Present: flying solo on this one.
Pre-match expectations: the only team to play really well last weekend from the Northern Hemisphere (and maybe in all the quarter finals) was Wales. They are young, fast, physical and really good, as a team and also to watch. The French, on the other hand, are insouciant, flippant, cheese-eating bath-dodgers. They do not play great rugby and they have, as reports would suggest, ditched their embattled coach, Marc Lievremont. Wales should find this straightforward.
Prediction: Wales to win this by more than two tries.
Game: France have lost twice in this tournament, should have been knocked out by Tonga (blame Canada), and played good enough rugby last weekend to beat England. This should really be a no-brainer for Wales. Having said that, I’m pulling up short of supporting them entirely.
Half-time status: wow. What the hell? Wales started brightly, but then had influential flanker and captain Sam Warburton sent off after 17 minutes. Thereupon the only Welsh kicker left on the pitch, the once-much-better James Hook, lost his nerve and slowly allowed France back onto the scoreboard. The half-time score was 6-3 France but it could have been worse for Wales.
Full-time status: agony for Wales. After falling to 9-3 behind, they pulled a try out of nowhere through Mike Phillips, which should have been easily converted by Stephen Jones, brought on to replace Hook after the latter’s miserable evening. However, Jones couldn’t convert, and Halfpenny’s halfway line kick missed by inches. France, on the other hand, were poor. 9 points after playing for 60 odd minutes with an extra man? That is not tournament winning form. Final score: France through to the final with a 9-8 win.
Man of the match: I’d say Mike Phillips, who has come a long way since being arrested on a night out in Cardiff a few months ago.
Food: nothing.
Conversation keywords: no conversation…
Comments: I slept through some key moments in that game. I will be supporting whichever other team gets to the final.
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