Australia hails 'superior' England
 |
Story Tools
SPECIAL REPORT
|
|
|
SYDNEY, Australia -- Australian newspapers put aside their traditional antipathy to English sporting success on Monday to declare their arch rivals worthy winners of the Rugby World Cup.
England's players, who beat the defending champions and hosts 20-17 in Saturday's final, were criticized as old, slow and boring in the run-up to the match.
But the Sydney Morning Herald declared that England had been "bloody superior," playing with "class, toughness and grace."
"You were not too old (although we hoped you would be when the game went to extra time). You were not too slow," said the Herald.
"You scored as many tries as we did. You ran the ball as much as we did. You entertained as much as we did."
The newspaper also praised England's supporters, whose numbers swelled into the thousands as their team made progress Down Under.
"We will no longer characterize your fans as beer-swilling, pot-bellied louts of knife-wielding hooligans and try to remember the sporting and enthusiastic supporters who did so much to make the final memorable."
But the Herald pointed to Australia's recent dominance over England on the cricket pitch and in rugby league as a source of consolation for disappointed Wallabies fans.
Australia's cricketers have won the last two World Cups and have beaten England in eight Ashes test series in a row, while the reigning rugby league world champion Kangaroos beat Great Britain on Saturday to complete a 3-0 series win.
Meanwhile Australia's tennis players will be hoping to give the country a lift when they face Spain in the final of the Davis Cup in Melbourne, starting on Friday.
With Mark Philippoussis and Lleyton Hewitt set to enjoy the home advantage of a grass court against the Spanish clay specialists, the Australians are clear favorites to win their 27th Davis Cup title.
