IN football, England fans always cast an eye enviously at Germany.

The English football team takes its supporters on an emotionally exhausting rollercoaster ride - yesterday's defeat by Denmark being another downwards dip - which inevitably ends in tears and without anything to show for all the pain and suffering.

Meanwhile, the Germans march mechanically on. They rarely offer any flair, but they grind out results that take them remorselessly towards yet another trophy. Their cabinet brims, whereas the memory of 1966 looks very lonely in ours.

How we wish, just once in a generation, we could be like the Germans and, no matter what the style, win something.

Now, thanks to Jonny Wilkinson's boot, the English rugby team has reached the final of the World Cup. And the carping began even before the final whistle was blown.

Yes, England did not play much free-flowing rugby. Yes, all the English did was muscularly thwart the French and bulldoze them backwards until the long boot of Wilkinson had a chance of scoring some points.

But does the style matter? The substance is that England were triumphant and have reached the final. And what a final, against the Australians - in Australia.

For decades at cricket, the Aussies have teased and tormented us with their over-powering desire to win.

Now we have the chance to put the record straight, to put the Aussies back in their box. And to do it in their own country.

So let's be the Germany of this rugby World Cup. Let's grind our way to glory. Let's be winners for once in a long, long while. As probably only Wilkinson would understand: haway the lads.