Saint Denis - Temple of World Rugby

During the World Cup, the old city of kings willSt Denis that will certainly decide the winner of the
become the kingdom of rugby, hosting three of thefirst place in pool A.
most exciting confrontations preceding the finalThe Stadium of France will house this highly significant
tournament with a quarter-final, the two semifinalsthird encounter, with France facing Ireland, on
and the great final we are all waiting for. The StadiumSeptember 21st 2007, in a match played with a
of France, home to the famous French team, willsense of revenge after the victory of the French on
welcome the most skillful masters of the oval ballIrish soil (17-20) at the last Six Nations Tournament.
who will compete against each other to win theAt this 2007 edition, the French side is given thus the
great trophy.chance to also win the game in front of the same
On September 7th 2007, the opening match of thisIrish team. A confrontation that will weight
World Cup edition will get you right at the heart ofconsiderably in the final ranking, sending two of the
the event, with France and Argentina sharing theprotagonists of pool D to participate in the
privilege of opening the competition in a match ofquarter-finals.
great importance for both teams, decisive for theirOnce the pools played, the Stadium of France will
qualification in the quarter-finals. In a pool featuringopen its gates for the final tournament, hosting a
also the Irish, undisputedly valuable players, there isquarter-final, on October the 7th 2007, between the
no effort to be spared and both the French and thewinner of pool D (France, Ireland, Argentina, Georgia
Argentinians will do their best on the green field. Theand Namibia) and the runner-up of pool C (New
French will have, of course, the advantage of playingZealand, Scotland, Italy, Romania and Portugal). For
at home, but, with the Argentinian pumas waiting tothe French team, playing the quarter finalon their
get their claws on them, Bernard Laporte is right tolucky field is a dream opportunity.
fear the dismissal of his team. With a match of suchThis challenge will be followed by the semifinals
magnitude, it's hard to imagine a better start for thebringing together the world's best four teams, that
greatest rugby event of the year.will compete against each other on October 13th and
England - South Africa, two giants in the history of14th on the famous field of Saint Denis. With only
rugby, promise to seduce the supporters with thefour places for numerous aspirants, it's not that easy
competition that will be taking place on Septermberto guess who will be the 30 players to qualify for
14th 2007 on a stadium crowded with with our Britisheach of the two encounters, the ultimate
neighbors. In a pool with two teams that areconfrontations on the oval planet.
obviously much better scored than the otherOctober 20th 2007. This is the big day. A final the
contenders (les Etats-Unis, Samoa, Tonga), thisentire rugby world is anxiously waiting for, a challenge
confrontation already looks like a final avant la lettrekeeping everyone in suspense during the entire
and the English champions will have to roll up theircompetition. Only the very best will be there and the
sleeves to handle a team like the South AfricanFrench hope to fully enjoy this moment and support
Springboks who dream of coming back on thetheir national team against New Zealand who is seen
Stadium of France on October 20th to play the final.as the main favorite of the tournament.
The third of the 2007 edition. The third of the 2007« Those who will be there fully
edition of the Six Nations Tournament, the Englishdeserve it ». French rugby
have been dealing with some difficulties lately, butcoach Bernard Laporte summarizes the tough law of
they are generally known for their capacity to right athis sport that places merit among its highest values.
compromised situation, while the South Africans areThere is only one question left unanswered: Who will
enjoying a rather ascendant phase with their latestbe the King of the oval ball on the evening of
victory at the Tri-Nations Championship, where theyOctober 20th 2007?
won over Australia. An impressive show of forces at