Category Archives: RWC 2011

France v Japan Preview

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Japan has a vibrant domestic league and was the main contender to New Zealand to host RWC 11. The decision to give the cup to the smaller country was made six years ago and the Mole thinks it was an opportunity missed. Japan is 10th most populous country in the world, with a staggering 127m people and 3rd largest economy in the world. Japan will host the 2019 tournament, by which time rugby, or the Sevens variation, will be an Olympic sport. Instead of introducing another Australian franchise to the Super 15, Mole believes that Tokyo should have got one team and Hong Kong another to make a sixteen team tournament. Teams could have been populated by a mix of Islanders, Argentinians, other imports and local talent. This would give the game massive exposure in two huge economies and introduce more crowds, sponsorship and interest. Continue reading →

One To Watch: Richie Gray [Scotland]

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"Slow, cumbersome and like Bambi on ice": is that right, Jerry?

If Richie Gray came from New Zealand, you’d still be thinking that he’s right up there with any of their players to keep an eye on. Instead, he’s from Scotland and there’s no competition whatsoever. Continue reading →

New Zealand v Tonga

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The Tongan gameplan

New Zealand and Tonga kick off the 2011 World Cup. It’s customary for NZ to pummel the other teams in their group and this match shouldn’t be much different. Tonga will be out to level a few big names – I’m looking at you Sunny Bull – and Tonga’uiha is a giant who destroyed some big names during the Northern Hemisphere season. Continue reading →

One To Watch: Israel Dagg [New Zealand]

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Israel and Mils in happier times

Thank you, Graham Henry. The charismatic Kiwi funny-man [que?] made the Mole’s mind up for him, dropping 98-cap Kiwi legend Mils Muliaina from the starting line-up of the New Zealand team that faces Tonga in the opening match of RWC11. Continue reading →

One To Watch: Conor Murray [Ireland]

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All the potential to be the best Irish scrum-half of the last thirty years

The Mole leapt on to the Conor Murray bandwagon with impromptu haste. The young Garryowen scrum-half was introduced at half-time to replace hotly-tipped team-mate Duncan Williams in a Leinster A vs Munster A encounter in Donnybrook last August, and all of a sudden there was a huge increase in tempo every time Munster were on the attack. Continue reading →

One To Watch: Manu Tuilagi [England]

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Whaddaya mean 'one-dimensional'? I can do happy AND sad.

Manu Tuilagi – arnchajusickovim? The Rosbif press have a habit of hyping their players out of the stratosphere at the first sign of international accomplishment. Maybe all national rugby correspondents are guilty of it, and we just pick on poor old Angleterre; certainly the Irish rugby media have never been slow to sing the praises of Keith Earls or Luke Fitzgerald. However, I think it’s fair to say that no Northern Hemisphere rugby press is quicker to acclaim or to damn than the hacks of Fleet Street and Wapping. Continue reading →

Crystal Ball Gazing #1

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Pool A: NZ, France, Tonga, Japan, Canada

Pool A hosts the opening game of the World Cup so look forward to discussion about the merits of warm up games ending and the real stuff beginning.

The first Rugby World Cup opened with New Zealand annihilating Italy and winning by massive margins in the pool stages has become a New Zealand tradition. New Zealand and France will qualify from this pool, in that order. None of the other teams really have a chance of upsetting the top two, who could pick any selection from their squads and win the three games required. Of more interest will be the composition of Henry and Lievremont’s first choice XVs. Who will Graham Henry allow into his prefect’s club? His rotation of the starting halfbacks could be the rock upon which this World Cup tilt perishes. There’s a nagging suspicion that Lievremont picks his team blindfolded, after a few glasses of red wine. France have the personnel to go far in the competition but rarely set the pool stages alight and often make heavy work of less talented opposition. Continue reading →