The statistics make ugly reading for Eddie Jones and England rugby fans. Three Six Nations defeats in a row for the first time since 2006, a first defeat at Twickenham since October 2015 and England’s lowest ever Six Nations finish. It would be fair to state that Jones has a few questions to answer ahead of this summer’s tour to South Africa and next year’s World Cup.

Walked on Water and Glided on Grass

A football genius of balance and grace,
Self-styled icon and playmaking ace.
Midfield Guvnor with a talent so rare,
Would light up a match with his guile and flair.

The 11th staging of the World Cup TM was held in Argentina in 1978. The competition logo was based on the signature gesture of former President Juan Peron i.e., a salute to the crowd with both arms extended above his head. The design was had been in 1974, two years prior to the military coup in 1976. And whilst they tried to change the competition's logo, the design was already broadly commercialized and merchandise had already been made. A forced modification would automatically trigger a litany of lawsuits. against the country, and so the government dropped their objections.

Frankie is a one-off, he comes from Halifax,
Lived life in the fast lane, he took it to the max.
Frankie had it all, in every single way,
It was poetry in motion watching Frankie play.

It seems like an implausible scenario now, but there was once a day when the sun beat down on Wembley Stadium, an England side had just rammed four past Germany, and the World Cup was on its way to Lancaster Gate. That day was July 30, 1966, a date that every true Englander knows as well as the Battle of Hastings, the declaration of World War II, or the death of Princess Diana. It represented the completion of an impossible dream, forged by many years of toil, ingenuity and fortitude.