England V France

[Churchill]

Paul O'Connell can deal it out as well as anyone, and that's why the Irish worry me a bit. Still, if they get to the final I'll be adding to their support. Please don't let NZ win it.

O'Connel doesn't worry me, one act of stupidity and he'll be sent off. Again.

[Troll]

It depends which French team turns up -the mediocre one from last week or the dazzling fluent one that we all know they can be
Hoping for a good match

& thankfully their old alliance partners the Scots have already been sent ho.....oops sorry wrong thread

[Mich the Tester]

I do hope so. I want another incident like when Will Carling was hit so hard another one of the England players had to point him in the right direction. He insisted on playing on though.

Sums up the man. Carling took a lot of stick in his time about being the hooray henry captain, the nice boy or whatever, but if you talk with the players he captained they'll tell you he was a hard sod. He had to be, to gain the respect of the likes of Winterbottom, Dooley and Moore.

I also think he, along with a couple of other guys (Roger Uttley and Geoff Cooke) is responsible for the change in mindset that transformed English rugby after the hopeless days of the 70s and 80s. I'd really like to see Will Carling involved in the England set up after this world cup, whatever the result. I don't use the word 'respect' very often (deliberately), but I have a lot of respect for Will Carling, and in fact, a lot of serious rugby players look up to him (while still calling him 'bumface' at every opportunity).

[PAH]

Will Wilkinson be dropped for Flood?

If it comes down to kicking points it appears Wilkinson is in poor form at the moment.

Maybe the kerfuffle with his kicking coach is having a negative impact. Who'd have thought that he still needed someone to tell him how to kick the ball.

[dang65]

Please don't let NZ win it.

Reading NZ fans posts on the web this last week, they seem to be almost resigned to failure. Some of them are even convinced that Argentina will take them out. Maybe they're just desperate not to tempt fate though.

In fact I think this could be Ireland's big year.

Ireland or Wales. Their game this weekend is looking like a pure RWC classic. Shame it's not the actual final, and hope they don't do too much damage to each other.

[Churchill]

Will Wilkinson be dropped for Flood?

If it comes down to kicking points it appears Wilkinson is in poor form at the moment.

Maybe the kerfuffle with his kicking coach is having a negative impact. Who'd have thought that he still needed someone to tell him how to kick the ball.

Now come on, it *was* effing windy!

Wilkinson was well into the tackling even though later in the game it was to the detriment of his shoulder.

[Mich the Tester]

Will Wilkinson be dropped for Flood?

If it comes down to kicking points it appears Wilkinson is in poor form at the moment.

Maybe the kerfuffle with his kicking coach is having a negative impact. Who'd have thought that he still needed someone to tell him how to kick the ball.

I was suprised that Wilkinson had two bad days. I don't think he will have three.

[DodgyAgent]

Sums up the man. Carling took a lot of stick in his time about being the hooray henry captain, the nice boy or whatever, but if you talk with the players he captained they'll tell you he was a hard sod. He had to be, to gain the respect of the likes of Winterbottom, Dooley and Moore.

I also think he, along with a couple of other guys (Roger Uttley and Geoff Cooke) is responsible for the change in mindset that transformed English rugby after the hopeless days of the 70s and 80s. I'd really like to see Will Carling involved in the England set up after this world cup, whatever the result. I don't use the word 'respect' very often (deliberately), but I have a lot of respect for Will Carling, and in fact, a lot of serious rugby players look up to him.

If that is the case why has he not already been asked or selected to take on a leading role in rugby?
Woodward was unpopular amongst many players but he had a certain talent that became very effective for England. Carling has never put his hand up which means that either he doesnt want it or he has nothing to offer.

[Mich the Tester]

Ireland or Wales. Their game this weekend is looking like a pure RWC classic. Shame it's not the actual final, and hope they don't do too much damage to each other.

Yep, that's what some of the 'Southern hemisphere rugby is holy and the sun shines out of an antipodean arse' lot are forgetting; one team in the final will have gone through at least 2*80 minutes of sheer bloody hell to get there.

[PAH]

Wilkinson was well into the tackling even though later in the game it was to the detriment of his shoulder.

Has there been word on whether he may be too injured to play?

He didn't look in good shape when he was subbed so wouldn't be surprised if his shoulder doesn't recover well enough.