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Thread: No hunger in waving white flag

  1. #1
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    No hunger in waving white flag

    No hunger in waving white flag

    September 19, 2007

    The time for excuses from northern hemisphere teams is past, writes Rupert Guinness in Montpellier.

    As the Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks continue their charge towards the World Cup finals in France, expectation of a southern hemisphere whitewash of the tournament is growing by the day.

    Last weekend's round went a long way to firming that belief with South Africa humiliating England 36-0, a second-string New Zealand thrashing Portugal 108-13 and then Australia defeating Wales 32-20.

    But perhaps the saddest reflection among the northern hemisphere nations that they are on a hiding to nothing is that France, who began the World Cup with a real chance of winning it, is joining in the doom and gloom.

    "It's unfair. How do you expect us to compete against players who have been preparing [for the World Cup] for seven months?" said France's coach Bernard Laporte in the French daily Le Figaro.

    Given the importance of confidence to a sporting team and that it be shown from the top pillar of leadership Laporte holds, little wonder France can be so hot one day, and cold another.

    Laporte is not the only northern hemisphere coach to bemoan the dominance of southern hemisphere teams, which include Argentina who stung the host side with their round-one win.

    But for the coach of the reigning dual Six Nations champions - who returned to their winning ways on Sunday with an 87-10 win over Namibia in Toulouse - to virtually concede defeat so early in a World Cup on home soil is at best the biggest of bluffs, at worst shameful.

    Sure, there is an argument behind Laporte's thinking that is shared by many others in Europe, including Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan. But why go public on it at a time when you are trying to reinvigorate a team that was shell-shocked after losing to Argentina in Paris and must now return to the French capital for a must-win clash against the Irish on Friday?

    Laporte, a controversial character, should focus on that hurdle before worrying about domination of the southern hemisphere sides, of which his side will meet New Zealand in the quarter-finals if it qualifies.

    Much of the debate over an imbalance of form between sides from the north and south centres on the scheduling of the World Cup.

    The argument is that the tournament has clashed with a cluttered club and international schedule in England and Europe, whereas the Australian, New Zealand and South African sides have been able to time and execute their World Cup preparations to perfection without the worry of starting it drained from an excessive playing calendar.

    If so, that is hardly "unfair" as Laporte claims. The rugby world has long known when the World Cup would be held and where. Laporte has also been given every means of ensuring France wins, including the multimillion-dollar rugby training centre at Marcoussis, near Paris. While the pressure is now on the northern hemisphere sides, it is excessive for them to start finding excuses, especially France.

    In any case there is an argument that the World Cup's timing should help northern hemisphere sides, says Wallabies coach John Connolly.

    "I think it favours the northern hemisphere sides," said Connolly.

    "It's not a bad build-up for the northern hemisphere. They finish their season in May. They can have a couple of months off and then come in with three or four Tests under their belt very fresh after a break. Southern hemisphere sides have had the Super 14 that started in January, went all the way through, straight into the Tri Nations and they've been playing non-stop or training since January." Where north and south will agree is that, based on the first two rounds of the World Cup, the divide in form seems to be widening.

    Former All Blacks star Jonah Lomu has observed the gap.

    "The Irish, English, French and even the Welsh have shown nothing in this World Cup," Lomu wrote in his column for Rugby Hebdo. "They seem out of shape, not yet ready at this stage of the competition. Perhaps the Tri Nations better prepares teams than the Six Nations does? Still, I also believe that they could still wake up.

    "Since the last World Cup [2003], the southern hemisphere sides have improved a lot, most notably in preparation.

    "The Australians have an approach that is relatively scientific for rugby. The South Africans rested a lot of their players in the Tri Nations. The All Blacks had a lot of very hard training camps before arriving in France, but they didn't play in the start of the Super 14. The result is … they are starving for ball."

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    Champion Contributor Seldom's Avatar
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    BOO HOO!!!!! Sore losers is what they are looking like to most of the public. Us Sthrn Hemi teams have had S14, Tri-nations, Bled Cup and tours from Nthrn Hemi Teams and they complain about club rugby, PPFFT!!!!! You play crap rugby at the world cup you get your arse whipped even if you had good prep. It's the world cup for god's sake if you didn't prep properly that your fault not ours!

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    Player Jethro's Avatar
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    Notably each Pool is currently headed by a Southern Hemisphere team

    And before the Northern lot start whinging, complaining, and making Eddie "Moans" Jones look like a top bloke could they perhaps explain why games in Wales and Scotland recently have drawn crap crowds. Was there anyone actually at the grounds?

    France at least are selling everything in sight out, including huge crowds pre competition to training camps.

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    Champion Contributor Seldom's Avatar
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    we will give the Frogs that much

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    Senior Player Contributor hopep's Avatar
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    I would think that Laportes comment that SH nations "... have been preparing for seven months" is out of whack a long way.
    As a National coach he SHOULD have been doing what the SH nations have been doing - preparing. But, not for just seven months. The ABs, Boks and most of the time the Wallabies have been preparing for RWC07 ... FOR FOUR YEARS.

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    Veteran Contributor The EnForcer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jethro
    Notably each Pool is currently headed by a Southern Hemisphere team

    And before the Northern lot start whinging, complaining, and making Eddie "Moans" Jones look like a top bloke could they perhaps explain why games in Wales and Scotland recently have drawn crap crowds. Was there anyone actually at the grounds?

    France at least are selling everything in sight out, including huge crowds pre competition to training camps.
    As for Scotland we have played one game in Murrayfield a mid week game against the mighty Romania.....never expected to be sell out and the first game was in France against the mighty Portugal. Don't put us in with the rest, we are quite happy with our lot and have a sell out game against your boys at Murrayfield on Sunday night, even though we will be fielding our B side and fully expect to be beaten by you lot at this stage of the competition.

    Get over yourself, your sounding like Laporte

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    Champion Contributor Seldom's Avatar
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    B SIDE???????? SO THE SCORE WILL BE BIGGER THAN EXPECTED?????

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    Champion Contributor chook's Avatar
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    Whats wrong with your caps lock Seldom? Jehna, get in here and clean up will ya?

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