Wales and France go through - RWC 2011 quarter finals

Ireland 10 - Wales 22
Ooh la la! This was rugby at it's most exciting. Wales have announced themselves on the world stage with an impassioned win against Ireland.  I have to eat all my words for my first two quarter final predictions. I really thought Ireland were going to win this game, but their backs had no answer to a striking Welsh rush defence and an excellent forward effort. How wonderful for Wales, a true rugby nation that endeavours to play exciting ball in hand rugger.  They must be drunk in the valleys tonight. No wonder Warren Gatland couldn't wipe the smile off his face.  He has done wonders with this Welsh team. They always had the players, but now they have the confidence, the fitness levels and the belief as well. They could really go all the way. I almost could handle Wales winning this thing (almost, but not quite).

England 12-19 France
Meanwhile on the other side of the drawer England put up a spirited second half attack to try and claw their way back from a 16 - 0 deficit after France's flying start in the first half. Which French team turned up to play? The one that continually surprises on the world cup stage, and that's why we love France so much. Somebody said on twitter that when England loses, it is good for rugby. I don't want to be too mean to England because they've had a hard time of it in this tournament and I genuinely felt for Lewis Moody who gave a very gracious post match speech. However, if England had progressed to the final stages of this world cup, it would have been a travesty. They have not brought anything to the game in the last eight years and they did not deserve to be in the top four.  They are soaking in wealth and get to call the shots with timetables and their powerful money hungry clubs.  But they just haven't added anything to the international stage for quite some time. It's official, winning ugly is finally out of fashion. So justice has prevailed. It was still a cracking match though, nailbiting until the end.

As Slugso said - the north have zipped up the once gaping hole in skills between the south.  This world cup is turning into a true classic. Shades of 1987 are beginning to shine through the clouds.....

Six Nations 2011 review

And the moral of the story is, don't count your chickens, as this Nike Grand Slam England 2011 video would testify....



Grand slammers: no-one.
Winners of the Six Nations: England.
Most emotional moment: Italy beating France and Nick Mallet's tears of joy.
Best try: Imanol Hardinordoquy for France against Scotland.
Peter de Villiers award for craziest coaching speech: France's Lievremont announcing that his team has 'betrayed' him after they fall to Italy by one point and branding them as cowards, followed closely by the dour Warren Gatland moaning about Ireland's penalty count when in fact the Welsh had the highest penalty count of the lot.
Best individual performance by a back: Chris Ashton's four try swallow diving extravanganza against Italy.
Most scandalous moment: the illegal throw in by Wales to clinch a try after the ball boy and touch judge got rule 19.2 in the rugby book wrong.
Most huffiest commentator: Brian Moore for the beeb although kudos to him for being possibly the first man in the history of the sport to use the word 'hitherto' while commentating on a game of rugger.
Best match: A dead heat - Ireland V England and Italy V France.
Worst match: Scotland V Wales (I did the unthinkable and fell asleep during an international test match).
Most overrated first five eighth: Toby Flood.
Funniest quote: Keith Wood - 'Ronan O'Gara makes kicking look sexy'.
What referrees really should say: 'Crouch, touch, put the kettle on for a cup of tea, engage.'
Team that consistently has the most internal dramas: Wales, always Wales.
Fading star: Chabal.
Skill quality of the rugby played: 7/10.
Entertainment quality of the rugby played (bar Scotland V Wales): 9/10.
Best performance of the tournament: Ireland in 'that' test.
Teams on this showing that would deserve to make it to a RWC semi or final: possibly Ireland.
Teams that probably will make it to a semi/final even though at this moment in time I don't think they have a hope in hell, but stranger things happen during a knock-out comp: France or England.

IRB rankings after the 2011 Six Nations: 1. NZ, 2. Australia, 3. South Africa, 4. Ireland (up 2 places), 5. England (down 1 place), 6. France (down 1 place), 7. Wales, 8. Argentina, 9. Scotland, 10. Fiji, 11. Samoa, 12. Italy

Six Nations XV:
15. Adrea Masi (Italy)/Chris Patterson (Scotland), 14. Chris Ashton (England), 13. Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), 12. Gordon D'Arcy (Ireland), 11. Tommy Bowe (Ireland), 10 Jonny Wilkinson (England), 9. Mortan Parra (France), 8. Sergio Parisse (Italy), 7. Sam Warburton (Wales), 6. Sean O'Brien (Ireland), 5, Paul O'Connell (Ireland), 4. Richie Gray (Scotland), 3. Martin Castrogiovanni (Italy), 2. Dylan Hartley (England), 1. Thomas Domingo (France).