Minor nations light up the World Cup

MONTPELLIER – A series of unexpected results during the pool stages have lit up the World Cup and given fresh heart to the minor nations.

The 2007 tournament has proved a delightful advance on the five previous editions where the early rounds were dominated by predictable and often one-sided matches. Not only have most of the second-tier nations managed to avoid the ritual floggings that marred previous tournaments but they have upset some of their more fancied opponents to reach the quarter-finals.It all started when Argentina pulled off a stunning upset win over France in the opening match and ended when Fiji dumped Wales out of the tournament in a classic encounter that demonstrated all the great virtues of the running game.Argentina also knocked Ireland out of the competition but it was their victory over France that has had the greatest impact on the tournament.By finishing unbeaten at the top of the Pool D standings, the Pumas earned themselves a quarter-final showdown against Scotland, who scraped into the last eight with a two-point win over Italy.More significantly, it left France in the perilous position of having to play tournament favourites New Zealand, a match many experts had tipped as the final “We’ll go through nerve-racking days because facing the All Blacks is always a bit frightening but even if they are legends, they are also players who want to be world champions, just like us,” said France wing Christophe Dominici.”We didn’t do ourselves any favours at the start but our goal remains to make our dream come true.”There is an added irony in that the match will be played in Cardiff after a horse-trading deal between the French and Welsh unions to ensure France won the right to stage the tournament.The All Blacks, chasing their first World Cup title in 20 years, were in devastating form during the pool stages and remain the team to beat, but their path to the final has suddenly become littered with obstacles.Even if they beat France, they face the prospect of having to beat either Australia or England in the semi-finals after the 2003 finalists were drawn to meet each other in the quarters in Marseille.England struggled through the group stages, losing 36-0 to South Africa to finish runners-up in Group A, but have shown some encouraging signs of better form after the return of injured flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson, whose last-minute drop goal decided the 2003 final.Any sporting contest between Australia and England takes on epic proportions but the events of four years ago have provided an added incentive for a Wallaby team who cruised through their Pool B matches but who are struggling with injuries.”This is something we’ve been waiting four years for,” coach John Connolly said.”Whether it’s the fear of losing or the thrill of winning, I’m not sure, but it’s a quarter-final.”The big winners from the pool stage were South Africa, the 1995 champions, who have managed to avoid all the traditional heavyweights by ending up in the same side of the draw as Argentina, Scotland and Fiji.They were expecting to play Wales in the quarter-finals but had to change their plans when the Welsh lost 38-34 to Fiji, giving the southern hemisphere five of the eight quarter-final spots.Tonga and Samoa also did the southern hemisphere proud but it has been a forgettable tournament for the Six Nations teams with three countries – Wales, Ireland and Italy – all bowing out early.There were some lopsided scorelines but none of the second tier nations were disgraced this time, suggesting that the gap between rugby’s rich and poor is starting to close.But their improved performances may still be in vain with the International Rugby Board (IRB) considering a proposal to reduce the number of teams from 20 to 16 at the next World Cup in New Zealand in 2011.Nampa-ReutersNot only have most of the second-tier nations managed to avoid the ritual floggings that marred previous tournaments but they have upset some of their more fancied opponents to reach the quarter-finals.It all started when Argentina pulled off a stunning upset win over France in the opening match and ended when Fiji dumped Wales out of the tournament in a classic encounter that demonstrated all the great virtues of the running game.Argentina also knocked Ireland out of the competition but it was their victory over France that has had the greatest impact on the tournament.By finishing unbeaten at the top of the Pool D standings, the Pumas earned themselves a quarter-final showdown against Scotland, who scraped into the last eight with a two-point win over Italy.More significantly, it left France in the perilous position of having to play tournament favourites New Zealand, a match many experts had tipped as the final “We’ll go through nerve-racking days because facing the All Blacks is always a bit frightening but even if they are legends, they are also players who want to be world champions, just like us,” said France wing Christophe Dominici.”We didn’t do ourselves any favours at the start but our goal remains to make our dream come true.”There is an added irony in that the match will be played in Cardiff after a horse-trading deal between the French and Welsh unions to ensure France won the right to stage the tournament.The All Blacks, chasing their first World Cup title in 20 years, were in devastating form during the pool stages and remain the team to beat, but their path to the final has suddenly become littered with obstacles.Even if they beat France, they face the prospect of having to beat either Australia or England in the semi-finals after the 2003 finalists were drawn to meet each other in the quarters in Marseille.England struggled through the group stages, losing 36-0 to South Africa to finish runners-up in Group A, but have shown some encouraging signs of better form after the return of injured flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson, whose last-minute drop goal decided the 2003 final.Any sporting contest between Australia and England takes on epic proportions but the events of four years ago have provided an added incentive for a Wallaby team who cruised through their Pool B matches but who are struggling with injuries.”This is something we’ve been waiting four years for,” coach John Connolly said.”Whether it’s the fear of losing or the thrill of winning, I’m not sure, but it’s a quarter-final.”The big winners from the pool stage were South Africa, the 1995 champions, who have managed to avoid all the traditional heavyweights by ending up in the same side of the draw as Argentina, Scotland and Fiji.They were expecting to play Wales in the quarter-finals but had to change their plans when the Welsh lost 38-34 to Fiji, giving the southern hemisphere five of the eight quarter-final spots.Tonga and Samoa also did the southern hemisphere proud but it has been a forgettable tournament for the Six Nations teams with three countries – Wales, Ireland and Italy – all bowing out early.There were some lopsided scorelines but none of the second tier nations were disgraced this time, suggesting that the gap between rugby’s rich and poor is starting to close.But their improved performances may still be in vain with the International Rugby Board (IRB) considering a proposal to reduce the number of teams from 20 to 16 at the next World Cup in New Zealand in 2011.Nampa-Reuters