Spin Cycle

Now, I prefer not to read The Times, in fact I try to avoid it even in an ablutions emergency, but at lunch on Sunday at a very nice Wandsworth boozer (for Ras’ birthday) it was sitting in front of me. What a pile of vicious, scurrilous, unilateral bile it was. How do they get off printing the deranged ramblings of bitter old fools like Alastair Campbell & that Welsh-born, English RFU sycophant S Jones. These two spout crap like media accredited Lord Haw Haws). Why does a mainstream broadsheet feel it needs to deal in this dross? Real rugby fans pay for their tickets, not like these lesser sorts. They have such an incredible chip on their shoulders about the All Blacks that they get given a double spread to utter forth about New Zealand - six days after beating Australia, then France!? They have not even played us this year (in fact they have not played us at a World Cup since 1995).

They may well end up the only World Champs with an inferiority complex. Again.

Campbell, you may remember him from previous invasions such as “45 Minutes From Whitehall”, is now a freelance Rent-a-Quote for Anything over here in the UK, and is an expert in offering his five quid's worth, even on any sport it seems. In the 2005 Fifa World Cup, last years Ashes, and now the 2007 Rugby World Cup he pops up constantly to give his ‘spin’ on things. However, as I believe Graham Henry said during 2005 Lions Tour, something along the lines of Campbell having no understanding of, and no affinity for, the game of rugby. Back in your hole.

Mind you, so much of the media in this event is not even about the actual games. It’s opinion and anything but accurate reportage - from all nations. Even this assemblage of bits and pixels is only the opinion of an ex-hockey player.

I do not really even get how the arrogant label can be applied to us? I honestly do not remember any All Blacks or any of their coaches displaying this arrogance we are tagged with; we do not berate other teams, players or administrators as a habit. Quiet confidence, no matter how misplaced it has now proven to be, is a completely different thing, and when English rugby basically consists of 30-odd plucky blokes, with the rest of the game’s structure still structurally and politically weak, these hacks should really pull their heads in.

I think they will find enough plaudits coming from genuine rugby fans for the Poms, especially the players that are genuinely world class, but when these hacks slag every one else off despite - against all odds - actually getting the chance to defend their World Championship you have to wonder what energy source or arcane power they use to travel between our dimension and theirs.

Henry seems to be getting more support - and vote for Project Ted at ruggerblogger.

Bernie the Door comes clean about his unspoken love for the All Blacks.

England v South Africa - no one predicted that. I mean, I think a lot of people did tout the Springboks as finalists, a long time ago ... and to be fair it actually caps off a fairly solid year for South Africa. This is why I do not bet on rugby - nothing I predict ever comes off. I should just shut up now, and shift the focus of this whole blog to something else.

Good luck to both teams. I suppose one positive is that we may see two teams, at least start, with different styles of rugby.

My wishes for the World Cup Final on Saturday night:
- Will Greenwood’s mic fails on ITV ... for 80 minutes
- Nelson Mandela leaves Prince Harry hangin’ at a high five attempt
- Laurence Dallaglio is ignored for post match comment
- We get to see some tries, you know, those five pointy things
- If England win, Tama Iti’s guerillas set off to Twickenham to steal the Cup for us all.

The High is so High, the Low is so Low

Walking to work this morning I had to skip through a load of depressing Weezer and Goldfrapp songs on my iPod before settling on the Headless Chickens. The lyrics to Donde Esta la Pollo pretty much sum up how I'm feeling!

Lu and I were both pretty homesick this morning, lets just say there was no hurry to get to work and face the music (Swing Low....) . There aren't even any Aussies on my floor to commiserate with, although there is one rogue Scot! Really missing the process of shared mourning and discussion and (to quote Lu) 'self-flagellation on a national scale'. Love how Anton Oliver offers us a cup of tea with the ABs in no-mans land (what a poet), cos the first thing we did when we got back to the hotel was make a cup of tea, despite a day at the pub!

I really thought we were going to do it, right up to the last 5 minutes. ruggerblogger and Some Foreign Field have really summed it up (as well as Lu below), so I won't go on... It would better not to have shelled out £8 for the commentary radios as they just added to our anger at the reffing decisions (and lack of).
You can put in your 2 cents in at Scrumbag and express your opinion of where it all went wrong.

We had an amazing time at the 5 games we went to. We had a great holiday and it was a fantastic experience. We really loved the French hospitality and bantering with people from all over the world, getting to see our heroes play some stunning rugby.

Thanks to everyone who's put up with us rabbiting on about rugby, hung out with us in France, Scotland and Wales and travelled with us over the past 6 weeks. Thanks to Richie and the boys.... all the best to those moving on and those sticking around. Maybe its a 24-year cycle (oh I feel so old!).

On a positive note, the Kiwi spirit is bouncing back already, with 10 reasons why the loss ain't all bad

Last word - the ABs are still the best looking team in the world, and no-one can take that away!