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While there will be no prizes, nor statistics generated, I thought it might be fun to vote for a match-of-the-round, based on last weekend’s games.
Depending on responses, I could turn this into a weekly thing.
The candidates are as follows:
New Zealand versus Tonga
This was won by New Zealand comfortably on the score-sheet. Even though this signalled the start of an event I and many others had looked forward to for ages, I found it a bit of a boring game.
The result was never in doubt – we didn’t see a miraculously ‘inspired’ Tonga as we have with other teams. And for me the All Blacks won playing sensible, pressuring rugby as opposed to scintillating flashes of brilliance.
Scotland versus Romania
Scotland won ugly in a match much tighter than many would have expected. Romania played with a lot of heart. What more can one say about this one?
Fiji versus Namibia
Although Namibia seemed to astonishingly stick with Fiji for a while thanks to a game plan inspired by the AFL, Fiji eventually blew the cobwebs away and stormed away in this one.
I know it’s only Namibia but I thought Fiji were very impressive. And jeez aren’t Fiji always fun to watch – I wish we could see more of them.
France versus Japan
I can’t actually work out how Japan stayed with France as long as they did in this one.
What I saw of this match was all France – they kept butchering things, but they kept earning themselves the right to butcher things. They looked so much more dominant to me.
I know their coach is tearing the new ones left, right and center but France have to get the bad performances out of their system, don’t they? And once they have…
Argentina versus England
Despite this being a low scoring battle between teams who have an openly admitted to the ‘win ugly’ approach, I found this to be another cracker of a match.
Maybe because I was going for the underdogs Argentina.
I am a lot less worried about England now, than I was last week. I know I shouldn’t be – I know that’s the last thing I should be doing – but I am.
Australia versus Italy
I know the first half of this match was also dour and low-scoring but I enjoyed both halves of this match.
I was actually very impressed with our scrum in the first half. And our forwards, while not quite as brutal as the Brisbane game, realised that the battle was on up front and showed up for it.
Ireland versus USA
I have to admit I did not see much of this match.
Maybe Ireland were awful, but I think we have to take our hats off to the USA. They seemed to survive on pure guts and determination.
The try the USA scored with the clock virtually up was the least they deserved. Question now is: Will Ireland come out rattled and lacking confidence or fired up against Australia?
South Africa versus Wales
I’d watched all the ‘big guns’ in the previous matches for signs of which ones were looking the goods, which were being shown up as nervous or underdone, and, to be honest, not seen much to show me much one way or the other.
Then I saw the Springboks’ performance in the first 20 minutes of this match and thought here’s a team not nervous or undone – here’s a team out making a statement and stamping themselves on this tournament.
Then a strange thing happened. They ran out of puff (seemingly) and Wales just hung in there and got themselves into a position from where they should have won the match. But didn’t.
Was it Wales ‘choking’? Was it the South African ‘experience’? Or was it just the ebb after the flow? Who knows.
My vote for the Rugby World Cup match-of-the first weekend then, goes to, the South Africa versus Wales for sheer edge-of-the-seat suspense, from start to finish.
Agree? Disagree? Please comment on your choice.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.