O'Neill - We all hate England

[Burgs]

O'Neill - We all hate England

September 25, 2007

AUSTRALIA Rugby Union boss John O'Neill says all Australian sports fans "hate" England and ordered the Wallabies to "get square" with Brian Ashton's side if they should meet in the World Cup quarter-finals.

If England beats Tonga on Friday, it will face Australia in the last eight and ARU chief executive O'Neill is desperate to settle a few scores.

"It doesn't matter whether it's cricket, rugby union, rugby league - we all hate England," O'Neill said today.

"I would love to see Tonga knock off England but I suspect England will get through and we'll play them in Marseille and that will be a real contest, with Jonny Wilkinson back in particular."

O'Neill has painful memories of Wilkinson after his last-gasp drop goal saw England beat Australia in the 2003 final while Rob Andrew performed similar heroics to down the Wallabies at the quarter-final stage in 1995.

O'Neill added: "We remember back in 1995 they knocked us out of the World Cup with Rob Andrew's field goal.

"They also beat us in extra-time in 2003. It's time to get square and knock them off in Marseille."

O'Neill believes Australia's World Cup campaign is on track after solid wins over Japan, Wales and Fiji.

The Wallabies, who round off their group commitments with a clash against winless Canada on Saturday, will finish at the top of Pool B.

"It's going very well. We're on target," O'Neill said. "We're moving through the pool stages very well.

"Clearly the game against Wales was the critical one to win and we did that very well. The environment in the team is first-rate. All the signs are positive."

But O'Neill warned: "The important thing is to be performing at the pointy end - get through the pool rounds, finish first, take the quarter-final as it comes.

"Then in the semi-final, who knows? We don't want to get ahead of ourselves but the momentum is building very well."

AAP

[Jethro]

Another pointless media release from O'Neill. No ammunition to the opposition, simple really.

[hopep]

O'Niel is starting to sound a lot like Britney Spears... desperate for attention.

[Flat-top]

I don't have a lot of time for the English either but did he really use the "hate" word...a bit strong for someone in a position of authority, and not much of an example to set. As usual we are all entitled to have these private thoughts but when you know that what you say can and will be reported across the world press it doesn't reflect well on the country or organisation you represent. Don't know the man but he sounds like a clown and a liability...probably make a good politician!

[chook]

Pfft, we all hate the English, he's just saying what everyone is thinking.

Good onya John for calling a spade a friggin shovel.

[NeoGirl]

What's with this "we all hate England" thing? Is he the new Aussie spokes person?

[jargan83]

but we DO hate England.................I know I do at least

[jazza93]

bang on jon

[lmaag]

I think it is a great tradition to see England get flogged in games they invented. The only time I don't hate England is when they are playing South Africa.

[Burgs]

Thanks for the gee-up, John, but we didn't need it

October 2, 2007

The ARU chief's stirring may come back to haunt him on Saturday, writes England forward Martin Corry.

For those of us lucky enough to represent our country, certain games need no hyping. Defeating Australia on Saturday will be our sole focus from the moment we reach the south of France. This is a gold-plated opportunity for us. I'd even go so far as to call it career-defining.

It will be a huge occasion and I'm sure the build-up will be lively as well. From a brief scan of the papers it would already seem Australia have been spouting off. When the Australian Rugby Union's chief executive, John O'Neill, feels the need to inform the world that his compatriots "hate" the English it reveals exactly what they feel about us. If he's not regretting saying it already, I think he should be; when people make those kinds of comments it does not show them in a great light.

All he has done, in fact, is fire us up even more. We know we're going in as underdogs but adversity simply makes us tighter as a squad. By the time the weekend comes there will also be thousands of Englishmen on hand to cheer our every move. The centre of Marseilles around the Vieux Port is much more compact than Paris and by kick-off it will feel just like a home fixture.

We need to raise our game another couple of notches but Friday's win against Tonga was another step in the right direction. Since the South Africa match we've shown signs of improvement every time we've played.

The build-up to Paul Sackey's first try was a prime example of a side growing in confidence. It was Mark Cueto who spotted the cross-kick was on and Jonny Wilkinson's execution was perfect. Teams that are nervous or playing within themselves don't try things like that.

I also thought we matched the Tongans physically, which is no mean feat. Even before kick-off we decided to show we'd no intention of backing down and the way we faced up to their war dance was deliberate. The referee tried to move us back but I insisted we stood our ground; we were in our own half and, as far as I was concerned, there was no need to make any further concessions. Everyone seems to think that being English means you've got to be meek and mild in circumstances like that. I was more concerned with showing the Tongans we were as emotionally up for the challenge as they were.

Whether as a direct result or not, our commitment was evident from the start when Lewis Moody clattered into the Tongan fullback's knee and knocked himself out. Lewis is a tough customer and his suicidal dive was entirely in character. I didn't envy the doctor who went to tend to him - even when Lewis is at his sharpest it's difficult to tell if he's concussed or not. But if we're going to beat Australia we'll need to throw everything we have at the Wallabies and whoever starts in the back row will have to donate their body to the cause.

After an enjoyable weekend in Paris we will at least get to Marseilles mentally refreshed. On Saturday we all went off to Euro Disney which proved great fun. I even managed to get a photo of my daughter, Eve, with our forwards coach, Graham Rowntree. Everyone knows Mickey Mouse's distinguishing features but they are nothing like as impressive as the famously cauliflowered Rowntree ears. As I tried to explain to my daughter, one of the pair is a cartoon figure and the other is a mouse.

Among the other people we bumped into, strangely enough, was Michael Jones, the Samoa coach. It was good to meet him away from a match-day environment and wonderfully relaxing to be able to revert to being a normal parent for a few hours. But, when the time comes, we'll be ready.

Guardian News & Media

[shasta]

Thanks for the gee-up, John, but we didn't need it

October 2, 2007



From a brief scan of the papers it would already seem Australia have been spouting off. When the Australian Rugby Union's chief executive, John O'Neill, feels the need to inform the world that his compatriots "hate" the English it reveals exactly what they feel about us. If he's not regretting saying it already, I think he should be; when people make those kinds of comments it does not show them in a great light.

I don't and I'm pretty sure most people don't hate individual Englishmen. But we do "hate" their sporting teams' shows of hubris on the odd occasion they are successful. Thats why we really enjoy watching teams from other nations regularly flogging the pants off those losers.

[Jehna]

O'Neill taunts stagger Wallabies

By Wayne Smith
October 03, 2007
AFTER months of intensive analysis by players and staff attempting to take the mystery out of Saturday's World Cup quarter-final, the only thing the Wallabies haven't worked out is why their boss is providing arch rival England with mountains of motivation.

It's the most frequently asked question in the Australian camp: why is John O'Neill stirring up the opposition? And no one has the answer.

With the Wallabies clearly holding the whip hand going into this heavyweight match, what is there to gain by rousing England's bulldog spirit beforehand by insisting that everyone hates the Poms?

The first time he said it, it was treated as good-natured banter but when he repeated it this week, even the International Rugby Board sat up.
"His comments have been noted," said IRB spokesman Greg Thomas, himself an Australian. "No one wants to overreact but it would be best if that line wasn't continued."

The fact is not everyone does hate the English, Wallabies attack coach Scott Johnson for one. He loves them, one in particular, Judy, the Englishwoman he is set to marry two weeks before Christmas.

Indeed, had he heard about O'Neill's comments a little earlier, Johnson would have worn a T-shirt to the Wallabies press conference on Monday in Marseille, declaring his love for her. I didn't have enough time to get it made up ... but I need to do something, otherwise I won't be allowed back in the house," Johnson said with a grin.

It's an awkward position to put any coach in, asking him to comment on his employer, and Johnson was diplomacy personified. "I believe in the freedom of speech," he said. "People can say whatever they like. At the end of the day we've got to be fairly comfortable because we know where we are. If that motivates them, it'll only be temporary anyway.

"The referee and we determine how motivated they are. They'll play as well as we allow them to play so we've got to get our part right."
The English media, as is its habit, has latched on to O'Neill's comments with ferocity.

The consensus is that this rematch of the 2003 World Cup finalists can go one of two ways: either it follows the trend of four years ago and develops into a cliffhanger or the Wallabies, with a far wider array of attacking weapons at their disposal than the world champions, will slash England apart.

Small wonder that O'Neill's remarks have been repeated ad nauseam, while at the same time the England players have been instructed by their management not to say anything this week that might provide the Wallabies with motivational ammunition.

Even so, rugby league convert Andy Farrell, who has locked horns with the Kangaroos many a time, said he was enjoying the barbs even if he has heard them all before in the 13-a-side code from Darren Lockyer's men.

But Clive Woodward, coach of England's victorious side in 2003 and a man well versed in the art of stirring up the Wallabies, or at the very least their former coach Eddie Jones, insists England must return fire.

"You need to have a go back and they respect you for that," Woodward told the Daily Mail. "As long as everyone realises you don't win a match through the media then it's OK. I wouldn't have stood back and copped it but it's difficult for the players and it's up to the coaches to deal with it. But the worst thing that can happen when you are preparing to play Australia is to be ignored. That means they don't rate you."

Whatever else the Wallabies might be doing, they certainly are not ignoring England. Head coach John Connolly - whose son qualifies as English since he was born during his coaching stint at Bath - is endlessly repeating the mantra that any side that has the set-pieces the quality of England's, Jonny Wilkinson as on-field general and the pace out wide of Jason Robinson and Paul Sackey is capable of inflicting damage.

[jargan83]

Poms are whinging again

from www.foxsports.com.au

Pom-bashing O'Neill facing censure
By Peter Jenkins
October 04, 2007 AUSTRALIA Rugby Union boss John O'Neill could be dragged before the game's world governing body over his banter about hating the English.

The verbal sparring ahead of the Wallabies' showdown with England took an absurd twist when International Rugby Board sources confirmed O'Neill might be slapped with a code of conduct charge.

The IRB has been waiting on an expected official complaint from Rugby Football Union bosses in England before deciding whether any action should be taken.

According to high-placed insiders, "a couple of members of the public" have written to the IRB saying they considered the O'Neill comments offensive and inappropriate. Several RFU officials were also "not too happy".

But the IRB risks becoming a laughing stock and the ultimate enforcer of draconian censorship if O'Neill faces sanctions for allegedly bringing the game into disrepute.

Similar slanging wars were waged almost annually by former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones and his one-time English nemesis Clive Woodward.

Jones also slammed South Africa four years ago as a disgrace to international rugby, sparking heated scenes behind closed doors involving officials from both countries. The IRB, in those cases, never saw fit to move.

But O'Neill was a significant thorn in their side during his first stint with the ARU and now, three years later, has returned to take up a seat in November as an Australian delegate on the IRB council.

The controversy over his Pom-bashing, ironically, took almost a week to ignite after O'Neill was initially interviewed for a podcast that was placed on the ARU website nine days ago.

Asked to predict a winner in the England-Tonga pool match that would decide Australia's quarter-final opponent, O'Neill tipped the defending World Cup champions.

He also suggested that if the old enemy emerged to play the Wallabies in the first week of sudden-death it would fuel the long-standing tradition where, across all sports, Australians hate England.

Former Lions winger Austin Healey hit back several days later with a demand for O'Neill to be censured.

When confronted with Healey's comments, O'Neill refused to back down. "I stand by what I said," he replied. "Whether it's cricket, rugby league or rugby union, we do all hate England. All I'm doing is stating the bleeding obvious."

O'Neill also referred to England's "born-to-rule mentality".

Over the past two days, the O'Neill sledging has triggered a flurry of questions from British media at press conferences involving Wallaby players and coaches. They have taken the dead-bat approach, refusing to further fuel the debate.

[Sagerian]

Does knuckles apologise on John O'Neill's behalf this time?

[Flamethrower]

Does knuckles apologise on John O'Neill's behalf this time?

I don't think I'll hold my breath waiting for that to happen