Notebook

Australian captain may meet the Queen

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Posted: Friday November 05, 1999 05:37 PM

John Eales: "It would have been good to play England in the final. We could stuff them on the field and stuff them in the vote." AP

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) -- Wallaby skipper John Eales could meet with Queen Elizabeth II as his compatriots vote on whether or not to cut ties with Britain and become a republic.

The giant lock will lead the Australians against France in Saturday's World Cup final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and, with the Queen expected to present the medals to the winner, Eales has at least a 50-50 chance of meeting her.

The team voted at a temporary polling booth set up at Australia's ambassador's house in Dublin during the group phase of the tournament.

Although a secret ballot, Eales made it clear he supports a republic vote in Saturday's referendum.

"It would have been good to play England in the final," Eales was quoted saying in The Australian newspaper. "We could stuff them on the field and stuff them in the vote.

"I've gone for the republic. I think it's great the history we've had and the connection with Britain. But for all intents and purposes, Australians make decisions about Australia -- there's not a lot of relevance to the monarchy."

Big guns support

Australian coach Rod Macqueen said his team had received a fax of support from Australian members of the international peacekeeping force in East Timor.

Macqueen said the fax, sent by Major General Peter Cosgrove on behalf of the 5,000 Australian troops involved in the East Timor force, had arrived among hundreds of other letters, faxes and messages of support at the team's hotel in Cardiff.

"In the last few months we have watched you every step of the way from here in East Timor," Cosgrove said. "We think we know of your sacrifice and dedication and the unrivaled teamwork you have achieved to get to this point.

"You have our heart felt congratulations for what you have achieved to be on this threshold. You have our greatest confidence, as Aussies you will make us proud."

French U-turn

But following their stunning 43-31 semifinal victory over the All Blacks, Les Bleus are now being backed by French fans to go all the way, according to a poll published Friday.

The CSA poll, published in the Sud-Ouest newspaper, says 78 percent of people surveyed said France will beat Australia in Saturday's final.

Of those polled, 38 percent said they have always loved rugby, while 25 percent were indifferent -- but will nevertheless watch the final.

Thousands of French fans are making the journey to Cardiff, including President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. Both leaders were ever-present at the French soccer team's 1998 World Cup winning campaign, wearing scarves outside their suits.

Aussie au revoir

Hart's contract was due to expire at the end of the year and he said he wouldn't be reapplying for the job of coaching the All Blacks, who started the tournament as favorites but had to settle for fourth place after a 22-18 loss to the Springboks.

Macqueen said he was "not surprised" that Hart had quit.

"I feel a lot of sympathy for John. He's a personal friend of mine," he said. "I suppose these are the sort of things that go with the territory. He wouldn't have resigned if he hadn't weighed up all his options.

"I wish him well. He's done a great job."

Tuning in

"Coverage has set records in France and Argentina and is rating highly in Australasia as well," he said.

Williams said France's shock 43-31 semifinal win over hot favorites New Zealand had attracted 60 percent of the French viewing audience, while six million Argentine fans tuned in to watch the Pumas lose a quarterfinal to France in Dublin.

Not surprisingly, the television audiences are higher in the nations which performed either up to or above expectations. No team from the British Isles advanced past the quarterfinals, while Argentina had it's most successful campaign and advanced to the second-round for the first time.

Australia, France, South Africa and New Zealand reached the final four.

 

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