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Lima抯 fifth World Cup comes to an end
PARIS: Samoa captain Brian Lima's (pic) landmark fifth World Cup was brought to a premature end on Monday when he was banned for three weeks for a high tackle on England's Jonny Wilkinson in Saturday's 44-22 defeat.
The ban rules Lima out of Samoa's final game against the United States in St Etienne today when the two sides will be fighting to avoid finishing last and winless in Group A.
Lima, 35, was penalised and spoken to by the referee after his tackle across the throat of the England flyhalf but the Judicial Officer (JO) decided that it was worthy of further punishment.
揟he JO determined that the reasons for the referee's decision in awarding a penalty for the offence were wrong and could not accept the explanation of the player that there was no intention to commit a dangerous tackle, |
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Wallaby star Larkham in doubt after second knee operation
MONTPELLIER: Australia flyhalf Stephen Larkham is in doubt for the rest of the World Cup after undergoing a second knee operation.
A team spokesman said Larkham underwent a second keyhole operation late on Monday after an infection in his right knee, putting back his attempts to return to action.
Larkham has already been ruled out of Australia's last Group B match against Canada in Bordeaux on Saturday and is almost certain to miss the quarter-final against England or Tonga in Marseille a week later.
The earliest he is likely to resume playing is in the semi-finals in Paris in mid-October if Australia get that far and the injury heals.
揝tephen Larkham spent the night in hospital. His knee's flared up with a small infection, |
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Boks relief as Steyn gets all-clear
PARIS: South Africa centre Francois Steyn has been cleared of allegations of biting during Saturday's World Cup Group A match against Tonga in Lens, tournament organisers said yesterday.
Steyn was cited for allegedly biting Tonga wing Joseph Vaka but the complaint was dismissed.
 | Close tussle: Tonga抯 Joseph Vaka (left) clashes with South Africa抯 Francois Steyn during the World Cup Group A match on Saturday. Steyn was cleared of allegations he bit Vaka during the game.
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揂fter hearing the evidence, the JO (judicial officer) accepted the explanation by Steyn that the sequence of events was such that he could not have been involved in the contact that led to the alleged mark on Vaka's hand and accepted the evidence from the Tongan player that it may have happened by accident during the melee, |
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Corry: England losing it
VERSAILLES: England stand-in captain Martin Corry (pic) admits the team haven't lived up to the billing of world champions as they head into their quarter-final play-off with Tonga.
Whichever side wins tomorrow抯 clash at Paris's Parc des Princes will join Group A table-toppers South Africa in the last eight of the 2007 World Cup with the loser going home.
That England find themselves facing the prospect of a first round exit is a reflection of their form after they won the World Cup four years ago.
Since that November night in Sydney when now retired captain Martin Johnson lifted the Webb Ellis trophy, England have won just 18 out of their subsequent 43 Tests.
Corry, a member of the victorious 2003 squad in Australia, asked on Tuesday if the World Cup winning experience would have any bearing on tomorrow's game replied in the negative.
揑t pains me to say it doesn't because of how we've been since we won it in 2003.
 | Hard at work: England抯 Jonny Wilkinson (right) runs with a ball beside his team-mate Olly Barkley during training on Tuesday.
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揥e haven't really done the title of world champions justice since then. |
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Australia rest key players against Canada
MONTPELLIER: Australia have named a mainly second-string team for their World Cup Group match against Canada in Bordeaux on Saturday to save their best players for the quarter-finals.
With the Wallabies already assured of finishing at the top of the Group B standings, coach John Connolly opted to give his best players a rest to avoid the risk of further injury.
Connolly included four of his first-choice players, flanker George Smith, lock Nathan Sharpe, wing Lote Tuqiri and utility back Adam Ashley-Cooper, but the rest of the team were players on the fringe of selection.
揌aving won the group we have a great opportunity to rest a few players and give some of the other squad members some exposure to the World Cup, |
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Portugal winger Aguilar says yes to marriage proposal
TOULOUSE: Portugal winger Antonio Aguilar is fast |
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The Oaks fall on top of the Wolves, Japan dash Canada hopes
PARIS: Canada and debutants Portugal had their hopes of winning a match at the World Cup dashed on Tuesday as both were hit by late scores by Japan and Romania respectively.
The Portuguese |
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England brace for storm
PARIS: When the world champions talk of their huge respect for a team they put 100 points on last time out it sounds a little hollow but such has been Tonga's stunning improvement that England are right to take them very seriously.
Today's game at the Parc des Princes will decide who finishes second in Group A behind South Africa to earn a Marseille quarter-final with Australia.
England and Samoa were supposed to be fighting that out but Tonga have upset the status quo in handsome style and really believe they can make the last eight for the first time.
 | Full support: Samoa's Brian Lima is carried by his team-mates after they beat the United States in their Group A World Cup match on Wednesday.
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Their upset victory over Samoa was one thing but the way they pushed South Africa all the way in defeat, particularly the way they finished the game full of running, was quite another.
Traditionally Tonga spent the first hour of their games crashing their huge bodies into tackles, before falling away alarmingly and generally leaking a hatful of points.
When they played England in the 1999 group stage at Twickenham the hosts won 101-10 while New Zealand beat them 91-7 four years ago.
Before this tournament Tonga had won two of their 13 World Cup matches, against the Ivory Coast in 1995 and Italy four years later, but matched that tally in four days here by beating United States and, for the first time in seven years, Samoa.
揟onga are no longer the surprise team, they've played pretty well throughout and we have enormous respect for them and what they've done here, |
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Georgia and Samoa notch first victories
PARIS: Georgia again served notice that they are an emerging force in international rugby by celebrating their first win on Wednesday.
After ruffling Ireland's feathers 11 days ago, the Georgians gave hapless Namibia a working over and powered to a 30-0 Group D win in Lens.
In the day's other game, eliminated Samoa picked up their first win in this tournament with a scrappy 25-21 success over the United States who go home winless in Group A.
Georgia made an encouraging World Cup debut in 2003 when England and South Africa sampled the power of their forwards and their all-round game has improved in the intervening four years.
Argentina flanker Juan Fernandez Lobbe described them as a 搑eally tough team |
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Teams on their toes as World Cup reaches halfway stage
PARIS: There were widely differing moods yesterday in the Rugby World Cup camps as the competition neared its halfway stage.
By tomorrow night 12 of the 20 teams will be heading home and the eight survivors will be planning the next stages of their campaign to reach the final in Paris on Oct 20.
Already through and enjoying the early autumnal weather in France are southern hemisphere big guns New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
Definitely packing their bags are Samoa and the United States from Group A, Japan and Canada from Group B, Romania and Portugal from Group C and Georgia and Namibia from Group D.
That leaves a clutch of winner-takes all key games that will be played out over the next three days.
All eyes will be on holders England against the surprise packets of the tournament Tonga in Paris, followed the next day by Wales against Fiji in Nantes and Scotland against Italy in St Etienne.
In each case the winners advance to next weekend's quarter-finals.
More complicated is Group D where Argentina's opening night win over France upset the applecart.
The Pumas are hot favourites to top the group by beating Ireland at the Parc des Princes tomorrow, but Eddie O'Sullivan's men can still go through though they need to score four tries against the top defence in the tournament to date.
Barring a miracle, France will dispose of the Georgians leaving them second in the group unless Argentina collapse against the Irish. That would mean they must travel to Cardiff to take on the All Blacks in the last eight.
Wales also have Pacific Islanders on their minds in the unpredictable shape of Fiji and veteran flanker Colin Charvis insists they have to be ruthless or face going home in disgrace.
揥e go into the game with a boxer's mentality and get the first one in. Unfortunately, in two of our games we've managed to get the next two in.
揥e go into games wanting to start well. It's not a plan of ours to start poorly and lull them into a false sense of security and then run all over them.
Scotland coach Frank Hadden always knew that the game against Italy in St Etienne late today would be the big one as both sides targeted second place in the group behind the mighty All Blacks and so it has turned out.
But the former schoolmaster is quietly confident that his side can reverse the 17-37 reverse the Scots suffered the last time the two sides met at Murrayfield in February and go through to a tantalising quarter-final against Argentina in Paris should the Pumas hold firm against the Irish.
揥e give Italy the utmost respect, |
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All Blacks aim to cut down on errors against Romania
TOULOUSE: Cutting the error count and improving their decision-making are top priorities for New Zealand in their final match in Group C against Romania today.
Although they have cruised into the last eight of the World Cup, the lack of serious opposition in their pool has raised fears that the All Blacks will be undercooked as they prepare for a high-powered quarter-final against battle-hardened opponents from an ultra-competitive Group D.
 | Gotcha!: All Blacks centre Conrad Smith (third from left) tackles lock Chris Jack during training on Thursday. The New Zealand All Blacks are preparing for their next match against Romania today.
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Another concern is the uncharacteristically sloppy handling that was evident in the 40-0 win over Scotland. Graham Henry's men made 20 errors at Murrayfield and let slip a host of scoring opportunities against a second-string Scotland.
But the coaching staff believe the Romania game will give them the perfect opportunity to set things straight before the knockout phase.
揑f you get that much ball against a big team you are going to make mistakes, |
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News in brief
Bad hair day for Tonga
TONGA has had a bad hair day.
Several of Tonga's Rugby World Cup players dyed their hair green, in a move they said was intended to thank an Irish online bookmaker for pumping funds into their cash-strapped World Cup preparations.
International Rugby Board officials took one look at their locks on Thursday and ordered them to head for the showers, saying the green hair was a form of advertising.
By the time the team appeared at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris to practice for their Group A match with defending champion England, only a couple of players still had streaks of green in their hair and one other was wearing a black beanie with a strip of tape covering its logo.
And they were angry the IRB was issuing hairdressing orders.
揑 just do not get the ruling,'' said captain Nili Latu. 揝ome of the guys in the other teams are wearing blonde hair.''
The Irish bookie reportedly sent a hairdresser to France especially to colour the Tongans' tresses only to see his work washed out within hours.
It's not like the Tongans needed more attention focused on their heads |
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Stunning upset by Fiji
PARIS: Fiji claimed a historic World Cup upset yesterday when they humiliated Wales 38-34 in a breathtaking match which gave the Pacific islanders a quarter-final place for the first time in 20 years.
They will take on mighty South Africa in Marseille next Sunday while Wales go home in disgrace and coach Gareth Jenkins, with just six wins in 20 matches in charge, likely to face the axe.
The result in Nantes was the biggest World Cup upset since Samoa beat the Welsh in 1991.
Fiji turned round with a 25-10 half-time lead with all of their first-half points coming in an astonishing nine-minute burst with prop Graham Dewes scoring the last of the game's nine tries of a match where missed goalkicks cost Wales dear.
 | Fiji抯 players celebrate after qualifying for the quarter-finals with a 38-34 win over Wales Saturday.
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揥e made some serious errors and the defence was not up to standard, |
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Ashton calls for England to raise their game
PARIS: England coach Brian Ashton admitted that the defending champions need to step up a level if they are to beat old rivals Australia in the World Cup quarter-finals.
The title-holders, who only a fortnight previously suffered a World Cup record 0-36 defeat against Group A winners South Africa, booked their place in the last eight as runners-up behind the Springboks with a 36-20 win over surprise package Tonga here at the Parc des Princes.
They now face a match with the Wallabies, their beaten opponents in the 2003 World Cup final in Sydney, in Marseille on Oct 6.
揥e know we didn't put in a perfect performance and will have to improve against Australia, |
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We抮e all Irishmen now, say French team
PARIS: France flanker Julien Bonnaire has admitted that his team will become temporary Irish fans today as World Cup Group D reaches a nerve-shredding finale.
The French take on Georgia in Marseille at 8pm where they are expected to pick-up a victory as well as a bonus point which will guarantee them a last eight place.
But they also want Ireland to defeat group leaders Argentina in Paris, a result which would give the French top spot and avoid the All Blacks in the quarter-finals.
揙f course we will be supporting Ireland, |
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Pumas go through
PARIS: Argentina beat Ireland 30- 15 yesterday to take top spot in Group D and reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the second time.
Flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez dropped three goals at crucial stages in the match to keep the Irish, who needed to win with four ties and by more than seven points to stay in the tournament, at bay.
Wings Lucas Borges, with his third of the tournament, and Horacio Agulla scored two tries for the Pumas to two from captain Brian O'Driscoll and fullback Geordan Murphy for Ireland.
The Pumas' victory at the Parc des Princes consigned France to second place in the group and a last-eight meeting with favourites New Zealand in Cardiff next weekend while Argentina meet Scotland at the Stade de France.
Centre Felipe Contepomi kicked 11 points from three penalties and a conversion to become the tournament's top scorer with 53 points, one more than South Africa's Percy Montgomery.
 | Out of my way: France's flanker Julien Bonnaire pushes away Ilia Maisuradze of Georgia during their Group D match. France won 64-7.
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In Marseille, two tries by recordbreaking wing Christophe Dominici sent France on the way to a crushing 64-7 win over Georgia.
Needing four tries to secure a bonus point that would have given them a slim hope of finishing top of the group before the outcome of the Argentina-Ireland match was known, France ran in nine.
Dominici became his country's record try scorer in World Cup history after taking his tally to eight, while young flyhalf Lionel Beauxis also made a telling contribution, scoring a try and kicking 19 points.
"Our duty was to win with a bonus point, it's done," said France coach Bernard Laporte, whose team put themselves in a tricky situation by losing to Argentina in the tournament opener on Sept. 7.
"The players wanted to set the record straight after losing their first match and they've done it by winning the next three. I'm proud of them," Laporte told reporters before rushing to go and watch the match between Ireland and Argentina on television with his players.
Georgia, who had to be content with a late consolation try from replacement flanker Zviad Maisurardze, looked helpless at times but will go home proud after scoring their first World Cup win by beating Namibia 30-0 in their previous game. |
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Paterson saves the Scots, it抯 all over for the Italians
ST ETIENNE: Peerless goalkicker Chris Paterson sent Scotland into the World Cup quarter-finals again when he landed six penalties to secure an 18-16 victory over Italy in a nervy, rain-affected Group C showdown on Saturday.
Paterson, who had landed nine out of nine conversions in Scotland's first three games, continued his perfect return with six out of six penalties in St Etienne.
It proved just enough against an Italian team who scored the only try of the match but will rue a catalogue of errors that ensured their long wait for a first quarter-final appearance goes on.
Scotland finished runners-up to New Zealand while Italy, who had high hopes after beating the Scots in Edinburgh in the Six Nations this year, go home.
 | Game over: Italian players react after they were beaten 18-16 by Scotland in their Group C match in Saint-Etienne on Saturday.
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揥e are extremely proud of our record of being only one of five teams to make every quarter-final, but it was touch and go tonight, |
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Fiji celebrate team抯 passage into last eight
SUVA: The troubled Pacific nation of Fiji erupted in national celebration yesterday with fireworks fizzing and car horns blaring after their rugby team scored a massive upset over Wales in the World Cup.
Cup fever has gripped the rugby-mad nation, where many people stayed up all night to watch the match at 3:00am Fiji time yesterday.
When it ended in a thrilling 38-34 victory for the South Pacific country, where the military grabbed power in a coup last December, joyous fans set off fireworks and blasted car horns around the capital Suva.
揃efore the game, people in the villages were flying flags outside their homes saying 'Go, Fiji Go', cars and taxis sported the national flag, |
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Wales sack coach Jenkins
CARDIFF: Wales head coach Gareth Jenkins was sacked by the Welsh Rugby Union yesterday, a day after his side were eliminated from the World Cup.
Wales lost 38-34 to Fiji in Nantes on Saturday, a defeat that left them third in Group B and sent the Pacific islanders through to a quarter-final with South Africa.
Jenkins took charge in April last year after the resignation of Mike Ruddock. |
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France are through
MARSEILLE: Two tries by record-breaking wing Christophe Dominici helped France crush Georgia 64-7 in their final Group D match yesterday to advance to the World Cup quarter-finals.
The hosts will now play New Zealand in Cardiff unless Ireland beat Argentina by more than seven points later yesterday in Paris, in which case France would face a quarter-final against Scotland in the French capital.
Needing four tries to secure a bonus point, France ran in nine in Marseille with Dominici becoming his country's record try scorer in World Cup history after taking his tally to eight.
Young flyhalf Lionel Beauxis also made a telling contribution, scoring a try and kicking 19 points.
Georgia, who had to be content with a late consolation try from replacement flanker Zviad Maisurardze, looked helpless at times but will go home proud after scoring their first World Cup win by beating Namibia 30-0 in their previous game.
France, who put themselves in a tricky situation by losing to Argentina in the tournament opener on Sept. 7, moved ahead after three minutes with a Beauxis penalty.
Then came a brilliant move sparked by centre Yannick Jauzion, who slalomed through the Georgian defence before setting up Clement Poitrenaud for the first try, which Beauxis converted.
Two more Beauxis penalties, including one from over 50 metres, followed when Georgia were temporarily reduced to 10 men with a yellow card for prop Mamuka Magrakvelidze.
France chose that moment to score their second try through flanker Yannick Nyanga, who surged from a rolling maul after a lineout.
A classic move from the French backs gave the home side a third try by the outstanding Beauxis, whose conversion put France 30-0 at halftime.
France stayed in total control after the break, Dominici scoring his two tries after astute kicks from Beauxis and Elissalde.
Hooker Sebastien Bruno and lock Lionel Nallet contributed from mauls and Remy Martin also touched down before Georgia were again reduced to 14 for the closing stages, this time after a dangerous tackle by centre Revaz Gicauri.
Number eight Julien Bonnaire completed the demolition after another fluent combination thrilled the Marseille crowd. |
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Post time 26-9-2007 08:53 PM
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