Notebook

French rugby aims to emulate soccer

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Posted: Thursday November 04, 1999 02:35 PM

Jacquet is confident France can upset the odds and beat the Wallabies. Shaun Botterill/Allsport

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) -- By beating the All Blacks, France's rugby team has already achieved as much as his World Cup-winning soccer team, former coach Aime Jacquet says.

"This victory was fantastic and, for me, it's equivalent to our victory against Brazil in the World Cup final," Jacquet said in an interview with the French newspaper Le Parisien.

Jacquet, a rugby fan, was on a plane returning from China during last Sunday's Rugby World Cup semifinal between France and the All Blacks, and so couldn't watch the match.

"The pilot kept telling us the score, and I was going crazy," he said. "To beat the All Blacks, the best team in the world, by such a score is exceptional."

If France beats Australia in Saturday's final, the country will have won a unique rugby and soccer double after beating Brazil 3-0 in July last year.

Jacquet said both teams had to overcome similar obstacles.

"Like us, [the rugby team] has been criticized and been the object of mockery," he said. "But it has swept the criticism away ... and now feels confident. Now, the team is enjoying a level of public support similar to ours."

Jacquet is confident France can upset the odds and beat the Wallabies.

"A final is a strange occasion which can turn on anything," he said. "It won't be easy at all for our players. But they must give it everything. But I'm confident in them. The task is such a thrilling one."

Win or lose, France will fete its rugby players, who before Sunday's win over the All Blacks, had been completely written off by the public and media.

A party has already been organized for Sunday afternoon under the Eiffel Tower.

And if they win, the players will parade up and down the Champs Elysees, again following in the footsteps of their soccer counterparts who were mobbed by millions.

Taking it badly, Part 1

On the eve of the match he told New Zealand television that his shattered team didn't want to play, in contrast to other comments coming from chastened team management.

"I personally think the play off for third is a waste of time, it's stupid, no one really wants to play it," Randell said. "The only consolation for us is we're playing the Springboks and given our respective histories it's a huge match for us."

His comments have further alienated the rugby-mad nation, whose fans are still struggling to come to terms with the shock semifinal loss to France, and were the subject of intense argument on radio talkback shows Wednesday.

Taking it badly, Part 2

The company, whose chief executive Kevin Roberts is also a member of the NZRFU, ran a full-page newspaper advertisement advising the country to find strength from defeat.

The advertisement, in the New Zealand Herald, featured a fax signed by Roberts and addressed to All Black coach John Hart, manager Mike Banks, captain Taine Randell and the team at their Cardiff hotel.

The fax told the players they were still a "great team" and said: "Great teams have bad 30 minutes. Great teams lose games. Great teams come back stronger than ever."

But the advertising giant was deluged with hate mail from scores of rugby fans still furious at the All Blacks' semifinal loss to France.

Besieged Saatchi staff said they received about 70 faxes and endless abusive phone calls saying they had misjudged the mood of the fans.

"The response to our advert has been quite extraordinary," said managing director Geoff Vuleta. "Our message to the team was deal to the pain and do something with it.

"People are entitled to their opinions. Some feel our message reflected a positive thing to do with the pain of defeat and some said, `No, stuff them.'"

Money's made them soft

Meads blames money for the All Blacks current woes and says their big pay packets stopped them from defending themselves against claimed headbutting and gouging by French players.

"If all the money you can make is part of it, you would probably be the nice little boy, too," said Meads.

"I think the referees have been indoctrinated that there is no place in rugby for retaliation, and that's not fair -- particularly if what's alleged to have happened did."

Deja vu

"For the 1991 World Cup we were favorites. This time we are, too," Eales told The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. "In 1991 we beat the world champions to get into the final. This time we've done the same.

"And as in 1991 we are playing a team hardly anyone expected to make the final."

Australia, inspired by David Campese, beat 1987 champion New Zealand in the 1991 semifinal and then England in the final at Twickenham.

Eales said he was also motivated by Australia's win in the cricket World Cup final against Pakistan earlier this year. Australia's cricket win followed a tie with South Africa in the semis. At the rugby Australia beat South Africa in extra time after it was 18-all after 80 minutes.

"There are endless similarities with the cricket World Cup," said Eales. "Pakistan at cricket and France at rugby are so similar. On their day either side can beat anyone in the world and also can be beaten by any side in the world.

"Both are so unpredictable. And our progress to the final has been very similar to what Steve Waugh's team went through earlier this year over here. It is all so uncanny."

 

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