I have never seen a style of play from the English to be envious of. That includes the 2003 WC. I don't care if it got them a win, I didn't like how they did it.
Sure it works when its on song but the 10 man game synonymous with English rugby flies in the face of everything I like about AB's rugby.

It has always annoyed me that a team that through the history of the sport have played such a negative style of rugby but yet have on occasion humbled us.

For me there has always been a scale for rugby with NZ at one end denoting expansive, free flowing entertaining rugby and at the other is England. Nuff said.

There have been instances where players of true quality have arisen from the quagmire of the Pommy talent pool. Wilko and Johnson most prominent. But too few and too far between have these players been.

Enough with the niceties.

I hate the Poms! Even the white of the uniform again puts them in direct contrast with my beloved All Blacks. Unless of course they wear purple which only enrages me further.  Purple? Purple FFS! When has that ever been anything that we associate with England. Why can't they just be white? This type of move leads to the AB's wearing GREY!

I hate that only in England would they consider and then appoint someone with no proven coaching ability to take control of the national team. It was a romantic notion.  Someone with such high standing, a peerless leader and glittering playing career. H-O-R-S-E S-H-I-T!! You pick experience and a track record worthy of taking a national team.

I hate that the Pommy media are so fickle that should by some miracle they actually beat, again, my beloved All Blacks they will suddenly be elevated to world beating dragon slayers. Martin Johnson will be given a pass for recent indiscretions and a lack of silverware. Continuing his downward spiral in to coaching nothingness. Ruining what could have been a successful coaching career had he served a stock standard apprenticeship in the Guinness Premiership.

I hate that for the first time I can remember we are going to Twickers with a game that closely resembles the English's game. That isn't really the Poms fault. The Elv's and changes to the game have more to answer for there...but I am sure someone English some where had a pretty big hand in that [tin foil squarely fastened].

But Mostly I hate that losing to the English is always so closely followed by a phone call from my grandfather. Telling me how proud I should be to be half English.

I hate the Poms....

But there isn't anyone I love playing more!