Rugby world cup final

[Tris]

From what I've seen, everyone from the top down (ie Eddie Jones) have praised England as worthy winners, as the best team in the world.

Most Aussies are satisfied that we took the best team in the world to overtime, but ultimately, weren't good enough on the day.

Best bits of the game for me :

England scoring a try  

Watching "Little Johnny Howard" having to give every England player a winner's medal.  THANK YOU CLIVE FOR WIPING THE SMUG GRIN OFF THAT B******* FACE JUST FOR ONCE!!!!!      

pg, you're so kind, and so are your compatriots

after the event

could you please delete what was written before the final ??  oops, indelible ink

[pg]

Tris - I never wrote anything beforehand..because I don't know anything about Rugby.

[Stoneage Kit]

Evil? Someone urgently needs to see a shrink. It's only a game of Footy after all.

If anyone is interested in how Australians feel about losing on Saturday look at the editorial and letters in Monday's online Australian. What meanness there is certainly doesn't come from Australians. Most of their ire is directed at The Man of Steel for his graceless performance at the presentation.

Sad to say the only evidence of an inferiority complex on display here is from some supporters of the winning side. Are we so unused to winning that we must resort to this petty catcalling?

[pg]

Yes, go to The Age Letters section and all you will find is how embarrassed Australians are that a sour-faced and shameful display by John Howard ruined an otherwise memorable night.

John Howard - your true colours are showing  

EDIT - for the record.  If England regain the Ashes next time they play, I wouldn't mind that much...in fact it would be good for the game.

[Cocker]

pg

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tris - I never wrote anything beforehand..because I don't know anything about Rugby.  

Yep know exactly how that feels.  Went down the local to watch it and all the Rugby team were in there.  After being amongst all that I will never jump down the throught of the next guy that comes in to watch the footy and says "whats offside all about then" because I knew on Saturday exactly how they would feel.

Also, after the rugby had finished I was stupid enough to stand on a chair and advise the rugby team that I was turning the Rugby off and putting Blackburn on.  This went down like a sack of spuds and so did I.

Got the footy on though

[Alan75]

For the information of the World Cup losers:

It's called a dropped goal, not a field goal.

Of excuse me oh wise one, I used the Rugby League phrase instead of the Rugby Union one.

Sorry to disappoint you but they're called drop goals in rugby league.

At Ewood we'd call it a miss.

BEAMOOOOOOOO, BEAMOOOOOOOO

[Flopsy]

It was five minutes before Dallalighio was told that that wasnt the Webb Ellis Trophy

More Final Photo's

[FourLaneBlue]

There have been a number of programmes/news items on whether Rugby (thanks to the win) could become England's number one sport. There was another one on Channel 4 News tonight.

No chance. I'm sure I'm not the only one who was only mildly interested in the competition. We won well and it's great to be champions in something (other than Tiddlywinks) but it ain't the same as football now is it?

[jim mk2]

Look at tomorrow's back pages. Football reigns supreme again.

[Ste B]

It was five minutes before Dallalighio was told that that wasnt the Webb Ellis Trophy

More Final Photo's

That Gregan fellow reminds me of Ian Wright... both annoying little shysters who play for scummy teams.

[steven]

From what I've seen, everyone from the top down (ie Eddie Jones) have praised England as worthy winners, as the best team in the world.

Most Aussies are satisfied that we took the best team in the world to overtime, but ultimately, weren't good enough on the day.

Best bits of the game for me :

England scoring a try  

Watching "Little Johnny Howard" having to give every England player a winner's medal.  THANK YOU CLIVE FOR WIPING THE SMUG GRIN OFF THAT B******* FACE JUST FOR ONCE!!!!!      

To be fair to the Australian newspapers (even the dreadful Daily Telegraph, Sydney), most of them have lauded England (although that may be because the final was such a good sporting spectacle). Even the ridiculous Campese was forced to climb down.

What has been unacceptable is the anti-English sentiment in the convict papers since the World Cup started. One of them, in the middle of one particular rant, said English "arrogance" (whatever that is) even  extended to the 19th century field of battle where the British wore redcoats so that the enemy knew we were coming!!

Some of it does have a funny side and some of it may be just tabloid drivel, but alot of it did reveal much about the Australian psyche and its obvious inferiority complex about all things English.

Anyway, I'm glad England won but no one will persuade me otherwise that rugby is a crap sport.

I do like Clive Woodward's attitude though. Anyone who gets up Australian noses must have something going for him and I read somewhere that he is a real footy fan too.

How about Sir Clive to replace Sven when the time comes?

Jim, you read too much into the papers.  Nobody takes much notice of them here.  They are low quality rags that don't really represent what the average Aussie thinks.

I have to say that the game surely rivals the great moments I've watched with Rovers: Wembley 1987, Wembley 1992, Anfield 1995, and Cardiff 2001, as a sporting event to remember.  In fact, I think that the match had even more

drama than any of those other games.

Who would have thought that we would have played the Aussies in their own back yard, and WON?!!

It was brilliant, and I have got to say that the Aussies were brilliant hosts.  They even let us take home the cup!  They were so gracious in defeat, and strangers kept coming up to us and shaking our hands in the streets and congratulating us.  They stopped short of singing 'Oh Jonny Jonny, Jonny Jonny Jonny Jonny Wilkinson', but I suppose that was only to be expected.

There has been no talk of ugly rugby in the press today, and they have been very supportive of our performance:

http://rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/24/1069522486108.html

I was lucky enough to go to the game, and our photos are here:

http://www.pbase.com/novauspics/england_versus_australia/

I could be come a convert to this sport if all the games are this exciting.  The egg chasers did us proud!!

[AussieinUk]

For the information of the World Cup losers:

It's called a dropped goal, not a field goal.

Of excuse me oh wise one, I used the Rugby League phrase instead of the Rugby Union one.

Sorry to disappoint you but they're called drop goals in rugby league.

Dont pretend you have a clue about the game!

[Flopsy]

[chris]

saw on Tv Bret Emerton and Mark V****a both say well done to England, nice touch, wonder if they would say that if they were not living in England

[AussieinUk]

saw on Tv Bret Emerton and Mark V****a both say well done to England, nice touch, wonder if they would say that if they were not living in England

Dont be so cynical...  I know I truly mean "well done to England" and I live in the UK as well.

Engalnd has had had the better team Internationally for the past 12-14 months, so all credit to you...

I beleive most Aussies look at the WC final as a bonus, I honestly wasnt expecting the wallabies to "stand up" in the semi's against NZ.

So please look at congratulations given to you, as not being sincere..

[Finch]

saw on Tv Bret Emerton and Mark V****a both say well done to England, nice touch, wonder if they would say that if they were not living in England

Absolutely. Aussie players over here can't afford to upset the local populus no matter what they really feel.

This is true of all foreign players (and managers?) in England, they have to keep the locals sweet - it's just not worth it for them to do anything else.  Look at what happened to Alpay  (mind you, he just made his own situation worse by the stuff he came out with after the Turkey match, so no sympathy there).

[rover6]

Just a few points about my opinion on rugby

- Well done England. I just wish the media could leave it at that. BUt no, they have to start calling for Woodward to be knighted - a ridiculous thought considering the paucity of competition throughout the world. And, besides, people should IMO be honoured AFTER they've retired.

- Don't you just cringe during the football World Cups or Euro Championships, when non-supporters start giving it large about footy when they blatently have no prior knowledge of the game. These bandwagon riders are doing the same with rugby.

[AlanK]

Well done England. A fantastic achievement.

Sir Woodward, I like the sound of that.

Bring on Rugby Euro 2005

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Even the players look sick and tired of all the media hype and attention now.Ickle Jonny and actress girfriend Diana Stewart have been touted as the 'natural successors' to the Beckham clowns..what a f'kin joke.

An excellent National sporting victory but please for christ's sake leave it at that eh.

Alank...

'Sir Woodward,I like the sound of that'

Pass me the sick bucket please!!!!!!

[Blueboy Downunder]

having only taken up playing rugby in the last 5 years, i reckon the game is brilliant. there are many differences with football. there is more togetherness in rugby than there ever has been in footy. there is a lot more respect of the officals and opposition players aswell.

as for clive woodward being knighted, well if becks had of taken england to world cup final glory then there is no doubt at all that he should have been knighted.  there aint nothing wrong with the national media basking in the glory of winning the world cup...and further giving it large to the aussies for what they have done to us for years on end.  Sir clive Woodward....no problems with me, bring it on

ROVERS FOREVER

[Rovermatt]

- Don't you just cringe during the football World Cups or Euro Championships, when non-supporters start giving it large about footy when they blatently have no prior knowledge of the game. These bandwagon riders are doing the same with rugby.

Spot on. Although this WC has not attracted the masses who appear when the nation is gripped by the 'we're going to win it' hysteria, every two years.

[RoyRover]

Well done to England for winning the World Cup and I think that any other country had one if for the first time, the same hysteria would surround it. However what does annoy me is this absolute love and idealiasation of Johnny Wilkinson. He is without doubt a world class goal kicker, but whenever he does the thing he is best at, commentators are off the seats shouting his praises. ITS WHAT HE DOES FOR GOD SAKE!

At the same time, I think that media have pumped him so much because they realise that without him, England wouldn't have won the WC.

[Blueboy Downunder]

i would also like to add that having spent time in australia and made many very good friends there....the people that blatantly give the gob with no knowledge of what they are on about, are in the minority.  Australia is a beautiful country with lots of great people....just a pity that there are people who open their traps....and don't know what they are on about!

ROVERS FOREVER

[Felix_the_Cat]

- Well done England. I just wish the media could leave it at that. BUt no, they have to start calling for Woodward to be knighted - a ridiculous thought considering the paucity of competition throughout the world. And, besides, people should IMO be honoured AFTER they've retired.

I couldn't disagree more.

World rugby admittedly lacks depth but four different countries (NZ, Australia, South Africa and England) have won the trophy in the five tournaments since the World Cup started in 1987. By comparison only seven countries have won the football World Cup since Uruguay in 1934. Brazil and Germany's dominance has been equivalent to the two-horse race that the Premiership has become.

As for honours, Alex Ferguson got knighted for ManU winning the European Cup, so I don't see why Clive Woodward shouldn't get a gong for winning the World Cup. As for Sir Jonny, that is just tabloid hype. However, all the players and squad should get an MBE/OBE/CBE in the New Year's honour's list.

[ABBEY]

- Don't you just cringe during the football World Cups or Euro Championships, when non-supporters start giving it large about footy when they blatently have no prior knowledge of the game. These bandwagon riders are doing the same with rugby.

not at all like you jumping on a bandwagon every time we get beat ....but how hes he a good manager if we get 1/2 way.

WELL DONE ENGLAND NOT A UNION MAN BUT FAIR DO'S THE BOYS DONE US PROUD.