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England in the final mood (86)

• Mark Orlovac
• 14 Oct 07, 04:51 PM

Paris - The headlines said it all.

“Rageant” (infuriating) and “Une Frustration Infinie” (you can guess what that one means) screamed the press as France awoke after another draining evening with the realisation that for them, their .

The French inquest into the events that occurred at the Stade de France was already underway in earnest, with many supporters questioning why Lionel Beauxis was taken off so early in the second half.

For England, victory in Saturday's semi-final has led to a completely different set of questions as delirious fans, many with slightly fuzzy heads and still in shock at the weekend’s events, contemplate another World Cup final.

How to get tickets for next week is likely to be at the top of the list but there is another query that stands out.

How have England picked themselves up from the shambles of the South Africa drubbing to develop into a side that are just 80 minutes away from becoming the first side to retain the Webb Ellis Trophy?

It has been some transformation.

And as England’s weary players met their obligations in speaking to the media hordes following Saturday's victory, some seemed genuinely stunned by what has happened in this campaign.

“It took four years and maybe even longer to get to the World Cup final in 2003 and this squad has been together for just 16 weeks,” said flanker Lewis Moody. “To be in the World Cup final again is just surreal at the minute. It’s incredible.”

England seemed down and out when the Springboks stormed to a comprehensive win on that dark night of 14 September. There was no surely way back for a team producing error-strewn and directionless displays.

But wind forward four weeks, and England now look a different side. Moody knows exactly when the recovery began.

“That South Africa game was the making of this team,” he said. “We’d beaten Wales and that had given us false confidence. Then we lost to France twice, played poorly against USA and got smashed by the Springboks.

"After that match it was time for an honest sit-down. We said that it was not good enough and that we are not playing with any spirit or attitude.

“We discussed it as a squad and we put it right. The players have stuck together through thick and thin. We took a lot of abuse early on, a lot of it was probably warranted for the way we were playing, but we have bounced back as strong as ever.

“The squad have come through some incredibly hard times and to change that around is just phenomenal.”

Moody, the Leicester back-rower who was one of England's heroes on Saturday night, says the run of four victories since that Springbok debacle have played a vital part in lifting the spirits of the squad.

“The confidence is growing and we feel we can win any game,” he said. “That’s something you never would have expected after we lost to South Africa.

“The effort and the commitment against France, especially in the last few minutes, when they were running it from everywhere, was phenomenal.

“Simon Shaw said his battery had run out with around 10 minutes to go. He was just on auto pilot following the ball around and making tackles.

“But it’s that sort of commitment that we need. There is one game left now and anything can happen.”

Centre Mathew Tait, who watched the 2003 World Cup final in his Barnard Castle School sixth form common room, admitted that the final would be “the biggest game of my life” but insisted that England must not lose their focus.

“It will take a couple of days to sink in that we are in the final and 80 minutes from making history. There is an inner belief and it is important for us to continue that through to next week.

“We won the semi-final but we have not won a thing yet. It’s fantastic to be in the final but no-one remembers who came second.”

England’s players would have talked all night but rugby director Rob Andrew eventually ushered them out of the press room, mindful of the people that were already waiting on the bus.

The image I was left with was seeing a haunted-looking , holding an ice pack and sporting a massive black eye, solemnly winding his way past the waiting reporters.

The Sale hardman, who has been such an iconic figure during this World Cup, had even been reduced to tears at the final whistle.

And as Tait rightfully observed: “It’s been a strange old week.”

Mark Orlovac is a ±«Óătv Sport journalist based in London. He will be based in Paris for the knockout stages of the Rugby World Cup.

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