I’m not a huge fan but the Rugby World Cup has been WAY more exciting than the football one.
At this stage we’d normally be watching Chile battle out a 0-0 with Denmark, or Iran getting whipped 0-0 by Italy, but so far we’ve had England claim a vital bonus point at the death, and Japan win a thriller against South Africa by risking everything and going for a win instead of a draw.
The tennis was pretty gripping too!
I had mates popping in and out all day to watch the early games and had really enjoyed the Tonga v Georgia battle which I thought would be the big upset of the Tournament.
I watched the first 10 mins of SA v Japan when Mrs D_P came back from work & wanted dinner and to watch Deadliest Catch as in “Oh no not MORE Rugby isn’t there ANYTHING else on?”
So about an hour into the game we turned back and I’m like “Really” as there was only 3 points in it. While she was washing up I started screeching from the lounge as they Japanese scored that amazing try to bring it back to 29 all.
Mrs D_P comes back sees the score, utters a wtf, and I have to say for that last 6 minutes of the game + injury time we were on the edge of our seats. So expected Japan to drop or knock on the ball. But no.
Utterly amazing to watch, and BOY am I taking the piss out of my Yarpie mates tonight.
Shame the final game of the day has turned into a boring Penalty fest, but I am sure that in years to come we’ll be reading stories of how over 200,000 Albion fans were in that Stadium today roaring on the Japanese!
The World Cup has finally started
Rugby (union) in this case is amazing. I have Welsh parents so it’s I’ve been brought up with it. Japan beating the Saffa’s is seriously not only the biggest sportest upset, but the funniest and also, I watched the last 5 mins. Japan could have settled for an easy draw. Penalty in front of the posts. They had the balls to win the game.
Missed today’s match because I was gripped by the cricket! I saw what turned out to be a thrilling One Day Final at a packed and sunny Lords. This final was played by Gloucs v Surrey (who I dislike, a lot). Gloucs, who beat Hants in the 1/4 final, were up against it from minute 3 and struggled throughout, posting only a modest total and being bowled out a couple of overs short. Surrey, who should have coasted to a simple victory, kept being reminded it was not over though by a “never giving up” spirit from their opponents. Towards the end, they truly crumbled. The last three wickets fell for zero runs with Gloucs only sealing it with 3 balls remaining.
Yes, sorry, its nothing to do with rugby but it was brilliant for the final cricket match of the domestic season. Some seriously happy (and very wasted) fans heading back to Gloucestershire tonight
I covered Gloucs in the quarters and semi’s, in Bristol. Sky cameraman in Bristol. I was worried when Klinger was out for 0
Hate rugby, but yay Japan! That is all.
It was overshadowed by other sporting things
Seriously the last 5 mins of that match,
I was listening to 606 when savage went mental over Japan scoring. Said they were camped out for 5 minutes on the 5 yard line. Could have taken a pen to draw, but went for it. Hats off to the balls of that, take the moment and go for it 100%.
I think for anyone who watched, THAT was the biggest amazeballs thing. Even Mrs D_P was screaming at them to take the kick and walk away with (at the time) what woukd have been an astonishing draw.
To retain possession for those 5 minutes, when time was up and one error meant defeat??? Tbh not many “Tier 1” teams have managed to camp out like that in Internationals and not mess up.
Truly a Global level shock, reading tweets & FB posts from Lebanon, Cairo, Beirut, Manilla from friends who’s only experience of Rugby has been the Heineken Tent at the 7’s. So many stopped to watch.
What is this ‘rugby’ of which you speak?
I did switch over to see Japan v Saffrica play the last 10 minutes of a game involving a peanut-shaped ball where men used their hands instead of their feet, and occasionally stopped to put their heads and hands suspiciously close to other men’s genitals.
Is that ‘rugby’?
Quite extraordinary.
Fair play the Japanese. They could have taken an easy draw a couple of times, but they shot for moon and won. There will be a national day of mourning in RSA today.
I am not usually someone that watches Rugby, but we watched the Japan and South Africa game last night. There were tries and goals, etc - but disappointingly no part of the match had them raucously inserting tampons in each others’ rectal cavities, which I understand is a key part of the game.
I grew up playing Rugby and played right up until I suffered a spinal trauma (on Mrs Zambonis birthday of all days!).
I love the game and the world cup is so much more exciting than the football one. Having the Pacific island teams involved is always awesome, they don’t have huge success but I love watching them play.
The reason I wanted to post though was to highlight the unbelieable levels of sportmanship that exist within rugby. I don’t know if anybody has seen this already, if not check it out (19th September post)
Joost Van Der Westhuizen was one of my favourite players growing up. That aside, can you imagine some of the petulant twats who play football nowadays having the heart and soul to do this?
Huge match on Saturday, I’ll be rooting for Wales. Welsh parents and stuff and the England Rugger team still seem a bit Public schoolboy to me. That’s probably unfair but whatever.
This World Cup is killing me the last game every night/ morning kicks of at 03:00 am just going to sleep when the kids start to get up to go to school.
Who jumped out of thechair cheering when Namibia got a try against the all blacks?
The blanket on the bed moved and the mrs got woken up is all I’m saying.