serious debate how can England be favourites for the group of death?

First topic message reminder :

Over the last decade thats where we will take our facts from no further because players over that time will not be involved.

So the last decade Wales have been better than England not talking about grandslams or who claimed more Southern Hemisphere scalps!
IM TALKING HEAD TO HEAD! WALES HAVE BEEN ON THE WINNING SIDE V ENGLAND THE MOST IN THE LAST DECADE FACT!

Australia have also been on the winning side the most over the last decade v Wales and England FACT!

So why all this hype fro the English players,coaches,fans and media that England will win the group?
Please dont tell me its from good old fashioned "positive thinking will make us win".
We all know that only facts matter and the FACTS are massively against England.

So please i ask you to counter act my FACTS, dont sling mud , give me facts back on why im wrong.

That's OK, mate.

Not sure what's going to happen regarding Cheika. There'll no doubt be some robust debate on the Sunday morning sports shows and probably an announcement of the new appointment by the ARU early in the week.

The Loaded Dog wrote:That's OK, mate.

Not sure what's going to happen regarding Cheika. There'll no doubt be some robust debate on the Sunday morning sports shows and probably an announcement of the new appointment by the ARU early in the week.

I honestly think the Wallabies are better of outsourcing the Job for now at the very least . Bringing in Cheika has the potential to cause a rift between the Tahs and Reds players in the squad . What with Hooper being rumoured to have been influential in Mckenzie leaving .

There is some talk of an interim coach but the writing is already on the wall regarding who will be coach at the RWC. Cheika would be no different to McKenzie really. Both Randwick, NSW players. Also this so-called "rift" would be minimal compared to the constant ones we witness in Europe and SA. Australian teams generally are good at putting "provincial" differences aside and achieving successful bonds on the field. Sure, we read about these personality clashes... but mostly well after the event in certain people's biographies.

The media and some supporters will no doubt try and stir the pot but look at our RL and cricket sides over the years. Lots of proud sportsmen from different parts of the country (often an underlying NSW bias is overemphasised in cricket but Qld players have dominated RL especially over the last decade) but they are pretty darn good at unifying for a common cause. It's not a major problem really. Sporting performance usually trumps politics and petty personal disputes here as you probably already know and the vast majority of the country gets behind the team and doesn't dwell on "who comes from where" or "what someone said to another". It's kind of irrelevant to us.

Undoubtedly Jake White's name will come up as a prospect............................. it always does, no matter where on the planet the team is. If it's an International side, Jake is always available and waiting on the end of the red phone with his CV.

Hmmm... seems I'm behind the times and his name has already appeared!

Reuters: "Former Springbok coach Jake White, who was in the frame to replace Deans last year, and Michael Cheika, who led New South Wales Waratahs to the Super Rugby title this year, are likely to be leading candidates."