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10 Oct 2007, 20:27 by Victor Ubogu
Labels: france, marsielle, ronnie, rugby, semi, welsh, world, worldcup
Bit of a different offering today – I am going to include a few VU clients on the posting. Last weekend was probably the busiest ever for us. Not only THE match of the tournament, but we also had a large group on a classic train from London to Cardiff for that other big match – New Zealand v France.
Marseille was just incredible; I am still trying to get over it. England were better than their two point win – I just don’t know where that performance came from. It is a result that has transformed this Rugby World Cup. I thought the forwards were just a different class. My mate and fellow blogger Ronnie Regan put in a fantastic performance and I am glad so many of you are enjoying his postings.
On Sunday Ronnie and his fellow hooker Lee Mears came to our beautiful villa in Marseille to join the VU lot for a bit of a celebration. It was great hearing from the boys and you can tell that this is a tight squad. I don’t think Ronnie had any right to criticise my lack of training in his last blog. I can’t wait to see what he looks like seven years after retiring.
Just gearing up now for the semi final weekend and another big one for me and the VU team. This has been an incredible tournament and just keeps getting better. I can’t decide if the French victory was more surprising that the English one but it sets up a classic for Paris.
As I said at the start this is going to be a bit of a different blog. Because even I could not be in two places at once I could not join the trip on the Northern Belle from London to Cardiff. What I did was get some of the comments from those on the train and they are bellow.
We had arranged for All Black legend Justin Marshall to be on board and I suspect it was a very long journey home for him. So here are some of the comments and let’s hope the game on Saturday is half as good as the quarters. France v England, Rugby World Cup 2007 – who would have thought it.
The first quote has to be from Mr Marshall. Wisely we spoke to him before the games had kicked off and it looks like he should have put his money where his mouth is as far as England are concerned. I don’t think he was up for going on the record after the defeat!
‘Everyone is on England’s case at the moment but at the end of the day, people love the underdogs to do well so the support is still great for the England team. If England go on and win today, the match tonight between France and the All Blacks will have so much more bearing for all the people on the trip as England will play them next. England has some fantastic players in the team despite the negative comments and I fancy them to do well but let’s hope not too well!’
Here are some more thoughts from those on the trip:
Louis Jones – ‘It was really good fun being on the train with people listening to the England versus Australia match on their portable radios and cheers going up and down the carriages. Arrived in plenty of time to have a few drinks in Cardiff and everyone was well looked after.’
Ben – ‘As a Munster supporter I have come here to really enjoy the whole package even if Ireland are not around. It’s a great way to meet people on the train and chat to fellow rugby fans in some really flashy surroundings. There was a great atmosphere on the train on the way and back which may have been to do with the fine wine and champagne on offer!’
Rory – ‘I have never been on a trip like this with all the added extras so it is quite an experience for me. The food was absolutely fantastic and the whole experience was worth paying the money for.’
James – ‘I just hope that it is a repeat of the 1999 semi final! Shame not to meet Victor but I assume he is away sunning himself in Marseilles and I don’t blame him!’
Bill – ‘The match was great, really physical but at the end of the day, I was sad not to see Ireland in there with the other northern hemisphere teams that are left in the competition.
Saturday 6.10.07 Marseille. Hotel le Petit Nice, our terrace 19.30.
England beat them!! More later, I'm off to the bar!
7.10.07 ditto 11.15.
Hungover in the sun, yachts all over the bay and a millionaire's night to remember coming back to me slowly. We went to "Bazar", where Victor's reconnaissance and charm had taken the youth of the England team and a select band of ex playing party animals. He is a perfect tourist, a lovely generous man, a very cool dude and an awesome fixer. It was amusing seeing the heroes of the day in the flesh. One forgets how young they are, and hilariously poor drinkers - I guess they are rarely let off the hook. I'm not sure why Ashton let them off the leash for last night, but he must have thought that they needed relaxation more than discipline. Quite right I reckon. No names but while others joined the big men necking champagne in the town square; we had paralytic boy and a bunch of charging others all muscled up and surrounded by hopeful French groupies. Nice guys and very happy to talk bollocks in return for our vodka supply.
England won you see. Against all odds. So did France in Cardiff. Quite the most incredible day of rugby imaginable, even Rosslyn Park too! We went to the Stade Velodrome, took our places next to the WAGs and MADs of the England team and watched them surge onto the pitch in the punchy way underdogs should. Then Australia walked on all cool and confident, certain of their destiny, full of their own strength and with no regard for England's bits and pieces of it. Sheridan crushed them up front, Vickery and Regan too, Shaw and Kay were far the stronger second row and the slow old England loose forwards went mad and won all their ball and most of Australia's with surging mauling. The back's defended with just one error and rattled away at the Aussie stars with style, gaining and holding yards far better than anyone believed possible. And Johnny kicked 4 and missed more, but it was enough. Australia learned that two great centres can't win real matches on their own. The hero's were humbled from the off, had no plan B bar total dominance, lost their way, nerve and match. Hubris has its rightful reward. We were ecstatic, Toby Flood's M&D and sister were ecstatic, Brian Ashton's wife and daughter were too, even the 4 South African's in front of us were too. It was a complete, narrow, frantic, triumph.
Dazed we returned to our oh so swanky residence on the Med and after a little R&R for the old men, we went down to drinks dinner and France v the All Blacks from Cardiff. More gloire, more hubris and the French came back as I saw them do in TW10 in '99. 13-0 became I forget what. Perhaps 20-18? We sang with the waiters and sommeliers, we roared caveman Chabal on. Michalak arrived after the Blacks had masterfully smashed a South African style try - the rest of their game having evaporated at half time in a favourites' funks exactly as had Australia's - and the great erratic promptly cut the kiwi's open after receiving a perfect forward pass! The ref checked the NZ bullying, a bit of it anyway, and the French kept trying until the panic set in on the champions and they lost control. Carter off, their fist half surgical precision was replaced by grunt and sweat and the artistry left to les Bleus. Never allow that and expect to win.
You need a big skipper when Plan A comes unstuck and neither antipode had one. England and France did not need one as their Plan A worked just fine, though the holding of the French nerve through half time must have been down to some fine Chuchillian words from M Laporte. "Remember Verdun, it is in the trying that we win, pour la France, la gloire, les sans culottes, pour liberte pour votre Mum", I know not, but it worked.
And for England, Catty opened with a dink Sackey should have caught, but it is as well he did not as any hint of victory would have caused an English pause for thought from their terrier-like tackling in the backs and their crushing dominance in the tight and loose.
The game was won up front and in defence as big games should be, Stirling Mortlock flickered and went out, Wilkinson did just enough, all the backs were important I guess, but the big men crushed and battered and England's were far bigger and stronger by far.
A day for heroes. A night for heroes too, after 8 courses in our hotel and many bottles of vastly expensive fine wines we taxied to 'Bazar' and left with new found best friend John Hall and Victor at 0615 just as Stirling Mortlock arrived, looking ready for murder. Poor sod. Who cares? Not this Anglo-African.
Then it was SA v Fiji in shorts and sunshine after a wake up call from Clarisse and steak, frite, salad and Rose on the terrace. The game was a bore in the first half as the Boks ground their way dully to 13-3 up without ever dominating. So Fiji came out palying 7's in the second half, fielding the far too long SA kicks and running in 3 brilliant tries to make it 20 all. The got another too, but the ref asked the replay men and a brilliant tackle had denied the touch down, which escape allowed SA time to reflect and change tactics before that favourites panic got them too. It was close, but they held their nerve as the others had not and rumbled on to 30 something with Fifi fading all the time.
Semi finals in Paris, England v France on Saturday and who knows what might happen, then Argentina, who strangled the plucky Scots as an anaconda crushes the coypu, v South Africa in what will be a real struggle for the Boks. I can't wait.
Posted by Tom Baigrie on 12 October 2007 at 10:53:10 « permalink »