Brilliant England

The England rugby team achieved a great victory against the All Blacks. I wish them every success for the final.

38 Comments

  1. Mark B
    October 27, 2019

    It is, sadly, only in sport that you will hear from a British politician the word, “England.”

    Yeah ! Good luck.

    1. Lifelogic
      October 27, 2019

      Indeed the EU wanted it (and the word British) killed. Wanting England to be broken up into daft arbitrary regions of the EU and the word British replaced by UK. I am English (not UK) and my nationality is British.

    2. James Matthews
      October 27, 2019

      Not true of Mr Redwood and a few other honourable exceptions from both Labour and Conservative parties (so far as I am aware none from the LibDems), but you are right about the overwhelming majority.

      1. JoolsB
        October 28, 2019

        Name the last time John or any of them spoke up for England. Labour hate England. True John has spoken more than most but even he doesn’t believe in equality for England, i.e. a parliament and equal funding.

        1. James Matthews
          October 28, 2019

          Life is too short to research all of them, but here is Frank Field directly arguing for an English Parliament in December 2014: http://www.frankfield.co.uk/latest-news/news.aspx?p=102868. John’s speech of 22nd October 2015 in the Parliamentary debate on English votes for English laws is on this blog, A bit muted since? Possibly, but the EU issue overshadows other constitutional matters and absorbs the energies of those who care about them. There is no real possibility that the English public will pay much attention to the case for an EP until we are out of the EU and precious little point in having an EP if England remains an EU member or client state (though in that event Scottish independence becomes much more likely, so we might still get our Parliament by default). Trying to fight major battles on every front at once pretty much guaranties you will lose all of them.

          1. JoolsB
            October 29, 2019

            James, English vetoes (not even votes) is not an English Parliament and is a sop and an insult to every man, woman and child in England. Except for the second reading, every single UK MP including from Scotland, Wales & NI still get to vote on matters which only affect England and NOT ONE of our supine self serving UK MPs squatting in English seats utter one word of protest, not a whimper.
            John does not support an English Parliament. I agree Frank Field does with around just THREE other UK MPs with English seats. They are not willing to dilute their powers and most of them lose their jobs to countenance a fairer deal for England, ie. a voice, a Parliament, a First Minister, a Secretary of State and equal funding. Equality for England comes a very poor second to the Westminster gravy train I’m afraid.

    3. JoolsB
      October 28, 2019

      Exactly Mark, my thoughts entirely. The only time you will ever hear the word England coming out of the mouths of our politicians is when they are referring to sport even though most of what any of them have any control over nowadays only applies to England. Not one of 550 plus UK MPs squatting in English seats can even say the word let alone stand up for us against daily discrimination from UK Parliaments of all colours, this Tory one included.

      1. Mark B
        October 28, 2019

        And they only say, “England” through gritted teeth once we have won, or are about to win something. Basking in reflected glory of a nation and a people they despise.

  2. Javelin
    October 27, 2019

    Unlike our Parliament … where the Government cannot introduce any legislation because it can hijacked by the opposition.

    1. Javelin
      October 27, 2019

      I have a new word for hijacking Parliamentary Acts by the left.

      Nighjacking

      As in “nighs to the left”

  3. Lifelogic
    October 27, 2019

    Indeed, though I have always though rugby to be a much inferior game to football after I was forced to pay it rather than the football we all wanted to play when I went to to grammar school.

    “football is a game for gentlemen played by hooligans, and rugby a game for hooligans played by gentlemen’ I suppose the grammar school thought it was posher to play rugby and kept more people (even the uncoordinated and over weight ones) occupied. Plus it did not matter if the pitch was water logged nor remotely flat.

    I see that the deluded Welby has been talking his usual nonsense yet again.

    “There have been inflammatory words used on all sides, in parliament and outside” – Indeed and the words traitor, treachery, collaborators …. are entirely justified by the actions of the remoaners. He complains of it becoming “binary”. Remain or leave is “binary” mate UK government and courts are supreme or EU ones are. You lost mate get over it!

    Just why do we still have these unelected lefty irrational dopes in the Lords? Surely having religion indicated such irrationality. They are surely therefore rather unsuitable for such positions. At the very least they should have to be elected.

    1. Lifelogic
      October 27, 2019

      Still perhaps the schools rugby policy saved me from early dementure – caused by too much heading of a heavy wet leather football!

  4. Jasper
    October 27, 2019

    Well done indeed and what a fantastic game.

  5. bigneil(newercomp)
    October 27, 2019

    What team name will they have, after we have been sold into EU control and become a “region” of Brussels?

    1. Lifelogic
      October 27, 2019

      The combined EU regional colonies (ex Angleterre).

    2. BOF
      October 27, 2019

      Sold, bigneil? I thought we were paying heavily for the priviledge.

  6. formula57
    October 27, 2019

    Indeed. Perhaps soon to be joined by Wales for glory to be complete!

    1. JoolsB
      October 28, 2019

      Wales lost.

  7. BillM
    October 27, 2019

    ……..And only because of Brexit!

  8. Wil Pretty
    October 27, 2019

    Hoisted my England flag for the Rugby team, and for Brexit, I hope.

  9. Peter
    October 27, 2019

    Shame about Wales. A Northern hemisphere, British Isles final would have been nice.

  10. Narrow Shoulders
    October 27, 2019

    Proof of what well organised, capable people can achieve with good planning.

    Also delivered using highly diverse personnel chosen for what they bring to the party not just because they want to be at the party.

  11. Alan Jutson
    October 27, 2019

    Indeed, and they did not require extra time either, how on earth did they manage without hundreds of outside experts.

    1. Ian Wragg
      October 27, 2019

      I’m surprised New Zealand didn’t insist on an extension because getting the less points made them the winners. Ergo EU speak.

      1. Mark B
        October 28, 2019

        Or ask the game to replayed again because the English did not know what they were playing for.

  12. agricola
    October 27, 2019

    It was played with the utmost committment by both sides, and they both played it straight, within the rules and ethos of the game. A great example was set before our Japanese hosts and as far as one could see the spectators thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope it translates to life in the UK post Brexit.

  13. Rule Britannia
    October 27, 2019

    I wish them well as a non-English person. Normally I find the arrogance of English teams annoying (actually, to be fair, it’s more the English media than the players) but in this case I have a slight preference for England.

    Why England? Well, the South African approach has been to out-muscle everyone and it’s really quite boring to watch. I don’t want to see rugby played that way (I sense another rule-change in the offing, they’re already discussing some).

    Why only ‘slight’? Because the England approach has also been one of strength over skill. With two such teams in the final, I hope the powers that be will look at the rules and get back to the days when people tried to use their skills to avoid the opposition rather than to seek them out and power through/over them.

    Japan may well be the most skilful team in the competition, they were rather unlucky to meet SA in the quarters.

    1. BOF
      October 27, 2019

      As we get closer to the final, and the final itself, teams are always much closer to each other in ability so each team must do its best to stop the other team from breaking free. Actually, all four final teams can and do play brilliant rugby when allowed, but it is all about winning.

      1. Fred H
        October 27, 2019

        The SA have never played brilliant rugby, effective killing of play, kick into touch, block tackle, scrum, kick into touch…..boring.

    2. Simon Coleman
      October 27, 2019

      What evidence do you have for ‘arrogance’ of English teams? Are you just talking about rugby or all sports we compete in?

      1. Prigger
        October 28, 2019

        It is, arrogance, how we all are perceived in England. They feel we are superior and perceive that we show it and shouldn’t. There is nothing we English can do about our genuine and recognised by all, superiority. We have one failure, we are no good at hiding it. We all have our cross to bear. Ours is being naked.

  14. BOF
    October 27, 2019

    And much jubilation from a forgotten corner of Wales, for a South Africa win. What a great match and I look forward to watching brilliant rugby next Saturday.

  15. acorn
    October 27, 2019

    So how many constituency votes do expect to gain at the next General Election by declaring you are an England Rugby fan?

    Reply None

    1. Fedupsoutherner
      October 27, 2019

      Acorn as usual a really stupid comment from you. Is it really so difficult to agree that England played really well. Are you taking over from Margaret Howard?

    2. Dumbo the Sycophant
      October 27, 2019

      JR increased his votes in the last four elections without reference to his cricket or even rugby.

  16. Lynn Atkinson
    October 27, 2019

    Luckily no politicians in the team, so they stand a good chance of winning!

  17. Roy Grainger
    October 28, 2019

    Not really England though was it, given that 6 key members of the squad were from other countries, 2 from New Zealand. New Zealand also supplied players to each of the other three “home” countries too. It seems we can only compete with New Zealand by stealing their players and have implemented very weak residency qualifications for “England” players.

    1. Chrisfr
      October 28, 2019

      That is really one of the most uneducated comments I have ever read on this forum.

      Don’t bother espousing your views when they are so completely worthless – especially in the context of using New Zealand as an example to uphold. Risible

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