Have to do a slight correction here Col....I'm actually English born in Du Cane Road Hospital...just happen to live over here...so quite pleased with yesterdays result.....
Can't be arsed Swords. Most people agree that this young England team is looking the real deal, but they're nowhere near there yet. They could easily get beaten by the Welsh in Cardiff.
Eh? I'm not on about that! This young England team ARE the real deal. Where did I say otherwise? I was responding to your notion that we'd be "dancing in the streets" had we beaten England. Sorry mate but that was just plain silly. Perhaps you're overestimating your importance just a tad? P.S. Healy has been cited. Rightly so. No excuse for stamping on that lad's ankle like that. Well out of order.
I'm not getting drawn into this Swords, as you'll no doubt start inferring some nonsense or other. Suffice to say that I believe it is well known that the other "home countries", including Ireland raise their game against England and really celebrate when they beat them. This applies to most other countries come to think of it and in most sports. I can only assume it has something to do with the fact that England have ruled many other countries during their history. That isn't a boast or anything like that, I'm just offering it as an explanation.
I'm afraid you're getting a little carried away with yourself mate. Of course it would be good to beat England but seriously man, don't get ahead of yourself. It would be the same if we beat France or any other "top" team. Stan seems to have this notion too. To think that we'd all be drooling at the prospect of beating a Country in a game of football because of some historical sh*t that happened decades or Centuries ago is a bit of an insult to our intelligence to be honest. No doubt you get such sh*t when you meet Germany once every few years but your "under siege" mentality really is out of step with reality. It really is mate.
I think the population disparity - 60 million to 6- makes it into a David and Goliath situation, and probably has more to do with it to be honest.
it was a war of attrition and England did much better in the terrible conditions. they didnt panic, were much more disciplined and made fewer mistakes. the key was in the 2nd when they went down to 14 men. they out scored Ireland 6-0. well deserved victory to which we can have no complaints.
Fair enough mate. I knew Swords would blow it all out of proportion and try to make a huge argument out of it. It does come across to us English that everyone else wants to beat us more than any other country, in whatever sport. The Scots and Welsh are well documented on wanting any other country to beat England. There are probably many different reasons for this, or it could just be that we imagine it. Who knows? It wasn't meant as a slur against the Irish or anything like that, but I'm sure Swords will try his best to make it seem that way.
i think there has been a slight (very slight compared to 'soccer') edge to it for a couple of years - Paul O'Connell made his views of all things English pretty obvious and playing at Croke Park obviously was tense, probably more within Ireland than out. Don't think it made any difference to real rugby fans though.
That's kinda why I started the thread SB, to get away from some of the sh1te that's been on here of late.
Sorry SB, can't contribute to the eerily quite debate on the stud length......I couldn't make them out from the nosebleed seats!
I really think we have matured as a nation in recent years. We now drink red wine at the weekends instead of Guinness
