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Dardier slips one in for the minnows

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FORMER World Cup bobsledder Philippe Dardier fulfilled a dream when he scored Singapore's only try against a star-studded Australian side in Pool D.

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Dardier, 31, who once plied the World Cup bobsled circuit for Canada, struck a blow for the minnows by showing that the smaller countries deserve their chance against the giants of rugby, despite his team losing 47-5.

In the past, there has been concern that the one-sided scores which regularly occur when sides are mis-matched do little to enhance the game, and that the major countries should be separated from the smaller ones.

But Dardier, who touched down seconds after being goose-stepped by Aussie superstar David Campese, shrugged it off, saying: ''That's not very healthy for the tournament. It takes the enjoyment away. ''Everybody gets to meet everybody this way.

''For me, it was a great feeling to score against Australia. Everybody knows about the Hongkong Sevens and it is like a dream come true for me to be here.'' Dardier was part of Canada's World Cup bobsled team in the 1985-86 season before moving to France for six years, where he was introduced to the sport of rugby.

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But his big break came when his company, CIC, transferred him to Singapore a year ago.

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