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Subscribe to RSS FeedEnglish media salutes heroes
England's fallen heroes
Having been the first to chastise England and write their World Cup hopes off the English media were the first to salute their side in the aftermath of a final defeat.
The reaction to the 15-6 defeat against South Africa in Paris on Saturday spoke of a team of heroes who fell at the last hurdle as they valiantly strove for World Cup history.
The Sunday Telegraph's front page featured a full-page photograph of a despondent Jonny Wilkinson emblazoned with the headline "Heartbreak".
"Killer Touch" said the Sunday Times, accompanied by a photograph of Mark Cueto diving over the line. A series of photos at the bottom of the page showed his foot touching the sideline before he grounded the ball.
"The hearts of the white lions were finally broken in the Stade de France last night," said its main story. "The surging, thrilling revival of the team from nowhere is over, the title is gone."
Speaking of the game itself the Sunday Times led with "Boks On Top in Brutal Battle", while another story described the England team as "Accidental Heroes", saying that in the four years since they won the World Cup, England had been "average at best".
The controversial disallowed try was the only sore point for the press, with only the Mail on Sunday focusing on the incident, a front page headline of "Robbed by Video Ref" confirming their stance on the game.
The Observer's sports front page again focused on a wistful-looking Wilkinson at the final whistle.
"Down and Out in Paris and London" it said, accompanied by glum-looking, face-painted England fans.
"A Game Too Far For England's Old Brigade" said its inside page. "At the final reckoning, striving against the rugby Gods once more, they were forced to accept the reality of their shortcomings..."
Criticising the match as a spectacle, the Observer said a tournament that had "buzzed with the unexpected" from the beginning ended "lamely".
"Nobody expected a classic running decider, but there were extended periods last night when both teams were treating the tradition of a game started, according to legend, by a schoolboy who picked up the ball and ran, as some form of elaborate joke."
The main focus was centred around a nation of great pride as a group of players defied logic, and the odds, to haul themselves from rock-bottom to take their place in the final.
"The grumpy old men finally ran out of steam, and luck", said the Mail on Sunday. "The chariot could go no further".
The Sunday Express said the men in white had already been redeemed from the earlier thrashing by South Africa, but glory proved elusive at the last.
"There was no disgrace in that whatsoever. These players had overachieved wildly even to be on rugby's grandest stage last night. They will come home to a nation's admiration and fondness."
And finally, The Sunday Times could not resist a dig at England's traditional sporting rivals. "On that memorable Parisian night, with the city awash with white and green and gold shirts in good-natured rivalry, they were there. Unlike say, France, New Zealand or Australia."
