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A little question

Has England's success rendered their mediocrity of the last four years as acceptable?


  • Total voters
    16

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Right, I've argued this point for a while in the RWC 2007 forum so I thought I'd make a poll and see what people's opinions were. The current situation with the England rugby team is that after being very poor for four years, they have a chance to retain their title as World Champions. What I want to know, mainly from English supportors, is that if England do win the World Cup, will that have rendered their four years of mediocrity as acceptable? That is, does it not matter they've been very poor if they do happen to win this tournament?
 

Shaggy Alfresco

State Captain
I'm a bit confused here, it sounds as if you're asking two different questions.

What I want to know, mainly from English supportors, is that if England do win the World Cup, will that have rendered their four years of mediocrity as acceptable?
No. Poor performances are never acceptable.

That is, does it not matter they've been very poor if they do happen to win this tournament?
Not really, performances before the World Cup are irrelevent to the tournament itself.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Poor performances are never acceptable, but they are irrelevant if England win?
 

steds

Hall of Fame Member
It's a stand alone tournament. It has absolutely nothing to do with the previous 4 years, so the obvious answer is no.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Pretty much in agreement with stedly here. We've been **** for 4 years & it isn't acceptable. It's heart-warming in the extreme we've done as well as we have in the WC, but it doesn't cast any kind of rosy glow on the intervening years.
 

cpr

International Coach
How many RU fans care as much about the World Cup as apposed to the 6 Nations? Winning the world cup is fantastic, and it drums up such interest in the sport, but for those who follow the game in the other 3 years, poor 6 Nations results are simply not acceptable. If we win 4 world cups in a row, but not one 6 nations in that time, it'd be seen as a disaster.
 

headhunter

International Vice-Captain
Voted No,England have been worse that average over the last 4 years and for the real english rugby fans this WC run will be most pleasing for them but it does not make up for the last 4 years.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
No, but I don't think you are quite making the point you want to, perm.

If our performances in the intervening years had been better, then maybe we would have won this WC? I am speaking hypothetically, and not actually suggesting we would have, but the medicority since our home defeat to ireland in 04 has meant we have found our preferred XV during the tournament, which is never ideal, and some of the results and performances in that time have been downright embarassing.

Having said that, given the choice of crushing all comers in 04, 05 and 06, and then finishing nowhere in the WC as opposed to being **** in said years, then making the final, it's not even a remotely difficult choice.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
It's the wrong question, tbh (says he helpfully). Clearly our record over the last 4 years had nothing whatsoever to do with focusing on the 2007 WC, and much of what we have seen has been unforgiveably poor. However, there are reasons for that, and not many of them have anything to do with the current coach, who inherited an absolute mess from his predecessor. The key question is how relevant with the 2007 WC be if they return to how they were performing beforehand. The answer of course, would be completely irrelevant. And that could happen, as several players from the recent squad won't be around for the six nations.
 

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