When England play Samoa and Japan I may be forced to eat my words. However, the posts on our game above say little positive about England but, instead, focus on the poverty of the opposition.

This is something Palace fans have to endure if we ever have the temerity to win a match. Perhaps this has been absorbed into our DNA.

England never came close to scoring a try but didn't need to. When de Beer or Brooke knocked a stack of drop goals to beat us in past world cup games they were lauded in South Africa and New Zealand. We win by 3 brilliant Ford drop goals and it is: never scored a try, the opposition was cr@p etc.

We are a miserable lot.

I was wondering how far England could go without scoring a try. It would be quite funny if they got far with drop goals and penalties. However, I think Japan are perhaps better than we think and they love to run with the ball. I don't see Samoa being great but maybe thought the same about Fiji.

Red and Blue Army!

I don't know much about Rugby but England look like they have never played together before? In fact some of them look like they have never played rugby before.

Tonga were good at dancing their Haka.

Its a pity that's all they were good at.

Kayla did Anfield & Old Trafford

But for 35 minutes we can take on anyone

It was not at all, Japan are no mugs.

I am hoping we're growing into the WC. I think there's a general acknowledgement that this iteration of England is somewhat below the previous, world beating, powerhouses we've seen and people are used to that, but we're still to be reckoned with.

Hopefully we will gradually improve and be prepared for the KO stages when we'll inevitably meet much tougher challenges.

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!