平常心・Staying calm

　ニュージーランドで開催中のワールドカップが今日明日は準決勝線で、来週は決勝戦のみとなった。 　今日は中立な立場で観戦できるウエールズ対フランス戦。どちのチームも調子が良くなり、若い選手とベテランのバランスが取れていて、15人全員を使う展開ラグビーが得意。5時キックオフで凄い楽しみです。 　問題は明日の試合。母国で開催国代表、現在ランキングが世界１のオールブラックスが世界ランキング２位で天敵のオーストラリア代表ワラビーズとの試合だ。オールブラックス史上最高の司令塔ダン・カーターが大会中に怪我をして出場を断念し、控えも同じ怪我をし、ここ一番の大事な試合に弱冠22歳の新人ですが彼が２年前の世界ジュニアーラグビー選手権の優勝チームのキャプテンを投入することになった。  　世界一でありながら最後にワールドカップ優勝がなんと24年前の初代大会のみの母国代表に優勝してほしい。本当に優勝が欲しい。長過ぎる。落ち着かない。集中できない。  The Rugby World Cup has reached the semi-final stages--today and tomorrow--with the final next weekend.   Today's semi is between Wales and France, offering me the luxury of watching as a neutral. Both teams are in good form, have a fine balance of youth and experience, and play 15-man rugby, so we should be in for a marvelous exhibition.   The problem is tomorrow, when the All Blacks, my home country and host, ranked #1 in the world, take on their deadly rival The Wallabies from Australia, ranked #2. Not only did the All Blacks lose their star back line general Dan Carter, considered the best in this position in All Black history, they then had the misfortune to lose his replacement to the same injury a week later. Now we enter the most important match in recent All Black history with a 22 year-old youngster in this crucial position. He is, however, the player who only two years ago captained New Zealand to victory in the Junior World Championship in Japan.   Despite usually being ranked #1 in the world, the only time the All Blacks have won the World Cup was in 1987, the very first tournament. I so desperately want them to win this time, so very very desperately. It has been too long. I can't relax, I can't concentrate.