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

[Feicarsinn]

Definite red, lifter the man to beyond horizontal and then just dropped him. Could have been very nasty. The right call.

 

[Bluemoon]

According to the current laws, it was definitely a red card. I think it will be interesting to see this law now applied across the game though, because it certainly hasn't been applied quite so ruthlessly in... well any other WC, 6N or club level games that I know of. I think this is where the confusion is coming from, plus added the deep emotion from a lot of (probably now drunk) Welsh fans!

Its a real shame for Warburton because anyone who knows the man will know it was not intended and it was a cruel way for him to bow out of a fantastic tournament.

It was a brilliant week in Wales though. It really was. It brought the country together, raised a lot of money for charity in the mean time and created a real buzz around the country. Despite the game being perceived as the number one game in Wales, our game needs this type of success to keep it popular as it faces a lot of competition for players with other sports.

Hopefully we can carry this form and skill level into the 6N. Cymru am byth!

 

[barthelemy]

I was wrong about Clerc for the red card, it is Florian Fritz who has been red carded by Alain rolland in an heineken cup match for the same dangerous tackle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymkBd17K8lc

 

[appman]

Welsh hit was it a red or not ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6euw8aPT1og

 

[LittleGuy]

We could probably just move the entire Wales vs France thread into this.

Edit: good to see the merging

 

[igorBastia]

At this times; Garret Edward and JJS William ware my heroes as well JP Rives or Jack Cantoni.
As kids we replayed in the street the play against the "redoutable" red devils (and as froggies we ever won); that was the good times and good souvenir.
Waterbutton are a very good player and did a mistake of a young player without hate or evilness: he learn his job!
I repeat Wales was better as us but we win ;in another way if there were really better they simply won and we loose.
I'm very estonished by somes hainous comments against France which doesn't belong to the Rugby but perhaps to the football.
But I don't agree with my compatriote: we are not the best team ; Argentina is also a very good team as England and Ireland. And what s a matter if we have a good play of Rugby!!!!.
Australia or the All Black are far away favourite for the finale. It's a goog challenge for us.
French are strange: if they feel free from their ownself and inferiority complexe you can expect for a good and crazy final.
I Hope so ; play and play !! no matter with a score!!
Good luck for Wales!
My english is bad sorry but there are no many people here who write in french

 

[munstermuffin]

Didnt realise it was national sh*tref day. Just got back from the football and he was a completely useless bar steward there as well!

Class act of a fan again agree with Lucky hardcore to the bone

 

[Amiga500]

I can't believe people are defending Warburton. The lifting bit was fine, it's when he drops his right shoulder, lifts his left shoulder and turns Clerc upside down when it becomes a horrendous spear. If a Tongan or Samoan player did this (with noteriety for loose tackles), nobody would be so outraged by the red.

He could've still made it a good tackle after the lift if he went straight forward and driven the shoulder in, Clerc would've landed on his ass/lower back. Instead he tipped him upside down like an idiot.

+1

I'm sure that is exactly what Alain Rolland seen as well. A straight lift - followed by a definitive movement of the shoulders to tip Clerc.


There is no real defending of it. There might not have been any malice - but it was extremely careless. As is clear - once you lift a player up, you and you alone are responsible for putting them back down - there is no room for carelessness.

 

[dullonien]

I was wrong about Clerc for the red card, it is Florian Fritz who has been red carded by Alain rolland in an heineken cup match for the same dangerous tackle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymkBd17K8lc

I would have been severely p***sed off with that red! That wasn't a spear tackle, that was just a very good tackle. No real complaints about Warburton's red, but Rolland needs to calm down a little, because if he gave a red for a tackle like Fritz' there, in the semi final of the world cup, that really would be a massive injustice!

 

[Amiga500]

Welsh politician's weighting in too?

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/RugbyWorldCup2011/Ref-wrecked-game-20111015

If anything, that adds further Weight to Rolland being right.


Politicans are f**kwits regardless of what country they are from.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Welsh politician's weighting in too?


http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/RugbyWorldCup2011/Ref-wrecked-game-20111015

Hang on ... he was asked a question by some media and he answered honestly. He has his opinions like others have.

If anything, that adds further Weight to Rolland being right.


Politicans are f**kwits regardless of what country they are from.

Read the above response. He was watching the game at the MS, he was asked a question and he said his honest answer. He is hardly calling for Alain Rolland's head and people must distinguish this.

 

[tbhp]

But tonga would also know that that win would have taken them through. "

So what ? France playing to win is better than Tonga playing to win. Unless you're trying to say Tonga is genuinely better than France.

Top teams play to win every game, and you'd expect the finalists to have got there by doing that.

That's precisely what non french people don't seem to understand. For us, the pool stages don't matter, they are just an ordeal to pass before the real cup begins. You can't blame the players if they aren't that motivated in these matches, they are just too uninteresting. In knockout matches match, however, the objective is clear because either you win, or you go home.

 

[TVH11]

Well after waking up from my 30 hour day, I'm proud of what I've seen your boys achieve over the last 2 months. Prior to tournament many were tipping us to not qualify through the group, and now we're disappointed that we lost by 1 point a man down (for 60 mins) in a semi final. The future is indeed bright for our guys, and one can only hope we carry through this momentum to domestic teams and future international games.

We can always moan for the next 4 years about ref ruined game etc etc but at the end of the game, we've exceeded expectations - lets be proud in defeat (in a semi final).

We displayed passion and pride that I've never seen in a Welsh team before, and

One thing I did notice was James Hook's lack of spark - he was uncharacteristically static throughout the match (catch and give immediately, no urgency to try something - whether that was instructed is another thing). Big performances from 1 to 22 and we will take a huge amount of confidence from this match.

If one is going to be honest, if a side is a man advantage for 60 odd minutes of a game and only win by a point, You can't see them achieving much in the final.

I'm just looking forward to next weeks 3rd/4th place playoff match now Can't wait

 

[Slippersccfcfawwrucb's]

Class act of a fan again agree with Lucky hardcore to the bone

Thats cos like so many of the pompous tw%ts on this board you lack paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssshhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuunn!!!!

 

[187]

what about tonga thats a real **** hole compared to fiji an samoa lol.

No it's not actually, and going by your comment you've never been there so you can't comment on something you don't know anything about.

I've been to both Samoa & Fiji and both places are insanely beautiful. I've also been to Stokes Valley and can't see why you'd leave a tropical island to go live in a shitty town like that.

 

[tbhp]

If one is going to be honest, if a side is a man advantage for 60 odd minutes of a game and only win by a point, You can't see them achieving much in the final.

Should have replaced honest by stupid.

 

[Taylo2]

what a bore last night was.....spending a lot on semi final tickets i was hoping for a half decent game, but france just did nothing. against 14 men youd have thought they might try attacking, but no.....nothing to bother the welsh defence.

yes it was a card offence, maybe just a yellow, but the letter of the law the ref had it right..clerc was taken up off his feet, turned and not bought down correctly. Clerc may have made a meal of it, but it was still an offence....

hope tonights match will be better

 

[M Two One]

My thoughts on the game are pretty simple as it was quite a bore. In short, both teams came to play, Wales messed up, had some bad luck with the sending off (which was a good call), and France tried to sit on their lead once they had it. They didn't want to work hard from there and that almost cost them despite the Welsh being down a man. You could see the intensity of that Welsh team, looking to get whatever they could out of every single possession, but in the end it just wasn't enough.

France is an odd team and I like their chances in the final regardless of who they face. This may be their time.

 

[mikefoot1]

IMO it shouldn't of been a red, I would of been happy with a yellow. I also don't think it was a spear tackle, but instead would call it a dangerous tackle. He didn't mean to drop him and if Warbuton really did want to hurt him he could have, but didn't. (I realise the abuse I get now will be everlasting XD but this is just my opinion)

 

[LittleGuy]

My thoughts on the game are pretty simple as it was quite a bore. In short, both teams came to play, Wales messed up, had some bad luck with the sending off (which was a good call), and France tried to sit on their lead once they had it. They didn't want to work hard from there and that almost cost them despite the Welsh being down a man. You could see the intensity of that Welsh team, looking to get whatever they could out of every single possession, but in the end it just wasn't enough.

France is an odd team and I like their chances in the final regardless of who they face. This may be their time.[/COLOR]

Agreed, I think may too many people are counting them out, mainly because the don't WANT them to win, not because of the team's ability, how often have we seen France pull a rabbit out of their hats, I think they will rightfully go in as underdog to Aus/NZ but to say they have no chance is false. Many had counted them out before this game and the England one and whatever the circumstances they are through to the RWC final.