Pool B
Argentina - Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British Isles team. It is today considered one of the top rugby nations in the world and the best in the Americas by a considerable degree, and has competed at every Rugby World Cup staged since the first in 1987.
Although rugby union is nowhere near as popular as football in Argentina, the impressive results by Los Pumas since the 1999 World Cup, have nonetheless seen the sport's popularity grow exponentially. Argentina has managed from its appearance in the international arena to accomplish several upset victories, are tough contenders when playing in Buenos Aires, and are fully capable of regularly defeating Six Nations sides. An upset victory over the hosts France in the first game of the 2007 World Cup, took Argentina to fourth in the IRB World Rankings. The team were undefeated in their pool, and reached the semi-finals for the first time, beating Scotland 19-13 in their quarter-final. Despite being beaten 37-13 by South Africa in the semi-finals, they defeated France for a second time in the tournament to claim third place overall. In March 2008 the team reached an all-time high of third in the IRB World Rankings.
Of late, they have suffered poorer performances, and have slipped to 8th in the overall rankings, possibly due to the fact that they spent 5 months in 2007/2008 looking for a new coach after the-coach Marcelo Loffreda resigned.
The key to their improvement is playing against the stronger Southern hemisphere teams of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, and this opportunity will formalise in 2012 when the Pumas are included for the first time in the annual Tri-nations tournament – long believed to be the most elite of its kind in rugby. The Pumas have set themselves high goals, aiming for the first time to win against the Springboks and the All Blacks at some point in the 2010s, but they have a long way to go
Although rugby union is nowhere near as popular as football in Argentina, the impressive results by Los Pumas since the 1999 World Cup, have nonetheless seen the sport's popularity grow exponentially. Argentina has managed from its appearance in the international arena to accomplish several upset victories, are tough contenders when playing in Buenos Aires, and are fully capable of regularly defeating Six Nations sides. An upset victory over the hosts France in the first game of the 2007 World Cup, took Argentina to fourth in the IRB World Rankings. The team were undefeated in their pool, and reached the semi-finals for the first time, beating Scotland 19-13 in their quarter-final. Despite being beaten 37-13 by South Africa in the semi-finals, they defeated France for a second time in the tournament to claim third place overall. In March 2008 the team reached an all-time high of third in the IRB World Rankings.
Of late, they have suffered poorer performances, and have slipped to 8th in the overall rankings, possibly due to the fact that they spent 5 months in 2007/2008 looking for a new coach after the-coach Marcelo Loffreda resigned.
The key to their improvement is playing against the stronger Southern hemisphere teams of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, and this opportunity will formalise in 2012 when the Pumas are included for the first time in the annual Tri-nations tournament – long believed to be the most elite of its kind in rugby. The Pumas have set themselves high goals, aiming for the first time to win against the Springboks and the All Blacks at some point in the 2010s, but they have a long way to go
Coach: Santiago Phelan, Fabián Turnes
Key Players:
Patricio Albacete - Lock forward who plays his club rugby in Toulouse, and is a fearsome competitor. With 35 international caps, he has good experience, and is capable of taking on the best in the world.
Felipe Contepomi - Captain, flyhalf and tactician, Contepomi is widely regarded as a truly exceptional footballer, with his club side Toulon grateful to have his skills.
Key Players:
Patricio Albacete - Lock forward who plays his club rugby in Toulouse, and is a fearsome competitor. With 35 international caps, he has good experience, and is capable of taking on the best in the world.
Felipe Contepomi - Captain, flyhalf and tactician, Contepomi is widely regarded as a truly exceptional footballer, with his club side Toulon grateful to have his skills.
England - The history of the team extends back to 1872 when the English rugby team played their first official Test match, losing to Scotland by one try. England dominated the early Home Nations Championship (now the Six Nations) which started in 1883. Following the schism of rugby football in 1895, England did not win the Championship again until 1910. England first played against New Zealand in 1905, South Africa in 1906, and Australia in 1909.
England have contested every Rugby World Cup since it began in 1987, reaching the final three times and winning it once in 2003.
In the inaugural tournament they finished second in their pool before losing to Wales in the quarter-finals. They again finished pool runners-up in 1991 but recovered to beat France in their quarter-final, and then Scotland in their semi-final, en-route to a 12–6 final defeat to Australia.
In 1995 England topped their group and defeated Australia 25–22 at the quarter-final stage before being beaten by the All Blacks in the semi-final. Their third-fourth place play-off match against France was lost 19–9.
The 1999 competition saw England again finish second in the group stage. Though they proceeded to win a play-off game against Fiji they went out of the tournament in the quarter-finals, losing 44–21 to South Africa.
England exacted revenge over South Africa in the early stages of the 2003 tournament, winning 25–6 to qualify for the knockout stages as winners of Pool C. They defeated Wales in their quarter-final, before a subsequent semi-final victory against the French earned them a place in the final in Sydney. After a tense match and a 20 minute period of extra time after Jonny Wilkinson kicked over the magic drop goal, England triumphed 20–17 over Australia to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.
The 2007 defence of the cup in France got off to a poor start, with a below par victory over the United States and a heavy 36–0 defeat to South Africa leaving the holders on the brink of elimination at the group stage. Improved performances against Samoa and Tonga saw England again reach the knockout stages as pool runners-up, before a surprise 12–10 defeat of Australia in Marseille and a narrow 14–9 victory over the host nation France carried England to a second successive final appearance. The final was played in Paris on 20 October against South Africa, who won by 15 points to 6.
England's Jonny Wilkinson became the highest overall points scorer in World Cup history when he kicked all 12 points in England's quarter-final victory over Australia in 2007. He kicked a further 9 points (including a 40-yard (40m) drop goal) in the semi final and 6 in the final defeat to South Africa.
Their prospects for 2011 success are mixed – they have a good mix of youth and experience, but have not had the same impact players on top form that they had earlier in the decade. Much will depend on who gets the number 10 jersey, and how they perform, as well as whether or not they will be able to compete effectively at the breakdown.
Coach: Martin Johnson
Key Players :
Simon Shaw
It's not certain the Shaw will make the final squad for 2011 based on his age (37) but if selected, he will look to bring his lineout and ball carrying skills to the fore in what will be his last World Cup.
Mark Cueto
Vastly experienced, very quick and with a great step, Cueto will be a spearhead of the England point-scoring machine if they are to have success.
In the Six Nations tournament of 2007, Jonny Wilkinson returns to action after three years of injuries and bizarre accidents - he even succumbed to appendicitis. But he has apparently lost none of his enthusiasm or famous work ethic, and Brian Ashton reckon he is playing better than ever.
England have contested every Rugby World Cup since it began in 1987, reaching the final three times and winning it once in 2003.
In the inaugural tournament they finished second in their pool before losing to Wales in the quarter-finals. They again finished pool runners-up in 1991 but recovered to beat France in their quarter-final, and then Scotland in their semi-final, en-route to a 12–6 final defeat to Australia.
In 1995 England topped their group and defeated Australia 25–22 at the quarter-final stage before being beaten by the All Blacks in the semi-final. Their third-fourth place play-off match against France was lost 19–9.
The 1999 competition saw England again finish second in the group stage. Though they proceeded to win a play-off game against Fiji they went out of the tournament in the quarter-finals, losing 44–21 to South Africa.
England exacted revenge over South Africa in the early stages of the 2003 tournament, winning 25–6 to qualify for the knockout stages as winners of Pool C. They defeated Wales in their quarter-final, before a subsequent semi-final victory against the French earned them a place in the final in Sydney. After a tense match and a 20 minute period of extra time after Jonny Wilkinson kicked over the magic drop goal, England triumphed 20–17 over Australia to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.
The 2007 defence of the cup in France got off to a poor start, with a below par victory over the United States and a heavy 36–0 defeat to South Africa leaving the holders on the brink of elimination at the group stage. Improved performances against Samoa and Tonga saw England again reach the knockout stages as pool runners-up, before a surprise 12–10 defeat of Australia in Marseille and a narrow 14–9 victory over the host nation France carried England to a second successive final appearance. The final was played in Paris on 20 October against South Africa, who won by 15 points to 6.
England's Jonny Wilkinson became the highest overall points scorer in World Cup history when he kicked all 12 points in England's quarter-final victory over Australia in 2007. He kicked a further 9 points (including a 40-yard (40m) drop goal) in the semi final and 6 in the final defeat to South Africa.
Their prospects for 2011 success are mixed – they have a good mix of youth and experience, but have not had the same impact players on top form that they had earlier in the decade. Much will depend on who gets the number 10 jersey, and how they perform, as well as whether or not they will be able to compete effectively at the breakdown.
Coach: Martin Johnson
Key Players :
Simon Shaw
It's not certain the Shaw will make the final squad for 2011 based on his age (37) but if selected, he will look to bring his lineout and ball carrying skills to the fore in what will be his last World Cup.
Mark Cueto
Vastly experienced, very quick and with a great step, Cueto will be a spearhead of the England point-scoring machine if they are to have success.
In the Six Nations tournament of 2007, Jonny Wilkinson returns to action after three years of injuries and bizarre accidents - he even succumbed to appendicitis. But he has apparently lost none of his enthusiasm or famous work ethic, and Brian Ashton reckon he is playing better than ever.
Georgia
The small, ex-Soviet state of Georgia, although participating at their 3rd World Cup in 2011, are currently considered a third tier rugby union nation. The Lelos (derived from the Georgian word for “try”) participate in the European Nations Cup, and won the tournament in 2001, 2007-08 and 2008-10 season. Famously, the Georgians, lacking the resources of the major nations, made scrum machines from old Soviet tractors.
Rugby union is one of the most popular sports in Georgia. The Georgian national sevens team became the first national side from Georgia to compete in a major tournament, playing in the IRB Sevens World Cup in Argentina. However, the full national team would go onto qualify for the 2003 Rugby World Cup - playing against rugby powers such as Ireland and France.
In the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Georgia performed strongly, holding Argentina 6-3 at half time, and in the next match did even better, losing to Ireland 14-10, which included a disallowed try, three missed drop goals, and spent the last 5 minutes just metres from the Irish line, allowing Ireland to scrape through. Georgia secured its first World Cup win with a convincing 30-0 victory over Namibia. Georgia's final try in the match came in injury time with an interception by Davit Kacharava.
In 2008, Georgia cemented its place at the top of the European hierarchy (beneath the Six Nations), and augmented its claim to be ranked the seventh best European national rugby union team, when it won, for the second time, the 2007-8 FIRA-AER European Nations Cup, with nine wins and a single loss, to perennial rival Romania, over a two-year campaign.
Since there is no system of promotion and relegation between the Six Nations Tournament and the ENC, Georgia remains in Division One for the 2008–10 campaign.
Captain: Irakli Abuseridze
Key Player:
Merab Kvirikashvili
One of Georgia's most experienced players, with two World Cups under his belt, flyhalf Kvirikashvili will hope to create some dynamism for his back line in the 2011 campaign Key Player:
Merab Kvirikashvili
Romania - The Romania national rugby union team, nicknamed The Oaks (Stejarii), have long been considered one of the stronger European teams outside of the Six Nations.
They have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the European Nations Cup, where most recently in the 2008-2010 competition they finished third.
Rugby union in Romania is administered by the Romanian Rugby Federation. The team plays in yellow and blue stripes.
France first played Test rugby against Romania in 1924, when they tried to establish a rival to the Five Nations championship.
At their best during the 1980s, Romania defeated Wales (twice), Scotland (the 1984 Grand Slam side) and France (twice). In 1981, they lost to the All Blacks 14-6 but had two tries disallowed.
At this height of their powers, many felt Romani should have been invited into top-flight competition. There were, however, rumours that the Oaks were invited to join, but refused because the championship took place during their winter break.
Subsequently, with the deterioration of the domestic political and economic situation in the country, rugby in Romania suffered. The country has of late experienced an economic recovery, and it's hoped local rugby will once again soar to the heights of the 1980s and beyond.
Romania played in the first six Rugby World Cups from 1987, with their best result being a win during the pool stages.
Of late, the likes of Georgia have challenged Romania for top spot below the Six Nations, and Georgia, along with Portugal have both won the European Nations Cup (or Six Nations B).
In the 2011 World Cup, Romania will play in Pool B with Argentina, England, Georgia and Scotland.
Coach: Romeo Gontineac
Key Players :
Sorin Socol - Lock and captain Sorin Socol was voted player of the tournament in the 1996 Under 21 Rugby World Championships, where he also captained Romania. Socol has played club rugby in France since 1998, and is considered to be a fearless leader and experienced tactician.
It is significant that Romanian forwards are in greater demand than their backs. That is how their game has largely been - tough, unimaginative forwards who do tight phases well - much as the Pumas used to be. They are more expansive now but have not had development to equal the that of the Pumas. But then the captain Romeo Gontineac is a centre who plays for Aurillac and fly-half Ionut Tofan plays for the Paris Racing Club
They have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the European Nations Cup, where most recently in the 2008-2010 competition they finished third.
Rugby union in Romania is administered by the Romanian Rugby Federation. The team plays in yellow and blue stripes.
France first played Test rugby against Romania in 1924, when they tried to establish a rival to the Five Nations championship.
At their best during the 1980s, Romania defeated Wales (twice), Scotland (the 1984 Grand Slam side) and France (twice). In 1981, they lost to the All Blacks 14-6 but had two tries disallowed.
At this height of their powers, many felt Romani should have been invited into top-flight competition. There were, however, rumours that the Oaks were invited to join, but refused because the championship took place during their winter break.
Subsequently, with the deterioration of the domestic political and economic situation in the country, rugby in Romania suffered. The country has of late experienced an economic recovery, and it's hoped local rugby will once again soar to the heights of the 1980s and beyond.
Romania played in the first six Rugby World Cups from 1987, with their best result being a win during the pool stages.
Of late, the likes of Georgia have challenged Romania for top spot below the Six Nations, and Georgia, along with Portugal have both won the European Nations Cup (or Six Nations B).
In the 2011 World Cup, Romania will play in Pool B with Argentina, England, Georgia and Scotland.
Coach: Romeo Gontineac
Key Players :
Sorin Socol - Lock and captain Sorin Socol was voted player of the tournament in the 1996 Under 21 Rugby World Championships, where he also captained Romania. Socol has played club rugby in France since 1998, and is considered to be a fearless leader and experienced tactician.
It is significant that Romanian forwards are in greater demand than their backs. That is how their game has largely been - tough, unimaginative forwards who do tight phases well - much as the Pumas used to be. They are more expansive now but have not had development to equal the that of the Pumas. But then the captain Romeo Gontineac is a centre who plays for Aurillac and fly-half Ionut Tofan plays for the Paris Racing Club
Scotland - Since the change to Six Nations, Scotland have yet to win the competition. Their Rugby World Cup record is fairly average, although they have competed in all five competitions, their best finish came in 1991, where they lost to the All Blacks in the third place play-off.
Their best form of late has come since the appointment of former England coach Andy Robinson as coach in time for the 2009 Autumn Internationals. Scotland's form picked up with a 23–10 victory over Fiji and a memorable 9–8 win against Australia (the first win over the Wallabies for 27 years) at Murrayfield.
Scotland went into the 2010 Six Nations with a renewed confidence, hoping to build off the successes in the autumn. After losing their first match to a superior French side, Scotland looked to turn the corner against Wales in Cardiff. They scored two tries in the opening quarter of the match and held a 24-14 lead with seven minutes remaining. However, two players were sin-binned in that period, and Scotland strangely opted not to kick the ball into touch after Wales had tied the game just short of the 80 minute mark. The resulting passage of play saw Wales score the winning try and leave Scotland frustrated. The frustration continued in a loss to Italy and a draw with England. However, in the final rugby match at Croke Park, Scotland stole the occasion, dominating the set pieces and continually attacking. They won the match against Ireland 23-20 on a last-minute penalty by Dan Parks, denying the Irish the Triple Crown and assuring they themselves would avoid the wooden spoon.
The championship was highlighted by Parks' influential return to the international foray, and the outstanding play of the 'Killer B' back row: Kelly Brown, John Barclay, and Johnnie Beattie.
In the 2010 Summer Internationals, Scotland toured Argentina and recorded their first ever away series victory, beating the Pumas in two tests, 24-16 (all points kicked by Dan Parks)and 13-9
Coach: Andy RobinsonTheir best form of late has come since the appointment of former England coach Andy Robinson as coach in time for the 2009 Autumn Internationals. Scotland's form picked up with a 23–10 victory over Fiji and a memorable 9–8 win against Australia (the first win over the Wallabies for 27 years) at Murrayfield.
Scotland went into the 2010 Six Nations with a renewed confidence, hoping to build off the successes in the autumn. After losing their first match to a superior French side, Scotland looked to turn the corner against Wales in Cardiff. They scored two tries in the opening quarter of the match and held a 24-14 lead with seven minutes remaining. However, two players were sin-binned in that period, and Scotland strangely opted not to kick the ball into touch after Wales had tied the game just short of the 80 minute mark. The resulting passage of play saw Wales score the winning try and leave Scotland frustrated. The frustration continued in a loss to Italy and a draw with England. However, in the final rugby match at Croke Park, Scotland stole the occasion, dominating the set pieces and continually attacking. They won the match against Ireland 23-20 on a last-minute penalty by Dan Parks, denying the Irish the Triple Crown and assuring they themselves would avoid the wooden spoon.
The championship was highlighted by Parks' influential return to the international foray, and the outstanding play of the 'Killer B' back row: Kelly Brown, John Barclay, and Johnnie Beattie.
In the 2010 Summer Internationals, Scotland toured Argentina and recorded their first ever away series victory, beating the Pumas in two tests, 24-16 (all points kicked by Dan Parks)and 13-9
Key Player : Flyhalf Dan Parks has been and will continue to be a pivotal player for the Scots, with his decisive boot and willingness to run or feed the line when the time is right.
No comments:
Post a Comment