October 4th, 2007

On Saturday evening, Bernard Laporte's side will take on the all-conquering All Blacks in the quarter-finals of the first World Cup to be held on French soil.

So where is this era-defining encounter taking place? Perhaps Paris, the cosmopolitan heart of the French game? Maybe Toulouse, the southern heartland that has produced player after player for the national side? Or possibly even Lens, a northern outpost that has finally embraced the attractions of 'rugby a quinze' during the current World Cup?

Instead, try Cardiff. That's right, Cardiff, that most famous of French cities nestled deep in the valleys of South Wales.

It is always said that you reap what you sow, and France are about to deal with the fall-out from a self-induced cock-up, the seeds of which were originally sown in 2003. If they crash out of their own competition before the semi-final stage this weekend, they will only have themselves to blame.

Four years ago, France were so terrified of losing out to England in the race to host this year's tournament that they opted to buy off the votes of Wales and Scotland, two nations that were seen as allies of the English.

Scotland were granted the right to host two group games at Murrayfield, while Wales did even better, winning three pool matches and a quarter-final for the Millennium Stadium.

The group games were never going to pose much of a problem, although Australia were justifiably unhappy at having to face Wales in their own backyard in the middle of a French World Cup.

The quarter-final, however, was always going to be a different matter, and France's worst fears have been realised in spectacular fashion.

The hosts' supporters are up in arms, but it is hard to stifle a laugh at their expense. Rarely has so cynical a political exercise produced so damaging a result.

Had Saturday's game been taking place in the Stade de France, the French would have had a decent opportunity of overcoming the tournament favourites. As it is now, they will be lucky to lose by less than ten points.

It is a situation that is almost beyond belief, but the most damning part of the whole episode is that France would still have hosted the World Cup had Scotland and Wales voted for England. 'Sacre bleu', as they will be saying in Cardiff this weekend.

Of course France would still not have been in their current mess had they beaten Argentina in their opening game.

The Pumas and Fiji have been the success stories of this year's tournament, and their appearance in the last eight proves that the cosy status quo of Tri Nation and Six Nations supremacy is at an end. Or at least it would be if anyone from outside those two competitions was able to play a meaningful Test fixture in the next four years.

The current international schedule is little short of a disgrace, with the so-called developing nations conveniently ignored once the World Cup is at an end.

Surely, after this year's competition, the situation must change. The Five Nations became the Six Nations once Italy were strong enough to take their place, and the Tri Nations must become the Four Nations now that Argentina are feasting at rugby's top table. The southern hemisphere's 'big three' cannot be allowed to lock themselves away forever.

And the northern hemisphere giants cannot be allowed to turn their backs on the likes of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga either. The South Sea sides should be granted regular autumn internationals at places like Twickenham and Landsdowne Road. After all, it is not as though England and Ireland can point to a gulf in class any more.

With John Terry struggling to overcome a broken cheekbone in order to take his place in this month's crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers with Estonia and Russia, it is to be hoped that Jamie Carragher is looking forward to a nice relaxing week with his feet up.

Carragher, lest we forget, spat out his dummy and retired from international football when Steve McClaren failed to pick him for last October's goalless draw with Macedonia.

Given that he is still to turn 30 and is currently playing some of the best football of his career, it was an entirely selfish act.

While millions of schoolchildren are dreaming of representing their country, Carragher is blithely undermining England's attempts to qualify for next year's finals in Austria and Switzerland. Claiming that his body needs time to recover is an insult to the intelligence of the 90,000 supporters who will pay to support their country this month.

More than 166,000 spectators turned up to watch a four-day sporting event in Ireland last weekend. Sadly, for the organisers of golf's Seve Trophy, they were there to watch the National Ploughing Championships that were going on up the road.

The first day of the European Tour's premier team event, on the other hand, attracted a crowd of 335 people.

Some have cited the absence of a host of big names as an explanation for the poor attendance, but it was hardly a factor when thousands flocked to The Wynyard Club for the same event two years ago.

With the North-East crying out for a golf tournament to call its own, perhaps the Seve Trophy organisers should consider making the Stockton venue the tournament's permanent home.