MIKESTOPFORTH

Jeepers. What a game of rugby… again.

Perhaps we should have seen the writing on the wall when the Wallabies only managed to edge out Wales by fifteen points (to the thunderous applause of the Australian faithful), only to realise that Wales weren’t even up to beating Fiji the following week. Perhaps we should have taken better notice of England’s steady, albeit undramatic improvement over the last few matches. But seriously, no-one other than the barmiest English supporter gave their battered and bruised team a realistic chance of overcoming the flare and skill of Australia – at least not in this World Cup. I was supporting them – no doubt – but I still didn’t believe it could happen.

There’s something about Johnny Wilkinson and England. I can’t think of another sports team in the world that relies (even subconsciously) on one player to turn their entire game around. Johnny Wilkinson is a great player, but he’s not a Dan Carter. It’s the belief that goes with Johnny Wilkinson – the shadow of 2003′s glory – that single-handedly lifts his entire team and it’s supporters into a new realm. And it’s that same belief that carried them through today at the Stade Velodrome.

Here’s the interesting thing – there are those who saw this coming. I’m a regular reader of Mark Keohane’s super-popular rugby blog, www.keo.co.za. Keo predicted a 5 point win for England last week. Pretty much spot on in his pre-match analysis, too.

One senses that perhaps the Wallabies, despite their typically Australian professionalism, underestimated the English today. And if this column from The Australian is anything to go by, the country behind the Wallabies undid their own team in arrogance. It’s titled “Wallabies to Lift England’s Burden”, and I’ve included an excerpt for your reading pleasure:

The simple fact is the Wallabies are a better rugby team than England. There is now just the minor and somewhat inconvenient matter of having to go out tonight in Marseille and prove it.

If only World Cup semi-final berths were awarded on style and humour and good intent, the Wallabies already would be booked into their Parisian hotel, checking out the Impressionists at the Musee d’Orsay and working out, over a cafe creme, how to make a good impression at their next press conference while managing to innocently slip the word “choke” into proceedings.

The poor English, bumblers that they are, have fallen short throughout this tournament on all three criteria: style and humour and most definitely good intent.

They were dreadful against the US, beyond dreadful against the Springboks and so pathetically grateful to have seen off Samoa and Tonga that even Australians found themselves feeling embarrassed for them…

…Four years ago, the English wore the belt of world heavyweight champions and were floating on air. Now it forces them down like a lead weight and they can’t wait to rid themselves of the damn thing.

The English are just not cut out to be world champions. They have so little experience of sporting success that when it happens, it leaves them drained and exhausted. Rugby World Cup 2003, Ashes 2005.

Even as Martin Johnson and Michael Vaughan were holding aloft their spoils of victory, their arms were getting tired. The load was too heavy, the weight of expectation too great. Best to lay down their burden and rest quietly for a while.

The Wallabies would gladly take the Webb Ellis Cup off their hands. In truth, it belongs to them, but, good sports that they are, they’ve been willing to share it over the years and didn’t even demand first go.

Let’s hope the columnist is not a betting man. This has been a World Cup of upsets, and in almost every case, style and skill has not been the winning differentiator. It’s been one of those intractable X-factors. The same X-factor that helped South Africa beat New Zealand in 1995 (nope, we weren’t better than them either).

It’s heart. And if you still want to tell me that World Cups aren’t won on heart, take a closer look at France vs. Argentina, Fiji vs. Wales and Australia vs. England. Heart matters. I hope we have heart and am not proud to admit it – it may just win us the Webb Ellis trophy this year. Who knows, maybe even in a final against England themselves. Imagine that for a surprise. There are no sure things when heart is in the equation. Ask Churchill if you ever get to meet him.