Rugby World Cup 2011: England - Another Day, Another Distraction
With a quarter-final against France on Saturday morning, yet again England rugby fans have woken to find further controversy being courted by the team.
Headline writers found their jobs made easier yet again today as it was revealed Manu Tuilagi, the England centre, had been fined NZ$10,000 for wearing a sponsored mouth guard, contravening the International Rugby Boards (IRB) strict Rugby World Cup terms on participation, which are designed to protect official tournament sponsors. Although in itself not a huge issue, it is the latest in an increasingly long line of events that have occurred in New Zealand that have seen England featuring on the front pages, rather than just the back. Manu has professed his innocence in what could have been a genuine mistake. But the fact his brother Alesana, currently part of the Samoa squad, was also sanctioned for the same offence last week could lead to a few eyebrows being raised. And when it comes to eyebrows, Martin Johnson fends off all-comers. So what is going on with England? Well the words respect, lack and of are being bandied around and they may be right. True, players should be treated like adults and allowed to let their hair down at the right time (the result of going the other way was demonstrated by the England football team at the last World Cup). But there seems to be a lack of appreciation by some in the squad this will be their only chance to play in a World Cup and, as demonstrated by Dan Carters exit, this can be snatched away without a moments notice. Johnson is not one to reprimand his players in public but behind closed doors Id expect him to borrow Alex Fergusons hairdryer, and rightly so. 
This latest episode in the medias new favourite soap opera comes on the back of revelations that James Haskell, Dylan Hartley and Chris Ashton had been internally disciplined for lewdly taunting a female hotel staff member and the Tindall holding a hand of a blonde woman that wasnt Zara story, which has been rumbling on for frankly for too long and I apologise for extending that on these pages. Of course the latter tale was brought back to life when Tindall confessed to being unsure of his movements on the night out in Queenstown in question, in effect changing his story under the umbrella of alcohol induced forgetfulness, and thus not helping himself. Throw in some below par performances, alleged dwarf throwing, a bit of bungee jumping, citings and subsequent bans for Courtney Lawes and most recently Delon Armitage, oh and the fact Jonny Wilkinson has the worst kick conversion rate of any kicker in the quarter final and you have quite a toxic tale for the postcard home. The England squad has been in the papers more than the other home nations combined, but the reason for this is simple: No one hates the other teams quite like they hate England. They are the team everyone loves to beat, even if they are on the other side of the world. With their brutal and unglamorous (but moderately successful) style of play and enviously plentiful coffers, there isnt much to embrace for those from different nations. For the Irish team this is it for many of them, the likes of OGara, ODriscoll and OConnell will be denied another crack at the Webb Ellis Cup by age, bar any Simon Shaw-esque powers (the England man is an impressive 38 now and still going strong). 
Wales too have a better attitude and possibly a better preparation, having being up against it for most of the year and their nine-day intensive fitness camp in Poland apparently paying dividends. The fact the squad has agreed amongst themselves, led by 22 year old captain Sam Warburton, to curb any drinking until after the tournament is a step you feel is being taken by a team determined to give their all. For England to announce such a step would now just feel like an afterthought, a response to the tabloids and the moment for that has passed. So what now? Well England just need to get their heads down, work hard and leave Martin Johnson to battle the media, something he has tried manfully to do, much to his own frustration and annoyance as the same story are mercilessly re-written by those keep for attention over rugby. The World Cup should be a celebration of rugby and this has been overlooked on too many occasions when it comes to the men in white. I for one would much prefer to hear the details of how Russia prepared for their first ever tournament than whos bosom Englands vice-captain was allegedly nuzzling into. The fact is, England are 160 minutes away from an unprecedented third final, with a France team with its own problems (think a watered down version of the French football team circa 2010) standing in their way, followed by an eminently beatable Wales or Ireland. So as bad as it may seem in the papers, its actually not its easy to forget England had a shocking run of matches and injuries through both the 2003 and 2007 competitions, and looked what happened then. The odds are stacked against them to keep up this sequence of success but someones got to win it and there is just enough grit and determination hidden behind the headlines for it to happen. But feel free to cross your fingers and anything else for the next couple of weeks as England seem determined to win it by taking the hardest path possible.