Tuesday 13 October 2015 10:34, UK
Brave Blossoms, French resistance and no luck for the Irish; Stuart Barnes casts his eye over the World Cup group stages and gives his predictions for the quarter-finals.
1. There is not going to be a repeat of 2007 next Saturday night in Cardiff. Eight years ago a France team that had been beaten comprehensively by Argentina in the pool stages conquered the overwhelming tournament favourites, New Zealand.
That French team found 80 minutes of inspiration on the night and as the weekend draws nearer doubtless you will be reminded of those events. But this game is different in a few crucial ways.
It appears that the international career of Paul O'Connell has come to an end. If this is the case, rugby should salute one of its great warriors.
Firstly, France have been a shambles of a side for four years. That 2007 team was nothing like as bad as this one. It has no shape, no structure, not much of anything to be honest. France will have to rely on New Zealand self-combusting and that is not going to happen.
Why? Because they still have not forgotten their lesson from that awful evening - or pretty good evening if you are French.
Throughout the pool stages the All Blacks have failed to convince but it has been noticeable how they have played in varying manners. They are prepared for a possible onslaught from the French pack, some potential flair from the French backs - last seen in the mid 80s - they are prepared for anything except losing.
While most critics will have Australia versus Scotland down as the weekend's biggest banker it would not surprise me to see the widest margin of victory occur in Cardiff on Saturday night.
2. If there is a wide margin winner on Sunday in Cardiff, the All Blacks have more than Australia and South Africa to worry about.
An easy winner of the Ireland-Argentina quarter-final would require an immense performance from the winners. This match could eclipse South Africa versus Wales as the quarter-final of the competition. There is no better prepared team than Ireland and no faster improving one than Argentina.
The Pumas have improved since they gave the All Blacks a scare at Wembley on the opening weekend. Their back play is fast, direct, at a different level to anything we have ever seen from the South Americans.
They are more than a match for the 2007 side that reached the semi-final and beat Ireland at the pool stages.
Yet despite their horrendous injury problems this is by far the best Ireland team to grace a World Cup. The systems are strong, strong enough to lose Paul O'Connell, Peter O'Mahony and Jonny Sexton yet improve as the game against France went on.
The second half was the best performance I can remember from any Irish team. They will be hard to beat whatever XV are fielded.
3. It appears that the international career of Paul O'Connell has come to an end. If this is the case, rugby should salute one of its great warriors. He had the misfortune to miss the denouement of the Lions tour in 2013 but stayed around to support the team. His campaign may be over but his presence remains.
4. Iain Henderson may not yet be the talisman that the mighty Munsterman has become, but with so many leaders spread through the team O'Connell's loss may be bearable because Ulster's finest is quantum leaping his way to the top of the world game.
In terms of pure impact on the field Ireland might even be gaining something, with Henderson and Toner an outstanding second row pairing - although Henderson may yet have to switch to the back row given worries surrounding O'Mahony, and Sean O' Brien potentially facing a citing.
5. Onto that citing. There's no place in the game for punching blah, blah, blah, but why does no one berate the cheat who is tugging the puncher's jersey, or the player hanging on to the ankle? If the cynics were treated harshly the stamps and punches would happen less frequently.
How about the man who incited the foul play receiving the same ban as the short-fused player who reacted? If World Rugby is serious about stamping out cynicism it wouldn't be a bad place to start.
6. Farewell the other 12 teams; there can only be one winner but most of these eliminated sides have made a mighty impact. Japan head the cast. They are the first team to win three games and fail to qualify.
Brilliantly coached and proud performers, the Brave Blossoms left the tournament with victory at Gloucester, a town more than happy to acknowledge a hero wearing cherry and white.
7. Fiji only won the one game but produced some compelling and competitive stuff. Throw in the fact they now have a scrum and they are only a few short strides from becoming serious competitors. They need more than money in the next four years.
They need regular competition against the best teams. The same applies to Georgia, Romania, Tonga and all the teams that left their positive marks on what has been the best pool stage of them all.
8. Among the players eliminated at this stage a special mention to Leone Nakarawa, DTH Van Der Merwe and Mamuka Gordogze. All deserved an opportunity to perform in the knock-out stage. In their wildly different ways, the trio have shined bright throughout the initial three weeks of the World Cup.
9. I hear there were some pretty cheap tickets to be had in Manchester - and not for the rugby league Grand Final - on Saturday night. Notwithstanding this, they continue packing stadiums the length and breadth of the country.
The atmosphere has elevated the competition to new heights. Cardiff was as noisy as I have ever heard it and Wales were not playing - the mood of the supporters magnificent, the overall occasion outstanding. England, and Wales, should be proud of what it has delivered off the field.
10. Finally the moan; the volunteers at the Twickenham media centre failed to supply sweets for that gripping battle between Wales and Australia on Saturday. Maybe I'll have to buy them some chocolates. I guess this good vibe thing needs to be a two way street...
I am back at Twickenham Saturday for the Wales v Springboks game. A Welsh win is not out of the question but defeat against Australia leaves them without a chance to win the competition.
A sequence of England, Fiji, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and whoever makes the final makes victory Mission Impossible in the space of five weeks, even with a full squad. But they will battle to the last, that is an absolute certainty.
