Reflections on the first week
The first week is over and 10 games have been played - no major shocks, but some closer games than anticipated and some sighs of relief for some nervous fans.
The Eiffel Tower on a rugby pitch
France, as hosts, kicked off the tournament at a rocking Stade de France with a defeat of number 4 seed, New Zealand. After an interesting if somewhat baffling opening ceremony that celebrated France’s artistic approach to life, Les Bleus survived an uneasy first half and moved ahead decisively in the second half winning 27-13. The result is unlikely to change the outlook of both teams making the quarter finals but France must be disappointed to lose their hooker to injury at the start of the event.
Anyone got a key?
The logistics of organizing events attended by eighty-plus thousand spectators at Stade de France in Paris and more than sixty thousand at the Velodrome in Marseille are not easy, and for the most part, everything worked out OK. However, a couple of issues arose during the first weekend that were surprising; spectators for the England/Argentina game in Marseille on the first Saturday queued for a long time to get into the ground. With the constant press of new fans arriving every minute it was both uncomfortable and, with steep steps involved, potentially dangerous. (The next night, for the South Africa vs. Scotland match, access to the ground was much smoother.) But perhaps more alarming to the average rugby fan was that both locations ran out of beer by half-time! Given that temperatures were much higher than usual at around 80-85F, consumption was no doubt higher, but really?
Stade de Marseille - football and rugby
But overall the facilities are fine and there isn’t a bad view in the house. It is obvious, especially in Marseille, that local support for sports including rugby is strong and the facilities provided by the municipality help clubs attract large crowds and focus their expenditures on players not assets used sparingly throughout the year. Hopefully, there will be some useful analysis coming out of the French Rugby World Cup that focuses on the structure of their professional game, in comparison to the currently stressed English clubs and the embryonic American pro system that is in its infancy.
First week results:
Pool A: France 27 - All Blacks 23; Italy 52 - Namibia 8; France 27 - Uruguay 12; All Blacks 71 - Namibia 3
Pool B: Ireland 82 - Romania 8; South Africa 18 - Scotland 3
Pool C: Australia 35 - Georgia 15; Wales 32 - Fiji 26
Pool D: England 27 - Argentina 10; Japan 42 - Chile 12