What's happening
England - South Africa

October 18 Match

WHAT'S HAPPENING? (posted 19th October 2003)
Last night saw the much awaited, much anticipated, much hyped clash between England and South Africa over at Perth's Subiaco Oval. Quietly I was hoping - well I lie, I wasn't quiet about it in fact I told everyone who asked me - that both sides would belt the living daylights out of each other and manage to knock a few of their key players out of the rest of the cup :) And, there's no prizes for guessing which player I think that England would struggle without - that goal kicking freak Jonny Wilkinson. Actually I believe that he's gotten so perfect through practise - daily... for hours... and hours. I don't know why people think that it's so strange that a player earning a squillion bucks for kicking would practise for hours each day. Surely, one would think that would be the norm for each country's goal kickers? Perhaps not - which would explain some of the efforts from other teams. But - back to the game.

Right from the outset the clash of the titans (gotta add some pathos to this) was fiercely fought. The Boks took it right up to the Poms and the Poms couldn't get through. In the first half Louis Koen was handed 4 penalty kick attempts and had a go at a field goal. Sadly for the Boks not ONE of these was successful. Are you practising your kicking every day Koen? For hours? And.. Hours? That was 15 potential points down the drain for South Africa, and as we all know, at this level you really DO need a kicker who can kick accurately and consistently or it comes back to bite you (we've seen it with Matt Burke time and time again for the Wallabes - here's hoping Elton Flatley keeps getting kicking duties for us). Despite Koen's 5 misses he did manage to slot a couple, as did Jonny Wilkinson in the first half making the half time score 6 a piece.

Despite England grabbing a couple of penalty goals in the first part of the second half the Boks continued to look very dangerous for England. Woodward scored the only try of the match. Jonny - I've typed his name so often I feel like we're on a first name basis now :) of course converted and England's game lifted. When Johnny slotted a field goal late in the match it was all over red rover. England gets 4 points for the win, but no bonus point, South Africa also dipped out on a bonus point for not finishing within 7 points of South Africa. As for me and my 'quiet' hopes? Dashed! heh :)