RWC Semi Final: France - Wales (15-08-2011, 21:00)

[merlinux]

9/8: The Red devil were really Red Devil, Wales was unlucky and full with talent and courage. They merited to win the match. As french supporter I 'm almost ashamed the way we win (dans un mouchoir de poche) in another way I'm happy after be afraid by 14 welsh warriors.
When I was younger and watching the four Nation tournament on my black and white TV, Wales was my favourite team like Brazil in football.... after France.
Wales are Back! and well. But sorry:
Vive la France. Thank you for the spectacle.
Que le spectacle continue et que le meilleur gagne!
Rugby for ever
Un supporter français. Sorry for the english.

I feel the same I remember watching 5 nations in the 90s and always suported wales if it wasnt for france

 

[shtove]

Im sorry but I stopped taking you serious after that. And then that, Wales outplayed a french team with a man down, and everybody is saying they should've won. Wales is far from ordinary,

This could be the worst team ever to get to a RWC final?

Neck and neck with England 2007.

To be fair to France, making it this far in the SH is some achievement. It's just that Wales could have taken it comfortably.

I wouldn't worry - France will front up next week after a dose of the Marseillaise. They failed miserably in previous finals after heroic play in the semis, so it's guaranteed to be the opposite this time. Very clever!

 

[Dizzy]

Well first up Dangerous tackling and offside are 2 totally different areas. But if you are going to be smart I suggest you re-watch that passage. There was a ruck and French drove through but it was called brrn a ruck and Mas would've been fine if he stepped over and picked but he walked around the side and well it was a very lazy penalty to concede but there was a ruck correctly called as the original ruck had not broke up completely so still deemed a ruck. So the correct call was made and well Mas, by law, came in from the side so I didn't miss the penalty ha I think you missed the law

Whether you think you're correct or not. We play the game by the first infringement do we not??. And before Mas was penalised, Charteris played the ball on the ground. I think you missed that law.

 

[SelimNiai]

I feel the same I remember watching 5 nations in the 90s and always suported wales if it wasnt for france

Ah, the 90's, save for 94 and Wembely 98 a desolate decade in Welsh Rugby

 

[JW.]

Someone didn't bother watching the 2007 cup apparently.

It was a question and it was up for discussion, hence the big old >?< at the end.

 

[cyRil]

Ah, the 90's, save for 94 and Wembely 98 a desolate decade in Welsh Rugby

'99!!!!

 

[groga]

Clerc is lucky his neck wasn't broken. Seriously though the commentators don't like the french

 

[SelimNiai]

'99!!!!

Whenever

 

[cyRil]

Whenever

Yeah, you're right

 

[shtove]

Whether you think you're correct or not. We play the game by the first infringement do we not??. And before Mas was penalised, Charteris played the ball on the ground. I think you missed that law.

Yes, spot on. The further handling when Mas came in from the side just made it more obvious.

 

[SelimNiai]

Yeah, you're right

As usual

 

[Seaton]

Scotland owned '99 B)


Just sayin...

 

[Dizzy]

Well first up Dangerous tackling and offside are 2 totally different areas. But if you are going to be smart I suggest you re-watch that passage. There was a ruck and French drove through but it was called brrn a ruck and Mas would've been fine if he stepped over and picked but he walked around the side and well it was a very lazy penalty to concede but there was a ruck correctly called as the original ruck had not broke up completely so still deemed a ruck. So the correct call was made and well Mas, by law, came in from the side so I didn't miss the penalty ha I think you missed the law

Whether they're two different areas or not. It's about consistency, if they're going to be critical about one thing, be critical about them all. If you're going to be that harsh about something because you're ruling it by the book, then please rule it ALL by the book, not just when it suits you.

 

[Calidris]

Rolland spent the rest of the match to make some compensation. In french team, nobody asked the welsh to make the fault or miss all them penalties or drop.

 

[Dizzy]

Well first up Dangerous tackling and offside are 2 totally different areas. But if you are going to be smart I suggest you re-watch that passage. There was a ruck and French drove through but it was called brrn a ruck and Mas would've been fine if he stepped over and picked but he walked around the side and well it was a very lazy penalty to concede but there was a ruck correctly called as the original ruck had not broke up completely so still deemed a ruck. So the correct call was made and well Mas, by law, came in from the side so I didn't miss the penalty ha I think you missed the law

Took you're advice now I want you to take your own advice. I watched it again, and there was ABSOLUTELY NO RUCK FORMED. Charteris went down, Imanol stepped over to take the ball, Charteris pulled it back in then Mas went for the kill. I think you did indeed miss the penalty there buddy.

 

[j'nuh]

Looking at that - it seems as if had Warburton continued to keep hold of Clerc around the back of the knees, Clerc could have ended up falling on his head. (espec. camera at 0:22) Yellow, but very harsh red. I'd prefer referees to be able to refer to the TMO when this kind of thing happens.

 

[Mikazuki]

Hi, first post here, please excuse my English, I'm not really fluent...

Concerning the game, I really think the bravest team were the welsh, and to be honest during all the world cup the Welsh have been the most entertaining NH team so far and the best NH with Ireland.

I see many people here saying "they deserved to win" and I could agree with that but in the World Cup, when it's time for the knock out stage, you just have to win, deserve it or not, and France did, whoever played the best in the beginning of the competition. It's a one day occasion. If France is so bad, why are they still here ?
As well as stats concerning previous matches between the two teams for example, none of this matters. I totally agree that France played really poorly in this game, and as a French I'm not proud at all of it (and I think players are not either) but why then Wales did not win ?
They had the chance to win, were slightly favourite, but they did not know how to win and as someone else said it previously, Wales missed 3 penalties, 2 drops and a conversion and were already 14.
Of course, France's performance was ugly rugby, it may seem boring to watch but how many times did media say that France always lose against "Anglo-Saxon pragmatism" (which is really cliché...)
Maybe France didn't deserve to win but they're still there, it's a fact, and it's life !
Look at the AB against us during the pool matches, or Australia before the WC, they destroyed us, and made it "No contest".
Well, Wales did not know how to do it, so now we argue about every aspect of the game.
Concerning the tackle, Rolland did his job and applied the rule, that's all.

Still, I'll support Wales for the 3rd place, cause I love their game, they were the real warriors here and because I'll support NH too !
Great WC by the Welsh (not over yet !), and I think if we play that poorly in the finals we'll be demolished !

But with France, you never know...

 

[Dizzy]

Clerc is lucky his neck wasn't broken. Seriously though the commentators don't like the french

Clerc must have a soccer background, he did numerous hollywoods in this match and that definitely was a hollywood.

 

[barthelemy]

Only the french can be happy today; the rest of the world has seen what happend. Rolland won the game for France; so France will be playing a final that don't deserve and that have been stolen from others. Rugby lost today
No glory at all in this victory.
Shame on Rolland.

The final is tomorrow.

****in Bullshit. France Won. that is it. And the final is in one week.

It ****** me off all this bad talk about France (Even if I agree on the fact that they have played shittily today). But you can continue like that, that is the best way to turn on France for the final.

 

[dullonien]

It's obvious from this thread that the ref was within his rights to hand out the red-card, no matter what some people (including myself) personally think. I totally agree it was a dangerous tackle, although this really shouldn't change peoples oppinions of Warburton, who's been one of the best players in this tournament. I don't think I've seen Warburton even yellow-carded before for foul play, this was something he simply got wrong in the heat of the moment, and it happens to the best of people. It was the semi-final of the world cup, the biggest game of his young life, and he got the tackle slightly wrong, after that point he was buggered really and looked to have panicked and let go. There was no complaint from him, and there should be no complaint from Welsh fans now. I'm just massively gutted for the man, who's been such a great leader, yet he's cost his team at the worst possible time, I just hope it doesn't effect him in the long run and he'll be there skippering the team come 6 nations.

Edit. To anyone bad mouthing the French, please stop. The French team hasn't played great, and maybe they're lucky to be in the final, but it wasn't their fault Warburton mistimed his tackle, and it's not their fault that the ref saw it as a red which he was within his rights to do. Despite playing a very dull game today, the French did not cheat their way to the final, they've simply beat who was put in front of them. Some goes for people critisizing Clerk, he landed on his back/neck, there was no fottball diving there, so stfu.