An Expat Writes Home On The Cardiff Disappointment

Wednesday, 10 October 2007, 4:13 pm
Opinion: Scoop Feedback

Dear Editor,

It could be said that the last pass in the French movement that lead to their winning try was forward, it was. You could argue that on another day with another referee, one with slightly longer pants, that Luke MacAlister's sending off was a penalty offence only. Can a player be blamed, when looking around to where the ball had gone for an opposition player running into him?

Should the French have been penalised for putting their feet on Richie Mac Caw as he went out the back of a French maul? It had been a World Cup refereeing directive and such penalties had been awarded in earlier World Cup matches. So yes.

That said we had 70% possession and managed to string together 29 phases at one stage so should we have won. Absolutely! Did the French tackle all day and did we play dumb rugby that neglected our strengths, yes and yes.

Living, as I have been for the last eighteen months, in the English West Country it is interesting to see a different perspective on rugby. The average English supporter knows next to nothing about rugby, as long as "Johnny's" playing everything is alright.

I don't think they would know or care why they won, or have any idea how soft that Australian front row are. If Matt Dunning is an international prop I'm the Queen of Sheba. But their team is in and ours is out.

This is clearly hard to take as proud New Zealanders, this was going to be our year, our best prepared and most skillful team. But maybe we need to remember that we don't live in a country embroilled in a global war on terrorism, we don't have 60 mile tail backs on the M25, we are a more cohesive friendly society, New Zealand is a green and spacious land.

Perhaps we need to concentrate less on our hurt National pride and appreciate the privilege it is to be a New Zealander. It's not for me to suggest ways of consoling yourselves, but may be you could teach your kids, be they boys or girls, to spiral punt down the back section or go and play touch with your mates on the beach. It won't make the hurt go away but over time you may remember we are a very lucky four million.

Dan O'Connell
Exeter
England

© Scoop Media

Scoop

Scoop Independent News

Scoop is NZ's largest independent news source; respected widely in media, political, business and academic circles for being the place on the internet for publishing "what was really said", and for the quality of its analysis of issues.

Contact Scoop

• Editorial - editor@scoop.co.nz
• Twitter - @ScoopNZ
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Services - services@scoop.co.nz
• Phone - 04 910 1844