Rugby World Cup 2011

[Sharky Pete]

John O'Neill issues World Cup spoiler alert

Jamie Pandaram
From: News Limited newspapers
September 06, 2011 12:00am

AUSTRALIAN Rugby Union chief John O'Neill is demanding World Cup referees punish teams that deliberately slow down the game, warning the alternative will be disastrous for the game.

The Wallabies were eliminated in the quarter-final of the previous tournament by an England side that squeezed expansive play out of the contest. O'Neill wants IRB referees boss Paddy O'Brien to ensure the dour spectacle of 2007 is not repeated.

"The teams that commit professional fouls and slow the ball down should be blown off the park," O'Neill said.

"Referees, coaches and players have to be aligned, but when the pressure is on people will cheat.

"For the sake of our game, we cannot have a spectacle where the ball is in play for just 25 minutes.

"This is the biggest celebration of rugby, it comes in a four-year cycle, and under Paddy O'Brien's guidance there has to be consistency. Referees have to allow time and space.

"Arguably we were a better rugby team than England [in 2007], but we lost because they played better tournament rugby that day.

"I don't want to put undue pressure on the referees but [2007] was terrible, it was the worst advertisement for our game imaginable. We can't allow that to happen in 2011."

O'Neill's missive came as England attack coach Brian Smith predicted teams would be happy with just two tries per match.

"Sometimes you've got to do what's enough to win the game. It's more important to get the result than about the style," Smith said. "If you score two tries in Test matches you win nine times out of 10."

O'Neill issued a "remember Marseilles" catchcry to the departing Wallabies in a bid to prevent the heartache of 2007 when Jonny Wilkinson kicked four penalties to lead England to a shock 12-10 victory in the southern French city.

The victorious 1991 Wallabies World Cup squad used a similar "Remember Lille" call, using their 1989 defeat in France as motivation.

"You never forget the close calls, the ones that got away," O'Neill said. "I'll never forget the looks on the faces of Stephen Larkham, George Gregan and Chris Latham. If you had your time again, what would you do differently?"

Australia's first two rivals are expected to use similar tactics to England in '07.

"Both Italy and Ireland play that Marseille-type rugby - they choke you to death," O'Neill said.

"They don't pretend to go out there to play running, exhilarating rugby. They are there to deprive you of the ball, belt you at the breakdown and scrum all day."

Twitter: @JamiePandaram

pandaramj@dailytelegraph.com.au

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...up-spoiler-alert/story-fn8ti7yn-1226129998402

 

[snowman]

nz pissing this one home

 

[Rapture_Shark]

wallabies for me, my country and we can win it, everyon knows we are a good team but no one thinks we can go all the way. but i think we can

 

[deano the p]

My un-informed opinion is NZ will win it for sure. We will be top of our group and then fail to make the Final.

 

[snowman]

i will be backing england, who will fail ****ing miserably

 

[A.Snowden]

NZ i reckon.

 

[djhabib]

i expect the rugby super power of namibia to make a run for the title

 

[snowman]

man, i used to love playing namibia on jona lomu rugby...

****ing absolute towelling

 

[djhabib]

that was a top game, theres 2 new rugby games coming out this month.

 

[snowman]

indeed there is, and pretty soon, there will be an announcement on a new league game!!!!!!

 

[Rapture_Shark]

indeed there is, and pretty soon, there will be an announcement on a new league game!!!!!!

do you know who will be making it??

 

[snowman]

big ant/sidhe

 

[A.Snowden]

man, i used to love playing namibia on jona lomu rugby...

****ing absolute towelling

haha now u are bringing back memories!

 

[snowman]

yeh man, i ****ing love that lomu game, basic as, but **** it was fun!

 

[A.Snowden]

yeh man, i ****ing love that lomu game, basic as, but **** it was fun!

who was the other rubbish team i used to smash, ivory coast haha they were hopeless!

 

[deano the p]

indeed there is, and pretty soon, there will be an announcement on a new league game!!!!!!

Boo Yeh!!!!! It has to be better than the last one surely.

 

[snowman]

yep, i have been reading the sidhe forum, the minute the big ant forum is open it will be announced.

i think it will be rugby league live 2

this time they will have detailed franchise and creater player

 

[dier]

The all Jonah Lomu team Vs Nambia was always good for 200- 0.

 

[deano the p]

yep, i have been reading the sidhe forum, the minute the big ant forum is open it will be announced.

i think it will be rugby league live 2

this time they will have detailed franchise and creater player

Could you post a link to the forum?

 

[snowman]

http://forums.sidhe.co.nz/

they post a whole heap of ideas and crap on there, but someone on there has a contact with the games maker