Saint Denis – Temple of World Rugby

During the World Cup, the old city of kings will become the kingdom of rugby, hosting three of the most exciting confrontations preceding the final tournament with a quarter-final, the two semifinals and the great final we are all waiting for. The Stadium of France, home to the famous French team, will welcome the most skillful masters of the oval ball who will compete against each other to win the great trophy.



On September 7th 2007, the opening match of this World Cup edition will get you right at the heart of the event, with France and Argentina sharing the privilege of opening the competition in a match of great importance for both teams, decisive for their qualification in the quarter-finals. In a pool featuring also the Irish, undisputedly valuable players, there is no effort to be spared and both the French and the Argentinians will do their best on the green field. The French will have, of course, the advantage of playing at home, but, with the Argentinian pumas waiting to get their claws on them, Bernard Laporte is right to fear the dismissal of his team. With a match of such magnitude, it's hard to imagine a better start for the greatest rugby event of the year.



England - South Africa, two giants in the history of rugby, promise to seduce the supporters with the competition that will be taking place on Septermber 14th 2007 on a stadium crowded with with our British neighbors. In a pool with two teams that are obviously much better scored than the other contenders (les Etats-Unis, Samoa, Tonga), this confrontation already looks like a final avant la lettre and the English champions will have to roll up their sleeves to handle a team like the South African Springboks who dream of coming back on the Stadium of France on October 20th to play the final.



The third of the 2007 edition. The third of the 2007 edition of the Six Nations Tournament, the English have been dealing with some difficulties lately, but they are generally known for their capacity to right a compromised situation, while the South Africans are enjoying a rather ascendant phase with their latest victory at the Tri-Nations Championship, where they won over Australia. An impressive show of forces at St Denis that will certainly decide the winner of the first place in pool A.



The Stadium of France will house this highly significant third encounter, with France facing Ireland, on September 21st 2007, in a match played with a sense of revenge after the victory of the French on Irish soil (17-20) at the last Six Nations Tournament. At this 2007 edition, the French side is given thus the chance to also win the game in front of the same Irish team. A confrontation that will weight considerably in the final ranking, sending two of the protagonists of pool D to participate in the quarter-finals.



Once the pools played, the Stadium of France will open its gates for the final tournament, hosting a quarter-final, on October the 7th 2007, between the winner of pool D (France, Ireland, Argentina, Georgia and Namibia) and the runner-up of pool C (New Zealand, Scotland, Italy, Romania and Portugal). For the French team, playing the quarter finalon their lucky field is a dream opportunity.



This challenge will be followed by the semifinals bringing together the world's best four teams, that will compete against each other on October 13th and 14th on the famous field of Saint Denis. With only four places for numerous aspirants, it's not that easy to guess who will be the 30 players to qualify for each of the two encounters, the ultimate confrontations on the oval planet.



October 20th 2007. This is the big day. A final the entire rugby world is anxiously waiting for, a challenge keeping everyone in suspense during the entire competition. Only the very best will be there and the French hope to fully enjoy this moment and support their national team against New Zealand who is seen as the main favorite of the tournament. « Those who will be there fully deserve it ». French rugby coach Bernard Laporte summarizes the tough law of this sport that places merit among its highest values.



There is only one question left unanswered: Who will be the King of the oval ball on the evening of October 20th 2007?



Laurent Fabier is well known as a partner editor for online hotel reservation services like PlaniGo, economic and marketing sites. His experience ranges from important contributions in written media to news and online travel magazines