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HALA GORANI: Well, the
South of France is a really beautiful place. Have you
been?
MICHAEL HOLMES: It is. I have. Many times, beautiful.
GORANI: Good, good.
Anyway, this time rugby fanatics are converging on
that part of the country, where some of the World Cup
final matches are taking place.
HOLMES: Yes, it should be a bruising battle for the
sport's most coveted prize. And CNN's Michael Ware is
there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The
sparkling port city of Marseille in the South of
France, a holiday destination rich with history. Its
narrow streets seem eternally alive and festive. But
this weekend Marseilles, is at the epicenter of world
rugby. Four of the eight teams still battling to be
champions of the 2007 World Cup are gathered here,
and the match-ups could not be more compelling.
First, what's certain to be a bruising replay of the
2003 final between two of the game's powerhouses.
Reigning championships England, versus the Australian
Wallabies, the two-time champions aching to avenge
their loss four years ago, to a stunning English
field goal in the dying seconds of extra time.
England versus Australia is thought to impact more on
the tournament's final outcome -- the winner to play
blistering favorites New Zealand or host France next
weekend -- but Marseilles' true magic lies with Fiji.
The Pacific underdogs charmed all with their surprise
victory over Wales to make it into this weekend's
knockout final against South Africa.
(off-screen) You're the fairy-tale story of the cup.
ILIE TABUA, COACH, FIJI: It's is. It's amazing, you
know. From -- nobody thought we could be there.
Everybody said, no, no, Wales was going to be in --
Wales and Australia, you know?
WARE: Only appointed coach six months ago, my former
teammate from a provincial side back in Australia,
Fijian coach Ilie Tabua. Ilie is one of the
international game's most beloved characters. As this
70-year-old stadium fills in coming days with
Marseilles expecting 100,000 or more fans to descend
upon the city, the great hope is that these two
markedly different match ups will remind all of why
they call rugby the game they play in heaven. Michael
Ware, CNN, Marseilles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Michael Ware is going to join us now, live.
Michael Ware, as you and I both know you didn't get
that nose from playing chess, you got it from playing
rugby with some of these Aussies. Give us your
unbiased view on the weekend's games. Australia is
obviously going to beat England, that's a given. What
about the other games?
WARE: Well, certainly that's what we're hoping,
Michael, that there will be a Wallaby victory, and
take a vengeance for the loss in the last World Cup.
But honestly, the big match of this weekend is the
game between Pacific underdogs Fiji and South Africa
here on Sunday. I mean, they really are the
fairy-tale story of this World Cup. No one expected
them to make it this far.
And they're coached by Ilie Tabua, a former mate of
mine from playing in Queensland days, where yes, I
did get my nose broken. And those boys are more than
ready to take on the Springboks, one of the mighty
powerhouses of international rugby, so they are going
to be the game to watch this Sunday, Michael.
GORANI: This is Hala, Michael Ware, I can't ask you a
rugby question simply because I don't know enough
about it. But I see you in Iraq, of course. What's it
like reporting on a completely different story, where
for once it's not about drama and wars but about a
happy event getting people together?
WARE: Yes, it is. It's quite a change of pace for me,
certainly. Put it this way. I'm a lot more
comfortable in combat than I am standing here at a
pub on the Mediterranean talking about rugby. But,
Hala, we are having a great time here. The city is
filling up with supporters. It's going to be huge
weekend. I'm battening down the hatches as we speak,
Hala.
GORANI: All right. Well, have fun, Michael. And, you
know, even though I'm the one non-Australian -- wait,
Michael has a question for Michael.
HOLMES: I was going to say, what I actually want to
know, Michael, is I know that you are shocked that
you are actually having to work a bit while you are
there. But you are going to get to catch up with your
mates. Indulge us a little bit. You know half these
blokes, don't you? You played with them?
WARE: Yeah, well, that's exactly right. It's been
great here. It's like a reunion tour for me. I mean,
the Wallabies coach is my former coach. The
Wallabies' forwards coach is my old playmate. The
Fijian coach is my mate. So it's been great catching
up with everybody.
At teams training yesterday, when the rest of the
media were ushered off, the Wallabies allowed us to
stick around. We have been spending time with them in
the pub, certainly the team management. And on the
weekend, win, lose or draw, we are going to be with
them at the party afterwards, Michael, it's going to
be fantastic. I wish you were here.
HOLMES: Mate, I wish I was there, too. You know him,
I know him --
GORANI: I don't wish I was there, actually.
HOLMES: It's going to be untidy. It's going to be
ugly.
GORANI: No, but they cover the games and then they go
to bed around 8:00, right? That's what happens pretty
much?
HOLMES: In their dreams.
GORANI: That's their schedule.
HOLMES: Good to see you, Mick. Have fun.
GORANI: Thanks, Michael.
HOLMES: Oh, dear, that's going to be a mess. I tell
you.
For more on the Rugby World Cup, visit our special
Fanzone site, cnn.com/rugby. All the latest news
about the tournament, profiles of the team. You can
even submit a dream team from Rugby World Cups, past
and present.
Don't forget the old I-Report, send us your pictures,
video, showing us how you're celebrating the
tournament and anything you can get on Michael Ware.
(LAUGHTER)
GORANI: Anything!
That's it for this hour. I'm Hala Gorani.
HOLMES: I'm Michael Holmes. This is CNN.