaven | Sunday, 7 October 2007
Brave, brave Fiji gave the mighty Springboks a shakeup, and the fright of their lives, before the South Africans prevailed 37-20 in an entertaining third quarter-final of the World Cup at the Stade Velodrome.
The Fijians shocked everyone in attendance when they scored two tries while a man down in a three-minute burst midway through the second spell to level at 20-20, and were unlucky not to hit the lead 13 minutes out when lock Ifereimi Rawaqa was within inches of scoring in the left corner before JP Pieteren’s timely interjection.
But from there the bruised Boks recovered their poise and spent most of the last 10 minutes camped in enemy territory, collecting tries to Juan Smith and Butch James for their efforts as the Fijians finally flagged.
Still there was no escaping the spirit, adventure and contribution the Fijians brought to the occasion, not just entertaining the crowd with their high-tempo rugby but unsettling the South Africans on more than one occasion. The Boks had to dig deep to prevail, and the relieved look on their faces at the finish was testament itself to the mark the island nation has left on this tournament.
South Africa, faithfully attempting to play the no-frills game they had pledged to all week, took a while to get their show on the road, just a try to Jaque Fourie in the 13th minute and a long-range Frans Steyn penalty to show for an 8-0 lead through the first quarter.
Fourie’s score came when the Boks showed good patience off a Bakkies Botha lineout win, worked the phases and, when Juan Smith went close with the first lunge, eventually sprung the midfielder as the extra man wide on the left.
Fiji, though, were hanging tough, and there was no doubt the islanders were in this for the long haul. They had their own moments of opportunity too, even if they could never quite break the disciplined Boks defensive line.
Still, Ilie Tabue’s men would not have been the unhappiest to concede just one more five-pointer, and a 3-13 deficit, heading into the sheds at the break. It was the same score as the French had trailed the All Blacks by the night before, and we all know what happened there.
The South Africans’ second score came five minutes from the break and, like the earlier touchdown, it was strictly no-frills footy. The Boks took the short lineout off a penalty option and executed the take and drive with precision, hooker John Smit the beneficiary.
When the Fijians, getting some big performances out of their loosies Sisa Koyamaibole and Akapusi Qera, narrowed the gap to just seven points with a second Seremaia Bai penalty early in the second spell you wondered just how comfortably Jake and Eddie were sitting in the stands.
But then 11 minutes into the second spell the game appeared to turn on its head. Big time. Pietersen was put across for a try wide on the right, via a skilful inside pass from Victor Matfield, and in the same play phase Fiji second five Seru Rabeni was sinbinned for a high hit on Butch James, a call he later said he felt was harsh. With the islanders down to 14 men and the Boks up 20-6 it looked like this could get ugly.
But these Fijians are made of much more stern stuff than that. We found that out in an incredible three-minute burst when they scored two tries and levelled the scores at 20-20 to send this 55,000-strong crowd into party mode.
The first went to Vilimoni Delasau with a brilliant kick and chase from halfway, the right wing doing well to spot Percy Montgomery up in the line, and the second to his fellow flyer Sireli Bobo after Norman Ligairi and Mosese Rauluni had carved the Boks up down the middle.
A Percy Montgomery penalty edged the Boks ahead by three, but when Rawaqa went so close soon after it remained anybody’s game. Pietersen’s try-saving tackle was later lauded by the Boks as their key moment of inspiration. Sure enough they finally settled after it, Juan Smith crossing via the dominant scrum 10 minutes from time and Butch James sealing the deal on time when South Africa had laid siege on the Fijian line.
The Fijians had many heroes, but none played harder for them than their inspirational skipper Rauluni who had a blinder. Delasau and Bobo gave the Boks fits out on the wings, Rabeni was a constant threat on the hitup and Seremaia Bai did a fine job stepping into Nicky Little’s boots. Up front their pack battled till the end, outgunned only at scrum time, and those loose forwards gave as good as they received all match.
The Boks will regard this as their wakeup call. They got there in the end but it was none too convincing and they will assuredly have to play much better than this in next week’s semifinal. Smith and skipper Smit were the pick of the Bok forwards, the captain’s rallying of the troops for the final quarter crucial, while Pietersen was the best of a backline that didn’t always keep its poise.
It wasn’t always pretty, but as coach Jake White noted later at least his team is still in the tournament, as opposed to the other Tri-Nations sides. It was hard to fault that logic.
South Africa 37: Jaque Fourie, John Smit, JP Pietersen, Juan Smith, Butch James tries; Percy Montgomery pen, 3 cons; Francois Steyn pen.
Fiji 20: Vilimoni Dealasau, Sireli Bobo tries; Seremaia Bai 2 pens, 2 cons. Ht: 13-3.
