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/ 21 October 2007
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France’s first hosting of rugby’s World Cup will leave mixed emotions on the home front. The six-week long tournament was superbly organised, the grounds were packed, and there was colour and drama aplenty. But the script that had the French hosts taking on the mighty All Blacks in the final in Paris failed to materialise.
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/ 17 October 2007
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Springbok coach Jake White is on the verge of emulating compatriot Kitch Christie in winning the Rugby World Cup, but he admits victory will have been against the odds in what he believes is the toughest job in rugby. Just under a year ago, the 43-year-old was in danger of the sack after being recalled during the Springboks’ northern hemisphere tour.
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France upset the odds in dramatic style to come from behind and beat tournament favourites New Zealand 20-18 in the World Cup quarterfinal at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday. For the All Blacks, 13-0 up as early as the 30th minute, defeat was arguably as devastating as their equally unexpected 43-31 loss to France in the 1999 World Cup semifinal at Twickenham.
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/ 21 September 2007
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Hosts France kept their nerve and their hopes alive of landing their first World Cup title in Paris on Friday as they beat Ireland 25-3 in their crunch group-D clash at the Stade de France. Two second-half tries by winger Vincent Clerc and 15 points from man-of-the-match Jean-Baptiste Elissalde were enough to see the Irish off.
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/ 8 September 2007
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An unforgiving French media gave no quarter in its appraisal of a ”catastrophic” France team after the World Cup hosts’ shock defeat to Argentina here on Friday. France lost the tournament’s opening match 17-12 to the Pumas — a result which has severely dented their chances of even reaching the final four of the competition.