Using table for each date group within the loop

Any help appreciated: I want to be able to display the date and group of posts within that date in a table with two columns. The date in one column and the posts in another. The problem is I don’t know how to include the HTML to close the cell, row and table tags after group of posts in that date within the loop. Is this possible?

Here is a basic outline of what I want for each date:

<table>
<tr>
<td>

THE DATE

</td>
<td>

POSTS LISTED HERE

</td>
</tr>

</table>

So my template code is along the lines of:

<?php if ( have_posts() ) : while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>

<?php the_date('j F', '<table><tr><td>', '</td><td>'

<?php the_title(); ?> etc... etc...

<!--THIS IS WHERE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CODE TO CLOSE THE TABLE AT THE END OF THE DATE->

<?php endwhile; ?>

<?php endif; ?>

If I close the TD, TR and TABLE tags where I currently have the comment it adds them to the end of every post listed.

Thanks in advance for any help.