Anyone but ABE for group of death
With each Fiji kick that strayed wide of the posts, there was a sigh of relief from the ABE brigade.
|||With each Fiji kick that strayed wide of the posts on Friday night, there was a collective sigh from the ABE brigade. That is, Anyone But England. It is a growing throng, fuelled by the Poms’ uncanny ability to rub people up the wrong way.
Even before the tournament had started, the hosts had already caused a stir, when former World Cup winner Matt Dawson decided to insult the All Blacks.
That on its own is a bizarre decision, considering that the defending champions don’t need any extra motivation as it is.
But, Dawson and a few marketing geniuses decided that the haka needed a makeover.
The so-called “Hakarena”, all skinny legs and bad choreography, was apparently supposed to be light-hearted, but it came across as just plain disrespectful.
Like it or not, the haka is sacred to the New Zealanders, a mark of respect to their storied history and land.
To belittle it, even in jest, is totally unnecessary. It probably explains why Ali Williams, the former All Black lock was moved to say that England waswa were the team that ashe enjoyed beating the most.
More, even, than the Boks. He even said that Twickenham had an atmosphere that was põmore inhospitable than Loftus, which really is saying something.
The Pretoria fortress, when it is heaving and hosting an arch enemy, is even intimidating to some home fans, because the die-hards make you question your own level of loyalty.
And yet, Williams still found it a kinder place than “Twickers”. It is hard to fathom just why England have come to have that effect, but they somehow do.
As hosts, they are excellent; the grounds are always in fantastic nick, and the entire country throw sat their weight behind the tournament.
And yet, after a slick opening ceremony, every neutral in world rugby was hoping for an upset by Fiji on opening night. As it was, the Poms cruised to a bonus-point victory. Hope springs eternal for another World Cup triumph to add to the class of 2003, but this 2015 edition is but very young.
For starters, the Poms next face the Welsh, in what is sure to be an electric atmosphere. And Wales, even if they will be a Halfpenny short of testing the full strength of the pound, are one of those teams who love pooping the party at Twickers.
Theirs is not called the Group of Death for nothing, and even if they do get through, somebody will have to then take on the Boks in a quarter-final.
Though England eventually cruised to a 35-11 win on Friday, much of their rugby for the first hour held no gremlins, even for Heyneke Meyer’s conservative game plan.
And, having been labelled as “fat-headed” by the charming English media, the Boks wouldn’t even need a pep-talk from the coach.
After all, the English are still grumbling about what happened in that 2007 final, when Mark Cueto dipped a toe on the whitewash, as he stretched for the corner.
It’s small things like that, which the rest of the world has moved on from, that ensure that the English are always the team that everyone else wants to beat.
Dawson, and the rest of his Hakarena poofs, may have got their chuckle in early, but few will be backing them to still be laughing come the end of October.
Anyone But England…