What's happening
France - Fiji

October 11 Match

WHAT'S HAPPENING? (posted 14th October 2003)
Late Saturday afternoon I caught the train from Nerang station here on the Gold Coast up to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane to watch the France - Fiji game. Rugby world cup had come to Queensland :) My entourage consisted of my beloved and our billy lids - a pair of eight years old and a ten year old. All three have played rugby - though girl child (one of the 8 year olds) only had one season because we couldn't come at letting her play tackle. In Australia, Walla rugby (Under 8s and below) part of the rugby pathway is two handed tag as opposed to tackling. Anyway, I'm off on a tangent AGAIN :))

The ride up was fine if a bit squishy - train and bus travel being free for RWC ticket holders and a restriction on parking within cooee of the stadium meant that public transport was the way to go!

Anyway we made our way to the flashy new Suncorp stadium - it used to be called Lang Park, and I have many a fond memory of sitting in the old stands watching rugby league games during my childhood. But the place is barely recognisable now - it sure is an awesome facility. We herded with the masses, just us and our closest 49,000 odd fellow rugby fans, and in we went and made our way to our seats in the sky. Okay they weren't 'literally' in the sky but from someone who suffers vertigo, let me tell you it took me a good 10 mins after sliding into my seat to stop shaking :))

With 15 mins until kick off there were still plenty of empty seats, but within 10 mins the crowds poured in, and in, and there was nary a spare spot in the joint. Brisbane folks had come out to town! The pre-game prattle was non-existent, we all stood for the anthems, though the Marseilles sounded really weird.. no wonder! The choir sang the Brisbane Lions (our local AFL team) team song that's sung to the tune of the Marseilles. Anthem or team song - while it sounded very 'pleasant' I reckon it really could have done with a good dose of oomph - the Marseilles is such a stirring anthem. The Fijian anthem was sung, and then the Fijians lined up to do their version of the haka. The crowd was delighted :))

All lined up for kick off the crowd started to demonstrate their support for Fiji... 'Fi-ji! [clap clap clap] Fi-ji [clap clap clap]' resounded around the stadium. We're a creative lot us Aussies - you can make any team fit into that rhythm pattern to barrack..and it's not something we can easily stuff up either :))

Alright! The game was underway. The stadium cheered when Fiji scored the first points with a penalty goal kick from Nicky Little. I feel compelled to mention that at this stage the little girl sitting in front of me found her voice. And what a voice it was! You know those excruciating nasally wahwah voices that grate straight through the air to your eardrums where they reverberate for a while and you can't help but cringe in pain from the horrid sound? Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh - I had a screamer in front of me.. "Gooooo Fiiii-J-EEEEEEE". Still, they had scored so let the dear little thing celebrate. Fiji's 3-0 lead was eroded when Michalak kicked two penalty goals shortly after. Fiji's Api Naevo went over for a great try and the stadium went ballistic! Sitting behind me were a couple of young lads with the French flag painted on their faces and they decided to rev up the crowd around them. "Chilli on ya boot!" they called out as the conversion kick was lined up. Everybody had a quiet giggle except the screamer... "Gooooo Fiiii-J-EEEEEE! Gooooo Fiiii-J-EEEEEE!". Ugh! Miss eight year old sitting beside me kept rolling her eyes at the screamer and whispering to me 'that kid's a mental case'. I just kept saying 'I know' and was quietly thankful that my old child was blessed with vocal tones within the human range :)

Fiji couldn't keep it together though and Michalak kicked another couple of penalty kicks to put his team back in front. Christophe Dominici the lightfooted winger zipped down the side for a try which Michalak converted (he kicks well too doesn't he?) and the French drove a maul over the try line with Harinordoquy scoring. Michalak popped that conversion over as well. Meanwhile the screamer, having no idea that her team were getting some points chalked up against them continued to barrack relentlessly... "Gooooo Fiiii-J-EEEEEE! Gooooo Fiiii-J-EEEEEE!". Erk! The half time score was 24-8

The French supporters behind me were pretty chipper and bantered with the people around them. There were a few sitting around them who suggested that they could go home about now - even the screamer :) Yes, I know - she's a mental case. hehe.. My daughter was distracted for quite some time after that though. It would seem the Fijian Indian mother sitting on the other side of her had brought some home baked food for her family to munch on - I'm sure that it probably tasted delicious but dear God was it rank!! My son, sitting on my other side (don't you just love family togetherness?) obviously caught a gigantic whiff cause he screwed up his face and demanded to know between gagging 'Far out - what's that smeEEEEL'. I explained between "Gooooo Fiiii-J-EEEEEE!"s the cause - and stop carrying on because I want to watch the football - you know, the game going on in front of us? Why we're here? I'm sure that parents who are reading this can empathise with me about now :) But - back to the game! Not long after the restart Auckland Blue's Winger Rupeni Caucaunibuca sizzled up the sideline to score a blistering try for Fiji. "Gooooo Fiiii-J-EEEEEE! Gooooo Fiiii-J-EEEEEE!" Indeed! But, they blew it again and let France score two more penalty kicks and Jauzion a try for France.

Well, there's a football mentality that if you don't win the game, at least you can win the fight! There's no doubting that Rupeni Caucaunibuca won the fight when he knocked Olivier Magne flat out. That's gotta hurt! Both Caucaunibuca and Magne got yellow cards, and Cauaunibuca has since been banned for the next two matches. As Magne lay there on the field the screamer continued... "Gooooo Fiiii-J-EEEEEE! Gooooo Fiiii-J-EEEEEE!" The French supporters declared 'Bring back the biff!' Yeah well I'd have liked someone to biff the screamer. It would have been nice had she been next in line for a Caucaunibuca thump!

Jauzion went over the line shortly afterwards to score a bonus point for France, then several minutes later bunged on another try. Ibanez and Dominici - who had a magnificent game all round - went on to add to the try scoring tally bringing the final score to 61-18. Fiji had started off so promisingly but were well and truly dominated by the French once they got going. The boys up the back beamed through their red white and blue faces, and the screamer still just didn't seem to quite get it... "Gooooo Fiiii-J-EEEEEE!" Someone remind me to take ear plugs and panadol to the next game :)