Rugby World Cup

[Dante Lavelli]

What a bollocks sending off.

I think that the "tabloid" ITV commentators have built up the controversy of that decision in order to increase the game's drama and get people talking.  It looked a yellow to me, so yellow to red isn't such a great leap.

[taylorsworkrate]

I thought it was a yellow at a push. 

Warburton lifted the French player off the ground, but didn't forcefully drive him back down by any means.  The referee seemed very weak in the face of an overreaction from the French players.

[taylorsworkrate]

The worst thing for me is that France now look certain to get to a world cup final by default.

I think Wales are the better team by quite a distance.

[Small Rodent]

A semi-final line-up where two of the teams have lost a game and one, France, has lost 2 games!

[Dante Lavelli]

I think Wales are the better team by quite a distance.

That's true.  NZ will then win it at a canter, having played only one hard match vs Australia.  All too predictable, yet England and France are no where near the level they should be at.  Fair play to Wales and Ireland for at least looking like they're somewhere near the top of their games otherwise the Northern Hemisphere would not have turned up.

[Chris Smith]

The Welsh have been very impressive. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves over the ridiculous sending off they've just got on with it. This is where I remember that my nan's maiden name was Jones.

[taylorsworkrate]

I'll be backing whoever plays France in the final now.

They've scraped through their pool losing two games, came up against a pitiful English performance and have been easily matched by a 14 man Wales.

Although I have a bad feeling their luck won't run out.

[cheltenhamlion]

I called an Aussie victory before the tournament started and am sticking by that. Fuck the Welsh. I had to put up with loads of the French supporting gobshites last weekend.

[villan1975]

I called an Aussie victory before the tournament started and am sticking by that. Fuck the Welsh. I had to put up with loads of the French supporting gobshites last weekend.

Amen to that one.
Team may well have played with dignity but all week all the welsh fans
I work with or know have talked about is bloody England.
Ha ha,Allez le Bleu!!

[Chris Smith]

Shudder, an Englishman cheering for the French - it's against the laws of nature.

The All Blacks without Carter are not quite such a dominant force but it's still their tournament to lose.

[villan1975]

Shudder, an Englishman cheering for the French - it's against the laws of nature.

The All Blacks without Carter are not quite such a dominant force but it's still their tournament to lose.

Not if you live as dangerously close to the border as I do.Wales played some of the best rugby of the tournmanent but was this mentioned?Hell no it was Wilkinson this and Wilkinson that.

[Chris Smith]

Shudder, an Englishman cheering for the French - it's against the laws of nature.

The All Blacks without Carter are not quite such a dominant force but it's still their tournament to lose.

Not if you live as dangerously close to the border as I do.Wales played some of the best rugby of the tournmanent but was this mentioned?Hell no it was Wilkinson this and Wilkinson that.

Fair point, I hadn't clocked your location. It's going to be like watching Blues Albion next week, disliking both teams intensely but knowing only one of them can lose.

[Mac]

I thought it was a yellow at a push. 

Warburton lifted the French player off the ground, but didn't forcefully drive him back down by any means.  The referee seemed very weak in the face of an overreaction from the French players.

The rule changed last October.  If the tackler lifts a player off his feet he has a duty to put him down safely, not drop him.  Yes it could have been a yellow, but it wasn't wrong to give him a red.

[Somniloquism]

I only caught some of the last 10 mins but the Welsh could have easily kicked a drop goal around the 71 min mark to attempt to win but tried to get the big score. So whatever the controversy over the red card, they have only themselves to blame for losing really.

[PaulWinch again]

Well done the All Blacks.