This thread is so funny. I've said "I'll be as thrilled as anyone if we win the World Cup and, on a personal level, I wouldn't be too bothered about how we went about doing it" and yet by using statistics and what I see with my own eyes to make the point that we aren't the most entertaining of teams and we have limited attacking potential, I'm being accused of somehow being disloyal to my country.

The point was made that England relied on Jonny Wilkinson's kicking in winning the World Cup in 2003 as if that makes the rugby that Wales play less defensively minded. I replied that yes they did, but then did the research to show that they scored half as many tries again as we have done and conceded fewer than we have done. I challenged anyone to find a team that has won the World Cup who had scored fewer tries over a comparable pre tournament period as we have in our fourteen consecutive wins and no one has yet - instead I was challenged to "Show me a team that’s conceded as few tries and maybe you have a point" and I've done that, but still no one thinks I've got a point!

Now we're into territory where people are making out they love the way we play. I can only assume that they would be just as enthralled if it was another country (England?) who were winning all of those consecutive games while showing so little attacking flair. To repeat myself, I'm really happy about our success and wouldn't be bothered at all if we won the World Cup playing the same way, but all any other country with an identical record to ours over the past fourteen games (right down to tries scored and conceded) would get from me would be grudging admiration.