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Rugby Union - by Craig Hill

Twas the day before Rugby World Cup 07...

September 6th 2007 22:00
...when all through the house...
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

That's because the mouse had fainted from sheer excitement!!





Mark your diaries people...hell...get a tattoo...The Rugby World Cup 2007 kicks off tomorrow morning (AEST) Saturday September 8th...but I don't really care if you miss the first match;

08-09-07 5:00 AM
France v Argentina St Denis, France (Pool D)

...and I don't really care if you miss this match;

08-09-07 9:45 PM
New Zealand v Italy Marseille, France (Pool C)

...but I'm going to join the trend du blog and patooie the mannequin if you miss this match;

08-09-07 11:45 PM
Australia v Japan Lyon, France
(Pool B)

RWC 07 coverage free to air in Australia on Channel 10.
Please check your local TV Guides for telecast times.
RWC 07 coverage also on Foxtel.
International readers...I'm sure you'll figure it out.


***************

The Wallabies at the Australian Embassy RWC 07 Welcome ceremony in Paris on Aug 30 (image on Rucks and Rolls.com courtesy of Getty Images)
...these caps are all the rage in Paris...


from RWC 07 (the official one)

Australia have announced a full-strength line-up to play Japan in the opening Pool B match against Japan in Lyon on Saturday.

The Wallabies starting line-up contains 11 players with previous world cup experience.

Full back Chris Latham, the 73-Test veteran, will make his first appearance in the Wallabies starting XV this year, while his Queensland team-mate Berrick Barnes has won a place on the reserves bench.

Latham returned for the final Tri-Nations Test against New Zealand in July and played the final 35 minutes of the match.

Barnes, the youngest member of the squad at 21 (which makes him the Keeper of the Team Mascot and Brunt of all Rookie Jokes), is in line to make his Test debut after being announced as one of three backs on the Australian bench.

In the front row, Waratahs prop Al Baxter has been named at tighthead prop, while Guy Shepherdson will start on the bench after a knee injury disrupted his preparations.

"Disrupted his preparations"? Hmmm...I like that. Very polite.
See...if it was me, I'd say "...after a knee injury f**ked his chances".
...but that's just me.

Lotta Tequilas is back on the wing...and no, that dosn't mean he's high again...it means he's back in his usual #11 position, after missing the last 2 matches of the Tri-Nations.

Captain Mortlock was in doubt, not only because of a back injury that has forced him to miss training but also because he had been recruited to "repel a burger strike" (please click on link provided for clarification...)

Connolly said that it was important "to field his strongest team for the opening match".

"We had always planned to play our strongest team for our first two pool matches,"

"We want to build towards the Wales match (in Cardiff next Saturday) with a strong performance on Saturday and we will get a good opportunity to do that against Japan."

He said the traditional four forwards and three backs split on the reserves bench suited his side for the opening match.

"We thought it gave us the best balance this week and it’s a wonderful opportunity for Berrick (Barnes) to get a taste of Test rugby and gain some experience in a world cup, he said.

Australia have been drawing large crowds at their public training sessions in Montpellier, and Connolly said the sessions had taken on an extra edge.

“It adds a bit of pressure in the training when you play in front of 9,000 people,” he said.

“It was good for us. It was a bit like a little mini-game in terms of pressure - there was an expectation to train well from the people watching.”

The squad:

The Forwards:
1.Al Baxter; 2. Stephen Moore; 3. Matt Dumpling Dunning; 4.Nathan Sharpe; 5. Dan Vickerman; 6. Rocky Elsom; 7.George Smith; 8. Wycliff Palu.

The Backs:
9. George Gregan; 10. Stephen (sigh) Larkham; 11. Lote Tuqiri; 12. Matt Giteau; 13. Stirling Mortlock (C); 14. Adam Asly Cooper; 15. Chris Latham

Reserves:
Adam Freier, Guy Shepherdson, Hugh McMeniman, Stephen Hoiles, Berrick Barnes, Drew Mitchell, Mark Gerrard.

************

Sydneysiders...enjoy your APathEtiC Public Holiday today. Use your time wisely. Get psyched!!







**********


Please accept my apologies in advance for not responding to comments as promptly as I should.
Unfortunately my secret life as a space cadet an inter planetary ambassador is keeping me busy.
I will respond to comment/s asap.
Thank you very much for putting up with this reading and/or voting and commenting.



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Comments
3 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by David

September 6th 2007 23:03
Dusk,

Firstly, I thought, great! Free-to-Air coverage. I won't have to stay up until 11.30pm for kick-off. So what happens? The match is at 11.45pm.

I love paid journalists. They really earn their money. This is a classic:

Australia have announced a full-strength line-up to play Japan in the opening Pool B match against Japan in Lyon on Saturday.

So they're playing Japan against Japan?

I gather they'll be playing the match at Lyon in Lyon?

What team will be playing? Australia or the Wallabies, or both?

Expect further updates on the Adventures of Sterling Mortlock - French Resistance Fighter during the RWC. (Thanks for the plug).

David ...

Comment by Tracy

September 7th 2007 00:51
Hi Dusk

Have fun....!!

Tracy

Comment by Andrea

September 8th 2007 15:26
Dusk

I missed that match, and the other one ... but I'm watching the Wallabies right now, as we speak ...

...DAMN!!!!!
xxxx

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