A Tale of Two Englands

World Cup 2010, South Africa, had been going on for eight days before I yesterday watched my first game. Big mistake. Woeful England: 0 - Mighty Algeria: 0. This was a baleful end to a good couple of days which had seen both France and Germany lose. Neville Cardus wrote aeons ago of the different reactions of English and Australian cricketers when elevated to test status. Where the English became diffident and underperformed, Australians would excel and thrive. My inexpert observation is that the modern pampered English footballer suffers from the same malaise. What else can explain the sad incompetence of so good and generally admirable a player as Wayne Rooney. It sets everything up for the final group match next Wednesday against that footballing powerhouse Slovenia. Should I watch or should we use the opportunity to get a table and excellent service at a deserted restaurant? Watch this space.

This morning a much more appetising result (and one has to say an unexpected one) in Sydney where our hitherto justly maligned rugby union team beat Australia 20-21. Almost as important as the result (but not quite as important - please note Stuart Barnes you knob head) England scored two tries in open play. I like to think I am entitled to an opinion on this code and a few observations are therefore called for:

1. Lewis Moody is a player I have long admired. He was one of the few who came out of the 2005 Lions series with an enhanced reputation so far as I was concerned, though the professional pundits seemed not to share my view. But I was there in New Zealand (what a great trip) and I am sticking to my opinion. Moody is now the England captain (inherited from the hapless Borthwick) and he should keep the job. End of.
2. Stuart Barnes (who can't help jizzing his pants every time a southern hemisphere player does something competent) will, I'm sure, be quick to highlight the absence of Australia's first choice front row forwards. In fact the Aussies did a fair imitation at points of a nation with no props at all. But so bloody what. This was a game between the best players the two countries could field on the day. England won. Just. Enjoy it and keep it in context - a context which includes the absence through injury of arguably England's most influential scrummager, Andrew Sheridan, and their best back, Ricki Flutey.
3. There is a certain sort of player who when upped in standard simply takes to it. This rule applies at all levels of rugby. At AOE I could name you a hatful of players who were brilliant 2nd team players but shrank at 1st team level. There were others who seemed nothing special at the lower level but who were conspicuously competent higher up. The greater pace of senior team rugby makes competence all the more noticeable. Ben Youngs strikes me as that most cherishable of types - a player who simply 'gets' international rugby. Lucky boy.
4. Tom Croft at blind-side is a good honest player and the man around whom England should build a line-out, much as France and Biarritz do around Harinordoquy. He is a far better player than James Haskell whose move to France seems to have diminished him.
5. Martin Johnson, God bless him, has deservedly fielded a lot of flak about recent performances. In victory he remained admirably sane and underwhelmed by it all. Top grade rugby (actually all competitive rugby) is a matter of small margins and big hearts. Johnson understands this. 

So well done the England rugby boys and shame on you footballers. Get a grip lads!

Completed my fifth run of the week after the rugby had ended. Feeling ridiculously good about it.