The News Review:
- Rugby: Wales outclassed by France
- Figures reveal rugby’s ‘dead zone’
- RUGBY WRLD CUP: Welsh rugby embroiled in money row on eve of cup
- RUGBY WRLD CUP: Springbok coach admits player discontent
- BBC SPRT / RUGBY UNIN
Rugby: Wales outclassed by France
BBC News – Aug 26, 2007
France – one of the favourites for the contest – were always ahead with tries from Jerome Thion Pierre Mignoni Aurelien Rougerie and Sebastien Bruno. But Wales showed some form with James Hook going over just before half-time. Captain Serge Betsen was the stand-out player for France with fly-half Lionel Beauxis also winning praise.
Figures reveal rugby’s ‘dead zone’
Stuff.co.nz – Aug 26, 2007
NZRU CE-in-waiting Steve Tew did front for an interview however and suggested the dead time – when fans are waiting for a lineout to form or a scrum to be re-set (again) – is “that static chess element which is part of the difference between rugby and the other codes”. “I know a lot of people who I speak to who go to see a rugby league game live and are always disappointed” Tew offered. “And while the ball may be in play for 60 minutes out of the 80 (in league) there is an awful lot of repetitive action whereas that’s not the case in rugby. Tew’s comparison of union with league couldn’t come at a worse time. While the Air New Zealand Cup has failed to register with fans the Warriors will play in front of a 26672 sellout at Mt Smart Stadium today. “There’s no doubt that right now league is a better game” says former NZRU boss David Rutherford. “Rugby has to be concerned about the entertainment value of the product.
RUGBY WRLD CUP: Welsh rugby embroiled in money row on eve of cup
Taipei Times – Taipei Times – Aug 26, 2007
” Roger Lewis WRU chief executive Welsh rugby was plunged into a financial row on Friday just two weeks before Gareth Jenkins’ team open their World Cup campaign against Canada. Wales’ four regional teams — Neath-Swansea spreys Cardiff Blues Llanelli Scarlets and the Newport-Gwent Dragons — have met with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) seeking compensation of almost ?1 million (US$2 million) for the loss of their leading players for the duration of the World Cup. But the regions who are asking for ?30000 per player involved in the seven-week tournament have been told they will be getting nothing. In protest the clubs could withdraw the likes of James Hook Tom Shanklin Dwayne Peel and Kevin Morgan from the World Cup squad although they accept such a controversial 11th-hour move would cause a public backlash. The Western Mail reported that the WRU’s chief executive Roger Lewis argued it would be unfair to pay such a hefty sum to the regions at the expense of the rest of Welsh rugby.
RUGBY WRLD CUP: Springbok coach admits player discontent
Taipei Times – Taipei Times – Aug 26, 2007
The Springboks made it to Edinburgh for their latest warm-up match against Scotland but getting to Murrayfield for yesterday’s match gave the squad the kind of challenge they are not at all used to. Having watched a second string team beat Irish side Connacht 18-3 in midweek South Africa’s squad departed the Emerald Isle for what proved to be an arduous trip to the Scottish capital. But for White it was all character-building stuff that will come in handy when they have to travel around France on high-speed TGV trains during the World Cup. “I won’t sit here and say we’ve had the ideal preparation — it took us half the time to get from Shannon to Edinburgh as it took from Cape Town to Shannon” White said.
BBC SPRT / RUGBY UNIN
BBC News – Aug 26, 2007
Cons: Beauxis 3 Elissalde. France confirmed their status as one of the World Cup favourites with an impressive final warm-up match against Wales at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. Wales may have been well beaten but showed enough to suggest that they too are finding some better form. James Hook scored a try on the stroke of half-time a feat England had failed to achieve in two losses to France. But France were always ahead with tries from Jerome Thion Pierre Mignoni Aurelien Rougerie and Sebastien Bruno. Lionel Beauxis also impressed at fly-half for Les Bleus but at the heart of everything good that France did was captain Serge Betsen.