Fw: Update number 3

Good morning to everyone in the Nobs World Cup Rugby World.  We have received another transmission from the RWC and our reporter John Truman.

 

From: John Truman [mailto:john.truman@sympatico.ca]
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 6:18 PM
To: Craig Morley
Subject: Update number 3

 

Hi Craig,

Well what a weekend again. We have got over our disappointment and rage and are enjoying ourselves up in the Bay of Islands. The Cruise ship sailed up from Auckland yesterday and we will be going on to Tauranga and Mt Manganui again before heading back to Auckland for the last two games. Currently we're in Pahia a lovely little beach town in the Bay of islands.

I guess everyone saw the Wales/France game and have debated it to death. We just felt terribly robbed. The atmosphere in the stadium at the start was fantastic and the crowd belted out the Welsh national anthem as the French belted out theirs I have to say. But Rolland's decision just sucked the energy out of the crowd. No-one could believe it. In fact we all thought Warburton had been yellow carded and it was only when the stadium screen showed the ref actually holding up a red one that we all realized what was going on. a lot of the neutrals in the crowd felt that they had been screwed out of watching a decent game. Since then you can imagine the debate that has been going on including the panel of experts (ex Internationals from several nations) that they have on the ship. the French of course are keeping a low profile but everyone else is saying it was wrong. Actually the Welsh camp seem to have accepted it and the subsequent ban and are at least saying they are going to try hard to come third. So we'll see. The South Africans though are still sore about Bryce Lawrence so I suppose it's all relative.

As for the All Blacks they seem unbeatable. They play with an intensity that no-one else seems to have and would likely have beaten Wales in the final anyway. What is interesting though is that their fans seem genuinely relieved that they have reached the final. I guess they have been disappointed in the past. I think they can put 40 points on France so it could be the most one sided final ever. We'll just have to see what France turn up with.

Anyway that's all for now. will send a last update sometime after the final as we are heading down to the South Island early the next morning.

Haven't seen any sign of Monte or Dave but have been in touch with Steve Jack and talk about a small world, Jan has actually met a girl here she went to school with in Wales. She hasn't seen her in 45 years and she turns up with her husband on the ship in the cabin right next door to us.

Take care all....JKT