New Zealand Tour, October 8th & 9th 2011. England V France, Rugby World Cup 2011. And...we are OUT!

We into Auckland and over the Harbour Bridge, heading for Northcote Point. We were directly staying under the bridge at Number 1 Cottage on the Point. (Google Map it and see what you get?!). Located on the point, under the bridge, and was not noisy.  It was fantastic and must have the best view of Auckland ever. It was easy to walk to Northcote point to get the Fullers ferry over to the city and go to the two quarter finals were had tickets to. Firstly, the England V France Game. We went to the Fanzone and watched Ireland loose to Wales before we set off to Eden Park for the match.

Brian Moor had written a very strange article in the NZ newspaper expressing doubt regarding Frances ability to beat the English; I wish I shared his confidence. We also met an ex All Black on the Ferry, Stu Wilson, what a lovely man, and he was also confident that England would win, again I had

grave concerns.

England played in White, thank God for that! It seems the ridiculous debacle of playing in Black was just a one off . England ran out and looked good for the first 8 minutes, perhaps there was a glimmer of hope after all. Then it started, the familiar ill discipline, the inability to raise the level of the game to the opposition. France were playing really well, but England were all over the shop, looking like a load of schoolboys who did not know what to do. As English fans we were having to listen to all the jibes of ‘Your Poms look like they've spent more time tossing dwarfs, licking faces with old girlfriends and sexually harassing hotel maids…’. England could not come up with any creative play in answer to Frances flair; soon we would be shouting ‘Alley Le Blue!’ The Full time score of England 12, France 19 reflects the dismal state of the English game. Once again the team scuttled away, do not greet, or thank the fans for coming a very long way to support the team, but I suppose they are off to party again? To enjoy the night life on offer in Auckland ? After all what’s a Rugby World Cup Tour when you have a holiday to enjoy?

On a really sourer note, I have never seen English Rugby Fans remove their England Shirts before, well after this game they did, and they did not put them back on again......Did you notice England Rugby Team and Bosses?
Next day we enjoyed an Afternoon Tea at The Langham Hotel before enjoying the Argentina V New Zealand Game.

The Argies Arrive at the game, fun till the end!

Afternoon Tea