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World Cup fever? (3)

• Bryn Palmer
• 4 Sep 07, 08:53 AM

Versailles

鈥淢esdames et messieurs, bienvenue a Paris.鈥� It was only when I rolled into the Gare du Nord on the Eurostar on Monday afternoon that it finally hit me.

La Coupe du Monde, c鈥檈st arrive! Finally. The eternal build-up almost over, the warm-up nonsense done and dusted, the real thing upon us once again.

It started to dawn as I made my way up the escalator at Waterloo station before boarding the train. All these rugby players 鈥� , , of course, oh dear, there鈥檚 , shame he didn鈥檛 make it 鈥� in strange-looking poses on adverts for the Eden Park clothing company.

But when we got off the train, nothing much going on. Pas grandes choses, as the locals round here might say. Where are the billboards, where is the bunting? Isn鈥檛 there a World Cup about to start in a few days, right here, in the French capital?

Wait a minute. In the arrivals area a taxi driver is holding up a piece of paper with 鈥淢rs Wells鈥� written on it. A personal reception for the wife of perhaps?

This is more like it鈥 Quick Burger poster featuring the grinning face of France pin-up boy Frederic Michalak. They鈥檙e doing a special 鈥淣umber 10鈥� burger for the duration of the World Cup apparently. But have they done their research properly? Shouldn鈥檛 it be David Skrela on there instead?

But if World Cup fever is not exactly sweeping Paris (well not the bits I鈥檝e seen yet anyway), 9,000 people turned up to watch Australia train in Montpellier on Sunday. And the All Blacks were besieged by autograph hunters in Marseilles鈥檚 Vieux-Port.

The hosts appear in buoyant mood too.

According to a poll for the national sports paper 鈥溾��, 95% of those who said they will be following the tournament are confident coach Bernard Laporte will lead France into the final. Then again, only 44% said they will be following it, and 17% of those only 鈥減robably鈥� rather than 鈥渃ertainly鈥�. But that鈥檚 still nearly one in two who will be, right? Which probably isn鈥檛 so bad when you think about it.

Anyway, at least the weather鈥檚 pretty good. England arrived on Monday to some late afternoon sunshine and a balmy evening in Versailles.

Their hotel is less than a mile from Louis XIV鈥檚 famed , and was apparently the former headquarters of the Gestapo in World War Two.

As well as all the usual state-of-the-art gyms, heated pools, and exclusive nearby golf courses you鈥檇 expect to find at the base of any self-respecting international rugby team, never mind the defending world champions, it also boasts of signature 鈥渉eavenly beds鈥� and a mission statement to 鈥渓eave you feeling better than when you arrived鈥�.

The luxury beds won鈥檛 count for much if it all goes pear-shaped against South Africa, Samoa and Tonga in the next few weeks, but who knows, England might just head off to Marseille for the quarter-finals with a spring in their step.

Before all that though, it鈥檚 the on Saturday of course, and Brian Ashton will be unveiling his starting line-up around midday UK time on Tuesday.

I鈥檒l be keeping you up to speed with what鈥檚 happening in the England camp over the next four weeks, so do let us know your thoughts on the team and what you鈥檙e up to if you鈥檙e if you鈥檙e already in Versailles, or Paris, taking in the World Cup ambience.

Salut maintenant!

Bryn Palmer is the 主播大秀 Sport website鈥檚 rugby union editor.

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