Rugby World Cup
Monday Maul: On the ground at Rugby World Cup 2015
ESPN Staff
September 20, 2015

The first weekend of Rugby World Cup 2015 is in the books after eight matches that have set the tone for what should be a pulsating tournament. In this Monday Maul special, ESPN's team of reporters give their take on the highs - and lows - that fans are experiencing across England and Wales as the tournament finds its feet. We start at Twickenham...

LONDON

TOM HAMILTON - Twickenham and Wembley

Twickenham has never heard an atmosphere quite like Friday evening. That lasted until Saturday when France were in town and for the second night running La Marseillaise ran out at the old concrete block in Middlesex.

One of the oddities of the opening match between England and Fiji was not only the inability of the host nation's front-row to find their rhythm but also the singing of the French national anthem in the second half. It was repeated again at Twickenham when France were in town and also at Wembley in the New Zealand-Argentina match.

Impromptu anthems apart, Twickenham rocked on both nights but the transport difficulties took the gloss off the opening night with many stranded in southwest London beyond midnight and into Saturday morning.

But what is most striking so far is the way the country has embraced this tournament. Travelling to Twickenham on the opening day, in one tube carriage, six hours before kick-off, there were shirts from four different nations. Heading to Wembley on Sunday, Canada fans were keen to hear views on their performance against Ireland the day previous. Fans from different nations were directing each other around central London and nearer to the grounds.

The opening three days bode well for the rest of the tournament. We have already had a monumental shock on the field, but if the intensity in support remains, then this promises to be a memorable tournament in every sense.

NATE SAUNDERS - Twickenham

Having been to Twickenham for England games before, Italy-France on Saturday was a breath of fresh air. There was a genuine sense of excitement on the walk to the stadium that reminded me of the Olympic stadium at London 2012.

The Frenchmen sitting behind and to the side of me belted out 'La Marseillaise' before giving their best attempt at Italy's 'Il Canto degli Italiani' for good measure - humming along loudly when they realised they only knew the "Italia" bits.

Mexican waves went around the stadium. People high-fived strangers after tries. The game may not have been an entertaining spectacle throughout but being part of the occasion was. Even the slow post-match trudge back to Twickenham station went without any significant delay, in stark contrast to Friday's problems.

There was one glaring negative, however - the TMO. If you think TMO's can be baffling on TV, try sitting in a stadium watching the same replay over and over again without knowing why. I saw several people a few rows in front of me asking each other what on earth was going on - even I was completely unsure on one and I had the usually very handy 'Ref Link' clipped to my ear.

An NFL-style PA announcement from the referee explaining what was going on wouldn't go amiss at times like that. Not only can it be a confusing and irritating delay, but it sucks the otherwise brilliant atmosphere out of the stadium and replaces it with an eerie silence usually reserved for the more nervy moments of an England Test match.

SAM BRUCE - Wembley

There was no shortage of blue, white or black at Wembley on Sunday afternoon as fans of the Pumas and All Blacks helped create a football-style atmosphere at the Rugby World Cup.

Los Pumas supporters sang and chanted throughout, with the aid of a drum band pre-game, while the boos for opposing skipper Richie McCaw, after he'd been sin-binned for a trip, were surely heard miles away.

The New Zealanders did their best to compete in the noise stakes through their old favourite "All Blacks, All Blacks, All Blacks" but the South Americans were always quick to respond. The All Blacks fans did appear to be winning the drinking battle however, with those in sight of the media seats clearly keen to indulge. But it was in good spirits and there were no signs of trouble. The fans treated each other with respect, just as the players had done so out on the pitch.

Wembley may be the home of English Football; but for one night, at least, rugby sent fans home happy from North London. A marvellous evening was had by all.

CARDIFF

TRISTAN BARCLAY

Matches at football stadiums like Brighton and Wembley might be bringing the sport to new audiences, but Cardiff is rugby land. They know how to put on a show under the Millennium Stadium roof, so much so that even the one-sided natures of Ireland v Canada and Wales v Uruguay did nothing to dampen the excitement in the Welsh capital.

Saturday saw Cardiff improbably awash with green as the Irish took over. If Wales know how to host a rugby match, Ireland certainly know how to enjoy it, and the city was alive before breakfast. Getting a train to and from Cardiff has proved a testing task - I myself was 30 minutes late into town on Friday night - but Irish and Canadian fans combined to produce a raucous atmosphere come kick off in the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Sunday had a slight feeling of 'the morning after the night before' as Welsh fans emerged from their homes slightly later. Uruguayans were thin on the ground, but those in attendance were flying the flag with pride. As kick off approached, so the volume on the pavements rose. The Millennium Stadium's location - right in the city centre - meant it felt like the main stage in a festival of rugby, while the pubs and streets around it played the perfect support act.

The fanzone in Cardiff Arms Park was host to some of the best of the weekend's festivities, and was packed out on Saturday as neutrals became Japan fans. The roar that went up in front of the big screens when the Japanese defeated South Africa was most likely heard over in Brighton.

GREG GROWDEN

The Millennium Stadium remains one of the world's most appealing sporting arenas. Cardiff is a rugby mecca. Pity getting to and from this city via the train network is an absolute shambles.

While numerous British Sunday newspapers made headlines out of the railway delays in getting to Cardiff in time for Saturday's Ireland-Canada match, even worse was the experience of thousands who were treated like second-class citizens when trying to leave the city that night.

Those who were returning to London, Bristol and Birmingham were forced to queue for several hours. Infuriating enough, but made even worse by being ridiculously crammed into holding pens. And then when train passengers were finally in sight of the Cardiff Railway Station platforms, they were forced to frantically charge towards the train, and outmaneuver each other for seats.

It was blatantly clear that not enough trains had been scheduled for such an important event; and those in charge clearly had no idea of crowd control. It was also a frightening scene, with the threat of tragedy if anyone in these cramped confines had stumbled and fell.

Adding to the frustration was that there was a shortage of officials in the area, or anyone who knew what was going on. No one was offering directions or reasons for the endless delays. All we knew was that we had to fight our way to ensure we finished in the right queue. No wonder scuffles between exasperated passengers broke out as we slowly inched our way towards the station.

One consolation. When I first attempted to return to London shortly after the end of the Ireland-Canada game, the massive queue of at least 2000 people convinced me to head to a pub and watch Japan's extraordinary triumph over the Springboks.

Two hours later I was back in the same spot to discover the queue had not become any shorter. So began one of the worst two hour experiences of my life. I eventually arrived back in London- just a tad under seven hours from first attempting to get home.

Not good enough, Rugby World Cup organisers!

BRIGHTON

ROB BARTLETT

Brighton may be known for rock over ruck, but the opening weekend of the World Cup could not have gone much smoother for Sussex's seaside town. The mood, delivery and reception was remarkable as the city enjoyed its moment in the sun. Yes, even the English weather was perfect throughout.

The locals wolfed down a slice of sporting history on Saturday: Japan's heroic victory over South Africa ensured Brighton would be forever remembered in rugby folklore. But even before the Brave Blossoms blitzed the Boks, the atmosphere was jovial, sociable and -- above all -- enjoyable.

That was down to three things; organisation, planning and people. What a great idea to have the official Fanzone on Brighton's famous pebble beach, where punters could play crazy golf while watching Georgia upset Tonga. Or enjoy a beer and a burger in one of the many bars and food stops lining the seafront, safely tucked away from the throng of Saturday shoppers.

What a great idea also to provide a shuttlebus service straight from the beach to the Brighton Community Stadium, some three and a half miles away, bypassing busy traffic. Even if you decided to take the train, the walk from promenade to station was heavily signposted with many helpful RWC officials dishing out directions along the way. On arrival, fans were ushered onto a designated platform where their potential waiting time for a train was displayed along the queue.

It was the same at the stadium; happy, smiling faces greeted fans on arrival and wasted no time in helping. The handling of the media was flawless and all four nations involved spoke highly of the facilities, stadium and the welcome from the general public.

Following Samoa's victory over the USA on Sunday, a Brighton & Hove Albion season ticket holder came over to the press box to say how wonderful it had been witnessing a World Cup in his home country and, more importantly, his home city. There's not much higher praise than that.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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