Centurion Nathan Sharpe reflects on the bronze final © Getty Images

So Australia’s World Cup is officially over with a gutsy win over the Welsh to take third place. And while the merits of even playing this game over and above being a money-spinner may well be argued (especially given the high injury toll incurred by the Wallabies) it was nice to go out with a victory after the disappointment of last week.

Australia finally seemed keen to run the ball instead of kicking it away relentlessly, which was really pleasing to see. Equally as pleasing was the fact that they did not abandon this plan entirely with the loss of Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale so early on. Obviously territory is crucial, and the reshuffle of the back line meant some coherency was lost. This increased the need for tactical kicking; however the kicking was also far more purposeful and effective than last week, with Berrick Barnes playing a big part.

The fact that it took basically a dead-rubber for Australia to finally play some enterprising rugby is frustrating. They looked good with ball in hand and while you have to earn the right to run the ball by winning the forward battle, seeing a bit more of this during the campaign would have been refreshing.

With running however comes risk and Wales were able to get five turnovers in the first half. This will be a concern for the Wallabies; however the Welsh were not able to punish Australia like the All Blacks were able to.

This will be the biggest thing for the Wallabies to address moving forward. Effectiveness at the breakdown was costly against the Irish and left us unable to compete in the semi-final. Stalling opposition momentum and recycling our own ball quickly on a consistent basis - David Pocock has been highly competitive on both sides of the ruck, but across the park, the Wallabies will need to be more aggressive moving forward.

James O’Connor was again strong, and has proven to be one of the big positives to come from this tournament. Despite some early jitters with his kicking, he was cool enough to kick the match-winning penalty against the Springboks and some pressure kicks again against Wales which proved decisive. Add this to his strong midfield running and the fact he is just 21, he is going to help spearhead this young Wallabies side for many years to come.

Any reflection on this World Cup would be incomplete without talking about Quade Cooper, who had had a tournament he would rather forget. But despite all the jeers and scrutiny, the way he handled himself off the field was excellent. He, took all the criticism on the chin but never lowered himself to retaliate or cry about it, just went out and tried to give his best.

That was why it was especially disappointing to see him get such a horrible injury when we were starting to see some signs of form returning. Yes, it might have been a little too late, but on his day he is one of the most exciting players in the world to watch.

With his knee injury set to sideline him from the upcoming Northern Hemisphere tour, Cooper will have time to reflect on the roller coaster that this year has been. This will also provide an opportunity for him to steel himself for next season. I have no doubt that he will return far stronger mentally, and with the amount of talent he has, will be a huge part of Australia’s plans for some time yet.

The Wallaby players and coaching staff will all have learned a lot from this campaign. Beating New Zealand and winning the Tri-Nations was an amazing achievement, but there is still a mountain of work to be done if we want to compete against the benchmark All Blacks on a consistent basis.

So where now for the Wallabies?

Home and a brief rest before a short, two-match Northern Hemisphere tour starting late November. This includes a rematch against Wales in Cardiff and a Barbarians match at Twickenham.

Given the host of players will be unavailable due to injury, it will be interesting to see the strategy and selections that Deans goes with. Moving Barnes into the fly-half role should be a given and perhaps O’Connor may get his chance in the centres, but apart from that it should provide Deans with a good chance to try some new things.

As disappointing as it is to have to wait four years for the next World Cup, we will get our chance to face off against the All Blacks next year. That should be our main focus rather than where we will be in four years time.

Simon Furey

The Wallabies had no answer to the All Blacks' dominance on Sunday © Getty Images

So the Wallabies are out of the World Cup and the All Blacks go through to the final this weekend against France. But before talking about the Wallabies performance, full credit must go to the All Blacks. Even without Dan Carter, our friends from across the ditch came out ready to play and, in truth, had it over us in most departments.

But I am frustrated. Not by losing the game so much as the way we lost it.

Quade Cooper was again really disappointing. It’s pretty easy to sit back and bag they guy, and while I would normally be right up for that, he never looked comfortable. And how long you leave someone looking (and playing) like that in such a crucial position is the decision of the coach and coaching staff. It’s easy to say in hindsight, but alarm bells should have been ringing after last week against the Springboks, perhaps even earlier in the Irish game and certainly should have increased in volume when his kick off went out on the full to start this game.

Maybe all the pressure finally got to him, and though both he and coach Robbie Deans came out and denied it, such a sustained and complete campaign of hatred could very easily have taken a toll. Either way, Cooper was brought into the team for a skill set that that he showed next to nothing of during the Springboks and Ireland games in particular. And given we hide him in defence, could Deans have pulled the pin a bit earlier?

The reason Deans gave for going with Pat McCabe over Berrick Barnes at centre was one of defensive presence. Surely by this rationale, with Cooper showing nothing, Barnes surely could have been given a shot at fly-half for some period, as his defence is far more sound than that of Cooper and he is a proven big game performer.

But despite all that, as was evidenced last week, even without Cooper we can still win a game using solid defence and the right tactics.

Most of my frustration comes more from our inability to make a game of the semi final by shooting ourselves in the foot with poor decisions and execution. Frequency, choice and execution of kicking all seemed to be off for the Wallabies, creating the “perfect storm” for a rubbish kicking game.

Firstly, there was a lot of kicking. Now this by itself is not necessarily a bad thing as field position is always going to be crucial in a game like this.

This heavy reliance on kicking took away from the Australian running game that was so successful during the Tri-Nations. The style of game that had fans daring to dream about the threat we could be to this World Cup. Gone was the free-wheeling confidence that Quade Cooper and Will Genia used to such great effect during the Super Rugby season, and it had seemingly been replaced by box kicks. Lots and lots of box kicks.

Secondly, the kicking was poor. Right from the kick off - that lamentably went out on the full - to poor chip kicks to a return to the afore-mentioned chronic overuse of the box kick.

And thirdly, to compile all this poor kicking, was a distinct lack of effective and pressuring chases on most occasions. As a result, every time the ball went up from Will Genia, I found myself basically praying that one of the All Blacks’ back three would drop the ball to give the Wallabies some respite. But with the lack of Australians running through to contest the ball, it turned into a training drill and the balls were inevitably caught without any fuss. Not that this deterred the Wallabies from sticking to the ploy.

On the flip side, every high kick that came off an All Blacks boot had at least one if not more players hungrily chasing through to contest. And with the Wallabies’ struggle against the high ball continuing on from last week, this proved to be an extremely effective move.

This hunger was also evident on the other side of the ball in defence. Australia struggled to gain territory with pick and drives but were at least able (for the most part) to retain possession. Any further adventure than that was met with swamping and isolating defence causing turnovers or penalties against the Australians. Perhaps we kicked so much to avoid this continuing to happen? It pains me to see hard running backs like James O’Connor and Digby Ioane not utilised when they have provided attacking high points through this campaign.

So now we have a third and fourth place play-off against Wales on Friday night.

The Welsh were desperately unlucky to go down to the French by only a point after playing most of the game with 14 men after the captain was sent off. They will come out absolutely firing and desperate to claim a prized southern hemisphere scalp. It would be easy for Australia to switch off for this game, but they will do so at their own peril. Even though the tournament is not on the line, there is a chance to restore some lost pride. And while a win will not necessarily bring comfort to the playing squad, back to back losses will surely be far worse for morale moving forward, as we will inevitably have to do.

Simon Furey

It was a physical clash between France and Wales at Eden Park © Getty Images

First, on behalf of the true French rugby fans, I want to apologize to all Welsh supporters. Obviously, it's not the best team that has made it to the final. Before the semi final, when talking to friends, I did say that according to talent and will, France couldn't win against Wales, but that the inexperienced Dragons could lose. For the sake of rugby, and the promotion of this great sport globally, an All Blacks - Wales final would have been the best pick.

But once again, France were very lucky. Because if Sam Warburton hadn't been sent off at the 18th minute, and if James Hook, Stephen Jones and Leigh Halfpenny hadn't missed so many opportunities from the tee, France would be facing Australia on Friday, instead of the hosts two days later. There is a French saying that goes 'With "ifs", you could put Paris in a bottle".

That was a very hard lesson for the young Welsh. It is very likely that they will remember this next time France goes to Cardiff in the Six nations, or in four years time at the next World Cup.

After writing about the lack of leadership in the French managerial team, it is now obvious that whoever is in charge of the French side, they have been reading Brad Gilbert's book "Winning ugly". Apart from the defence and a good line out, France had nothing to offer. The players just did what they are used to in the Top 14: gaining possession thanks to a good pack, an aggressive defence, occupation through kicking and no risks. That won't be enough against the All Blacks. And this time, they should not count on luck, because they have had more than their fair share. They need a miracle. And all the comments coming from the Kiwi squad about "unpredictable France" is just a polite way to thank France after they let the host play the final at Eden Park in their usual jersey despite having lost the toss.

It's now up to Les Bleus to do well and change this robbery into a destiny. The two biggest winning margins in a World Cup final were when France played (20 points against New Zealand in 1987, 24 in 1999 against Australia). Doing better this time would already be an achievement.

Jean Palfrey

Maxime Medard dives over to score against England © Getty Images

Take a glance back to 1987 and the first Rugby World Cup, played in New Zealand. Twenty-four years later we have the same hosts, same semi finalists: New Zealand, Australia, Wales and France.

In the meantime, many things have changed. There are 20 teams instead of 16, professional players, strong TV and marketing revenues, but one thing will never change. Rugby is a sport that requires full commitment.

You can't get on a pitch without the will to fight for each square foot, to tackle once more because your team mate is lying somewhere in a ruck, to sacrifice yourself so the ball can be released faster.

The French forgot this when they played against Tonga. Facing their old rivals, England, in the quarter-finals made them remember that this sport is a collective combat before anything else. For the first time ever, Les Bleus have defeated England in a knock-out game.

To be honest, France only dominated the first-half, but a 16-point lead at the break was enough to secure a fifth consecutive semi-final, against Wales on Saturday. They will need more than that to get to the final.

Of course, all French fans are happy with this victory, but the story could once again become a shameful one if their favorite players trip over in the next game, as they have done so often in the past after a great victory.

If you look closely at the four remaining teams, three of them have trusted young, talented, fast and powerful backs. To give you a clue, it's the same three teams that have Kiwi coaches. I’m not sure this is just a coincidence but France will be facing two of these teams if they are to win.

If they rely only on their scrum, line-out and defence, they could struggle, because they need to keep that momentum for 80 minutes. And if you don't want to lose too much energy when defending, the best way is to keep your hands on the ball. The best defence is to attack. Nothing new here, but it's time France understood this.

Attacking doesn't necessarily mean flamboyant moves from the backs. It can also mean efficient pick and goes in the heart of the opposite defensive line. Like any fans in the world, the French prefer it when their team wins in great style. But between an ugly win and a splendid lost game, there’s no doubt we want Les Bleus to focus on victory, whatever it takes.

France are now only one game away from playing their third final. It would be stupid to repeat the same mistakes of 2003 and 2007.

Jean Palfrey

Australia celebrate James Horwill's try against South Africa in Wellington © Getty Images

So Australia are through to the World Cup semi-finals, but I am still not sure exactly how they managed it. Having to make nearly three times the number of tackles and enjoying only a little over 25% of the field position should have left the Wallabies reeling on the scoreboard. However, somehow they were able to put together a defensive performance to defy these odds and come up with a one of the grittiest and most unlikely wins, certainly of this World Cup, and as far back as I can remember.

But why did Australia have all this pressure on them?

Quade Cooper had an 80 minute nightmare that Freddy Kruger would be proud of. Poor decision making and poor execution repeatedly put the Wallabies back under pressure, just as they looked like they might get out of it. And as the game went on it only seemed to get worse. At no stage did he ever look comfortable or in control and that will be a concern for coach Robbie Deans.

Is the pressure getting to him? He had a game that he would love to forget, and in truth he will have to do just that because up against the All Blacks next week, every time he touches the ball he will have the wrath of a nation aimed at him, and any mistakes will be met with a far more sustained and vocal response.

At his best he can be a devastating match winner, but at his worst (and this performance would have to rate somewhere around there), he is a liability. It would surely be too much disruption to the squad to replace him at this point in the tournament, but if he retains his spot he will have to turn things around very quickly. Ritchie McCaw and his mates would like nothing more than ruffling him to the point of self destruction on their way to victory.

But as much as Cooper may have struggled, every other Wallaby lifted around him.

David Pocock may have played his greatest ever game in a Wallaby jersey (or any other jersey for that matter). He was a constant menace for the Springboks at the breakdown and time after time was able to relieve mounting pressure by effecting turnovers. The deserved man of the match will be vital next week, and if he can turn in another performance like this one, Australia will be far more like to progress even further.

James Horwill again led brilliantly from the front and was nicely rewarded with the only try of the game. He is passionate, vocal, ready to lead by example, and when he urged his troops to still greater effort as the game wound on, they all responded unquestioningly.

James O’Connor again had a strong game. He was a rock in defence and made some damaging runs that someone of his size (and amount of hair product) has no real right to make. Despite missing his early conversion attempt he was also composed enough to kick the lengthy penalty goal to give Australia the ultimately match winning lead.

I was critical of the decision to play Pat McCabe instead of bringing in Berrick Barnes. But as it turns out, that is just one reason that I am not a selector. Deans suggested that this was because he saw the game playing out as an intensely physical encounter with McCabe’s rugged defence crucial to any success the Wallabies might have. And this was exactly the way it panned out. All the Wallabies were forced to do a mountain of defensive work and McCabe in particular stiffened up the Australian midfield by making punishing tackle after punishing tackle. All this despite appearing to reinjure the shoulder that kept him out of the Russia game early in the first half.

When Barnes did come into the game late he was very effective with several relieving kicks giving the Wallabies some rare field position which created even rarer pressure on the Springboks. And when the South Africans infringed on a lineout inside their own half, it gave O’Connor the chance to kick the match winning penalty goal.

But in truth, picking out individuals for praise is a tad unfair with every Wallaby player doing their part to keep the Springbok side at bay. All across the park there were determined, aggressive and united men in gold jerseys putting their bodies on the line time after time.

Injuries may still be a factor with McCabe and Kurtley Beale to have tests done to determine damage sustained to their shoulder and groin respectively. Missing either of these two will be a setback for the Wallabies, but the players stepping in will be joining a team that now have massive self belief after defying all the odds to beat the reigning World Cup holders.

So now we have a mouth watering semi-final against the All Blacks.

As stirring as this victory against the South Africans was, the Wallabies are going to have to lift again if they are going to break their 25-year hoodoo at Eden Park. With injuries of their own, the Kiwis are perhaps a little vulnerable but will have the will of a nation spurring them on and will no doubt rise to the occasion.

Most of the talk this week will most likely be about Cooper and whether he can turn his form around for what will be the biggest game of his life. It will be interesting to see if the All Blacks bring back their throat-slitting variation of the Haka for the occasion, but either way keep an eye on Richie McCaw because he will be staring straight at Cooper with bad intentions.

Simon Furey

Wales' Shane Williams celebrates scoring a try against Ireland © Getty Images

That actually happened didn't it? Wales are in the semi-final of the Rugby World Cup? Forgive me if I need some reassuring, I've been walking around in a daze of disbelieving euphoria for nearly two days now and I still can't quite process it. I don't think I'm alone - I was at a petrol station in Bristol on Saturday afternoon and noticed another guy wearing a Wales shirt filling his car up, we looked at each other, exchanged silent celebratory fist-pumps and then got on with our business - being a Wales fan might not be the easiest thing, but we surely know how to revel in the good times.

And when Wales play like they did on Saturday, there's plenty to suggest that those good times can keep on rolling. Ireland are not a bad side, and they played very well on Saturday, particularly in the first half. And yet we beat them in every single facet of the game - we even pinched a few lineouts - on the way to a stunning, statement-making victory. It's almost impossible to pick out one standout performance after a game like that - every single player who made an appearance on the field for Wales played the game of their lives.

And yet I feel I should hand out plaudits for some players about whom questions were asked before the game. Big hand number one goes to Leigh Halfpenny - a lot of pre-game talk focused on whether or not the Blues winger had the composure to cope with the pressure of starting a World Cup knock out game in an unfamiliar position. Well, I'd wager the 22-year-old will be getting very familiar with the 15 jersey over the next few years - he looked as if he was born to play there, being solid as a rock under the high ball, kicking well out of hand, attacking and defending with aplomb, and of course banging over a 50m penalty with the wind in his face to put Wales 10-0 ahead.

And then there was Jamie Roberts - Mike Phillips played superbly and his try is going to be replayed on every 'Great World Cup Moments' montage for years to come, but how Jamie didn't get the man of the match award is beyond me. From minute one the Blues centre was making an absolute nuisance of himself - gathering Rhys Priestland's Garryowen and bursting into the Ireland 22 wreaking havoc that would be finished off by Shane Williams going over in the corner. And then for the rest of the first half he was at the heart of a rearguard action that preserved our lead. Every man deserves credit for the truly sensational defence that kept the Irish at bay for much of the first half - even Shane Williams made a sensational tackle on Sean O'Brien to hold him up on the line - but Roberts is Wales' defensive captain, the man responsible for keeping us organised and redoubtable in the face of wave after wave of Irish pressure.

And then came the second half, where Jamie decided to remind Brian O'Driscoll just why he'd enjoyed playing alongside him so much on the Lions tour - every time he took the ball on he was leaving Irish tacklers sprawling on the floor as he powered over the gain line. He is a man who rises to the occasion on a big stage, and his impact seems to be growing with each passing game.

And there's Sam Warburton. I haven't said much about Captain Fantastic in these blogs, because the Blues flanker has been getting plenty of attention elsewhere, but I just need to reiterate - wow. Before the tournament, people were saying that the Breadman was a good player, promising, but not world class yet. Some of us might have taken issue with that, but then he went about destroying all in his path in the group stages and showing everyone that, yes, actually, he is very much world class, problem solved.

Then came the quarter final, where Warburton would be pitted against the other headline stealer of the tournament - Ireland's Sean O'Brien. Much was the talk of the problems the dynamic Leinsterman and his back row colleagues would cause for Warburton and his backrow brethren. Well, all it took to slam the Tullow Tank into reverse gear was an encounter with Whitchurch's finest - who lead by example in every facet of the game, tackling anything that came near him, picking just the right moment to scavenge the ball at the breakdown, and carrying strongly, he completely eclipsed his Irish counterpart. He is a genuinely inspirational captain, and if he isn't voted player of the tournament, something's gone badly wrong.

And yet, despite such a fantastic performance, there are still a few things Wales need to work on before next week, which is kind of reassuring in a way. The kicking out of hand, in the first half in particular was poor at times, and kept the pressure on us and let Ireland run it back at us time and again. The general decision-making at times was also fairly disappointing - there comes a time when playing for territory is the right thing to do, and yet there were moments when I was tearing my hair out at our tactical naivety. Case in point - just after Jon Davies scored the winning try, Rhys Priesland tries to put George North away inside the Welsh 22, he's bundled in to touch and Ireland camp on the Wales line for the next five minutes and very nearly score. When you're two scores to the good with 10 minutes to go in a World Cup quarter final, you don't need to try to score an 80-metre try! It's all because of inexperience, but the smallest mistakes are magnified at this level - they need to be cut out.

And so it's the French up next - who looked a bit good on Saturday, feasting on English mistakes in the first half and then doing just enough to secure the win in the second. The received wisdom is that the French have one big performance in them at each World Cup, but I'm not sure Sunday was it - when the English put them under pressure and started to put a few phases together they were barely hanging on. Knowing our luck they'll kick on with the confidence boost this win gives them and really come out firing next Saturday, but y'know what - we have nothing to fear. We might win, we might not, but Wales look as well-equipped to win this tournament as anyone else - even the All Blacks. It's a bizarre thought, but it's the truth - our journey isn't over yet, here's hoping we're still on track in a week's time...

Josh Gardner

Well, this is all rather unexpected isn't it? Say what you like about the World Cup, it has a habit of putting the cat among the metaphorical pigeons. You know I'm quite the uncompromising pessimist in regards to Wales, and yet the way the chips have fallen, with injuries and shock results piling up everywhere, I sit looking at Wales, not only in the quarter finals of the World Cup (by no means something I was confident of before the tournament), but also, with the way the draw has panned out, thinking that it's not absolutely crazy to think that maybe, with a fair helping of luck, we could even make it to the final.

I feel ridiculous reading that back, of course Wales aren't going to get to the final – dream stories like that just don't happen in the real world, surely? But we could y'know, it's not the ridiculous flight of fancy that had any serious rugby fan, myself included, scoffing at Shane Williams' claim before the tournament that we could win it all.

The wonderful thing about this World Cup is that everyone looks beatable – everyone has issues, with injuries, with form, with inexperience or with older players looking worn out as the tournament drags on. As a result Wales should fear no-one – yes, there's a lot of inexperience in the squad, but with it comes dynamism and fearlessness, it's served us very well so far and the team seems to be learning more every game they play together – if it continues, the sky is the limit.

And so to our first, and perhaps biggest test in the knockout stages – Ireland. Of all the Northern Hemisphere teams in the tournament they have made the most noise. Their style might not be pretty, but they're vastly experienced and already have the big scalps of Australia and Italy under their belts – they are rightly regarded as favourites on Saturday.

Much has been made of the game coming down to a battle of the back rows. Ireland's trio of Stephen Ferris, Jamie Heaslip and the superlative Sean O'Brien is very probably the best unit in the World Cup, and O'Brien will probably win the player of the tournament award if Ireland progress to the final.

The experience, even of the relatively green O'Brien could be a telling factor. Heaslip and Ferris have won a Grand Slam and been on a Lions Tour, and Heaslip has also won two Heineken Cups with Leinster, while O'Brien has won one. It's that sort of familiarity with the strangulating pressure of a "win or go home" game that could give them the edge.

That said, Wales' back row is nothing to be sniffed at – they might have less than 50 caps between them, but they've been tearing up trees since the moment they arrived in New Zealand. Lydiate and Warburton have evolved into a devastating combination on the floor, while Faletau has carried powerfully and has yet to miss a tackle in this tournament – the future is undoubtedly bright, but are they ready for the biggest stage?

It's not all about the back row of course, the individual battles all over the field will have a huge impact. Ronan O'Gara will be sending bombs at the relatively untried Leigh Halfpenny at full-back all day long in the hope that Tommy Bowe and Jamie Heaslip can cause him some problems. Meanwhile, Jamie Roberts, George North and Jon Davies will be looking at the 10-12 axis of O'Gara and the recently fit again Gordon D'Arcy and licking their lips – ROG might want to pack his tin helmet.

One of the most intriguing battles will be between Adam Jones and Cian Healy – two phenomenal performers in the tournament who might well find themselves lining up alongside each other on the 2013 Lions tour Down Under. Healy no doubt has the edge in the loose – he's as dynamic as any prop in the world (with the exception of Gethin Jenkins, natch…) but he can be impatient and sloppy at scrum time - Adam hopefully has the nous to exploit it.

Selection will also play a big part in things – Ronan O'Gara is as solid a 10 as you could ask for, but is Declan Kidney being too conservative by leaving Johnny Sexton on the bench? Likewise, Warren Gatland's bold selection of Leigh Halfpenny at full-back is understandable - in his 40 minutes at full-back against Samoa he looked to all the world like the perfect man to fill the jersey. But if this was his play all along, why did Lee Byrne play the last two games at 15? And with James Hook on the bench to cover 10, have we got the composure and control at fly-half what will undoubtedly be a close game?

When I was making my picks for the weekend's games, I just couldn't make the call for this one – it's so finely balanced it could go either way on a decision, a mistake or a moment of brilliance. My heart says Wales by 3, my head says Ireland by 5, but one thing's for sure – if Wales pass this test, the run to the final is there for us.

With England and France both misfiring, we've never had a better chance to go all the way, whether it will pan out like that, I don't know, but it's not crazy talk, and for now, that'll do.

Josh Gardner

Can France coach Marc Lievremont rally his troops ahead of their clash with England? © Getty Images

My latest contribution originally had a working title of “From Bad to Worse” but after talking with many friends who watched the game against Tonga the one word that best summed up our performance was clearly “Shame”.

And please do not let that title be misunderstood. In no way is it meant as an insult to the Tongan team who fully deserved their victory. In fact, had Tonga truly believed in themselves I have no doubt that they would have scored four tries and denied their rivals a bonus point which would have sent France home.

The Tongans had a clear and simple game plan that focused on their strengths and on the French weaknesses. They stuck to it for the full 80 minutes and produced an outstanding performance packed with determination, passion and cohesion – all of which the French players were unable to come up with!

L’Equipe, the French sports daily newspaper, was scathing in its assessment of France’s performance. The average player rating was less than 2.5 out of 10! Not even the thrashing at the hands of Australia at the Stade de France last year produced scores as low as that. But coach Marc Lievremont must also shoulder some of the blame.

There was a distinct lack of a game plan, yet another weird line-up and more odd coaching decisions. For example, when he decided to bring lock Julien Pierre off the bench it was Pascal Pape, one of only two players alongside fullback Maxime Medard to have shown some form, who made way and not Lionel Nallet!

It is so frustrating to witness especially having got up so early on a Saturday to watch the game. It has got so bad that many of my friends have already decided that they will not even bother watching the quarter-final with England on Saturday.

The French press is trying to convince rugby fans that France will improve this weekend but only because they can’t get any worse. They are trying to make us believe that the players will rediscover their skills and stamina thanks to the rest period while the shame of their last performance will inspire great things this time around. It strikes me that French fans must have the reputation of being stupid.

If we are looking for positives then at least it looks like I will be able to use the “From Bad to Worse” title for my next post.

Jean Palfrey

Injured Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell flies home to Australia © Getty Images

The Wallabies needed a four try bonus point win out of their last pool game against Russia and achieved this within the first quarter of the game with Berrick Barnes, Drew Mitchell, Ben McCalman and David Pocock all crossing for tries in a clinical opening blitz.

The return of Pocock has provided a timely boost for the Wallabies. His aggression and effectiveness on both sides of the ruck have been sorely missed in the last couple of Wallaby outings and will be vital in the upcoming sudden death phase of this competition. He appears to have also returned with a reinvigorated running game with several uncharacteristically bullocking charges.

The half time substitutions of Pocock and Stephen Moore were telling in terms of momentum and the Wallabies’ ability to control the game. While the second half may not have provided the quality of play or the landslide of points that the fans would have been hoping for, there are far bigger fish to fry. With the amount of injuries already sustained by the squad forcing multiple reshuffles, injuries to either of these two at this point could be terminal for Australia’s chances of raising the Webb Ellis trophy in three weeks time.

The second half proved to be far less convincing than the first with only a Berrick Barnes try off a charge-down in the closing moments allowing the Australians to outscore the Russians over the period. While the Australians were guilty of losing their way, the Russians were more than ready to take advantage. Like the Americans the previous week, what the Russians may have lacked in refined skill, they more than made up for with persistence and rugged determination. And these traits were rewarded with three tries against a Wallaby side that has only conceded one try total in the other three pool games (ironically against the US last week).

This capitulation surely won’t have pleased coach Robbie Deans, but he will know the team that takes the field next week will be far more settled and have a far better defensive structure with players playing in their preferred positions.

On the injury front, the Wallaby back line suffered a further blow with Drew Mitchell suffering a hamstring injury. He is desperately unlucky having come back from a nasty ankle injury early in the season to force his way into the squad and finally finding some form. He had already scored 2 tries and eyeing his hat trick after swooping on a loose Russian pass only to go down looking to be in some distress. His loss will be tempered somewhat however by the imminent return of Kurtley Beale and Digby Ioane from their respective injuries.

These returns may also signal an end to Radike Samo’s World Cup wing fairytale. The 117kg loose forward looked surprisingly at home out wide but will no doubt enjoy a return to the middle where he has started to become increasingly effective. Defending wingers may be pleased about this, but Ioane’s hard running will add another level of potency to the Wallabies attack.

The continued growth of Quade Cooper and Barnes as a combination is also very pleasing. An extra tactical kicking option takes pressure off public enemy number one Cooper to provide all the attacking flair all the time. It also frees Cooper up to take on the defensive line secure in the knowledge that if he does get tackled, the Wallabies still have someone to control the game. Will Genia’s return after being rested for the Russian game will give Australia even more options for distribution.

On another positive note, James O’Connor appears to have finally found his kicking boots just in time. Unaffected by missing his first attempt against the Russians, he then proceeded to convert his next nine in what will no doubt be a massive confidence boost.

So it’s do-or-die time.

Despite the issues the Wallabies face with injuries, they will no doubt still be confident heading into their sudden-death quarter final against defending champions South Africa in Wellington next Sunday. Having beaten the Springboks in South Africa during the Tri-Nations, they will know that a win is possible, but to be a realistic chance, the Wallabies will have to address their recent ruck issues as the Springboks will no doubt be looking to exploit this from the outset.

And with a Dan Carter-less All Blacks most probably awaiting the winner, both teams will now feel that if they can win this game, and avoid any further injuries to key personnel, they are a better chance than ever to go all the way.

Simon Furey