Group B
Australia
Should win: Bolster rah rah sense of entitlement and superiority. It is the way of the universe. Can’t fight it.
Shouldn’t win: Oh, I couldn’t cope.
Wiki says: Mark Champion. No, seriously that’s what came up.
You heard it here first.
Wales
Should win: The accents – so cute! The singing. The accents.
Shouldn’t win: “The Prince of Wales’s feathers were chosen over another Welsh symbol, the leek, in an effort by the WRU to demonstrate the administration’s loyalty to Britain in the nineteenth century.” Grow a backbone, Taffy.
Wiki says: Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark.
“Brought up in relative poverty, she married in Belgrade 22 October 1923 HRH Prince Paul of Yugoslavia , the regent after the assassination of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia.” The history of the Welsh rugby team recently can indeed be described as “relative poverty”, does Wikicle forsee improved fortunes?
Fiji
Should win: To become yet another team that doesn’t need Lote Tuqiri to succeed.
Shouldn’t win: Homepage down for days. Way to capitalise on the publicity dudes.
Wiki says: Norman Brockl , a German flatwater canoer and former world champion. His profile suggests a certain fragility, although I don’t think that will be Fiji’s problem. Wikicle is obscure sometimes.
Canada
Should win: How can you say no to them?
Shouldn’t win: What passes for Canadian rugby humour:
Have to say some of the comments flying out of the stands by the spectators was of the top dog variety.
For instance in regards to Matt Weingart sporting a very shaggy do and scruffy beard, who was being subbed on for Morgan Williams at one point in the game “hey look the team gave a jersey to a homeless guy!”
Metrosexual Morgan was not immune from some jibes as well as he trotted off to a scattering of applause. One person was heard to say “Hey it’s Morgan the Queen of Queens!” and someone else yelled out “but Morgan we still love you.”
David Spicer sporting a very tragic bleached blonde lid was running water on for the team and was dubbed ‘Devo’ by the crowd.
Sean Michael Stephen was being called “Fabio” due to his GQ looks and long flowing locks.
There was a scattering of far more comical jibes but they might be a touch too colourful for this site.
Wiki says: A Toronto-based cartoonist. Suitably boring. Nothing to work with here.
Japan
Should win: Nicknamed the “Brave Blossoms.” Hee! There, there. Be a brave blossom. Also, refreshing honesty on official website:
Australia is set to field its strongest side to hit the ground running, while on the other side of the halfway line Japan is set to field its “B” team. Japan will try to minimise the damage and save some face as they hold back the reinforcements for the must win game against Fiji in Toulouse on Wednesday the 12th
Shouldn’t win: Nothing springs to mind. They totally should win.
Wiki says: Arthur Fowler, American baseball player. Japanese players have certainly made their mark in America’s Pastime, thus the Brave Bossoms will take The Marshal Petain Cup by storm.
12 responses so far ↓
David Jackmanson // Sep 9, 2007 at 6:11 am
Hmmm Australia 91 – Japan 3.
Minnows don’t belong in World Cups, especially World Cups that are artificially large so that people can pretend the sport is not a niche one.
How can a scoreline like that be a good advertisement for the game? There are other ways to develop the game than embarassing games like this. In any case, is anyone seriously going to argue that Japan will now get hard at work and will win the 2015 Cup?
Shaun // Sep 9, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I can’t believe that the first and second lot of points came through penalty goals. The crowed booed Mortlock and rightly so.
Leinad // Sep 9, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Is this the Rugby World Cup or the Cricket World Cup?
Patrick // Sep 10, 2007 at 10:45 am
I booed too.
But on reflection, I think it was right. Wales, France and to a lesser extent South Africa highlighted that you have to start with respect for your opponents or even easy games can be lost.
I think we would undoubtedly have scored from the lineouts. But by taking penalties we maybe helped keep the festival atmosphere at bay a little longer.
Now that we’ve settled in, against Wales I think we should just take the lineouts!!
Patrick // Sep 10, 2007 at 11:40 am
NB shouldn’t the politically and historically manic commenters on this site (witness the title to this post and the poll on the front page) be in absolute turmoil over Argentina’s win over France?
I mean, what conclusion can one draw? Better to shelter and succour than support? Blessed are the practitioners of fascism, because they will trample the collaboraters?
Mungo Amanda // Sep 10, 2007 at 11:47 am
Do try to keep up, Patrick. It’s about the treatment of rugby league in France not the whole history of 20thC in general.
Chill.
Patrick // Sep 10, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I like rugby league well enough. Israel Folau is enough to make any rugby fan enjoy league, I think.
But surely you guys are the ones that need to chill ? After all we Aussie union types have gotten over Dally M.
Mungo Amanda // Sep 10, 2007 at 12:55 pm
I am so chilled you could keep some snags in me for a month.
Patrick // Sep 10, 2007 at 1:44 pm
ok, too much information !!
Plastic Druid // Sep 11, 2007 at 4:27 pm
The problem with excluding the ‘Minnows’ is: who decides who the minnows should be? France would have been categorised thus once upon a time. Italy are emerging from that status and Argentina have emerged quite convincingly. The RFU doesn’t force less competitive nations to participate – they’re all glad to be there and have the chance to compete against the world’s best. Good luck to them.
David Jackmanson // Sep 12, 2007 at 11:09 pm
The problem with excluding the ‘Minnows’ is: who decides who the minnows should be?
A pre-cup qualifying competition, combined with some sort of analysis of all teams’ results over the previous 4 years.
It’s not impossible to work out who has a vague chance, and who is just a joke.
The RFU doesn’t force less competitive nations to participate – they’re all glad to be there
Of course they are. But they’re in the way.
and have the chance to compete against the world’s best. Good luck to them.
Develop players from weak countries by letting their players play in grade and provincial rugby in the strong countries and gradually building up a pool of good players. Not by letting them lose some matches by ridiculous margins once every 4 years.
Patrick // Sep 13, 2007 at 2:42 pm
France would have been categorised thus once upon a time. – um, pre 1900?
And David Jackmanson’s points are all quite sensible. 16 teams works for soccer, 12 should do for Rugby.