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5779. alistairConnor - 10/6/2007 2:00:07 PM First up : Australia-England.
This was the bill for the final of the last World Cup, in 2003. England were the underdogs then, as now.
But now they are reigning world champions... They have been rubbish for all of the intervening four years, regularly dominated by Ireland and of course France, even beaten by Wales, and getting trashed by all of the southern hemisphere teams.
After receiving a 35-0 hiding from South Africa, they were widely expected to crap out in the group stage. But they not only beat Fiji, they turned in an excellent match, playing decent rugby... I have warmed to them.
But all of this is irrelevant : I will back any team on earth against Australia. Without exception. I would back a team of Martians too. 5780. wabbit - 10/6/2007 2:28:04 PM Go for it, AC! I like rugby, although I can't say I know the rules of the game. I'm sure if I can understand the basics of cricket, I could learn about rugby, but we so rarely get to see either here. 5781. wabbit - 10/6/2007 2:33:05 PM  Marion Jones' voice never wavered, her reserve never faltered as the words rang out in the silent, stately federal courtroom. She was a liar and a cheat, she told the judge, her eyes never straying from his face. And so ended years of angry denials by one of the world's most celebrated athletes.
The owner of three Olympic golds and two bronze medals, Jones came clean Friday and admitted she used steroids. She pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators when she denied using performance-enhancing drugs, then announced her retirement in a tearful apology outside the U.S. District Court.
"It's with a great amount of shame that I stand before you and tell you that I have betrayed your trust," Jones said, her voice cracking as her mother stood behind her, a strong and supportive hand on her shoulder.
5782. alistairConnor - 10/6/2007 2:37:34 PM According to classical theory, the group stage of the World Cup serves to give a handful of non-rugby-playing nations a taste of glory, but lets through the big five European teams (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France) and the big three Southern Hemisphere teams (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa), while allowing the island nations (Samoa, Tonga, Fiji) a chance of an upset, and an appearance in the quarter-finals.
But the geopolitics of rugby has shifted. The Big Three has become the Big Four. Argentina beat hosts, and co-favourites, France, in the opening match of the Cup. In the end, there was no South Pacific upset, but Ireland were squeezed out. So we have four North-South match-ups for the quarter finals.
And the Southern Hemisphere sides are favourites in all of them. 5783. alistairConnor - 10/6/2007 2:52:57 PM 
10-6 to Australia at half time. But England dominated the game.
For the Australians, it looked like just another day at the office. Not a particularly good day. The English are playing with immense courage and spirit. Uncharacteristically, Johnny Wilkinson missed a couple of kicks, otherwise the Poms would be in front, and deservedly so.
Could go either way...
5784. alistairConnor - 10/6/2007 4:05:06 PM Sorry : two corrections (not that you care...) England beat Tonga, not Fiji; and Fiji beat out Wales, to achieve the traditional Pacific Island presence in the quarter finalS;
So tomorrow, inevitably, South Africa will beat Fiji, and Argentina will beat Scotland, setting up one all-Southern semi-final for next weekend.
Today's two matches will provide the contestants for the other semi-final. And either match can go either way.
France-New Zealand is the headline match, in Cardiff, in five hours' time. But more of that later. Probably. 5785. alistairConnor - 10/6/2007 8:55:42 PM So England won, 12-10! Hip hip hooray Henry!
Now for the Big Match.
For me personally, France-New Zealand is always the highlight of any World Cup. My ideal final.
And this particular World Cup was engineered to bring that about : the favourites vs. the host nation. Each of them was supposed to top their group, and proceed through quarter-finals and semis for the final showdown.
Argentina rudely messed that up, beating France and topping the group... condemning France to a premature showdown with the All Blacks in the quarter final... 5786. alistairConnor - 10/6/2007 9:59:46 PM NZ 13 - 3 France, at half time.
Good game.
Now for what you've all been waiting for : the political context...
The coach of the French side, Bernard Laporte, has used his sporting position to advance his finances. Real estate promoter, casino owner, borderline mafiosi, everything I detest.
So our beloved President, Nicolas Sarkozy, announced a couple of months before the World Cup that Laporte would become minister of sport, once the cup was over. The subtext is that France was expected to win, or at leas to be finalist, and that Sarkozy and his government would bask in reflected glory.
This is why my support for the French side, and my dismay at their early defeat by the Argentines, has been mitigated by a healthy dose of schadenfreude. Sarkozy was even obliged to confirm that he would indeed take Laporte as minister, win or lose.
5787. alistairConnor - 10/6/2007 10:57:43 PM 
Yannick Jauzion scores the winning try.
NZ 18-20 France, full time.
I'm the only one in the house who's happy... they call me a traitor...
I'm only sorry that Sarkozy's happy. Oh well.
5788. jexster - 10/7/2007 12:17:01 AM 
5789. alistairConnor - 10/7/2007 11:01:14 AM Schadenfreude part two : National mourning.
Black day
All Blacks veteran hooker Anton Oliver spoke of the team's disappointment at another world cup exit.
"The feeling in the sheds was like no man's land. Sort of desolate, decayed, the smell of – I don't want to dramatise it – but death, you know. But that is what it feels like, no man's land, and it is not a nice place to be."
Captain Richie McCaw was at a loss to explain his team's performance.
"We can't do anything about it now. It's going to hurt for a long, long time. I'm lost for words. We believed we could come out and play well. We didn't play as well as we could have."
Come on guys. It's only a game eh. 5790. jexster - 10/7/2007 4:33:19 PM I can't believe this..Cable went out 5 minutes into the LSU/FL game and never came back so I went to be near the end of the third quarter with FL lookin good - they had just answered LSU"s opening TD drive with one of their own
Now I wake up to Stanford's upset of USC and
(1) LSU 28, (9) Florida 24 5791. jexster - 10/8/2007 4:00:52 AM 
5792. wabbit - 10/9/2007 12:52:03 AM  Nick Zito was all smiles in the winner’s circle after War Pass gave the trainer his fifth victory in the oldest stakes race for 2-year-olds. While Zito has fared well in the $400,000 Champagne — his five winners have come in the last 10 runnings — the Hall of Fame trainer still is looking for his first win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He’s 0-for-9 in the Juvenile, and in War Pass he’s sure to have one of the favorites at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park on Oct. 27. An expected rematch between Majestic Warrior and Ready’s Image — the 1-2 finishers in the Hopeful Stakes last month at Saratoga — never developed on a hot, sunny day at Belmont. Majestic Warrior, the even-money favorite co-owned Yankees boss George Steinbrenner, was never a factor and finished sixth; Ready’s Image, trained by Todd Pletcher, was last in the eight-horse field.
In other stakes at Belmont, 3-5 favorite Indian Blessing ($3.30) pulled away in the stretch and won the $400,000 Frizette Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, giving trainer Bob Baffert a top contender for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in three weeks. Indian Blessing, ridden by Garrett Gomez, is 2-for-2. Nobiz Like Shobiz ($5.90) made it 3-for-3 since moving to the grass with an impressive four-length victory in the $300,000 Jamaica Handicap. Trainer Barclay Tagg has said his 3-year-old colt, who finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby, would skip the Breeders’ Cup and run instead in the Hollywood Derby.
Saturday was a tough day at Keeneland. Three breakdowns - at least two of them fatal - marred a record slate of stakes races in which four horses earned automatic spots in the Breeders' Cup. Teuflesberg, the 17th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, pulled up short in the Grade 3 Phoenix Handicap with fractures to both front legs. He was expected to have surgery early next week to fuse bones in his ankles, said veterinarian Alan Ruggles. Dream of Angels was being saddled for the Phoenix in the paddock and fell over backwards. The horse was euthanized because of severe head trauma, severe bleeding and cranial and spinal cord problems. Gold Train also was euthanized after pulling up lame with a fractured right foot just past the quarter-pole in the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity. Keeneland is considered one of the safest tracks in the US.
The Lane's End Breeders' Futurity was won by Wicked Style, who showed good speed from start to finish. Starting from outside at the 12th post, the colt cemented his status among the top 2-year-olds by remaining undefeated in three lifetime starts. Jockey Robbie Albarado guided the colt to the front-running victory, beating Slew's Tiznow by more than three lengths. On Friday, Slew's Tiznow's trainer Patrick Biancone was suspended for a year by the Kentucky stewards for violating medication rules. He is appealing. Wicked Style paid $24.20, $10.80 and $6.40. Slew's Tiznow returned $6.20 and $4.60, and Old Man Buck paid $13.20 to show.
Purim won the other Grade 1 race of the day, the Shadwell Turf Mile. The 20-to-1 shot, trained by Thomas Proctor and ridden by Jamie Theriot, held off Cosmonaut by a neck to win a berth in the Breeders Cup Mile. In the Grade 2 First Lady, Vacare - the second horse on the board at 2-1 - won under Corey Nakatani to clinch a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. She paid $7.80, $4 and $3.40. Precious Kitten returned $4.40 and $3.20, and Quite a Bride paid $4 to show. Even-money favorite, French-bred Lady of Venice, was fourth.
 Dylan Thomas beat Youmzain by a nose Sunday to give trainer Aidan O'Brien his first victory at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Europe's most prestigious horse race. Dylan Thomas won in 2 minutes, 28.50 seconds on good to soft ground, prevailing in a 12-horse field at the 86th edition of the Arc to earn $1.5 million. Jockey Kieren Fallon kept the 4-year-old colt well placed throughout the 1.5-mile race, after pacesetter Song of Hiawatha took the lead on the backstretch. Dylan Thomas, the 7-1 second favorite, produced an impressive turn to overtake Soldier of Fortune on the outside in the final straight and get in front 200 yards from the wire.
Artiste Royal edged The Tin Man by a length Saturday in the $250,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting. Ridden by Joe Talamo, Artiste Royal ran 1 1/4 miles on the turf course in 1:59.89 and paid $11.20, $3.80 and $2.80. The Tin Man returned $2.20 and $2.10, and Isipingo paid $3.80 to show. Ireland-bred Artiste Royal, winless in nine previous U.S. starts, ran down defending champion The Tin Man, a 9-year-old gelding, in midstretch. It was The Tin Man's third straight runner-up finish this year.
5793. wabbit - 10/9/2007 3:59:05 PM  The fourth and final divisional series is over. The Cleveland Indians are headed to the ALCS and a date with the Red Sox after ousting the Yanks 6-4 Monday. And Joe Torre is almost certainly headed out of the Bronx.
Grady Sizemore homered to put Cleveland ahead for good on the third pitch of the game, then Paul Byrd and the bullpen closed out New York in Game 4 to complete the third straight first-round debacle for the Yankees. Cleveland moves on to its first ALCS since 1998, opening Friday night at Boston. The Indians were only 2-5 against the Red Sox this season, but will have aces C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona fully rested for Fenway Park. The Indians, winless in six tries against the Yankees during the regular season, are seeking their first World Series title since 1948.
The NL championship series starts Thursday night with Colorado at Arizona. Arizona beat the Chicago Cubs 5-1 Saturday night to complete a three-game sweep of their first-round series. Colorado beat Philadelphia 2-1 Saturday night to complete a three-game sweep.
5794. wabbit - 10/9/2007 4:07:12 PM  NFL quarterbacks who turn over the ball six times usually disappear quickly. Tony Romo 's isn't going anywhere. The unflappable Romo overcame five interceptions and a lost fumble to lead two last-minute drives, and rookie Nick Folk kicked a 53-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Dallas Cowboys an improbable 25-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. Two of Romo's picks were returned for touchdowns in the first half, while his bobble and his fifth interception came during the fourth quarter. Yet Dallas (5-0) won, setting up a megamatchup with the unbeaten New England Patriots on Sunday at Texas Stadium.
The Patriots have had plenty to celebrate this season. Junior Seau finally gave in to the temptation. Now he's ready to pay the price. In a move more suited to an 18-year-old college player than an 18-year veteran like Seau, he raised the ball high while returning an interception in Sunday's 34-17 win over the Cleveland Browns, New England's fifth one-sided win in five games this season. He had two of New England's three interceptions and Tom Brady threw for three touchdowns, tying an NFL record with at least three in each of his first five games. The Patriots became the fourth team to start a season with five wins by at least 17 points, although Sunday's margin was their smallest.
No Marvin Harrison and no Joseph Addai proved no problem for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Playing without five injured starters, including two key players in their high-scoring offense, the Colts dominated the clock and their improving defense never gave Tampa Bay a chance in a 33-14 blowout. Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning made it look easy by throwing two touchdowns, while first-time starter Kenton Keith rushed for 121 yards and two more scores.
NFL scores
5795. alistairconnor - 10/9/2007 6:07:19 PM The prospect of a Rugby World Cup semi-final between England and France, this Saturday in Paris, is stirring passions and inspiring epic poetry pastiches on the Guardian's blogs.
To Autumn
Season of green-and-yellow mirthlessness!
Close bosom-buddy of the Kiwi fruit
Writes a new leaf on how to make a mess
Of climbing the tree by the direct route.
The Southern hemisphere is half the world,
And all its nations have performed with zeal;
Casting off doubt to play with heart and soul.
Yet hate -a blossom nurtured by O'Neil-
Caused a late-blooming flower to unfurl,
The Rose -shaken to watch its petals swirl-
Did fall to earth intact; unbroken; whole.
While Autumn colours avenues and parks,
The English engine steams into Paris
With customary smoke and fire and sparks,
To meet their match: the ancient enemy!
A Nation wrapped up in their vict'ry dance,
For having whipped the All Blacks, dressed in grey,
It sees a light-blue Puma as its foe,
And doesn't give the Men in White a chance.
Politicising sport turns thoughts astray;
Laporte, so keen to leave without delay,
Forgets the English storming the chateau!
Where are the songs they sing? Ay, where are they?
Is one: "They've all gone quiet over there!"?--
The only chant they know: "On a gagné!"
Cannot be sung this day, save in despair;
When faced with fifteen yeomen, strong and true,
The Gallic spirit sags instead of soars,
And reedy voices their alarm intone;
A siren that sweet chariots can subdue:
Le Coq is silenced by the bulldog's roars!
Now England's bouncers have flung wide the doors,
And France has left the building; they are gone!
To which a Francophile replies :
La Bete Sans Merci
O what can ail thee, Number Eight,
Supine and barely breathing?
The scrum has crumbled like a cake,
And O, the merde you're in!
O what can ail thee, outside half,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The Chabal's facial-hair is full,
And your half-back's done.
I see a foot upon thy throat
With muddied boot and stocking blue,
And on thy chest a fading rose
Fast withereth too.
"I met a Frenchman built like Meads,
Full bearded and of power tidal,
His hair was long, his tackle high,
And his eyes were homicidal.
"He won the scrum against the head,
And breakdown too, and lineout thrown;
He ran through us as he did please;
He weighed eighteen stone.
"We set on him our Raging Bull,
And Corry, Kay, but all game long
With sideburns fine he did his thing,
This French King Kong.
"He trampled us beneath his feet,
He tore our backrow arseholes new,
And sure in language strange he said--
"Anglais, adieu."
"They took us to la laverie;
Not Sheridan nor Simon Shaw
Could stop their wild wild tries
(Elissade four).
"And there they left us all bereft,
Where once we'd dream'd--Ah! cruel chance!
The sweetest dream we ever dream'd
Of the Stade de France.
"I saw pale Paddies, and Kiwis too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They shouted --"La Bete sans Merci
Hath stole thy ball!"
"I saw their fat lips in the gloam,
Their shiners black, their cries distraught,
And I awoke from being KO'd:
We'd lost thirty-six to nought.
"And this is why I sojourn here,
All foetally curled up,
Though the fans have left the Stade de France.
We've lost the damn World Cup."
5796. robertjayb - 10/10/2007 11:18:10 PM One more appeal for Landis...
LOS ANGELES: Floyd Landis will appeal his doping case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, his last chance to retain his 2006 Tour de France title.
An arbitration panel ruled against Landis last month, upholding the results of a test that showed the American cyclist used synthetic testosterone to fuel his spectacular comeback Tour victory.
That decision meant Landis must forfeit his title and is subject to a two-year ban, retroactive to Jan. 30.
5797. robertjayb - 10/10/2007 11:18:51 PM check... 5798. jexster - 10/11/2007 12:22:34 AM Tiger bait
Tiger bait
Tiger bait
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