RWC Weekly Wrap

Welcome to a new regular feature at Talking Rugby Union where will take a look back at the good, the bad and the funny of the Rugby World Cup over the past week.

We start with a look at a bumper opening weekend that brought thrills, spills and everything in between. So sit back, put your feet up and enjoy our brief overview of the unmissable events of the past week.

Hits

“Game on” were the words of Prince Harry as the royal played a prominent role in the RWC opening ceremony on Friday night and it was a fitting end to a simple but effective show. Seeing Messrs Leonard, Beaumont, Betsen and Greenwood in top hats was particularly enjoyable, as rugby royalty and genuine royalty starred together in a short film about the birth of rugby.

Other highlights included a deafening round of applause for Martin Johnson when the RWC-winner was introduced, as well as a special cheer for Chester Williams and a few well-intentioned jeers for Wales’ Shane Williams. George the Poet and Laura Wright added gravitas to the ceremony with their own performances and ultimately the ceremony fulfilled its requirements, providing a compelling introduction to the tournament without detracting at all from the actual rugby.

Georgia made history as they beat Tonga to claim just their third win in RWC history, downing the Islanders 17-10 at Kingsholm on Saturday. Led by inspirational captain Mamuka Gorgodze, the Lelos were much the better side on the day, but the joy on their faces after they successfully weathered a late Tongan storm has already become one of the best stories of this fledgling RWC.

And then there was Japan. The stars aligned during this opening weekend to deliver the most remarkable of RWC results, and perhaps even the most remarkable result in rugby history, as Japan rose above all expectations, beating South Africa, 34-32, in Brighton.

It’s difficult to convey just how seismic the result is, as there is really no comparable victory in the history of the sport. Unfortunately for the Cherry Blossoms, they now have a very short turnaround, taking on Scotland on Wednesday, but regardless of how they fare in the rest of the competition, they have already contributed a truly unforgettable moment to this RWC.

Misses

Croydon, c’est terrible. That’s what the French national team has been saying, or at least words to that affect, as they endured an eventful start to their time in England. France, who are training at Trinity School in Croydon for the early portion of their RWC campaign, have been less than flattering in their descriptions of the London Borough.

A wedding at their hotel caused disruption on their first night in the country, whilst their complaints were responded to by the French coach being slapped with a parking ticket when the team went out for a meal a few days later. Croydon Council has insisted the parking ticket was not revenge for the French team’s disparaging remarks about the town, rather that coach was parked in a bus stop, but it’s far more fun to imagine a vigilante parking warden defending Croydon’s questionable honour.

Use of the TMO has been one of the few areas of this young RWC to draw criticism, with a number of halves lasting well over 50 minutes thanks to excessive use of the video referee. England’s opener against Fiji, Georgia’s win over Tonga and France’s dismissal of Italy were all blighted by referees referring to their colleagues up in the box with regularity. Hopefully referees will be less cautious and trust themselves more as the tournament develops, but it is certainly a worrying trend thus far.

And Finally…

A dozen or so fans couldn’t believe their luck – make up your own mind as to whether it was good or bad - when they found themselves stuck in a lift with Australian RWC-winning captain John Eales at Twickenham on opening night. The group were trying to reach the corporate boxes but found themselves stuck in the lift for about 40 minutes in the build-up to the England vs Fiji match.

The fans praised Eales for keeping them calm and the legendary lock even divulged his prediction of an England vs New Zealand RWC final. You might question the honesty of Eales’ prediction given that he was confined in a very small space with a number of England fans, but it seems that the Australian has lost none of his leadership skills since retiring.