Eng-er-land - er - perhaps not! in blackpropaganda

Over the years I have written about my dislike of the English rugby team - even though I am English. Not only the team but the commentators, and general acolytes around the team.
If England won they played well, if they lost they played badly - or they were unlucky or the ref was against them. They seemed to have a God-given right to win.

I was pleased they beat New Zealand last week in the semi-final of the World Cup - they were the better team and played great rugby - the thinking then being if they can beat the World Champions they just have to turn up to beat anyone.

The team might not have underestimated their opponents in the final, South Africa - the the supporters and the media seemed to - there were people spending thousands of pounds to go out to Japan to see England win - there were profiles of the English players - rugby clubs opened from 7 am for the 9 am kickoff so that people could have breakfast, drink and watch the match with lots of others. In one paper a PR man (always someone to trust) suggested that the English players would make oodles of money when they won - if they won.

Well they won’t - South Africa played them off the field - as they say in the jargon - England never turned up - OK, one of their players was injured in the first two minutes which did not help - but they had a squad of players anyway - but they seemed to have no idea how to counter the power and passion of the South Africans - half of whom are black - a crucial point.

It is interesting that after the match the commentaries were all about the importance of the win to the whole of South Africa - especially with a black captain born in a township - now holding the World Cup.

Thank goodness the English team will not now be used by BJ in his election propaganda - and the importance of passion in sport reasserts itself