JONNY IS BACK !

So Jonny Wilkinson is back in the England Rugby team with a vengeance. His fanatastic performance in yesterday's international at Twickenham is proof positive of his status as the world's greatest living rugby player - EVER - and England are now hot favourites to retain the World Cup later in the year.

What a load of rubbish. Jonny is back, yes, but as for the rest, this is the appalling media hype that is inevitably generated in this country by the slightest whiff of success. England's victims in yesterday's game were a Scotland team of debatable quality and Wilkinson's try was most definitely a mistake by the video-referee. England's performance was certainly a step up from the abominations of last year, but until they have played, and beaten, the Irish, French and Welsh, there can be no celebrations.

The team, under its new coach and captain, has started well; it is a mighty relief to see Jonny Wilkinson play virtually the whole match and play so well; it was equally pleasing to see others performing well, Harry Ellis in particular, but both Jonny and the team still have a long way to go before we can start waving the flags again.

CRICKETING SUPER-HEROES ?

Put out the Flags - England has won a cricket match !!

At the arse end of their disastrous tour of Australia, England has finally beaten the 'old enemy'. Not in a meaningful match, it is far too late for that, but at least they have won. No doubt the press will laud this achievement, the players will be serenaded and the champagne will flow.

Is it too much to hope that nothing will be said about it ? That a single moment of low-level success will be treated with the restraint it deserves ? The England team has shown itself to be devoid of real ability and real grit; it is a team mostly of third-raters who do not even begin to compare with the players of past generations. Most of them would not even have gained a place in a county side of past years.

When they beat some substantial opposition, consistently, at home and abroad, then let us celebrate. Until that happens, let's just ignore them and, by the way, the same applies to the worthless 'superstars' of our other national game, Football.