The semi-final

So this evening was the England-France semi-final game in the Rugby World Cup. The game was held at the Stade de France in Paris, and as with last week, the English were kind of supposed to lose.

We went to the fest, getting there nearly an hour before the game and grabbed some steins. Unlike last week, they took out most of the benches and packed in the people. There was actually a velvet rope and a line outside. At the fest. If you ever come to visit you will see the obsurdity in this. Dirndls and velvet ropes don't mesh. Anyways, near half-time I was getting a bit clausterphobic and thought I was going to hurl from lack of air so made a run for it. Luckily my own personal couch was approximately 30 seconds away. Watched the rest of the game from here. Fewer steins, much more breathing room.

Oh, the game. Right. So within the first two minutes, in what reminded me of a good football tackle, England scored to go up 5-0. Then France got some, um, points and went up 6-5. It remained this score at the end of the first half. In the second half, things were looking grim for England and they were behind 9-5. They got what I can only describe as a field goal to close the margin to 9-8. In the last five minutes, they scored twice more to go up 14-9. So basically, France was going to have to get a touch down (a 5-point 'try') to at least tie, and the clock doesn't stop until the play ends. And this last play past the 80' mark lasted a little too long for most. But alas, England persevered and pulled another minor miracle out of their hats. For some reason, the stadium in Paris started playing some classic Oasis shortly after the end of the game. Interesting choice.

The World Cup final is next Saturday, in the same stadium in Paris. Today was a crazy sport day in that the 'football' team had a game against Estonia this afternoon followed by the rugby game (the beer was flowin' in this town, I tell ya). However I can't help but feel like I am slightly unprepared for the madness that will great me next weekend. It will be against either Argentina or South Africa. South Africa beat England 36-0 or something ridiculous like that in the first round. Things may be ugly.