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PARIS - England coach Brian Ashton hopes the defending champions, who've already more than lived up to his slogan for the tournament of "shock the world", can make good on those words last time when they face South Africa in Saturday's World Cup final here at the Stade de France.
Ranked seventh in the world at the start of the tournament, England have defied the odds by beating Australia and hosts France in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively after losing 36-0 in a Pool match against South Africa - their record World Cup defeat.
Ashton's rallying cry was originally coined by boxing great Muhammad Ali ahead of his initial capture of the world heavyweight title in 1964 when he defeated the seemingly invincible Sonny Liston.
"In January we probably did need to shock the world to win a World Cup," Ashton told reporters at England's hotel here Friday.
"It wasn't my invention. I pinched it from Muhammad Ali, 'defy the impossible and shock the world', who said that before the first Sonny Liston fight and then again before the George Foreman fight (in 1974 when Ali regained the title).
"If it's good enough for him, it's probably good enough for me as well," Ashton added.
Ali was 32 when he beat Foreman - an age then considered by many as too old to be a heavyweight champion.
Eight of the England starting XV are also the 'wrong' side of 30 but captain Phil Vickery said the jibes about an ageing team, which England hope will see it become the first nation to win back-to-back World Cups, were nothing new.
"We had it at the last World Cup, 'Dad's Army', 'Grandad's Army' and no doubt we'll have it all again," said prop forward Vickery, 31, a member of the victorious 2003 front-row, who is now leading a squad with a higher average age than four years ago.
Ashton said he's come to learn the value of an experienced team. "It's not a question of being vindicated, it's a question of thinking logically.
"There was a time during the Six Nations, when I'd just taken over, when I thought maybe the way forward was with some younger players.
"But as you get the initial squad together it becomes clear if you want to win a tournament of this nature against the best sides in the world, you are probably far better off, with the majority of players in your squad, if they are good enough to get selected and these guys are, with (experienced) people like that in your squad than you are without them.
"Playing France (who England beat 14-9) the host nation, in a World Cup semi-final is a pretty emotional event anyway. But a World Cup final brings its own emotions with it. That's why it's so gratifying to have players of a certain age with the experience they've got.
"These players have proven over the last two weeks they can control the emotions when it counts and transfer those emotions into positive energy on the field."
South Africa scrum-half Fourie du Preez has been a pivotal figure in the Springboks' march to the final and Ashton said: "He's the fulcrum of their game and someone we have talked about.
"But you can't just single out one player. They've got world-class players all over their team. While we need to keep an eye on him, we need to keep an eye on the other 14 as well."
Vickery added: "We're here in the final and we deserve to be here because we've performed when we've had to.
"But the South Africans have proven, not just at this World Cup but prior to it, what a quality side they are.
"They've got everything you could wish for from a rugby side and we know it's going to be extremely difficult.
"Playing for country is always a huge honour but I, like the rest of the guys, don't want to go back home without that Cup."
- AFP
