Rugby World Cup

Subject: England v Australia. / Ireland v New Zealand.

The first game was a battle which pitted the structure of England against the individual skills of Australia. The first 15 minutes were all Australia as they squirmed and darted their way towards the England line. This Aussie ability to recycle the ball from breakdown was amazing and their ability to breakthrough tackles seemed to foretell an English defeat. 
Rugby though is a complex game it is built on basic formal aspects of the game. The line-out and the scrum, the kicking into space and the vitally important issue of not conceding penalties in kickable areas and whilst  Australia have such dynamic runners ball in hand, like the great forwards in soccer who poach goals by individual brilliance this game is a territorial game crafted as much in the scrum as in the flourish a winger brings as he dashes for the line. Defence and positioning in rugby is therefore equally important in a game which is more like a game of chess than anything else. 
England were under the cosh but slowly they took command of the game with the use of their simple no fuss positional play, waiting for the moment when the Australian exuberance lent them the opportunity to capitalise on mistakes.
The game slowly turned around like a tanker in the bay, the emphasis on the brilliance of the ball player was overtaken  with a massive display of tactical rugby to take the game in hand and lead England to a deserved win. 

The Ireland v New Zealand game was in essence marked out to be a more traditional, all encompassing team game with everyone playing their part as check and counter check as the moves were attempted. Unfortunately someone in a black team kit had written a different script. Ireland were up against the grand master, a New Zealand team playing with all the forceful majesty that is their trademark, every move was countermanded as the Kiwis ran in try after try.
The traditional Maori  Hakka had been drowned out by the singing of the Irish fans, the sound swelled and reverberated as if the Irish were playing at home at Landsdowne Rd. You could hardly hear the Hakka but it seems you must never poke the tiger with a stick. They ran away with the game blitzing a strong Ireland team as if they were playing a second string side. Everything they did was textbook rugby, the pressure to gain position on the field and then, with a twist and a turn their back line ran through the spaces which opened up to score try after try. It was a master class of width and skill, of knowing where their players are and the surety of moves pioneered on the training ground and executed with indifference to whatever Ireland tried to do. The Kiwis were rampant in every department and the Irish, like a prizefighter who is outclassed, as the punches rained in from all angles refused to go down, played as much on remote as in charge of their senses.
I think it goes without saying that whoever the Kiwis opponents are in the rest of the tournament, better leave the stick at home !!

As a postscript. 'One of the good guys' Rory Best, the Irish Captain was playing his last game and whilst his team was truly walloped he got a tremendous ovation from the fans in the stadium. A quiet unassuming man both on and off the field he is the epitome of good guy who always gave 110% and yet never played dirty.

He is every son's ideal of a dad and who ever he is, his son must be proud.