British go batty at rugby triumph

LONDON - Debate has already started in Britain on whether the England team are the greatest sporting outfit the country has produced.

Their crushing 25-14 win over Australia in Melbourne last Saturday, a week after beating New Zealand in Wellington, has prompted comparisons with the 1966 England team who won the soccer World Cup.

"Is this the greatest British team of all time, and in all sports?" Rob Hughes asked in the Sunday Times newspaper.

Hughes then threw in the crucial qualifier, which many commentators have overlooked: "Should England prevail at the World Cup then it will justify the question."

Press reaction rightfully trumpeted England's win as confirming their status as the No 1 rugby team in the world and as favourites for the World Cup in Australia in October and November.

Stephen Jones in the Sunday Times said England had now taken on Australia's mental edge.

"Let's talk about England's psychological dominance over the Southern Hemisphere, let's talk about England assuming the mental hardness and self belief that we previously thought was an exclusive Australian preserve," he wrote.

"It is too early to talk about them being world champions ... but the warnings will nag away for months at all those scared silly of the old country winning in November."

England captain Martin Johnson, writing in the Mail on Sunday followed the siege mentality of his coach, Clive Woodward.

"We got the predictable public relations campaign against us, something we've grown used to over the years from coming down to these parts."

No 8 Lawrence Dallaglio was another to reiterate Woodward's combative satisfaction.

"The satisfaction is made even greater by the load of rubbish we've taken over here for the way we play," he wrote in the Times.

Australian papers, meanwhile, slammed Woodward for his smug attitude.

"Woodward used the victory as a vehicle to yet again abuse his Wallabies counterpart, Eddie Jones," the Sydney Morning Herald said.



The Australian newspaper said Woodward's handling of his post-test press conference conjured memories of when "England were last represented on these shores by a man so utterly obsessed with inflicting defeat on Australia and one so utterly delighted to have done so ... cricket's [Bodyline tour captain of 1932-33] Douglas Jardine."

- AGENCIES