Bryn Palmer (archive)
- Bryn Palmer
- 22 Oct 07, 06:59 AM
Well, it鈥檚 all over folks. Forty-eight matches, 44 days, 12 different venues and one winner.
South Africa took the ultimate honour, but many other teams and players gave us plenty of memories to sustain us through until .
So if you were picking a composite side from all the 20 nations competing in France, who would make it into your team of the tournament?
I鈥檝e canvassed the opinions of my colleagues in 大象传媒 Sport who have contributed to this blog over the last seven weeks, and this is our selection...
Continue reading "Team of the Rugby World Cup"
- Bryn Palmer
- 2 Oct 07, 06:45 AM
Paris 鈥 So 40 matches down, eight to go.
The group stages are over and we are down to our eight quarter-finalists.
So I thought it was time for another batch of awards, reflecting on what we have seen so far. Again, let me know if you disagree or want to offer your own suggestions for additional honours.
Best game: .
No contest this one. Much as it was painful to watch, as a Welshman, Saturday in Nantes threw up one of the most enthralling games in the entire history of the World Cup. Nine tries in total, Fiji scoring 25 points in 10 crazy first-half minutes, Wales hitting back to lead 29-25, Fiji going back in front, Martyn Williams鈥 intercept try to give Wales the lead again鈥iji winning it at the death. Bewildering, breathtaking, heartbreaking stuff.
Continue reading "Highs and lows of the group stages"
- Bryn Palmer
- 30 Sep 07, 11:15 PM
Paris - As Argentina鈥檚 players , Ireland鈥檚 stood around in stunned silence, staring vacantly into the distance.
They looked like unwanted guests at someone else鈥檚 party, not uttering a word.
They then had to go through the torturous process of collecting a medal as a permanent memento of their participation in this World Cup.
It is safe to say it won鈥檛 take pride of place in any of these players鈥 trophy cabinets.
Continue reading "Irish fall under magician's spell"
- Bryn Palmer
- 30 Sep 07, 06:08 PM
Paris - I was at the Parc des Princes on Sunday as Ireland鈥檚 dismal World Cup campaign ended with a 30-15 defeat to Argentina.
Here鈥檚 how I rated each individual player鈥檚 performance. See if you agree and let us know your own thoughts.
Continue reading "Ireland ratings v Argentina"
- Bryn Palmer
- 29 Sep 07, 02:13 AM
Paris - And so it came to pass. Next Saturday, as expected, we鈥檒l be settling down to watch England against Australia do battle for a fifth time at a Rugby World Cup.
Two wins apiece (Australia in 1987 and 1991, England in 1995 and 2003) so far, a chance for one country to edge ahead, and into this year鈥檚 semi-finals.
Four years on from that though, the roles will be reversed.
Continue reading "Can England dare to dream again?"
- Bryn Palmer
- 28 Sep 07, 10:09 PM
Paris - I was at the Parc des Princes on Friday night as England beat Tonga 36-20 to book a World Cup quarter-final date with Australia next Saturday, a repeat of the 2003 final.
Here鈥檚 how I rated each individual England player. See if you agree and let me know your own views.
Continue reading "England ratings v Tonga"
- Bryn Palmer
- 28 Sep 07, 07:48 AM
Paris - might also be known as the Friendly Islands, the name Captain Cook gave them when he arrived on the archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean in 1773.
But England are expecting a rather more hostile reception in Paris on Friday as they confront the surprise package of the World Cup.
The stakes are high for both teams, with Australia awaiting the winners in Marseille a week on Saturday in the quarter-finals.
Reaching that stage would represent a historic first for , while England aim to avoid becoming the first not to advance to the knock-out stages.
Continue reading "England can expect some friendly fire"
- Bryn Palmer
- 27 Sep 07, 12:09 AM
Paris - Heard the one about the Tongan player with the pop star name who warmed up for the World Cup with a season in the third division of English rugby?
No? Well read on.
Continue reading "Tonga's secret weapon - all the way from Stourbridge"
- Bryn Palmer
- 25 Sep 07, 07:39 PM
Versailles - England may still, in the words of Brian Ashton, be 鈥渓ooking down the barrel of a gun鈥 as they prepare to face World Cup shock troops Tonga this week.
But if the world champions remain in do-or-die mode after their , at least they now give the impression of enjoying their dice with death.
Continue reading "England enjoy dice with death"
- Bryn Palmer
- 22 Sep 07, 07:38 PM
Nantes - So , like , survived what the hosts billed as another match couperet in this World Cup 鈥 couperet being the blade of the guillotine.
One notoriously dangerous Pacific Island opponent overcome; another, increasingly bullish, one awaits at the Parc des Princes on Friday.
The would suggest the world champions were twice as good as Samoa, but that is misleading in the extreme.
Continue reading "One Pacific Island opponent down, one to go"
- Bryn Palmer
- 22 Sep 07, 05:27 PM
Nantes - I was at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Saturday as England survived another scare against Samoa before .
Here鈥檚 how I rated each individual England player鈥檚 performance. See whether you agree and give us your own thoughts.
Continue reading "England ratings v Samoa"
- Bryn Palmer
- 22 Sep 07, 01:38 AM
Paris - From the 鈥scenario catastrophe鈥 of their , the cathartic effects of a comfortable and critical victory enveloped France on Friday night.
Given the enormity of what was at stake, the relief of a nation - and perhaps many neutrals who feared for this World Cup鈥檚 health without its hosts - was palpable.
Continue reading "Relieved hosts leave Irish in a stew"
- Bryn Palmer
- 21 Sep 07, 10:04 PM
Paris 鈥 I was at the Stade de France on Friday night as Ireland鈥檚 World Cup hopes were left hanging by a thread after a convincing defeat by France.
Here鈥檚 how I rated each individual Ireland player鈥檚 performance. See whether you agree and let me know your own thoughts.
Continue reading "Ireland ratings v France"
- Bryn Palmer
- 21 Sep 07, 10:15 AM
Paris - France are to put their opening-night catastrophe against Argentina firmly behind them and pulverise an under-performing Ireland on Friday, taking a huge step towards the quarter-finals in the process.
So is there any hope at all for Eddie O鈥橲ullivan鈥檚 boys? Could they upset the odds and effectively eliminate the World Cup hosts before the end of the group stages?
Let鈥檚 see if we can come up with some reasons why Irish eyes might be smiling, rather than sobbing, at the Stade de France鈥
Continue reading "Five reasons why Ireland can beat France"
- Bryn Palmer
- 20 Sep 07, 10:49 PM
Paris - A phenomenon sweeping across France will reach a new peak in Paris on Friday.
With the country on tenterhooks for the do-or-die World Cup clash with Ireland, the man they call 鈥淟鈥橦omme des Cavernes鈥 (The Caveman) will rumble into the Stade de France with millions roaring him on around the country.
, the shaggy-haired, bearded behemoth beloved of Sale fans, has belatedly found fame and popularity in his own country.
His image is everywhere, on television, publicity posters, newspapers. He even has his own puppet in France鈥檚 version of , 鈥淟es Guignols de l鈥檌nfo鈥.
Continue reading "The Caveman cometh"
- Bryn Palmer
- 20 Sep 07, 12:16 PM
Paris - It is not only England it seems who are struggling to translate training-ground effort into match-day mettle.
The good news for Scotland supporters is that Italy are proving equally inept.
Continue reading "Succour for Scots in Italy mind games"
- Bryn Palmer
- 19 Sep 07, 03:55 PM
Paris - With all 20 teams in this World Cup having played two matches each 鈥 before kick-off 鈥榬ound three鈥 on Wednesday 鈥 how about some 鈥榟alfway through the pool stages鈥 awards?
Not the snappiest of titles I鈥檒l admit, but we鈥檒l revisit them at the end of the group stages, and again at the end of the tournament.
Do let me know who I鈥檝e missed out, which ones I鈥檝e got wrong, and your own nominations for further awards.
Continue reading "Best and worst of RWC so far"
- Bryn Palmer
- 18 Sep 07, 05:53 PM
Versailles - Out of despair and darkness, lucidity and light. Out of chaos and carnage, clarity and control.
That appeared to be the message from the on Tuesday, four days after their by South Africa, and 15 days after their arrival on French soil.
Better late than never, you might say. But from where has this new brains trust emerged, this new well of optimism sprung?
Continue reading "Over to you boys, says Ashton"
- Bryn Palmer
- 17 Sep 07, 05:52 PM
Versailles - For a while on Monday afternoon, it was possible to believe were still world champions in more than just name.
Anyone passing the Stade Montbauron, the team鈥檚 training base in a quiet corner of , might have thought an international boy band was in town, such was the high-pitched squealing frenzy awaiting the squad from 2,000 local schoolchildren.
Continue reading "England search for right notes"
- Bryn Palmer
- 16 Sep 07, 04:06 PM
Versailles - Hallelujah, the fog appears to have lifted.
If England鈥檚 displays over the last few weeks and months were not evidence enough, then Friday鈥檚 humbling by the Springboks seems to have done the trick.
Those inside the camp have finally admitted the reality: England no longer have any world-class players.
Continue reading "Reality hits home for England"
- Bryn Palmer
- 15 Sep 07, 06:30 AM
In the country where the guillotine was the preferred method for dispensing with the great and not so good, England鈥檚 stay of execution at this World Cup could be brief.
Eight days to be precise, in which they must somehow lift themselves from the pit of despair into which Friday鈥檚 has sunk them, and find a way of beating Samoa in a likely winner-goes-through clash in Nantes next Saturday.
No easy task on the basis of what we have seen so far from Brian Ashton鈥檚 men, whose much-talked-about potential remains firmly unlocked.
Failure to beat the Pacific Islanders would in all probability see them become the first world champions not to reach at least the quarter-finals in the defence of their trophy.
Continue reading "England's head on the block"
- Bryn Palmer
- 14 Sep 07, 10:12 PM
I was at the Stade de France on Friday as England's World Cup campaign was blown to smithereens by a dominant South Africa, who crushed the defending world champions 36-0.
Here's how I rated the individual England players' performances. See what you think and let us know what you made of the performance.
Continue reading "England ratings v SA"
- Bryn Palmer
- 12 Sep 07, 02:21 PM
Versailles - So how did it come to this?
After four years of planning - or maybe four months, no, on second thoughts, weeks, perhaps days 鈥 will be occupied by a man with no experience of playing senior rugby union at fly-half.
Surely some mistake? 鈥楩raid not, for those of you of a red rose persuasion.
You could put it down to extreme bad luck, and Brian Ashton certainly deserves some sympathy there.
After all, who could have predicted that
Oh hang on, with his record鈥
Continue reading "Farrell facing ultimate test"
- Bryn Palmer
- 11 Sep 07, 05:42 PM
Trianon Palace Hotel, Versailles - You had to feel for Brian Ashton.
Three days before the critical game of England鈥檚 World Cup campaign against South Africa, one that will probably define his reign as head coach, and things weren鈥檛 exactly going to plan.
Continue reading "Ashton laughs in face of adversity"
- Bryn Palmer
- 8 Sep 07, 07:09 PM
Lens
England opened their World Cup in less than emphatic style with a .
I was at the Stade Felix Bollaert and here's how I rated each individual player's performance. Let me know what you made of it and add your own thoughts.
Continue reading "England Ratings"
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