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chickenfeetI've been resisting going to the pub to watch the games live on PPV for some exorbitant fee but the final is the final etc. Rumour had it that Scallywags would be really, really busy and Rumour was spot on. I got there at 1230 for a 1500 KO and got a decent seat but only because they had reserved a section for the Nomads (they are our main sponsor). By 1245 they had shut the doors for general admission and even those who knew the secret handshake could only find standing room. The advantage of being there that early is that I got to watch United stuff Villa.
The game itself wasn't bad for a final. It was conservative, cagey stuff for the most part but then finals usually are. The Springbok line out was really excellent which nullified some good tactical kicking from England. The English scrum was predictably strong. Both sides defended really well and only Steyn and, especially, Tait showed much sign of livening things up. In a game of that type it was unsurprising that the game was effectively decided by a couple or three close refereeing calls. If Cueto's 'try' had been given (and after watching all the replays I still wasn't sure whether his foot clipped the line or not) it would have been (probably) 10-9 not 6-9 at the half. The final two Springbok penalties might easily not have been given too. There were incidents the other way that looked awfully similar but went unpunished. But that's how it goes some days. The ref wasn't wrong to make the calls he did and South Africa didn't screw up their chances.
Also, WTF was Gordon Brown doing there with the nobs shaking hands with the players and such? He's not English and knows (or cares) damn all about rugby.
The game itself wasn't bad for a final. It was conservative, cagey stuff for the most part but then finals usually are. The Springbok line out was really excellent which nullified some good tactical kicking from England. The English scrum was predictably strong. Both sides defended really well and only Steyn and, especially, Tait showed much sign of livening things up. In a game of that type it was unsurprising that the game was effectively decided by a couple or three close refereeing calls. If Cueto's 'try' had been given (and after watching all the replays I still wasn't sure whether his foot clipped the line or not) it would have been (probably) 10-9 not 6-9 at the half. The final two Springbok penalties might easily not have been given too. There were incidents the other way that looked awfully similar but went unpunished. But that's how it goes some days. The ref wasn't wrong to make the calls he did and South Africa didn't screw up their chances.
Also, WTF was Gordon Brown doing there with the nobs shaking hands with the players and such? He's not English and knows (or cares) damn all about rugby.
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Date: 2007-10-21 08:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-21 09:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-21 10:15 am (UTC)Not a single try of the entire final except for that one, and it would have been beautiful...
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Date: 2007-10-21 10:22 am (UTC)No question he got his foot in the air and it was still in the air when he touched the ball down. The question is did his toe clip the chalk BEFORE he got it off the ground. I just don't know. It was an incredibly close call.
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Date: 2007-10-22 11:45 am (UTC)