There have been shipwrecked castaways on uninhabited Pacific islands who have awoken with more optimism than English rugby supporters are experiencing. Short of a bare-chested Tom Hanks joining them in the dressing room after the 30-22 home defeat by Fiji on Saturday, England’s World Cup hopes could hardly feel more washed up and the chances of a dramatic late rescue continue to recede.
First and foremost, sincere congratulations are due to the Fijians for a result that, on one level, ranks alongside Japan’s win against South Africa in 2015 as the most encouraging scoreline the global game has witnessed. The decades of Pacific rugby nations being undervalued, exploited and patronised by their supposed superiors have been depressing but, at long last, the playing fields of the world are levelling up.
