PLANET FOOTBALL, SPORT & MUSIC

Throb · Sat Oct 20, 2007 10:52 am ENGLAND vs SOUTH AFRICA RUGBY UNION WORLD CUP FINAL

FROM BBC SPORT

Defending champions England will aim to put the seal on a miraculous recovery with victory over South Africa in the World Cup final in Paris on Saturday.
England have had a torrid time since 2003 but have ripped up the form book to reach their second final in a row.
Their dire run reached a low point with a 36-0 thrashing by the Springboks, the 1995 champions, in the pool stages.
England have brought in wing Mark Cueto for the injured Josh Lewsey, while favourites South Africa are unchanged.
England's chances of becoming the first champions to successfully defend their title looked remote at best after that rout by the Springboks five weeks ago.

It was their fourth defeat in a row by the Boks but England coach Brian Ashton has no doubt his side will be a different proposition at the Stade de France on Saturday.

"We are playing better, the players are much closer together, we've moved on massively," he insisted.

"These players were written off before the tournament, during the warm-ups and in the pool games but they've come back and proved everybody wrong."

The champions arrived in France after a four-year run which saw them plummet to seventh in the world rankings.

Almost immediately after Jonny Wilkinson's last-gasp drop-goal clinched victory in 2003 the team was hit by a series of blows.

Inspirational captain Martin Johnson retired and when winning coach Sir Clive Woodward rapidly followed him through the exit the decline had begun.

The talismanic Wilkinson was hit by a series of injuries and with a combination of injuries and retirements removing other mainstays the World Cup winners began their tumble down the rankings.

Monkey Balls · Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:59 pm

Come on England!!!!

i'm cacking myself, but i know we can do it!