The World Cup we just might win

Quite how much tawdrier the plotting and deal-making for the 2018 football World Cup could become it is hard to imagine, and how appropriate that not just Sepp Blatter but officials at England’s campaign are so keen to denounce the devastating Sunday Times investigation into Fifa corruption.

Quite how much tawdrier the plotting and deal-making for the 2018 football World Cup could become it is hard to imagine, and how appropriate that not just Sepp Blatter but officials at England’s campaign are so keen to denounce the devastating Sunday Times investigation into Fifa corruption. No, the only World Cup that matters for England is the 15-man game due to kick off in ten months in Auckland. And eight years after Sydney, English hearts should be pumping that bit harder. Maybe, just maybe, England not only could but should take the Webb Ellis next year.

Health warning first. A couple of weeks ago I wrote a hymn of praise to the new lovable Chelsea and their engaging manager, Carlo Ancelotti. Moments later, to Ancelotti’s apparent dismay, they fired Ray Wilkins, most loyal of the loyal and best distributor of the horizontal pass in history, and since then the team have played woefully. So sorry about that: Chelsea are still as frightful and loathsome as ever, and this observer knows nothing.

But onward and upward, and let’s look ahead to New Zealand. What seems clear is that the gap between northern and southern hemisphere sides is closing. Look at some of the results: in the Tri-Nations, South Africa nearly beat the Kiwis in Soweto; the Scots had a great victory against the Springboks, the world champions, at the weekend; the All Blacks hammered the Scots, but lost to Australia in Hong Kong before coming here for the autumn series.