With the RWC just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to look back during the next few weeks at some of the classic matches seen at the World Cup over the years. This video contains highlights from the France versus New Zealand semi-final encounter played at Twickenham, England in 1999. We’d love to hear your recollections of this match.
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August 1st 2007 @ 1:36pm
Sam Taulelei said | August 1st 2007 @ 1:36pm | Report comment
I remember watching it live at 3am in the morning and thinking at halftime that the All Blacks had it in the bag and then watching in amazement the French turnaround.
I was shattered that we had lost the game but still enjoyed the rugby played by the French, it was one of those moments that encapsulates all that is good about French rugby and leaves you wondering why they can’t play like that all the time. Must be that Gallic temperament.
One lasting memory I do have of that game is the sight of Jonah waiting on the ground to congratulate the French players after the game when the rest of his team had already left for the changing rooms. Jonah was pure class that day both on and off the field.
August 1st 2007 @ 1:46pm
Matt said | August 1st 2007 @ 1:46pm | Report comment
Here, here Sam…
I remember that as well and actually wrote a letter to the NZRU commending Jonah for his sportsmanship.
What a champion he was…Just about the perfect rugby player. I kind of hope he doesn’t make a comeback because he’ll never be able to live up to what he was…Why mess with perfection.
August 1st 2007 @ 2:01pm
Sam Taulelei said | August 1st 2007 @ 2:01pm | Report comment
Couldn’t agree with you more and he was my next door neighbour for three years when I was living in Wellington, top bloke and top car!!!
August 1st 2007 @ 2:45pm
Matt said | August 1st 2007 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
I taped the game and watched it over and over…not because I enjoyed watching the All Blacks get beat but just because of the nature of the game. It was so frantic and the drama as the tide was turning was unforgettable.
Spiro…Could you make the next game featured the Australia v Ireland and I’ll see if I can get Marty Roebuck to log on and give us his thoughts???
August 1st 2007 @ 3:12pm
Sam Taulelei said | August 1st 2007 @ 3:12pm | Report comment
If we can request RWC games to be featured can I ask for highlights from Samoa v England 2003, in my mind the best game from the last world cup and Brian Lima’s tackle on Derrick Hougaard.
It’s amazing that the chiropractor will be playing at his fifth world cup and it’s a feat that will be hard to equal and never bettered.
August 1st 2007 @ 3:32pm
Matt said | August 1st 2007 @ 3:32pm | Report comment
Yeah,
Lima scares me…the nickname says it all. Maybe the Wales v Western Samoa from ’91 where Apollo Perilini and Junior Paramore went beserk and busted a couple of Welshmen.
We had the misfortune of being pooled with a team containing Frank Bunce, Lolani Coco, Apollo Perilini, Pat Lam and Michael Jones at the Hawaiaan Harlequins 7′s in ’92. They beat us 75-5. We were the first team to score a try against them in the tournament…they ended up playing the US Eagles in the final and gave them an absolute @rse whipping. I can still remember seeing Jones and Perilini up close and thinking “How are we going to stop that?”
That game you were talking about in 2003 was a hell of a game…
August 1st 2007 @ 3:54pm
Mart said | August 1st 2007 @ 3:54pm | Report comment
I was at this game and the semi the day before. Agree with the previous comment that the entire crowd, expecting a NZ easy win, got behind the French in the 2nd half (even us Poms). Nothing against NZ but simply underdog day and enjoyment of the way the French play their rugby (or did back then). Great atmosphere, far surpassing that of the previous day which was a cliffhanger game.. This is probably the best live game I’ve seen along with the the 2000 Bledisloe in Sydney, the Eng / Samoa game at the last RWC and all of the Aus / Lions 2000 series. You don’t really care who wins (well, sort of) when rugby’s that thrilling. Sadly the game has become so sterile I wonder if we’ll see such games at the upcoming RWC ? I truly hope so…..here’s to (at least) France / Ireland and Eng / Boks being crackers in the opening round.
August 1st 2007 @ 4:45pm
Stu said | August 1st 2007 @ 4:45pm | Report comment
You mention some great games Matt – I agree but would like to add the ’97 Trinations between SA and the AB in SA, the 1998 Bledisloe in NZ, the Welsh Pool Match against the ABs in 03 and the Welsh Qtr against England (but just the first half)
August 1st 2007 @ 4:54pm
Sam Taulelei said | August 1st 2007 @ 4:54pm | Report comment
Matt
We should create a blog on the most memorable test matches or test series played, some of them have already been mentioned in previous comments.
My favourite Bledisloe series was the 1992 series that Australia won 2-1 but were so closely fought and thrilling that both teams scored exactly the same number of points in the series.
The Wallabies won the first two tests by 1 and 2 points respectively and then the All Blacks won in Sydney by 3 points. It was some of the best rugby seen from both teams and really launched Bledisloe Cup games as must see fixtures.
August 1st 2007 @ 5:05pm
Mart said | August 1st 2007 @ 5:05pm | Report comment
Good call on the blog ! Only matches you’ve actually attended mind ! I’d add the France / Eng quarter final in Paris in RWC 1991, and the Wallabies / ABs semi from that tourno in Dublin (who cares about the rugby when you’ve got Dublin !)…..