Is it time to get behind Wales or France for the semis?

OK, First off I want to say congratulations to Wales on their superb win against Ireland, and to France for pulling some form out of the fire and seeing us off (as to be fair most English fans thought you may do). Was astonished to see the Boks lose to Australia and by God didn't Argentina throw everything they had at the AB's!

I was really NOT looking forward to this mornings post match WUM fest but was pleasantly surprised to see many of our beloved posters on here like TGG, being quite chivalrous & supportive of England at times, although Viewtothetoilet never misses an opportunity does he!

OK. The point of this post....

A question mainly directed at the Irish & English fans... now we are out of the RWC who do we get behind and support?

Is this a case of the suppossed Celtic connection? Maybe a european connection? Who are the NH great white hope? Which team has the most realistic chance of putting up a fight against OZ / AB?

Er, Wales of course!! Home nation (I guess I can also admit to be partly Welsh now as well....) and playing the best rugby I've seen in a dog's age.

Come on Wales!
(Just don't mangle Stephen Donald too much in the final, we really need him un-broken at Bath at the moment!)

No connections, but I have been impressed by Wales and would love to see a new name on the trophy, so I hope they win it.

Having said that I just want to see more cracking rugby, and that the best team on the day wins through a moment of skill rather than a team loses due to an individual mistake or an officiating foul up.

I think Wales are in the best shape. Wales tend to do exceptionally well when we are injury free. In 2005 Gareth Thomas was our only injury in the tournament, in 2008 we were pretty good too in that we kept the same team together for both grand slams. We have also been very lucky in this tournament so far.
If Wales made the Quarter finals, I think most of us wondered what type of team we'd have left, but they have held up well and frankly the Islanders didn't impose themselves on us like we thought they would which has helped loads.

New Zealand are clear favorites, Australia look very wobbly for me, and perhaps shouldn't have got this far, they have been very lucky.

France and Wales are often interesting games with France either hammering us, or Wales suckering them into a sevens game and sneaking it.

I want New Zealand to win now that Ireland, Samoa and Argentina are all out.

I just don't 'get' this Home Unions thing. I couldn't give a fiddlers about England or Wales- there's no more of a connection between me and those nations than any other rugby nation. It doesn't influence me at all.

I can see the argument (as an Englishman) for supporting Wales as they are one of the home nations, but I can't really see the Irish dancing in the streets of Dublin over a Welsh win.

I wonder what the Scottish perspective is on all this? (my sister lives in Edinburgh and she said the pub was packed with people cheering on France but very few turned out for the Wales / Ireland game)

Metal Tiger wrote:my sister lives in Edinburgh and she said the pub was packed with people cheering on France

That just p!sses me off.

Notch wrote:I want New Zealand to win now that Ireland, Samoa and Argentina are all out.

I just don't 'get' this Home Unions thing.

Stepping into dangerous territory here but... "home" refers to the four nations that originally competed in the tournament that is now the 6Nations which was Ireland, Wales, England & Scotland. There is a certain romance for some British people over this and they see the other countries as Family. (Easily done for me as I have both Scottish & Irish family myself.... oh and French... but we don't talk about them!)

Notch: Don't know about you, but many of us have family connections in other parts of these islands and or simply know them much better through eg family holidays. If we're out, it seems entirely natural to support whoever's left.

I'll be cheering for Wales. Gotta love the rugby they're playing at the moment.

Metaltiger: re Scots supporting anyone against England: They always have. But just because some Scots behave in a pathetic way, does that mean we should?

Most of us have family of another nation that plays rugby and I usually follow that. My wife is from cross haven near cork, so Ireland have always been close to my family. I have lived and worked in Australia, NZ and France always enjoy their successes except against Wales when I am generally magnanimous unless of injustices.

Im English...i wont be supporting either....just hope its a decent game.

Cowshot

Do you support Scotland when they compete??? Or do you just use the excuse... well they don't support us so we don't support them.. I bet you cheer for 'GB' though when people like Chris Hoy wins gold medals at the olympics.
If you don't support Scotland for this reason or any other home nation then its just as pathetic as your own example.... surely you should stand above these supporters childish support?

Does Brasil cheer for Argentina when they play football & vice versa when they play other sides.... I seriously doubt it... so why the double standards?

Not trying to get political but the union between England & Scotland may have been in place for the last 300 years but its never been a rosy one.

Not all Scots are like this though.... my family have always identified ourselves as Scots & British so I don't have a problem with supporting home nations teams when playing other nations.
I find it difficult to not warm to home nations players especially after cheering them on on various lions tours... but this is something particularly unique to rugby.

Fa, just out of interest who do you really support?

Much as I'd like to see a NH winner, I predict an Aus/France final with Aus taking it comfortably

Davie wrote:Much as I'd like to see a NH winner, I predict an Aus/France final with Aus taking it comfortably

On which Ozzie performance do you base that Davie?

Beating a dominant SA side

biltongbek

You know me dude.... Scotland's my home but I emigrated to SA as an adult, married into a rugby mad Afrikaner family and am now raising my own boertjies.
After I emigrated I did start to support the home nations more... probably because expats tend to stick together.

Die bokke is more a family team for me so will always support them against other 3N sides but am still on the fence when it comes to the home nations.... perhaps its due to their 4 years of recent dominance... having to see the smile on my skoenpa's face as the home nations got turned over again & again almost got too much to bare.

Hmm, I've got more family living in NZ and Italy then I have the other home nations. Having said that, I'll be happy seeing Wales, NZ or France win (sorry Oz!), so good luck to all of them and may the best team win.

I for one am an Englishman that will now be supporting Wales. I have connections through Family and friends but thats not the the real reason i'll support them. Its because they have really impressed me with their skill, professionalism and guts, fair play to them.

fa0019: Yes, I'd be supporting the Scots if they'd got through instead of the Welsh.

chuckle. I was at Uni in Scotland (4 great years) so I was thoroughly educated in Anglo-Scots relations. I still find the anyone against England thing pathetic but am aware that many Scots do too, and I understand the reasons for it.

Also I support cricket, and there has always been a tradition of Scots and Irish players (and Indian and you name it going back forever) playing for MCC and that hasn't changed when MCC became England then England and Wales.

Davie wrote:Beating a dominant SA side

davie with all due respect to australia, we beat ourselves yesterday.

fa0019 wrote:biltongbek

You know me dude.... Scotland's my home but I emigrated to SA as an adult, married into a rugby mad Afrikaner family and am now raising my own boertjies.
After I emigrated I did start to support the home nations more... probably because expats tend to stick together.

Die bokke is more a family team for me so will always support them against other 3N sides but am still on the fence when it comes to the home nations.... perhaps its due to their 4 years of recent dominance... having to see the smile on my skoenpa's face as the home nations got turned over again & again almost got too much to bare.

well i suppose you liking our women, beer and beef should be all we can ask for.

Cowshot

If thats the case I salute you... there is always the chaff amongst the wheat... in some places there is more than usual but you just have to try and ignore it.
Most guys on here are genuine rugby fans rather than just patriotic windbags so I think most guys on here will appreciate (but perhaps not support) rival teams with immense levels of talent... even if we hate to admit it.

Cowshot wrote:Notch:
Metaltiger: re Scots supporting anyone against England: They always have. But just because some Scots behave in a pathetic way, does that mean we should?

Your slightly misquoting me there... never said anything about the Scots being ABE... was more an observation that they seemed to have gotten behind France but weren't too interested in Wales & Ireland.

Look... personally I have cheered on Scotland on many occasions but let's face facts... most Scots don't feel the same way towards us. That's their choice I guess.

Well, if Wales win the whole thing, it will mean that we only got beaten by the World Champs.

Making us the second best team in the world.

biltongbek

Should have seen the look on my skoenpa's face when I told him that Argentinian beef was far superior IMO.

rapidsnowman wrote:Well, if Wales win the whole thing, it will mean that we only got beaten by the World Champs.

Making us the second best team in the world.

I like the way you are thinking, but sadly that won't be true.

fa0019 wrote:biltongbek

Should have seen the look on my skoenpa's face when I told him that Argentinian beef was far superior IMO.

Now you are just being down right nasty.

To answer the original post, I really don't think it matters. You can enjoy a rugby match without supporting either side. I doubt the players are going to give a hoot who's supporting them as long as there's support at the stadium when they're playing.

got to get behind wales. They love the game so much and they are our neighbours. Its good fo game in these isles if they can get to the final.

Anyone else seen the coincidence? 1987 World cup in New Zealand (NZ, Aus, France and Wales in the semis).

I'm reckoning on the same order 1 NZ, 2, Fra, 3 Wales, 4 Aus.

But....I'd love to see a new name on the trophy.

i dont think all the welsh fans will care or even want us englsh to support them. But all the same that doesnt bother me- England/wales are such a big rivalry, them getting success will only make it better and push us and other NH teams around them to get better.

Just so long as Australia don't win!!!

Cowshot wrote:
chuckle. I was at Uni in Scotland (4 great years) so I was thoroughly educated in Anglo-Scots relations. I still find the anyone against England thing pathetic but am aware that many Scots do too, and I understand the reasons for it.

I know what you mean... I was up in Edinburgh to see my Sister and we went to T in the park last year. Some drunken govern scumbag in a shell suit and string vest (I kid you not) heard my accent and then proceeded to spend the next 5 minutes dancing around in front of me with his can of Tennants singing "Portugal.. la la la"

I confess that I had no idea what he was referring to at the time and was giggling at the drunken antics. The Scots that I was with at the time were deeply embarrased & ashamed of their countryman and did their best to put distance between our group and the fool.

slightly misquoting me there... never said anything about the Scots being ABE

metaltiger: oops, yes I was. It was more bathmad's response that I was replying to. Sorry.

mystiroakey wrote:i dont think all the welsh fans will care or even want us englsh to support them. But all the same that doesnt bother me- England/wales are such a big rivalry, them getting success will only make it better and push us and other NH teams around them to get better.

Oakey, I can assure you that us welsh would welcome any english support at this stage, the more the merrier in fact. Its took us a while to get back to being competitive but after 2 GS's and a few stutters theres now room for some optimism in the long run.

This rivalry between the home nations is hugely exaggerated but of course there are insecure individuals on numerous forums who crave attention.
In all the years of playing and following rugby not once have I had any problems due to my nationality the welcome is the same in Dublin Edinburgh and London.

I don't expect others to support Wales but at the same time I don't understand why they would support France just because they are playing Wales.

In fact I think SafeAsMilk has gone out and bought a red jersey just for this weekend - In fact I'd put money on it. Seabiscuit has pulled his welsh granny out of the cupboard and moved to Welshire as well

Anywho...

Back to my original post... I don't think I will be cheering on either team particularly but I will back them once they are in the final.

I think it would be good to have a new name on Bill, and seeing as Oz & NZ already have won it will have to back Wales or France against them.

Might be nice to see the NH / SH balance tip slightly.

I am Welsh. I have family connections to Ireland, as does everyone else in the world. The one side of the family is catholic and had maiden names such as McCloughlin and Corchryn( I may have mis-spelt that). No English ancestory connections as far as I'm aware, but we do have friends in Derbyshire that were known to the family before I was born. I have also made a few English friends whilst spending time in Canada (some of my family emigrated there). Now would I support either team? No. I don't see any reason to either. Would I support the underdog? Yes, always.

So, who is the favourites for this Semi final?

France have a better pedigree so they must be favourites

I hope Wales get to the final but after that?

Many many years worth of Welsh Wums! no thanks.

So I'll keep an open mind for the final, unless of course they really do derserve to win, in which case fair play.

"I am Welsh. I have family connections to Ireland, as does everyone else in the world"

what ever you may think dude- more people have english links. Its just people on the whole are proud of there irish connections.

The main reason for me to support wales is because they are englands neighbour- play together in cricket(normally only in name but a few have got in over the years) . combine all that with the fact that they love rugby soooo much, and you have the reason.

I am not irish at all- but my grandfather was-I am not one to tell the world i am irish- because i am not- simple as that even though i have a bit in me.

I will support any home nation over any other that is the way i am. But i think wales are one team that i have a soft spot for- not because they have just played brilliantly over ireland, but because they love the game so much. I also have a million and one family in NZ as well and they love the game- but i personaly dont feel any connection with them, even though they are spawned of the english- Some of which was my family.

I dont think you can tar any country with a stereotypical brush of "any but <insert country here>".

As a lot of posters have alluded to, its very much a personal opinion these days forged on where you've grown up, gone to live/uni, family and sometimes just a bit of fun.

A few times I've ended up watching England vs France (for example) in the 6ns in Bristol and had some excellant banter with the English fans in the pub as the solitary Frenchman for the night (again for example).

I dont really mind who won, but the banter makes the game more enjoyable and everyone has a laugh, I support Wales, I probably wouldnt really cheer for anyone else consistently, I tend to decide as the game goes on!

Many many years worth of Welsh Wums! no thanks.

I know! It doesn't bear thinking about!

But then you think of the likes of old Cymro hopping gleefully around Anglesey and how could you begrudge it?

BATH_BTGOG wrote:I hope Wales get to the final but after that?

Many many years worth of Welsh Wums! no thanks.

So I'll keep an open mind for the final, unless of course they really do derserve to win, in which case fair play.

Bath, have you seen many welsh Wums on here after the weekend, just out of interest.

All the old school WUM fests disappeared when 606 went down. We have proper mods here who like to keep discussions going, unlike the ones at the beeb who would let a thread full of WUMtastic action go and delete a post of mine because i said 'stupid'

-_-

RubyGuby wrote:

BATH_BTGOG wrote:I hope Wales get to the final but after that?

Many many years worth of Welsh Wums! no thanks.

So I'll keep an open mind for the final, unless of course they really do derserve to win, in which case fair play.

Bath, have you seen many welsh Wums on here after the weekend, just out of interest.

After all the years of us bringing up 2003 at every opportunity I think they are owed their chance.

Having said that, I quite fancy France for the winners now.

Cowshot wrote:

Many many years worth of Welsh Wums! no thanks.

I know! It doesn't bear thinking about!

But then you think of the likes of old Cymro hopping gleefully around Anglesey and how could you begrudge it?

I would even put a video on Youtube

In this RWC NZ is the only home nation. We invite you into our home. Don´t s**t on the doorstep. Put your feet up, have a beer and enjoy the show.