Put another Pom on the barbie

By ALAN PERROTT

Get out your hankies, the English are struggling to cope with the scorn flowing from the former colonies against their splendid rugby team.

Even the usually liberal Guardian newspaper has whipped itself into a lather with its own study of anti-English sentiment under the headline "We hate you England, we do."

The paper has discovered England's opponents have become united by a hatred for the Poms and have launched a "relentless barrage of insults" aimed at the Red Roses.

The Guardian lamented that "no one setting foot in Australia over the past couple of weeks could have been left in any doubt about the unusual vehemence of the local keenness to ensure that England do not leave Sydney on November 22 with the William Webb Ellis Cup stowed in their baggage."

Sun columnist Steven Howard tried to take the cultural high ground, pointing to England's increasingly historical literary lineage.

"And what have the Aussies got when it comes to epic poems and great works of literature? Campo's Bonzer Book of Rugby. This, though, is an insult. Just as it would be to repeat that tale of the tourist who, arriving at Australian immigration, was asked whether he had a criminal record and replied: 'Why, is it compulsory?"

Howard said the team's critics were indulging in a "fabulous game of throwing another Pom on the barbie".

He also dismissed the fuss over the English attempt to field 16 players. "Had this happened to Samoa nothing would have been said ... but, since it's the old Pom, this is big news. Almost as big as when Shane Warne was thrown out of the last World Cup for taking a banned substance."

The Mirror newspaper lamented that their plucky forwards can't buy a compliment and have been branded as ugly, "giant gargoyles" and "white orcs on steroids".

But the paper said England rugby had only itself to blame for the inquiry into their 16-man team against Samoa as it had a history of off-field blunders.

In August, England kit man Dave Tennison cut across French first-five Frederik Michalak's path as he prepared for a conversion. In March, Ireland accused them of lining up on the wrong side of halfway to meet the Irish President and in 2000 the team failed to appear for the presentation ceremony after winning the Six Nations title at Murrayfield, leaving the Princess Royal twiddling her thumbs in the cold.

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