Just a few moments left now before the beginning of 80 minutes that could see knighthoods, MBEs, London parades and Downing Street receptions, rain down like a very rainy thing. Without wishing to sound cynical, and not for a moment suggesting that a victorious England team shouldn’t be feted, nothing succeeds like a National sports team in an election year. Madame is already planning to go to Town to see the boys’ return and spirits and TV outputs are all hugely excited and positive.
I am in a quandary however, as a tip for Blighty could destroy all chance of victory or even a BBC SPOTY team award. So instead I suggest going to Sporting Index and buying the total points at 39. I would also sell the number of minutes for the first South African try at 43 minutes and sell first England try at 32. My best guess is that England will have a score within 10 minutes and the Boks will level within 25. If I’m right you should be able to watch the second half chilled and contemplating a second bacon butty. After that, it’s racing both here and at The Breeders Cup and then it’s just over 1.8m hours before we have another RWC final. Huzzah!
I watched some of the juvenile BC action last night which is being run at the highly controversial Santa Anita track. The ever-charming, frightfully-anglo Nick Luck gave an in-depth, very searching interview with the President of Breeders Cup, who might have been called Alfred B Hackenbacker III but wasn’t. When I say searching, Luck knows where the contracts for TV coverage are drawn up and that Alf might play a part. Thus the tone was very much like an extremely amiable judge allowing the barrister to behave in a way that would have Rumpole welling with tears. “So Alfred, you’re confident then that no horse will ever die again, even from old-age, here in the sunshine state that the Breeders Cup management team have dramatically improved with their presence?” Alfred B Hackenburger looked concerned; “We like to think that we have taken all the measures was can at this time, and we are certainly examining other actions that will result in better tasting hamburger buns.” He might not have said that, but I had already lost interest because it was ameliorative tosh.
In all seriousness, and I might be a small voice, but unless we sit up and do something, we – together with the yanks – are going to be watching synchronised tea-drinking as a sport rather than horses racing for our pleasure. Scathing articles across the US, weighted increasingly towards the Gretamatons shrill, uninformed. little voices, suggests that one equine death at Santa Anita this weekend could be the first nail.. and what happens in the US always gets to us. This LINK HERE (opens in a new tab), is a pretty balanced (compared to some), report on the Santa Anita issue. Well worth reading, with a view to our own future,
Enough of that… I’ve depressed myself and the boys have left their hotel. Oh my Lord!
(The tips will come later – unless he is “overwrought”: Ed.)