Welsh players celebrate after beating Ireland in the Rugby World Cup (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
For once the cliche ‘Rugby was the winner’ proved to be a profound piece of wisdom after two pulsating quarter-finals saw Wales defeat Ireland and France beat England, with both teams (and especially Wales) playing vibrant rugby with power in the forwards and pace and skills in the backs.
The defeat of England is especially historic for the future of rugby as a modern sport which rewards teams that try to play with vision and expertise to provide spectators at the ground and watching on television.
In the 21st century, sports have to provide a spectacle if they want to flourish.
England, of all the rugby nations, has mastered rugby as a non-spectacle sport. Winning ugly took precedence over winning with style.
You always had the feeling with England that they had the chants of the Millwall supporters engraved on their hearts: ‘Everyone hates us, we don’t care.’
Stuart Barnes wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday morning that he deplored “England’s gritty knack of playing no rugby and winning … The sport needs positivity to triumph this time around.’
The defeat of England, especially, has created the possibility of this outcome.
Wales always win the singing with their fabulous anthem ‘Land of my Fathers’ and on a windy, cold Wellington night they also won their quarter-final against a disappointing Irish side.
The Welsh victory was based on a pack that was good enough to hold a strong Irish pack in the scrums (where Wales had the edge) and the lineouts (where Ireland had the edge).
The Welsh loose forwards, too, outplayed their more famous Irish counterparts by winning several turnovers and penalties at rucks and mauls.
But it was in the backs that Wales had the decisive edge. The big centres Jonathan Davies and Jamie Roberts were too strong and aggressive for their more famous counterparts, the famed Darcy/O’Driscoll combination.
What was also decisive was that Ireland played a really dumb game given that this was knock-out final and that scoring points rather than, say, four tries was the real name of the game.
Wales scored a glorious ensemble play from a kick-off reception when play went up and down the field, across and back, for over three minutes.
Ireland’s pack then asserted a certain dominance. They forced three kickable penalties which Ireland turned down, to the amazement of anyone who had any insight into rugby tactics.
The golden rule of knock-out rugby is take the points. From one of the lineout drives Ireland was held up over the line.
But this was the closest they got to scoring a try from the lineout drives. And all too often throughout the rest of the match they just kicked the ball away to an eager Wales back three who were prepared to run the ball back when this was on.
Later at the end of the match when they were down 24 – 10 Ireland started playing the way they should have throughout the game. They ran hard on to the ball. They put the ball wide. They did not kick the ball away. But they did fail to put enough forwards into crucial rucks and mauls.
You could not help feeling that either Ireland was poorly coached or they failed to carry out the game plan set by the coaching staff.
When a team plays poorly it is sometimes due to the excellence of the opposition. And this is the correct attitude to take on the performance of Wales. I thought at times the Ireland pack was getting on top of the Wales pack. But there is a resilience in the Welsh forwards.
The training in Poland in icy conditions has given them a tough, lean look, even with the front row showing off lean, taut stomachs rather than the usual basketball puku (a Maori word for stomach).
More importantly, Wales had a brilliantly coached backline playing with two lines, one flat and one deep.
The running on to the ball was strong and emphatic. They had runners in motion whenever the ball was gong along the line. And in Mike Phillips, Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts and George North they had really big, huge is probably a more accurate word, set of runners.
The former All Black halfback Chris Laidlaw told me earlier in the week that France would beat England because ‘they always play one great game at every World Cup.’
In the pool rounds they had played poorly and lost two matches. They fulfilled Laidlaw’s prediction with a convincing victory over England. They are the only side to lose two pool round matches and still make the semi-final.
France exploited the defensive naivety of Manu Tuilagi by running double-around plays to draw him out of the line and then putting runners into outside gaps.
England tried to move the ball around towards the end of the game. They scored one good try. But Toby Flood missed a crucial conversion. And in the last few minutes England had to score a converted try to get a draw and over-time play.
However, as David Campese said so famously in 1991 when England tried to do the same thing in the final against Australia: ‘You can’t learn to play running rugby in five minutes.’
There was one other interesting aspect to these matches. They were both refereed by southern hemisphere referees who tend to officiate to rewards teams that play positively rather than negatively.
This is a great break-through for this tournament, and for rugby going into the future. Long may it continue, especially in the two other quarter-finals today.
Rowdy
Guest
England scored 2 tries from open play in their QF - Aus managed a 3m rumble from a dodgy bit of work at a ruck.
Derm
Roar Guru
Was just looking at the stats from the Ireland Wales game yesterday in the cold light of day. Ireland - Wales Kick/pass/run 30 Kicks from hand 34 169 Passes 118 136 Runs 95 351 Metres run with ball 293 Attacking 1 Clean breaks 2 8 Defenders beaten 11 10 Offloads 0 126 from 130 (96.92%) Rucks won 85 from 92 (92.39%) 14 Turnovers conceded 9 Defensive 100 Tackles 150 11 Missed tackles 8 90.09% Tackling success rate 94.94% Set pieces 3 won, 0 lost Scrums on own feed 5 won, 1 lost 100.0% Scrum success rate 83.3% 16 won, 1 lost Lineouts on own throw 7 won, 2 lost 94.1% Lineout success rate 77.8% Discipline 8 Penalties conceded 8 So according to those stats from the ESPN site, Ireland had the upper hand in the scrums and lineouts, They had more passes, moruns and metres made with the ball, and 10 offloads. And won more rucks, but conceeded a lot more turnovers. Wales defence made more tackles, with 3 less missed tackles than Ireland, one more clean break in attack. Wales scored the tries, and were worthy winners, but I don't see how Ireland could be described as playing negative, defensive "non-real" rugby based on those stats. Or are the ESPN stats woefully inaccurate?
Colin N
Guest
"Agree with Spiro — ugly rugby took a beating this weekend." No it didn't, Australia got through!!!
Ian Noble
Guest
Wallabies win playing ugly, any comment Spiro? 76% possesion to Boks who were the only team who turned up to play rugby! Defence wins the day, 150+ tackles.
Colin N
Guest
"Who would’ve believed that 4 northern hemisphere nations could give us two outstanding games of rugby as we saw in the quarter-finals yesterday." Yeah and that four southern hemisphere teams would give us two dire games. The irony isn't lost on me that Australia tried to play a territorial game, even though they didn't do it particularly well.
Hugh Dillon
Guest
Agree with Spiro -- ugly rugby took a beating this weekend. England go home to get drunk, kick the cat and shamble around like obese wallopers. Paul Ackford notes Martin Johnson's preference for brawn over brains. He seems to like thugby. No kidding! So the uglies have gone now -- England (No 1 offender) but also Sth Afrika, Scotland, Argentina and (in a minor key) Ireland. Three of the teams left believe in a beautiful game and France can play it when they choose to stop imitating England. Whoever wins the RWC will do rugby a big favour but the successful quarter-finalists already have done so.
Razza
Guest
It is very good to see Rugby countries in the World Cup running the ball, it is about time they took notice of how the Ella boys changed the game and made it exciting to watch some 30 years ago. I totally enjoyed the two games played this weekend and maybe one day we will see these old workhorse teams go into the World Cup in future, start as favourites with the likes of the, All Blacks, Springboks and Wallabies, the under dogs. Bring it on and this World Cup 2011, "GO THE WALLABIES"
Mike
Guest
Okay, I think I follow you here: (a) Australian IQ very low (b) Wil definitely lose next match. Anything else? :)
Mike
Guest
They lost because: (a) They were up against a team as committed and skilled as they were, and one team had to lose. It could have been the Australians, this game was so intense and close, but this time it wasn't . (b) They were somewhat outclassed in their backs (or else their game plan didn't allow the backs to get going) (c) The Australians defended like there was no tomorrow (which in a sense was true)
phil o'donovan
Guest
Irish played dumb rugby.Cannot believe that from an Australian whose entire team must struggle to have a IQ greater than the combined no's on the players backs.How Aus beat SA no one knows,but they will go no further.Against Ireland they were out thought and out fought.This is a rather dumb Aus side that will advance no further.
Tock
Guest
I hope VC reads this because what he said earlier is exactly correct. The teams that won this weekend did not win at the breakdown they won at the advantage line. Fierce defense that did not allow the opposition over the gain line is what won each match and as much as enjoy Spiros musings he missed the point here.
short-Blind
Guest
Loane was my hero ( ESP being a QLDer) - met him on a dive trip to the Pacific a few years ago what a bloke. an Adonis of a specimen, intelligent , humble, deep thinking.... Does lots of medical charity for the community. Just don't get Wallaby captains like that these days, although Pocock has promise. I asked him what was his scariest moment thinking it would be facing the ABs - nup facIng a large Tiger shark on his first night dive as a novice water man, being circled and attacked but panicking going inverted and blowing bubbles which scared the shark away luckily. I tackled Buck Shelford once, Loanes thighs are bigger.
TembaVJ
Guest
Perfect example of how the media controls the world... complain enough about the ref in the media all week and the ref will be ousted on his own. If bakkies made that tackle on brusso it would be 6 weeks and zavossses up in arms. This world cup is a perfect example of how bad the refs have become. But I suspect because the aussies won it would be good game. Good running game hey? It make me sad that the boks controlled every aspect of the game yet lost because they played against 16.
Tom
Guest
Graham Henry, after the World Cup can you take Martin Johnson's place, and sack our attack and defence coach? Many thanks, England.
2many1ndians
Roar Rookie
Agreed Dave, not disputing that at all. I am however disputing Wales style of play was 'given to them' back in the 80's by the Wallabies and that 'if anything', the way they currently play is a style with more a Kiwi flavour than that of AUS, but no, you're completely correct. No one gave anyone anything. Ok I take that back, France may of given Australia inconsistency. :)
kiwidave
Guest
The welsh have always had a taste for running rugby, from well before they had NZ coaches I think. Certainly in the '70s they had great running players
Mungehead
Guest
I've been unable to keep up with this site since I've been out of town, but my mood is slightly tempered by being two from two in the prediction front... unlike some journalists I could name! I did enjoy the games a lot. Basically despite them topping the table, I didn't think England had been playing that well, and that's why I swam against the tide to pick France. And it turned out to be the right decision didn't it. Wales, South Africa and New Zealand are still my form teams of the tournament - Wales did well to come up trumps against an Ireland that played better than I had expected but you can't fault the Welsh in the final tally - and so my next pick is South Africa (who beat Wales who beat Ireland who beat Australia - I know it doesn't mean a lot in the wider scope of things, but it does sound good) to beat Australia. And Argentina to scare injury-prone New Zealand, but the All Blacks to win regardless. New predictions tomorrow!
kiwidave
Guest
that would make a lot more sense if it said forward pack.
2many1ndians
Roar Rookie
"I agree that it was brilliant to watch NH teams playing the running style of Rugby given to them by the great Wallaby teams of the 80s & 90s" The French (NH) weren't too shabby at running the ball in those days. :) Not quite sure their style can be attributed to Wallaby teams of the same era? Especially given the French style of late has been a forward dominated game. And as for the Welsh style of rugby, apart from the 4 years occupied by caretaker coaches since 1998, Wales have had Graham Henry (All Blacks), Steve Hansen (All Blacks) and Warren Gatland occupy the best part of 9 years in the last 12. If anything, Wales plays a NZ brand of rugby, not one derived from 1980's Wallabies.
2many1ndians
Roar Rookie
"And best injury of all" Poor form man.