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MICHAEL HOLMES: After a
weekend of upsets, the excitement building as we
approach the semifinals of the Rugby World Cup. The
matches are scheduled to get under way this weekend
in Paris and that's where we find some time war
correspondent but full time rugby lover Michael Ware.
Michael, we are going all around the United States at
the moment, and we shall do our best to confuse them
with talk of halfbacks, wings, hookers and the like,
but this is true that this weekend, it's got to be up
to the forwards, the prop forwards, the scrums,
crucial stuff.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right,
Michael. Worlds away from the horrors of the wars
that now cross the globe and after six years of
conflict, I can tell you personally, Michael, I am in
rugby heaven. As a dyed-in-the wool rugby supporter
and rugby fan, this world tournament is simply
fantastic. And it's now boiled down to four teams
vying to be crowned world champions.
We have the two semifinals this weekend in Paris, and
I can tell you it's coming down to what's known as
the forward packs. Essentially, in each team of 15,
these are the eight largest, most brutish, aggressive
guys on the field. And I have to admit I'm a member
of the front row club myself. I played in the forward
pack.
And I'm here to tell you that this weekend, you're
going to see a truism of sporting rugby: the games
are won and lost in the front row. You can have
what's called the backs kicking their kicks and
scoring their tries and pirouetting around their
opposite numbers out wide, but the real games this
weekend are going to come down to the brutish contest
in the forward packs, whether these two sets of men
can dominate the other, set the platform for the rest
of their teams, is really going to define who wins
and who loses this weekend.
I mean, I spent the morning mixing with some of South
Africa's Springbok forwards and as they say, when you
are in the forward pack you cannot have any respect
for your body.
Indeed, the Australian coach referred to one of his
players, now out of the tournament, as a man who
knows no pain. And as the Springboks forward's
coaches are saying, it's time that South Africans
have to stand up to the Argentineans. In the big
match against England versus France, we see two
mammoth groups of men who are about to go head to
head and try and demolish each other and this is
going to define the weekend's world cup results,
Michael.
HOLMES: Okay. They are telling us to wrap but I'm
ignoring them. Quickly, Michael, tips?
WARE: Tips? Look, France really has momentum behind
them, world cup hosts. England's got the sort of form
on the board right now. It's hard to call. I'd hate
to say it but maybe England just by a nudge. While
we'd all love to see underdogs Argentina get up over
the mammoth South Africans, you got to go for the
Springboks, Michael.
HOLMES: Just before I go, I have to say, mate, you
were a forward. They used to say that to get the best
front row you line up the biggest, ugliest guys you
can find against the wall and throw bricks at them
and the ones who don't duck, there's your props.
You've heard that one, I know.
WARE: That's exactly right, mate. That's why I've got
a face for radio, mate, and not for television. I'm
telling you, the front row is the brains trust.
That's where it all happens.
HOLMES: That's what you say. Michael Ware, who didn't
get that nose playing badminton. Actually played
representative rugby for the state of Queensland at a
very high level so he knows his stuff.
HALA GORANI: And he's endlessly entertaining.
While the rugby world cup competition is still under
way we want to remind you, our viewers, of our
special Web site.
HOLMES: That's right. The fan zone it's called, at
CNN.com/rugby, you can find all the latest news about
the tournament, profiles of your teams, submit your
own dream team if you want from the rugby world cups
past and present.
GORANI: Hey, if you are an American rugby fan, go
ahead and e- mail us your views at cnn.com. Send us
your pictures and videos showing how you are
celebrating the tournament.
HOLMES: E-mail us and tell us if you understood
anything Michael Ware said.