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PARIS - The England squad in France have been overwhelmed by the amount of support they've received from their loyal fans' - including James Bond star Daniel Craig - heading into Saturday's World Cup final against South Africa here at the Stade de France.
Thousands of Red Rose supporters, many without tickets for the match, continued to arrive in Paris on Friday despite ongoing problems caused by Thursday's mass transport strike in France.
"It half-hit home yesterday (Thursday) when I was watching the television," England coach Brian Ashton told reporters at the team hotel here Friday.
"Just to see the numbers of supporters who are actually making the journey knowing there is no way they are going to get anywhere near the stadium, and some of them presumably setting out wondering if they were going to get to France, given what's gone over here over the past 24 hours or so, it's just completely staggering and a massive boost to the players over here."
Ashton, who last week deflected suggestions he would receive a knighthood and become 'Sir Brian', just as 2003 chief Clive Woodward became 'Sir Clive' after the team's World Cup triumph in Australia, if England retained the Webb Ellis Trophy, said a number of high-profile supporters had been in touch.
"After my comments in a press conference a week last Wednesday, I got a fax from the Prime Minister (Gordon Brown, who as a schoolboy played rugby in his native Scotland).
"And I had another one yesterday. We are on Christian (first) name terms now," Ashton added to howls of laughter from the assembled media corps.
"Even Daniel Craig, James Bond, has phoned and sent his best wishes.
"He sent a message before the semi-final last week (where England beat France 14-9) 'I'm filming in Lithuania at the moment, unfortunately can't be there, won't see it on TV, but please pass on my best wishes'. He's a massive England rugby fan and he's promised to ring again on Sunday."
- AFP
