Mailbox: England to face the Boks

Who would have predicted it? Perhaps not even the wisest old rugby owl, but England are through to defend their title in the Rugby World Cup against South Africa in Paris this Saturday.

As most of you have pointed out - England's 14-9 semi-final win against France was tough, but it sure wasn't pretty. Again it was the boot of Jonny Wilkinson and a Josh Lewsey try that ruined the French party.

And with South Africa ending Argentina's fairytale run in this year's World Cup with a comprehensive 37-13 win on Sunday, we asked who will be favourites to hoist the Webb Ellis trophy. This is what you had to say...

"I am both shocked and sad to see this garbage England side into the final. What has the game of global rugby become when a team like this is into the final. I think it says more about how anything can happen in a WC than the quality of teams. England have been rubbish for three years. They barely make it out of their pool and then get a good break with the French. What I mean is that France coming off a huge upset were prime to be picked off both mentally and physically. The only comfort in this is that we don't have to look at ridiculous Bernard Laporte's face in the final.

"The only thing more boring than England getting into the final would be if they play Argentina there. If that happens I will just choose to bear witness to my grass growing as it will hold more interest for me. Sorry to say it but that final would be pitiful. The best teams (NZ, Aus. France) are now out with the only the hope for a SA victory. And I don't even like the Boks. If England were to win the final I would just have to start watching a different sport as the world cup would be reduced to nothing more than a meaningless gathering. Can we all agree that England are not, and have not been a good team for some time? Why oh why did you miss that forward pass Mr. Barnes? New Zealand would have given England the thrashing they should have received today."

- Glynn

England didn't win, the French lost. Too many pointless kicks and 'up-and-unders', turning over possession. What happened to quick re-cycling at the breakdown?

As a Bok fan, I think that they (the Boks) may also fall into this trap. Not counting crucial clearances, or well thought-out tactical kicks, possession is everything in the modern game.

And PLEASE, stop the incessant criticism of the match officials.......the commentators are spoiling the game with their 20/20 hindsight, based on multiple slow-mo viewpoints, not to mention their sometimes incredible partisanship, as in the sickening commentary during the SA/Fiji QF.

- Trevor

Sella, Stransky, Eales and Brooke, put that in your pipe and smoke it!

- Roger

England and all the Six Nations teams have played extremely low skilled and boring rugby this world cup. The IRB really need to consider lowering the points for a drop or field goal to one or two points to revive the game. The England v France semi-final match really should have been a consolation final as SA and the Argies have already heavily beaten France and England. Change the point scoring so that field and drop goals are worth one point, move the off-side line back, speed up the restarts (all of them but especially the scrums, what a farce they are now), penalize the play actors who scream when touched on the chin and improve the refereeing so that the calls are consistent.

- Steve

Good for England, bad for Rugby that this one dimensional negative play is being rewarded with England now in the final. This team does not deserve to be in this position.

Hopefully England will be sent packing in the final.

- Brian

Man, what a ahhhh.... game. Hmmm.

Here's another hideous piece of whinging bad-loser Kiwi arrogance for you...

Would it have been a better game if the ABs had been in it?

Just asking the question.

- Chris James (Tauranga, NZ)

All praise to Wilko but to say England is a one-man team is nonsense - the is no such thing in a 15-man team sport - it could be more correct to say he is the catalyst. The English pack have proved they are as good any of the top three in this world cup while world class Jason Robinson and Paul Sackey are electric backs with many resources. Anything can happen next Sunday - it depends on the bounce of the ball...

- Simon

Boring error-ridden rugby! Neither team deserves to be in the final.

- Paul (California, USA)

Thoroughly deserved as France played completely the wrong game plan, which gave England the opportunity to implement a disruptive defensive pattern across the whole field. However, Kaplan's complete ambivalence to the offside law around the maul and ruck certainly helped Shaw et al, and with a more stringent referee in the final, they probably will not be able to exert the same influence on the game. Still, well done England - Ashton's 'Bulldog spirit' lives on!

- Andy Jones

The best team won! But don't over rate England! Definitely a better performance that they put up against the Boks. South Africa would have watched that game, but wouldn't change a thing playing England. Johnny Wilkinson is back, but they will counter with Butch, Steyn and Percy. England relays on individuals where SA will be playing as a team. After playing all the Island matches, South Africa will be playing a very physical game. Argentina is what World Cup rugby is all about! Like 'Pop Idols', Argentina is the fat girl that gets all the sympathy votes. This isn't Pop Idols and this is where it will end for Argentina.

- Unknown

Hi to all the English Rugby Family.

I live in Antibes and shared a very special moment last evening with all the English & French supporters in one of the English bars in Antibes......

England were considered as 'losers' by so many....but....everyone seems to overlook the fact that we are 'Die Hards' with a lot of heart and spirit.

I really believe that England can be World Champions again, whether it be against The 'Boks' or the 'Pumas'

I will need a couple of days to recoup!

Let's all get behind our team for the FINAL.....

Think POSITIVE !!

Don't wake me up...what a beautiful dream!

- Piers

Unfortunately England win again with a non rugby game and a lot of luck.

Poor, poor England !! It's a pity that now I will support South Africa.

- French supporter

Yes it is incredible the turn around of the English team from the bedraggled bunch of also rans to finalists in the Rugby World Cup. The team and its coaching staff are to be commended for such a resurrection and congratulations to them for this. I believe there would be some other teams who would love to find the same formula.

Unfortunately we will have to put up with the pitiful British media who a few weeks ago had their knives out ready to slaughter the team. Now of course all the worst of the British media will hit the print and airwaves. Have you ever heard such an arrogant nauseating one eyed group of commentators than the group British ITV let loose on the world. Whatever happened to the standard set by the likes of commentators such as the world renowned Bill McLaren. The glee and sarcasm they let loose on any team or official from the Southern Hemisphere was pathetic.

England benefited from a group of officials who were able to do their job well and impartially. Wasn't it great to see a game controlled by a referee who never lost his cool, was up with play and generally refereed well. Touch judges who did their jobs and aided the referee where necessary. The experienced team of officials referee Kaplan and touch judge Jonker South Africa, touch judge Honiss NZ and TMO Dickinson Australia are to be commended. Unlike the English panel the week before. A pompous Pom who was too inexperienced for such a game, who couldn't keep up with the game and made too many mistakes which had a bearing on the game. Two other English officials Spreadbury who had a terrible tournament making many blunders and White TMO who was up the top last World Cup banished to allow a young untested referee to do that quarter final. Imagine if Barnes had seen the punching an English player made on a French player to get him to release him when being held illegally. It would have been a yellow card as that is what he lives by. Or would it? The player was English.

Finally what Paddy OBrien and his old fart IRB appointment panel need to explain to the public is why were these Englishmen appointed to do a game in which they had a vested interest. They should have been appointed to a quarter final on the other side of the draw. I'm sorry OBrien you stuffed up again just as you did in that horrendous refereeing performance Fiji VS France 1999 World Cup which cost Fiji the entry to the quarter finals. Mr OBrien you need to answer the question, "Why were the English appointed to this game?" Please don't come back and say it doesn't matter as it does. Thats the reason why you declare your interests when a local council member and take no part in the vote. Sorry Mr OBrien the decent thing to do would be to resign your position for you stuffed up again.

- Ramage (Perth)

My dear Englishmen, job well done!!!

I am not ironic, I am glad that France stop here. I am tired of French maneuver, like the one with the shirts. They deliberately change their colour!! It was obvious.

But it worked!!

Unfortunately your rugby is boring and I wonder how long your fans are willing to pay good money for such few entertainment. Rugby is going in a dangerous direction with the mutual assistance pact between England and France particularly in refereeing, see Barnes ,White etc. This coalition between northern and southern powers is obvious and it could tear the World Cup to pieces.

Southern teams make spectacle and you do not! And if refereeing become a problem to!? SANZAR could take not only notice but attitude to!

The World Cup is young, only 20 years is not much. You could face the situation of having your own World Cup!!? To be ironic let it say that it will be better for everybody if South Africa win tonight. But something is happening and is not good!

It was one ugly World Cup in terms of rugby entertainment with very boring matches and ugly tactics, few tries and not much to see.

And bad refereeing to!!

In these conditions who will win it? OF COURSE JONNY WILKINSON!!!

- Dan the same bad minnow (France)

England can certainly do it and if they face South Africa there is a soccer parallel.

In the 1954 World Cup West Germany were hammered 8-3 by the fabulous Hungarian side in a pool game. They were written off. However, just like the current England side, the Germans pulled themselves together and made it to the final. Their opponents - Hungary.

Hungary led 2-0 but the Germans rallied superbly to win 3-2. So it can be done and I'm sure the English rugby team are capable of it.

- Philip Shewry (Thame, Oxfordshire)

Having played for WASPS first XV in the late 70's and early 80's I remember the terrible selection process for the England team where a lot of the best players in the country were overlooked. BUT now we have the best team in world -let's celebrate and of course in Johnny we have the best flyhalf and kicker but he can not operate without the other superb 14 (plus bench) players.

COME ON ENGLAND! LET'S BE THE ONLY TEAM IN HISTORY TO DEFEND OUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!

- Luigi

England possess some quality and experienced players throughout their side, both in the forwards and in their backline. There is no doubt that Jonny brings a lot of confidence to this side, but it would be an injustice to the rest of the squad to say, that it is a one man show.

- Niall Beatty

The Boks have also improved since thumping England 36 -0! They have defined their game and worked hard on ironing out the mistakes made in their win over England. The English can run, but they cannot hide from the Springboks!!

- Craig

Surprise surprise, after being absolutely flogged in the first round and just scraping past Tonga, England have made the World Cup final. With such a remarkable reversal in fortunes it's just as well we can't see the hand of an English official involved anywhere. The only thing that can save the credibility of this tournament after the Barnes 'hand of dog' farce is Argentina winning the cup.

- Steve Hawke (Waipawa)

A one man team....all the others wouldn't make it into any other top flight team...eh?

Sheridan would make it into any team, and Vickery and Stevens would certainly make it in to the Aussie team.

Jason Robinson might not make the starting XV, but a space would be held on the bench for the final 20-30 minutes in most of the other teams, so he would make it into most teams 22.

I agree that the rest would struggle if teams were picked solely on playing form, however games may be won by the boot of one man, but the rest of the team are now playing well enough not to loose the game. Would not the New Zealand nation now, with the benefit of hindsight (and some "small" changes to the qualification rules), rather have picked the crappy old duffers in white to pull on the Black Jerseys, and be in the final, rather than the magnificent warriors who did, and who will now be watching the final on TV in Auckland and Christchurch?

Wilkinson missed three kicks, so even his performance wasn't without fault. Wilkinson would probably not make the AB starting XV, and probably not even the 22. It would seem that to win international knock-out rugby, playing skills come a rather distant second to the mental ability to believe in yourself and that you will win, just as long as the game goes the way you allow it to go.

For this England team to have made the final, it is one of the greatest achievements for any team that has ever played rugby. Possibly too great - I only hope that in the coming months rumors of match fixing don't rear their heads, but with soccer, cricket, tennis and horse riding all suffering from it, it would be only too believable an explanation.

- James Marshall

So who will win the 2007 Rugby World Cup?

Please, does this question even need to be asked? I am not a Bok fan but they will crush England in the final. I think the final could be even more of a bashing than the 36-0 beating a month ago. England are made for the Boks, a perfect mismatch. The only thing England had was a decent forward pack and that has magically carried them to the final. Now they are going against a bigger, faster and much stronger set of forwards. This is not a good thing for the Poms. The England backs are so void of talent outside ten that they should never send the ball east or west of Wilko.

Prediction: SA 43 - England 6

- Glynn

England 35 - South Africa 31

- Robert Currie

South Africa! But I'm not averse to the idea that a surprise would surprise me.

- David

This is a ridiculous question... the question should be: "How on earth is England going to have a chance of winning after being absolutely trounced 36-0 by South Africa four weeks ago?"

And so is the state of World Rugby where you have such absurdities like this. The reality is that day in and day out the All Blacks are the best team in World rugby with SA coming in a respectable yet distant second. However thanks to a game that allows emotionally involved officiating at the highest level along with the ability of a team to do nothing close to proactive and still win, we have the best team in the world out of an event that is fast becoming a joke.

The Boks by 30.

- Leslie

SA by 10!!

- Alan

Johnny Wilkinson will not be able to single handedly outplay the Springboks even with the might of Andrew Sheridan and his mates in the scrum. Rugby is about more than scrummaging and kicking. South Africa's class and experience to show in a comfortable, anti-climactic win.

3 tries to nil.

- Johan

If England win the World Cup I personally think Wilkinson should be given a Knighthood, although having seen him over the last few years he would probably refuse it on the grounds that it is a team game. Remember he is only as good as the ability of the pack to get him the ball, and the scrum-halves to deliver it to him. South Africa will find England's defence much tougher than what they have played against, up to now; and if JW has his boots on, the Boks might find arrogance wiped of their faces.

Go to it England, I'm proud of you.

- Pat

The results in this World Cup prove that England without Wilkinson are very beatable! The forwards are very solid and strong but lack flair. Again midfield solid but without creative or flair players. The only exemption is Jason Robinson who having returned from retirement is having a great tournament even better than in 2003. Without Wilkinson's kicking game, the team is rudderless and lacks direction.

- Mark

Tough call! If Wilkinson's on song then it's England. If the Springboks can get the ball out wide then it's them. It's going to be close.

- Dave (Knysna, South Africa)

For the sake of the game I hope the Springboks absolutely smash England. They definitely have the advantage in attacking strength, including speed on the flanks. A 36-0 pounding in the pool game also helps. Go the southern hemisphere I say!

- Neil (Auckland, NZ)

May the Springboks play the best game they are capable of, and ditto for the English.

May the best team win.

- Abraham

Can there really be any doubt ?

Full credit to England for braving it out thus far, side-stepping a media massacre, and punting their detractors into touch.

But is this the rugby we want to see ?

England sadly, and not for the first time, exemplify that cynical and sterile form of rugby, which has typified RWC 2007. It gets results (if Jonny's on form) but does nothing to advance the game we love.

I'm happy for England to be able to defend (being the operative word) their title.

I'm hoping for Messers Habana, Du Preez and company to blow the Thin White Line to smithereens, and win the day for beautiful attacking ball-in-hand rugby.

- Angus MacDonald

Is it just me, or have England turned into rugby's answer to the (West) German football team of old? On that basis, England to win. Otherwise by all logic it's South Africa.

- Justin (Vienna)

SPRINGBOKS!

- Van

No question about the result, the Bokke will win with more than 15 points.

- Cassie Genis

South Africa

- Darren