Agent 007 to help England
2007-10-19 18:28
Paris - Queen Elizabeth and Daniel Craig, the latest actor to play secret agent James Bond, have joined the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown with messages of support for England before the RWC final against South Africa on Saturday.
England coach Brian Ashton told a news conference on Friday that Brown, a Scot, had sent a fax to the defending
champions.
A spokesperson for the Queen said she had sent a private
message to the team which was intended to be read to the side by Ashton before the kick-off.
English rugby fans poured into Paris on Friday by rail, road
and air to support a side who had appeared down and out when
they lost 36-0 to the Springboks in the pool stages.
Atmosphere was almost subdued
But unlike the fevered scenes in Sydney four years ago
around the team's hotel before the final against Australia, the atmosphere in England's Paris headquarters was almost subdued.
Certainly there was no ringing rhetoric from captain Phil
Vickery when he was invited to share with reporters the message
he had personally given his side.
"I said a few words," Vickery said. "I don't think the group
needs much more motivation than playing in these games.
Ashton said every game since the South Africa match had been
effectively a knockout match.
"That's when the experienced players step forward, they know
how to handle it, they've been there before," he said.
"We've had four Cup finals in the last four weeks, at any
stage we could have been on the train home.
"This is the Cup final and our approach to the game has been
very similar to what it has been for the last four games. We've
got to win the game and we've got to find a way to do it."