Saturday 12 March 2011

England - rugby world cup favourites 2011

There's something not quite right with this picture

I didn't write the following...but there's a prize for guessing who did...

"England have gladdened the heart with their three consecutive victories, and if two of them (those over Italy and France) could easily have been won by my Grandmother’s Select XV, then good luck to them.

"We can even excuse the sudden and widespread outburst of terminal fawning, and can put it down to relief. But some fans and professional observers appear to think that this New England is some kind of gleaming and unbeatable machine.

"We will see, on Sunday. People are shying away from comparisons with the All Blacks as if this is in some way unfair. Rubbish. If England are to have any impact at all in this World Cup year, then they have to compare themselves with the All Blacks at every turn.

"So, say the Blacks, and not England, were playing Scotland on Sunday. Scotland have been woeful. They have no real forward menace, critically little striking power and no confidence. A team that only starts playing when the game has gone, as did Scotland against Ireland at Murrayfield recently, is quaking in its boots as it takes the field.

"The Blacks would be merciless. They would take Scotland apart, they would rub it in with every last point they could possibly score and allow no periods in which the Scots could make consolation scores.

"Over to you England. If you are as good as your fans think, you should be planning a Calcutta Hell on Sunday, you should devastate the Scots to the tune of 40 points plus. And you should score first and last, and nil the Scots.

"Then we’ll start believing your fairy tales."

3 comments:

Ferdy said...

Well that's that then. England not exactly looking like the world beaters they think they are just yet.

Well done Scotland, who worried England to the last minute. Loved Patterson's try saving tackle on that pain in the aristotle Foden.

What a strange game, what with the fox on the pitch at the beginning and the referee pulling a muscle halfway through (unfortunately when Scotland - down to 14 men - were on a bit of a role.

Kate Blackhurst said...

In a hideous sitting-on-the-fence type way, I can see both sides to this argument.

It would be nice to have played beautiful, exhibition rugby especially against Scotland - the enmity is always strong there - but let's face it: winning ugly is still winning...

That fox was cute though (ESPN were showing the match - death to the rugby channel!)

Kate x

Steve Munford said...

I think it would be fair to say that, following Sunday's defeat of Scotland, England are most definitely, 100%, categorically and undeniably not favourites for the World Cup.