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Rugby World Cup 2007 - calendar and match reports

Calendar (all kick-offs shown UK time) and match report links

Ashton ponders biggest posers of his coaching life

Published: 01 October 2007

Chris Hewett reports from Paris on the challenge facing England's head coach as he searches for the right selection to catch the Wallabies on the hop

Andy Robinson: Reputations at risk on a key weekend but England will punish Tongan failings

Published: 28 September 2007

It is difficult to imagine a more important World Cup weekend for the four home nations, all of whom face do-or-die matches that will decide their fate in this tournament. England have the most straightforward task – I believe they should beat Tonga comfortably at the Parc des Princes in Paris tonight – while Ireland, who play Argentina at the same stadium on Sunday afternoon, face the greatest challenge. It is not impossible that the British Isles teams will make it through en bloc, and if they do the fierce critics from the southern hemisphere may have a little less to say for themselves. But this is a crucial 72 hours for European rugby. Reputations are on the line.

James Lawton: Jonny's comeback secures survival but not new life

Published: 24 September 2007

Four years ago, Jonny Wilkinson kicked for glory. He took himself to the apex of English sport, a place he will always occupy as long as people remember the World Cup triumph. Now he is doing something entirely different, not from the apex but, let's face it, the basement. He is, from a critically late start in this sixth World Cup, kicking for survival. He is buying a little time, a little respectability.

James Lawton: England's old nags must take their last chance to run with the thoroughbreds

Published: 22 September 2007

Fears that England's hold on the World Cup will slip even more today in Nantes are well founded on their form line from rugby hell, but are still probably excessive. This is because whatever the threat Samoa pose, it could hardly be greater than the fear that we may not yet have seen the full scale of English decline.

Andy Robinson: Inside the 2007 Rugby World Cup

Published: 22 September 2007

England were awful. They must find some passion – and then begin playing as a team

Sititi summons up warrior spirit to rattle champions' cage

Published: 21 September 2007

Defeat by Tonga has fired up Samoa's experienced captain for tomorrow's game in Nantes. England could well feel the backlash, he tells Chris Hewett

Rory Lamont: 'I've got to stay at the top of my game. As soon as I have a bad game I'll be dropped'

Published: 18 September 2007

Full-back Rory Lamont has excelled for Scotland recently but takes nothing for granted, he tells Simon Turnbull

The Nick Townsend column: Robinson needs a miracle, nothing can save England

Published: 16 September 2007

Legend limping off was saddest sight of shambolic night but the fact Samoa are licking their lips sums up national side's plight

Jones the returning leader prepared to carry weight of pressure at No 10

Published: 15 September 2007

The Scarlets fly-half will face Australia today after a year that has seen him criticised in the Welsh press and then dropped, writes James Corrigan

Larkham blow fuels Welsh hunger

Published: 15 September 2007

With one swing of the boot yesterday, Stephen Larkham presented even more hope to Wales. The Australian outside-half, who it is an understatement to label "influential", was immediately whisked off to hospital for a scan after injuring his knee while practising his kicking. The 33-year-old's absence this afternoon would be a massive blow to Australia and an equally sizeable boost to Wales. It would only add to the sense of an impending upset sweeping through the capital.

James Lawton: Robinson defiance the sole consolation on England's night of shattering truths

Published: 15 September 2007

There was a time when South Africa assumed it could beat the world, not out of ambition but of right, and we can be very precise about the last instance of this burning conviction. It was six minutes past nine local time here last night when they announced they occupied an entirely different class to the reigning the world champions. However, there is a big difference between overcoming the best of today's game and the forlorn gang for whom the glory of Sydney four years ago long since became less a spur than a rebuke.

League of nations savours boom time

Published: 15 September 2007

The world's best rugby players and bigger crowds are flocking to the Premiership, writes Chris Hewett

Andy Robinson: Inside the 2007 Rugby World Cup

Published: 14 September 2007

Brian Ashton has picked exactly the right team to pull off a shocking victory tonight

Martin Corry: 'Harsh words needed to be spoken and they've been said...'

Published: 14 September 2007

Martin Corry returns to the England back row as captain tonight. He told Chris Hewett that his team know there is much to prove against South Africa

Chris Hewett: Europe well beaten in round one but there's still a long way to go

Published: 11 September 2007

The opening weekend of the sixth World Cup saw the major southern hemisphere nations hit the ground running. England, on the other hand, hit the ground with an almighty splat and barely moved thereafter. Their performance against the United States, that ho-hum collection of low-profile professionals and rank amateurs, was so completely dispiriting that only one conclusion could be drawn: these particular reigning world champions are never less dangerous than when they have the ball.

Jonathan Davies: Jenkins adjusts on hoof but experiments end for Irish

Published: 09 September 2007

Wales and Ireland launch their World Cup campaigns today and their approaches could hardly be more different. Wales are still experimenting with the team they are putting out against Canada, while Ireland intendto blast Namibia with theirfirst-choice, full-strength side.

Josh Lewsey: 'We have to believe that here, at the World Cup, our potential will be realised'

Published: 08 September 2007

This World Cup winner reaches 50 caps today, but Josh Lewsey he has also lived through England's bad times. Chris Hewett finds him cautiously optimistic

Chris Hewett: Ashton still looking for a new England against USA

Published: 08 September 2007

English rugby folk have become horribly familiar with the frustrations of international sport in the four years since Martin Johnson broke the habit of a lifetime and smiled while propelling the Webb Ellis Trophy into the Sydney night air, yet there remains something disconcerting about a coach of Brian Ashton's stature suggesting that his side might "cause all sorts of problems for all sorts of teams" over the coming weeks of the sixth World Cup. England are the reigning champions, dammit. It is for other teams to cause them problems.

Andy Robinson: Inside the 2007 Rugby World Cup

Published: 08 September 2007

Wilkinson's injury gives coaches delicate balancing act to keep squad on right foot

Melville faces full-time fight for professionalism in US

Published: 08 September 2007

England's opponents hail from a land of opportunity where rugby needs to make giant strides, writes Chris Hewett

Will the All Blacks finally live up to their potential?

Published: 07 September 2007

New Zealand have the quality and determination to finally become world champions again, but nothing is certain in what could be the most competitive tournament since 1991

Andy Robinson: Inside the 2007 Rugby World Cup

Published: 07 September 2007

Five vital areas that will sort winners from losers over the next six weeks

The essential A-Z of the Rugby World Cup

Published: 07 September 2007

A is for Ashton: England's coach, Brian Ashton, is charged with the task of defending the trophy seized by his predecessor but one, Sir Clive Woodward, and he wants to do it playing "open-ended rugby". Many critics, including some who once counted themselves among his disciples, accuse him of going down the route of "closed-off rugby" by backing a juggernaut pack to spare him the ignominy of an early departure. This is probably unfair: Ashton has never been much interested in damage limitation. But in the absence of a footballing midfield, his options are severely limited.

James Lawton: Uncorked vintage of '99 can inspire fresh explosion of French speed and panache

Published: 07 September 2007

The sky above Twickenham seemed to be made of steel when it happened eight years ago but then, who knows, on the 20th of next month Paris might just be dressed in its most heart-breakingly beautiful clothes.

How England's captain plans to defend the Webb Ellis Cup

Published: 07 September 2007

Having recovered from a series of debilitating injuries, Phil Vickery tells Chris Hewett of the challenge he faces when leading England in their defence of the World Cup
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