Tough at the top

I was just checking out the fixtures for the Rugby World Cup (and luckily, it seems that it won't be too hard to catch England's matches) when a thought struck me. England are entering this tournament as the favourites (or, at least, joint favourites with the All Blacks) and the number 1 ranked team in the world and it's about the first time I can ever remember an English (or any British) team entering a major championship with an expectation of winning - at least in any major sport. In all the football World Cups and European Championships, Cricket World Cups and even Rugby World Cups I can remember we may have been hopeful of winning, but there's never been the same level of expectation as there is for this team. It should be interesting to see how they deal with it, and just what the national reaction would be if we do go on and break the national habit of a seeming lifetime and win the thing.