Oracle of Delphi
KC Hill
Denise Gabbard
Paladin
Craig HillArgentina Wins Rugby World B Cup! Bra-vo!
October 21st 2007 22:00
Well okay...they didn't win the Cup...BUT they did whoop some derriere du Francais!!....and they did win Rugby fan hearts with their never say die attitude (and not a whisper, not.a.whisper. of anything about them playing dirty...)
Usually the third place playoffs are a bit of a joke and quite difficult for the teams playing. After all, it's the Rugby World Cup singular. Not Rugby World Couple.
...but in this case...bronze is as good as Gold.
This was the Pumas 6th win over France in seven encounters and from all reports was a completely different ball game
from the opening day close encounter of the soon to be third kind! The Pumas won that match 17-12 but it was a slog.
Not so this one. Argentina has proved that they are a force to be ruckoned with (I'm sorry...I'm sorry! I can't help it!!) with an absolutely thrilling show of attacking Rugby.
I didn't watch the match live but I did record it and I wish we had watched it live. It was an impressive victory. They really opened up their game and were rewarded with a quintuplet of tries.
You know...they really could have won the Rugby World Cup.
...if they hadn't lost the semi to the Boks 37-13. Oh well. BUT... after producing their best ever RWC effort, they have now climbed to fourth in the world rankings.
(Do not dare ask me where The Wallabies are)
Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda said.
France coach Bernard Laporte, in charge of his last game, was gracious in defeat.
However, despite their rise in ranking, the Pumas' future is looks to be on a slippery slide down.
Players and officials have warned that Argentinian Rugby will go "backwards" unless the national team is admitted to a regular international competition such as the Six Nations in Europe or the Tri Nations in the southern hemisphere.
(There has been much talk about including Argentina in the Tri-Nations...but I say ce n'est pas possible complete with dramatic hand gestures and pursed mouth...why? because it's the Tri-Nations. Now if it was called Quad-Nations...yes I know, I know, I'm an imbecile. And franco-pretentious)
One of the reasons given for Argentina's lack of presence in international competition, is travel costs but, in a country where soccer (or football. Or boring.) is king, Rugby isn't given the recognition it deserves.
The Pumas have made
Argentina has 38,000 registered players and nearly 9000 juniors with 400 clubs...but of the 30 players in the Pumas World Cup squad only one, winger Horacio Agulla, plays in Argentina and he remains an amateur.
Pumas Captain and scrum-half Agustin Pichot (who plays for a Paris team...that would be France, not Hilton...) wants Rugby to expand not only in Argentina but worldwide.
He is also against reducing the number of teams in the next World Cup from 20 to 16 in a bid to reduce the 'minnow thrashings' which has been a source of embarassment for all teams...especially when the results between the minnows and the leviathans have been close.
We need the 'minnows'. I second that m-ocean.
image courtesy of Getty Images
info excerpts courtesy of Rugby Heaven
Rugby World Cup 3rd Place (bronze) play-off
Argentina 34 - 10 France
Usually the third place playoffs are a bit of a joke and quite difficult for the teams playing. After all, it's the Rugby World Cup singular. Not Rugby World Couple.
...but in this case...bronze is as good as Gold.
This was the Pumas 6th win over France in seven encounters and from all reports was a completely different ball game
from the opening day close encounter of the soon to be third kind! The Pumas won that match 17-12 but it was a slog.Not so this one. Argentina has proved that they are a force to be ruckoned with (I'm sorry...I'm sorry! I can't help it!!) with an absolutely thrilling show of attacking Rugby.
I didn't watch the match live but I did record it and I wish we had watched it live. It was an impressive victory. They really opened up their game and were rewarded with a quintuplet of tries.
You know...they really could have won the Rugby World Cup.
...if they hadn't lost the semi to the Boks 37-13. Oh well. BUT... after producing their best ever RWC effort, they have now climbed to fourth in the world rankings.
(Do not dare ask me where The Wallabies are)
Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda said.
I'm very happy, this gives me a lot of joy...We couldn't be first or second and it was a very difficult week [after losing the semi-final] but eventually the players got their heads around it and today we played a great match.
France coach Bernard Laporte, in charge of his last game, was gracious in defeat.
The best team won...They've beaten us twice so it's fair to say they're better than us.
However, despite their rise in ranking, the Pumas' future is looks to be on a slippery slide down.
Players and officials have warned that Argentinian Rugby will go "backwards" unless the national team is admitted to a regular international competition such as the Six Nations in Europe or the Tri Nations in the southern hemisphere.
(There has been much talk about including Argentina in the Tri-Nations...but I say ce n'est pas possible complete with dramatic hand gestures and pursed mouth...why? because it's the Tri-Nations. Now if it was called Quad-Nations...yes I know, I know, I'm an imbecile. And franco-pretentious)
One of the reasons given for Argentina's lack of presence in international competition, is travel costs but, in a country where soccer (or football. Or boring.) is king, Rugby isn't given the recognition it deserves.
The Pumas have made
...important advances this year with millions watching their progress in the World Cup.
Even an important football match was delayed to avoid a clash with a Pumas quarter-final match against Scotland.
Even an important football match was delayed to avoid a clash with a Pumas quarter-final match against Scotland.
Argentina has 38,000 registered players and nearly 9000 juniors with 400 clubs...but of the 30 players in the Pumas World Cup squad only one, winger Horacio Agulla, plays in Argentina and he remains an amateur.
Pumas Captain and scrum-half Agustin Pichot (who plays for a Paris team...that would be France, not Hilton...) wants Rugby to expand not only in Argentina but worldwide.
He is also against reducing the number of teams in the next World Cup from 20 to 16 in a bid to reduce the 'minnow thrashings' which has been a source of embarassment for all teams...especially when the results between the minnows and the leviathans have been close.
Reducing the number of countries from 20 to 16 would be the end of rugby...We want Argentina, Fiji and the rest of the countries to have a chance to be on the stage.
"Two of the greatest teams in the world [Australia and New Zealand] have gone home in the quarter-finals.
"It's time to look and say where do we want to go? Do we want to go for more open rugby or will there just be a six or 10 country tournament?
"You know my answer, I want rugby to be for everyone, not just a few."
"Two of the greatest teams in the world [Australia and New Zealand] have gone home in the quarter-finals.
"It's time to look and say where do we want to go? Do we want to go for more open rugby or will there just be a six or 10 country tournament?
"You know my answer, I want rugby to be for everyone, not just a few."
We need the 'minnows'. I second that m-ocean.
Congratulations Pumas!!
image courtesy of Getty Images
info excerpts courtesy of Rugby Heaven
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Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Love the title of this post. Made me laugh out loud!
Mis