It gets worse

If the week just gone by was hard to bear as a Kiwi living in London, then things now are going to be worse ... and come next Sunday we may simply go into hiding.

Fi and I came clearly off the fence yesterday. We picked France because they beat us, but last night we found ourselves at a friend’s birthday out in E16, surrounded in enemy territory, and the natives were waving their plastic St George flags and inflatable hammers in our faces - jingoistic tat left over from when they last dipped out in whatever football tournament they were in. I tell you, there is nothing worse than condescending sympathy from a Pom who could not probably name 4 people in their own team. I bit my tongue and muttered into my Feijoa vodka.

Boring, boring Arsenal ... I mean England; they’ve done it again. Their play is ugly, it’s mostly one dimensional, it is so far from 15 man rugby it hurts, and most of those players probably put in only solid, 6/10 performances ... but cumulatively it was an effective tournament style again (their only style) and found themselves in the final. Well done. (Teeth grinding)

Was it simply last week replayed? With France as us, and England grinding them down? I thought so. Wilko was such a trooper, and Jason Robinson is also a huge talisman for them, but take away Traille’s brain explosion that allowed Lewsey to fall over for a try after 80 seconds (with condescending head pat too) and it was all boot. That’s enough to win tight games I suppose, but I maintain England are still too slow when throttle is needed, rudderless in the backs and just plain terrified of width - if Argentina get past the Springboks tonight (a game I will watch, but can’t predict) then Contepomi and Hernandez may well drill them all over the pitch.

Tickets for next week? Oh, those puppies are worth a fortune now. My Mum went last night, but is selling her final tickets. As England scrap their way to another game, all the City Boys and part-time fans are seeping out the Clive Woodwork ... these sorts will not hesitate to pay £2,000, hell, £5,000 simply because they can, and want to relive Agincourt even if they have to charter a jet. Tosseurs ... but nice of them to beef up the retirement funds of Kiwis.

I have heard mutterings that a lot of people in NZ want Graham Henry to stay on - and why not. I think that would show a lot of maturity by us, and since the guy only lost something like 7 out of 48 games he deserves to have another crack with maybe a rejigged team under him. He was possibly 2 minutes from redemption in Cardiff.

Sigh. Have to leave the house now, and walk out in to the ‘Newest Rugby Nation in the World’. At least we live in E1 ... the locals round here don’t focus on rugby too much.

Now am I right in thinking, that because France lost last night, they failed to overtake us in the rankings, so unless SA win, England and Argentina can’t move high enough to pip us either. We’d stay the number one team in the world? Crazy.