France Come Together To Record Historic Win

France have stayed true to form in this year’s rugby World Cup, and in the week after being humbled 19-14 in their final match in Pool A, have continued their tradition of being consistently inconsistent by knocking out England – a side that have made the final of the last two World Cups – by way of a gritty 19-12 victory.

Having raced to a 16-0 lead at half-time courtesy of two first half tries from Vincent Clerc and Maxime Medard as well as two well-taken penalties from the boot of Dmitri Yachvilli, any talk from the England camp this week of “blitzing” the French inside the opening quarter of the match was soon made to look absurd, and although Martin Johnson’s side have been no strangers to chasing a game at this year’s tournament, the gulf in quality between Les Bleus and the likes of Argentina and Scotland soon became apparent as England swam aimlessly against the tide for the final forty minutes. People looking at the Rugby World Cup betting will have been surprised that the side didn’t turn up.

Whilst England will have taken some consolation from winning the second half, the damage had already been done and France will now go on to face Wales in the first semi-final on Saturday in what the Rugby Union betting shows should be a close match. However, in both 1987 and 1999, France followed up tough wins against Australia and New Zealand respectively at the semi-final stage, only to lose in the final and their coach Marc Lievremont has warned his side against falling into the same trap again.

“History has shown that, after a tough win where anger and pride were shown, there has been a failure afterwards. I hope we manage to do it this time, though. The danger is to spend the week satisfying the media, the agents. The risk is to believe you’ve become a superb rugby player,” he said.

Lievremont was no doubt referring to the fact that it was the same personnel that played against both Tonga and England, and that the vastly varying performances on the day was purely down to their differing mental states – but when France play to their potential they can beat anyone, and worryingly for Warren Gatland, that includes even his vibrant Welsh outfit.