Rugby World Cup

[VillaZogmariner]

England (hopefully)
Wales
New Zealand
South Africa

[cdbearsfan]

England, Ireland (hopefully, as I have them in the sweep), South Africa, New Zealand.

[PaulWinch again]

Really nervous about this, I hope and think we'll beat the French. It's time we turned up.

[lovejoy]

It feels too early to be watching sport. I.m having trouble processing.

[PaulWinch again]

Very impressive from the Welsh. Come on England win and win well.

[taylorsworkrate]

What a fucking embarrassing pile of shit from England so far.

[taylorsworkrate]

This "performance" has me very close to putting my fist through my new TV.

[taylorsworkrate]

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING.

[taylorsworkrate]

Unacceptable.

[richard moore]

Brainless - I am afraid many of our rugby players have as much brains as our footballers, and that is some insult

Wilkinson looks like a dinosaur and Youngs irritates the hell out of me with his decision making and lary approach as he has done all tournament. Stevens and Thompson aren't up to it either...

[taylorsworkrate]

Its made even harder to watch due to the excruciating commentary of Phil Vickery.

He even had the stupidity to praise Tuilagi and Flood when they gave away the first two penalties.

[taylorsworkrate]

For fucks sake.  Why can not one of our players refrain from knocking the ball on?

[Pete3206]

Arse.

[PaulWinch again]

Absolutely diabolical for 60 minutes again, you can't play like that against proper teams. Shocking, something needs to change at the top.

[taylorsworkrate]

Well we are out and we deserve to be out.  I guess I was hoping against hope that despite the turgid performances up until  now that England would break out and make use of the many talented players they have.

The slight improvement in the second half in no way compensates for the unbelievably pathetic first half. 

Johnson and the England coaching set up have bought this upon themselves.  They were shown in the game against Australia last autumn, and for a lot of the six nations, how much potential England had to play an ambitious, width based game.  Instead they choose the safe option.  Johnson also put a couple of his mates in the team, despite neither being close to good enough in the twilight of their careers.  Surely England have to move away from Wilkinson and Thompson now, it was no coincidence that there was more urgency and dynamism without them on the pitch.

As much as I respect Johnson, and admire him for what he achieved as a player and captain, he simply does not cut it as a coach.  His tenure started poorly, had a really bright spell which he failed to build on, and has now returned to poor. 

Time to go.