I really don't have anything against the Aussies. I admire their athletic achievements, and they have proven to be excellent allies. However, there are a limited few, who still have a terrible inferiority complexes. They really should stop reading history books!

Paul, Los Angeles, USA

With a chip on both shoulders O'Neill is well placed to make such balanced comment

Godfrey, Monaco,

The Aussies are good at sport beacuse it is that only thing they can do. They have failed to make an impression on the world in any other way. They are a holiday destination, a giant pimple on the Earth's backside. At least the English had the imagination to invent the sport in the first place ( amongst many other that have swept the globe) unlike the Aussies who have come up with what? Aussie rules!? wow! that really caught on did'nt it and where did they get that idea from? don't tell me its Rugby!
As I an englishman I am sick of these countries who speak our language adopt our democratic ideologies come over here in their thousands to experiance the culture and then start slagging us off! It is pathetic. Get a life.

Aidan Banks, London,

12 - 5 to England, 3 pens and a drop goal to JW one uncoverted try to the crims.

Stick it up the large white jumper and march across the field

How funny would that be, then the crims can work themselves in frenzy about how unjust the world is, and those "Darstardly Poms" have done the dirty on the "Beautiful, Honest Diggers"

Remember boys " you're only wearing yellow 'cause it's free"

Michael, Sydney, Australia

Some countries have an in-built superior complex and others an inferiority complex. It's down to history. Although we don't win much these days, you can't expect to rule the world and win just about everyting for 200 years and be popular afterwards. Fortunately most of us really don't care what insecure ex-colonials or bitter Jocks think of us. Pity we dont win a bit more though, then we could really show our arrogance.

Andrew Lee, Storrington, UK

I think O'Neil meant this as a tounge in cheek comment, but it has backfired as a poor joke. Saying that I don't think Sir Clive Woodward did a great deal for English rugby (bar winning the WC of course) as he seemed to get under the skins of every country he travelled to. Sir Clives lions tour to NZ was probably his worst, but his barbed comments towards southern hemisphere teams when he won and lost was a shame as he failed to win with grace or lose with dignity. A pity this has washed off on the team now......

Dave , Sydney, Australia

Reminds me of Billy Connolly. When asked at Australian Immigration if he had a criminal record he said that he didn't know that he still needed one! A good example of light humour rather than the racist drivel that we have read about. I know lots of Aussies in the UK. They are well educated, refined, cultured and fun to be with. Hold on, maybe that is why they travelled noth!!

David, Manama, Bahrain

Dave, Perth, actually I have settled here, surely some of us have to come over to add a bit of class to the place, and raise the intelligence a bit, and the weather is better than in Milton Keynes.

In fact I and my Aussie mates get on just fine, I don't associate with the sort of dullard that would suggest that disagreeing with someone suggests you should 'go home', the give and take on both sides is remarkable and suggestive that the similarities are bigger than the differences.

As for that citizenship test, what a laugh, almost as funny as the 'British' test!

John, Sydney, Australia

Peter in Cork is obviously still bitter about his nation repeatedly having it's ass handed to it on a plate.

A little advise to him: learn to master the English language (like we mastered your country) before attempting to make quips about my country's understanding of our own language.

Julian, Wincombe,

hate is a strong word for a sporting rivalry it leaves you nowhere else to go in descriptive terms,how sad...

andy, crouch end, london

John in Melbourne, since when do the Australians spell tautology like you did, ie tortology? Pot calling kettle what ho old chap?

Les, Cape Town,

"Born to be a descendant from a convict" mentality is perhaps the problem with O'Neill.Perhaps he should should appear on "Who Do you think you are?" programme as the guest Australian,revealing his ancestory.

If Campese and ONeill "hate" the English so much they won't want a job in English rugby or in English media....will they?

Cris, Selborne, UK

HATE !? Not the best choice of words is it ? I mean, it's just a game isn't it ? Just a game of Rugby.

And to Aidan (and your mates) in Wicklow. It was nice to see the Pumas stick one over Ireland yesterday. But, I don't *hate* you.

RJA, Nottingham, England, UK

If the Laws of the game are policed correctly England will win. If the scrums are policed, if the put in is made to be straight we will win. If Australia are allowed to put the ball in 'a la rugby league' then we have a problem. It would also help if someone policed the ref at half time. Failure to do this nearly led to a travesty in the last WC final!

tony (the hit man) mersh, blehiem, oxford

I don't mind a robust and vigorous competitive spirit, but the current "stuff" is just rubbish and it only "takes away" from the game. The Quarter final will be tough enough for both sides and interesting enough for everyone. I am looking forward to the game, you can have this media nonsense it is always "over the top".

Peter Posetti, Brisbane, Australia

I'm sick to death of the aussies who live in England telling me how much they hate it. They know where the airport is and they know where they can go!

Luke, London, UK

Poor old John and Campo ! The ancient Aussie inferiority complex raises its tired old head yet again !

Anthony Brace, St Jean de Fos, France,

I can't believe anyone still listens to Campese. I'm sure he must say things for a bet! He once said World Cup winning coach Rod McQueen couldn't coach.

Dave, Woy Woy, Australia

I'm Irish and I once lived in England for many years. I got to know many English and in my time and travels many Australians. In my experience the English are as far from arrogant as the Aussies are from modest. Some of my friends (Irish) had the misfortune to be in France to follow our Boys In Green. When we were down and out whose fans were the ones to kick us with their taunts and jibes. It was not the English but the Aussies. I'll be supporting England in the quarterfinal. I’m hoping NZ will win the Trophy but, if not them, England. The best thing for me about the World Cup in 2003 was not that England won it but that Australia lost it and lost it at home. As for Mr. O'Neill he sounds like one of those begorrah, top-of-the- morning-to-yah Plastic Paddy that make many of us cringe. Also John of Melbourne, it is tautology and not tortology. If you were to sit your own citizenship exam I afraid you would be deported back to England. I'm sure they would welcome you.

Michael, Killarney, Ireland

"...tortology.
Recent citizenship tests introduced into Australia require a basic understanding of the English language...."

I see that doesn't include a basic ability to spell.

Arrogance means assuming a virtue you don't possess, John. That makes you arrogant as well as ignorant.

Jonathan Wilton, Singapore,

The one thing England can be relied upon doing is chocking on the big day. It doesn't matter if it's Rugby, Cricket, Football or Ping Pong. England is simply a nation of people brought up to loose.

The glory days of the Empire (if there were any) are long gone and what is left are a run down shambles of a nation filled to the brime with the hopeless that are appear suprised if they should happen to win at anything.

May England's Rugby Rest in Peace. 2003 was a one off that will never be repeated.

Paul, Dubai, UAE

To Peter, Cork, Ireland

And what do you know of the English ? I doubt you've ever been there. Because if you had you'd know that they are some of the friendliest, and easy going, people around. A bit like rural Ireland. But, I doubt that you've ever been there either. A celebrity obsessed nation of yobs ? Take a look at your own doorstep.

Peter, Norwich, England, UK

It's a fine line between confidence and arrogance and I believe the self-appointed Aussie commentators have crossed it.....

Yes it is 'Ammo' and England will feed off it - just as 'Is that all you've got' was ammo - you don't hear any loose cannons in the All Black camp and they are in much better form than the Wallabies...

Australia should be the last team to forget that solid defences and reliable kickers usually win World Cups....not twinkle-toed five-eighths.......bring it on!

Neil Watkinson, Ipswich, Suffolk

Its not the english who have the POM mentality its people like chippy John O'Neill who still obviously feels like a Prisoner of Mother England i.e. POM.

Mr E.N.Gerland, UK,

Looks as if all the "pommie whingers" that went to Oz have bred rather too successfully

alan, edinburgh, uk

Why is it acceptable to be racist against the English? If this man had been saying something similar about an African nation he would have lost his job instantly, yet it deemed to be permissable to attack England in such a vitriolic fashion. He should lose his job and make a public apology.

All this so-called hatred about the empire stems from ignorance, it was the British Empire and anyone from the former colonies would do well to note the number of Welsh, Scots and Irishmen in positions of prominence and power before exercising the chip on their shoulder against the English. It is tedious and out of date.

Alex Howarth, London,

Bravo Little Colony,

Your Queen would be proud. We here, in the Mother Country have looked on fondly as you have raised yourself beyond your natural tardiness and sloth to sit on the 2nd rung of the ladder of nations. We regard you and your comical jester Mr O'Neill as one would a small puppy who has just urinated on the rug. A mix of slight embarassment but with the knowledge that it's not really his fault as he knows no better.

I am sure as you continue to send your youth up North to see a better life full of culture, history and education they will come back better equipped to move your insignificant colonial outpost into the 20th Century.

Paul, London,

The most amusing part of this little squabble is the faux-naivity of the English about the fact that nobody likes them. The tone of this article and many of the comments suggests that it downright rude of anyone to admit to disliking the English.
Now come on, catch a wake up- nobody actually likes the English. A nation of pompous whingers, sulking about their lost influence, obsessed with mundane celebrity and so fundamentally arrogant to even understand what the term means - what's not to like?
The correct English response, in the current vernacular so ubiquitous in the land of the yob, is 'Am I bovvered?'. I suspect the backline will be bovvered come the weekend.

Peter, Cork, Ireland

There's no winner in this juvenile game and trying to make rugby emulate football with its brainless tribal rivalries will be a big turn off for a lot of decent rugby followers.

A small idiotic rent a gob minority spoil it for the rest. The Aussies are a good bunch (for example Michael Lynagh is total class, a patriot without a chip on his shoulder) and Stephen Jones is Welsh by the way so I guess that qualifies him as a Celt. Not all Celts display mindless 'hatred' in their wanting to beat England. Hatred's a big word and should be used very sparingly if ever at all. For a chief exec of a national sport to make these comments is pretty sad for all the decent people of Australia really, it just lets them all down. But I guess this might be about raising the profile of the sport back home, shame it's being done in such a shabby way and at other people's expense.

Rob, Cambridge,

Enjoy your baiting of the English because as more and more Asians and peoples from the middle east emmigrate to your country it wont be much longer until you will be in the minority. At least with England the hatred is only oneway we never have a problem supporting your team once we are out, but your ever growing immigrant population will not be forgiving they will just hate you full stop.

S Stiles, London,

It's nice to see so many people here directing their energy towards hatred based on generalised and vague notions based on old history and media portrayals. I think the attitude from these people says more about themselves and the kind of people they are rather than actually having something decent to say on the matter.
A rivalry with Australia, or any sporting nation is good, but in the absence of any real negative recent history (think of Argentina and the Falklands-people died and it is still an ongoing issue), surely you people need to get out a bit more and stop looking over that rather large chip that you have on your collective shoulders?

Tim, london, uk

Irish Australian polemic of the nastier variety: it splits the Ozzies, Bradman was an an Anglo phile, O'Reilly and Fingelton disliked Bradman and England and its culture.
Ozzie rugby itself is boring, very, Campo, so go and have another drink......

BigT, Oxford, UK

John from Melbourne - it's spelt "tautology". Good effort for trying to spell a long word though.

Not everyone hates England. There weren't too many New Zealanders cheering on the Aussies in the last World Cup final.

Peter, Beds,

Quite incredible, pathetic really. I would have hoped the English-speaking world had moved on from this sterotypical fare. Do the English spend their time lampooning Aussies as beer-swilling, sheep-shagging convicts? No, we admire their incredible sporting prowess and hope to learn from them; cultural differences are what makes rugby tests and Ashes showdowns such a treat. Furthermore, Australia are a far superior rugby team at the moment, so why wave a red rag to a bull who will have to play out of its' socks to hope to beat Australia; they should just shut it and enjoy their victory next Saturday. The chip on their shoulder should have been laid to rest many sporting victories ago.

Andrew Gilbert, Geneva, Switzerland

Hey take this with a pinch of salt. I have lived in Sydney for the last 10 years and have many fine Australian freinds. I have never encountered any feelings of hatred for being English either. The Aussies are playing mind games that's all, they want to needle England in to exploding on the pitch so they transgress and give away penalties. Yes there is a fierce England v Aus rivalry but its what sport was invented for.

Enjoy the build up and COME ON ENGLAND, I really think you can do it!! The ausies are worried believe me, they don't waste words lightly..

Richard Wagner, Sydney,

It's a shame that the excellence which Australian sportsmen show on the field is not duplicated when they or their supporters open their mouths.

Richard Alderson, Aberdeen, UK

"No one likes England. If they want further proof, how do they think France won the right to host this World Cup? It’s simple. No one would vote for England and they were the only other country in the running."

I'm sure France are delighted about the "horse trading" they had to do to win this tournament now they are playing New Zealand in Cardiff! Well done to the organisers allowing a World Cup in France to be played in 3 countries just to deny England!

If the rest of the world wants to get so animated about a small country like us - let them. Shame they have nothing better to focus on.

Lee , Leatherhead, England

Australians with a chip on there shoulders, Jocks with a chip on there shoulders ?
I just, I just cant believe it.

Mike, Bremen,

"Born to be a descendant from a convict" mentality is perhaps the problem with O'Neill.Perhaps he should should appear on "Who Do you think you are?" programme as the guest Australian,revealing his ancestory.

If Campese and ONeill "hate" the English so much they won't want a job in English rugby or in English media....will they?

Cris, Selborne, UK

Ah, but Aidan from Wicklow in Ireland, I shall think momentarily of you and your hatred of England when I sit down to watch England play against Australia IN THE QUARTER FINALS!

Danie Gerber, London, UK

Me thinks the Aussies do protest too much.... bring it on.....!

Marc Mason, stafford, England

I love the South African comment about hating the english, I know a lot of South Africans and the only people who like these Afrikaners are other Afrikaners! Seriousley SA stay out of any argument like this, you can only lose , even when compared to england.

Brian, Wexford,

This hatred thing of a nation does not stand up under any rational argument. It is emotionally driven racism that is a curse on the Australians and Scottish who really need to get over a warped Mel Gibson derived interpretation of historical events and find a way of existing in the world where the sum total of their characters are not defined by bitterness towards another nation. What is it that John Oneil finds so offensive? Does he hate London English? Mancunians, Geordies West Indian and Asian Englishmen? Is it the passport, the genetics or the attitude? When exactly do we become hateful is it as soon as we are born or are we raised to be hateful. Is an English baby raised as an Australian to be hated? Is it our government (who are predominantly scottish)? If he can answer these questions rationally and sensibly then I will take being hateful on the chin.

Simon Davis, Bristol, UK

Some of the comments on here from a small number of individuals from New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland are disgusting - 'We hate England', 'it's true - everyone does' etc. It's good to see that there are some Australians who are decent enough to have posted comments condemning this rubbish.

To the small minded bigots who post this kind of comment (of whatever nationality) I suggest you look at the speeches and comments of Reinhard Heydrich - you may not know who he is (an SS general from World War Two) but you share the same mentality.

John Kelly, Manchester, UK

Stupid comments from O'Neil ,but seem to have plenty of support. I have to agree with Campo however. What a disgrace going for a dropgoal when Wilko did.It sums up all that is wrong with English rugby. The sooner the drop goal is reduced to 1 point the better,lets reward sides for scoring tries
not drop goals!!

Mark Hill-Rennie, auckland, New Zeland

John o'neill simply represents what most of us have come to expect from the aussies; that they are boorish and lacking any class! This envy culture is pathetic! they haven't even got the courage to take the union jack off their flag and go it alone. Ahhh...

marc, kuwait city, kuwait

To Heather in NZ

You can bet your life savings that nearly everyone who isn't a Kiwi will be cheering on Les Bleus next Saturday in Cardiff. NZ choking once again will be a delight to savour.

To take your quote with a minor change: "why do you think the rest of the world always backs the team playing New Zealand?".

People in glass houses....................

Simon, Dublin, Ireland

Mr O'Neills' unsportsmanslike comments have no place in the true world of sport. It is right his words have caused such discussion over his future; however I shudder to think of the global reaction there would have been if an English Administrator had said he "hated the Aussies, Scots, Irish, Welsh etc".
I am sure legal proceedings would ensue !

Steve Jones, Redditch, UK

The Australians have a deep 'hatred' for anybody who has ever beaten them. They hate South Africa, New Zealand, England, France...... etc They're ungracious in defeat and unbearably arrogant when they win. Maybe it is the media but George Gregan's attitude especially makes me believe that it's not.
At the very least the IRB should fine O'Neill. A more fitting punishment for his blatant prejudice should be a ticket home on the first available flight. He's an embarrasment to the tournament and certainly does not live up to the 'World in Union' ethos.

Catherine, London (and South Africa),

I'm absolutely amazed by all the comments and the 'hate' philosophy emanating from the southern hemisphere. This is a sport for pete's sake, not a bloody war! It's all part of the 'psyche everyone up' psychology that will end with someone getting seriously injured. Why not call the whole thing off - it's not worth the aggravation!

trevorjd, Torbay, UK

Sour grapes from the lot of them.We are the current World Champions and that's the end of it.

c curtis, london, u.k.

The feeling is mutual but having the CEO of Australian Rugby say this typifies the IQ of the country and and why everybody else in the World should sees them as brash, uneducated and superficial people. Thankfully most of them are 12,000 miles away.

Bonz, RIchmond,

As a kiwi I hope England win because of John O'Neils big mouth. Kiwis hate O'Neil first and Australia second and we would love to see england strangle the aussie game. Aussies are the biggest loudmouths in sports.
I suuport NZ first and any team playing aussie second

neil, matamata,

This is for the patrician comments from our friends in UK...Pete St Albons,St George & Steve... England are has beens. Your days in the sun are well over. You are the past, stuck in your cloudy isle that could fit in Greater Sydney. You have no resources, your weather is set to crap and you are being crushed by the EU ( you should join fully while you can ). Australia's GDP per capita is equal to your own if not better and we are only 200 years old. We like our sport and like playing you, no hatred as we are kin. We just enjoy thrashing arrogent has beens who cant see the new world. Wake up, you no longer rule the waves. You are a piddly island. We come from the Land Down Under...Terra Australis ( Great Southern Land ). Go the Wallabies and the All Blacks. Oh and by the way, Soccer is just getting popular here, i give it under 5 years and we will smash you at your other favourite game. Any sport Australia actually cares about we win in. Always. Thats not a knife...

Max, Sydney, NSW

Understandably, the Aussies have chips on their shoulders.
So many of them have ancestors who were forcibly transported from the UK after having been convicted of criminal behaviour.

Peter Lewin, Northwood, UK

This is hilarious! O'Neill got you lot hook, line and sinker.

All this talk of inferiority complexes and unsporting conduct. Way to over-analyse what was essentially a headline grab! 100 points to those who mentioned Rugby's third place on the football code heirarchy in Aus. O'Neill made these deliberately provocative comments to try to secure Rugby some print space on the same weekend as the Rugby League and AFL grand finals. A task which is much easier said than done with the local press heavily invested in the other two codes.

Basically, O'Neill played the media the way England play their Rugby...ugly but effective :)

Everyone who truly believes Australians "hate" the English in the harshest sense of the world needs their head read. Our countries enjoy one of the oldest, most passionate sporting rivalries in the world. In spite of the occasional brain-explosion this rivalry causes I wouldn't have it any other way, and I suspect neither would most of you.

Baz, Sydney,

Andy - I wouldn't disagree with the complaints about ITV (BBC would have done a far better job) but the Polynesian/Micronesian teams are in the Southern Hemisphere so South Seas is not wrong.

As for the Aussie comments - such arrogance and gamesmanship is not unexpected from a nation that chooses to place significant cultural identity (and masses of federal funding) on their sporting achievements to the exclusion of virtually everything else. Think of Australia in the last 10 years and culturally/nationally its sports dominated (apart from the odd incident with boat people left to drown), especially where victory comes at the expense of England. As a result, the Aussies are horrid losers (and possibly even worse winners) in most sports, especially when England is involved.

This is just the sort of brash, abrasive and arrogant attitude that is associated with all successful Australian teams: as embodied in the likes of Gregan and Ponting.

Richard Richard, London, England

As an English woman currently stranded in Australia, I took my English Dad to watch the rugby sevens at the Commonwealth Games last year. He was shocked by the animosity shown towards the English team, with the Aussies cheering for whichever team was playing the English, and towards him when he tried to engage in friendly banter with Aussies in the crowd. He had thought Australians would have the same generally positive and friendly attitude towards the English as the English have towards Australians. I'm afraid it's not the case and there is definitely racism shown towards the English here.

Julia, Melbourne, Australia

ENGLAND ,is and always has been a class structured society,
Nothing has changed, and it's rugby reflects this fact.

Walsh, Silver Spring, USA

I think Roger of Perth with the final sentence of his comments quite beautifully confirms the point that John O'Neill was making.

Peter, Dublin & Sydney, Ireland & Australia

Whenever I have been to Australia I have found the people generally very friendly. I find the Aussies in the UK friendly too.

But when it comes to sport - an area in which the Aussies (and to a lesser extent the Kiwis) rely so heavily for their cultural relevance/importance in the last 15-20 years - the Aussies are unfortunately becoming very ugly participants.

In the last world cup the Aussie press lambasted the English throughout - not a positive word. Before the 2005 Ashes the Aussie press mocked the English remorselessly - how no-one would get out to Giles etc. It was sickening and demeaning to a country that doesn't need to resort to these tactics. Yet it happens before every big Aussie game now. I never read anything like it in the UK press - and I hope we don't resort to their base gamesmanship. If Aussie teams need to resort to this sort of cheating they will eventually lose neutral support and from the responses here, that time is nigh.

Tom Cody, London, England

One thing is for sure, O’Neill's dress sense is appalling.... green shirt with a pink blue dot tie.Yuk.

adam

adam forrester, London, UK

Dave of Tokyo ,
Dave , Tautology came into use about 1580 from the Latin tautologia , however , the world , apart from England , has subsequently moved on to tortology. Tautology and English Rugby can now be viewed as a 'dead corpse'.

John, Melbourne, Australia

The World Cup is in France because they bought the Welsh and Scottish votes by giving them some home games. The reason the next World Cup in NZ is being reduced to 16 teeams is because the Kiwis can't look after 24 teams and their supporters, this will be to the detriment of the smaller nations. Not enough hotels or infrastructure. As for what ONeill says so what! The English don't care what peoples think of them why should they! They have nothing to prove,

Marco, Warsaw,

'Scot Nat' Unfortunately you seem to not have an education or have no self-respect to make these comments. Having seen first hand slums in Africa your comments are disgraceful and really show Scotland in a bad light. Im actually a bit worried about your mental health for the motivation to make you write such things

Gary Farmer, Hertfordshire, England

I just think its a case of sour grapes from the 2003 WC final, when we beat the aussies at the last minute! They (O'Neill and Campese) are obviously trying to undermine us before the big game on saturday, because they know that they can't win on their own merit! i think that someone needs to eat some humble pie.

Terri Yau, Swansea,

We Kiwis have a great rivalry with Australia too but we really do hate them...not just in sport but in general.

C'mon England! There's four million Kiwis supporting you all the way.

Dave, Auckland, New Zealand

Lighten up everyone! It's just old-fashioned Pommy-bashing and I've had 28 years of it here and I still love the place and its people! Rule 1) Don't swallow the bait. Rule 2) Give as good as you get, and some. Preferrably on the field.
As Clive Dunn of Dad's Army used to say; "They don't like it up 'em!" And I'm not talking about the Darlinghurst area of Sydney either.

Andrew, Sydney, NSW

I have to laugh when I hear that the French cheering on Tonga is proof of the hatred of the English. A mainly English crowd cheered on France when they beat New Zealand in the world cup in 1999 at Twickenham. This was during the beef crisis when France refused to lift the ban on the importing of British beef. Did we hate the Kiwis that much? No, we were simply supporting the underdog.

Some English people are arrogant and some people hate the English enough to seek out their comments and then suggest this represents the whole nation. It isn't true any more than most national stereotypes.

In my travels I have never experienced antipathy from the Aussies I have met. On the contrary I have got on very well wtih them, helped by the fact that we seem to share a similar sense of humour. The celts have an antipathy to the English that they delight in.

luke neave, london,

As much as I don't agree with O'Neill's comments I have to laugh at some peoples responses labelling O'Neill as a racist then the very next line launching a tirade against Australians as arrogant, unsportsmanlike whingers. It was obviously meant as a wind-up and as a PR stunt so just take it with a pinch of salt and move on with your lives people.

Phil, Geneva, Switzerland

it's quite simple really - all of today's Ozzies are the descendants of whinging poms.

alan, edinburgh,

This is just another form of Aussie sledging, they are brilliant at it, just treat it with the contempt it deserves.

The Aussies I have had the pleasure to meet have been proud and patriotic but certainly not racist or full of hate, I am sure there are some around but they would be in the minority.

As for the result who know's in a one off game any one can win, the Aussies are firm favourites on current form but this is knock out rugby it will all come down to who wants it more on the day.

Chris, Weston super Mare, England

Whoa. Lets get this into perspective. Resorting to insulting the (admittedly wanting) grasp of English by Australian sports fans might just goad them into lifting their game linguistically. I'm reminded of how it used to be fashionable to claim that Americans 'don't get' irony. If anyone can be bothered, I'm sure that a quick trawl through the English newspapers will demonstrate numerous offensively xenophobic comments about Australians that slip into the wider public domain without a murmur. You could start with Euan Ferguson's comments in a Sunday magazine a couple of weeks ago about Australians and intelligence tests.

Judy Smith, Paris, France

Response to John O'Neil

Yawn! Yawn!

Mark, Reading, England

what a sore loser and hence the very definition of the difference between England and the Australians.

Julian, York, England

Isn't it the poms who are supposed to do all the whingeing? Hard to believe that a country with such an honourable record on almost any field of play could feel inferior to anyone, let alone England.

David Masu, Zürich,

Quite amusing considering that on form neither team stands a cat in hell's chance of seeing the trophy, let alone winning it. Oops, my mistake. We have to give it back. We might see it then.

Mike, Plymouth, England,

Australian's behaving like insecure adolescents. No change there then!

Jonathan, Auckland, NZ

Saying you "hate" England is like saying you hate your average nimby-ist, coupon-clipping, train-spotting, petit-Torry. Hate's a bit strong, you just wouldn't want to got to the pub with them.

England's a third-world country with first-world pretensions. A country of slums, suburbs and a few incredibly rich bits. Unfortunately the political structure of the UK means they can broadcast their news and sport in Scotland - incredibly England's doings are held to be of "national" importance while Scottish and Welsh achievements are downgraded to "local interest" status.

As to the unified scorn for English sporting ventures - as soon as England win two matches on the trot they are automatically declared the best in the world - until they get drubbed by the first descent team they meet. This cycle is almost comical to watch, or would be if it wasn't rammed down your throat. The fact is England have no world class rugby players apart from Jonny and no world class footballers at all.

Scot Nat, Lerwick, Shetland

we dont really care what everyone thinks of us, thats why we get up peoples nose so much. England (as a country) doesnt have anything to prove.

leo holker, islington, london

Bring it on.

Perce, London,

Funny how all the vitriol comes from Australians, NZers, Scots etc and none from the English. That says all there is to know about both camps. I like all of these people, including the thousands who gravitate to England and benefit from English generosity in England, when they cannot find any at home....so if they hate us why do they come?

Nicolas Duke, Warsaw, Poland

If nations "hate england" then they shouldn´t play the imperialistic sports that we brought to their shores. They are only fortunate enough to be playing rugby because they were part of the british empire.

If the spaniards or portuguese had colonised their territories they would be playing football, hand ball and volleyball.

Just get on with the game and STOP WHINGING

francis heybrook, Buenos Aires, Near Aylesbury

Hopefully, one day the Aussie's will find the bottle to vote for a Republic. Then, perhaps, they'll find something else to blame all their problems on.

As for Campese, why does anyone care what he thinks? The only thing he ever did of merit was drop the ball over his tryline in the third test against the Lions in 1989.

Tim, Hove,Actually,

What a pity we all hate each other so much. Wouldn't it be better to focus our energies on enjoying The Rugby World Cup and stop dragging up the past. If we are honest we are all arrogant but possess a passion to win.

How about some words from World In Union

..............Searching for the best in me
I will find what I can be
If I win, lose or draw
It's a victory for all.............

CJ, West Sussex, England

So they hate us... so what?

Ahhh, that's why...

Glorious ambivalence to success and failure in equal measure.

They beat us, we don't cry,
So they stare and wonder why.
We beat them, we don't rub it in,
And so make them feel even more grim!

Mark, Woking, UK

I remember seeing a t -shirt whilst travelling round New Zealand saying 'I support the All Blacks and any team playing Australia' there wasnt one about England.

Tonga got a great reception not necessarily because they were playing England, it was because Tonga were the underdogs - much to my suprise even the USA were being cheered around the statium against South Africa presumably by the French!!

So which nations like Australia other than themselves.....

Exactly!!

Noel, London,

Nobody in the world hates the English nation, we just despise condescending persons like Lewsey .

Cobus, Pretoria, S A

I'm sick of all these almost "racist" comments from Australians & NZ, Celts, & for the first time I have have personally heard, from SA. Unbelievable

I understand there are a lot of you who hate our country, even if it is grown up with you & not actually experienced or properly justified.

I love rugby, but I can't see the sporting rivalry in these comments

I went to see England play Australia at Wembley in rugby leauge quite a few years back. It was a draw (suprisingly) but the guy sitting on my left was miserable. I knew he wasn't Australian, so I asked him if he enjoyed the match. "No" he replied. Turns out he was Welsh. I'll never forget that.

Leave your political statements & unjustified racism behind & Just enjoy the GAME.

Jim, Blandford, Dorset

I am an Australian working in the UK as an academic. O'Neill does not represent Australian views on England (or anything else). He gives this country a distorted view of Australians. and our views towards England. We don't all hate England. He should at the very least apologise for his rudeness.

Brian, Manchester,

As an Aussie living in the UK the past 6 years, O'Neill's comments are an embarrassment and for the greater part of Australia are not true. Mortlock has made it clear he disagrees and he will be the one out there giving it everything while O'Neill sits back in his executive box with snide remarks.

If you look at the cricket, for example, it is clear that there is an intense rivalry but no hatred (maybe the odd heated exchange). It is the same in the rugby. I think Tuqiri's comments were much more accurate, albeit a little scathing; Robinson is the only world class back at the moment. Wilkinson is finding some form but there would be half a dozen currently in front of him in his position.

Brendan, Lewes, England

Surely it's about time that Australians and Kiwis got over their inferiority complex.
Despite being the nucleus for the very existence of their cultures, English people have far greater problems existing within our own shores to worry about, than the views of the old colonies. Grow up, get on with it and enjoy the game!

James, London,

Judging by the photo, the weight of carrying the chip on his shoulder has has locked his arm and head into position.If they do hate the English so much how come so many live here?

Carl, Godalming,

Ah yes the Aussies, the best balanced nation in the world, they've a chip on each shoulder.

Jobrag, Waterloo, England

Barry Holmes - not only do you hate the English, you obviously also hated english - the subject . Your mawling of the subject and object in your final sentence could not have been bettered by the All Black pack itself!

For the record, not everyone in NZ hates the English.
That would be perverse given that nearly every NZ'er spends a year or two in the "Old Country" in their early twenties. Some, like me, stick around a little longer - twenty years.

John, London, UK

Do people really "hate" the English and if they think they do, do they know why they hate them? This is just something that people think they have to say, it becomes fashionable amongst the ignorant and it snowballs.

I would imagine that the opinion of most Englishmen who can be bothered to consider why people "hate" England would be that of mild annoyance at the fact that most of these people aren't bright enough give you a reason to justify their "hate".

Oh and that bloke who spits everytime he crosses the England/Scottish border.......you know what everyone's going to suggest you do (or don't do.......). Doesn't take much working out. See above paragraph.

I'd be interested to see any responses to this comment.

Jon, Guernsey,

It is very simple that John O'Neill is trying to get union on the pages of the newspapers in Australia as there has been little with the grandfinals on. It is called PR and the lack of it in Aust in the past 3 years or so while O'Neill was off with the soccer is one reason why Union has been going backwards against the other codes here

JM, Bondi, NSW

Sometimes we're arrogant but sometimes we're not. We're no different than any other nations in that respect. However we seems to get more than out fair share of abuse. Why? Although out rugby is not much to boast about, we don't deserve the kind of abuse that O'Neill has dished out. But i'm noticing that the English are increasingly get this kind of treatment, not jut in sport but even politics. Viewing this will give you a idea just how badly treated the English are: http://thecep.org.uk/news/?p=168 or this http://thecep.org.uk/news/?p=175 or just read this blog http://thecep.org.uk/news/.

brian, london, England

It is so flattering that Australians, New Zealanders,, Scotch and Irish etc. expend so much energy hating us, have they nothing more worthwhile to do.

Come on England!!!!

Anne Burrows, Bolton, England

As a dual passport holding Australian/Englishman, I find John O'Neill's comments ignorant and bordering on the racially offensive. I'd expexct more appropriate behaviour from a leading figure in Australian rugby.

Dan Crowley, Bristol, UK

The majority of Ozzies, 54.4%, voted to keep the Monarchy as their Head of State
A minority hate the English and would venture to say that a lot less than 45.6% voted against the monarchy on the grounds that they hate the English.
Stick your dummy in and be quiet O’Neill

Phill Barlow, Wirral, England

As the article says, most Aussies don't give a hoot for union. League and Aussie rules holds sway here. O'niell is desperate to whip up some interest, bu he will have to try a lot harder than that.

Paul, Sydney, Australia

Reading all this drivel about hating the English and arrogant attitudes make me realise that the Aussies are now worried again!!!

Neil, Liverpool, England

Only one thing louder and more persistant than a whingeing pom - a whingeing Ausie - always has been, always will be. The only nation who continually bend the rules to their limit to gain an advantage, almost cheating, one could say. HAving said that it's nice to know they recognise how limited they have been in this competition and that they are worried enough to start the sledging this early.

John Ralph, Worcester,

Judging by the vitriol in the comments it sounds like O'Neill's idea of a wind up worked quite nicely....

Phil, Singapore,

Perhaps Australians professing a hatred for the English is more politically correct in Australia than openly professing an hatred for Aboriginies or Asians? Perhaps we're (the Enlgish)helping them out providing an acceptable outlet for all those hatreds and antagonisms? I wish I had as simple a world view as O'Neill; evidently he can publicly state his hatred for the English and keep his views about keeping Australia white or the Aboriginies in poverty private? Hey, maybe I'm wrong about the guy, but so far he seems to fit the pattern of most Australians I've met. What they say publicly, ususally about the English, seems to be the tip of the racsst iceberg.

Neil, Liverpool,

I thought only French do not like English : I was wrong !
:-)
Seriously, it is very sad that a so important person in the IRB could make so ridiculous commentaries. In France, the idea we (the rugby players) associate to rugby is "respect" and especially respect of the competitor. This is not the example done by that Mister John O’Neill...
He reached to make me a England supporter for the next match !!! (a chance : I will wear the same coulours as for my favorite team, the Biarritz Olympique)
Honni soit qui mal y pense !

Olibo, Paris, France

As an Australian who lives in London and is engaged to an English girl, I find O'Neill's comments both offensive and poorly thought out. It is inevitably us expats who face the heat when such things are said. Of course I would prefer to see Australia win on the weekend, but fairly so and without talk of hatred. If England win, I will go for them thereafter. But what I find more offensive are some of the defensive comments from some of the English posters about how Australia is nothing without sport. Among inventions by Australians are pacemakers, the bionic ear, spray on skin for burn victims and the refrigerator, not to mention the discovery of penicillin. Furthermore, Australia is one of only two countries to have had an author win the Booker prize twice (Peter Carey) and punches well above its weight in Hollywood, as I think we are all aware. I think everyone would agree that generalisations are unhelpful....

yoyo, London,

All this talk of 'hate'. Surely sport should be above such rascist sentiment?

Malcolm Worby, Cape Town, RSA

Hilarious stuff. As a kiwi, it's great to be on the sidelines having a good laugh at all this.

However, you Poms should take it all in context. Rugby is the minority winter sport in Australia and with league and AFL finished now, O'Neill is just trying to get rugby into the newpapers. I don't think he means "hate" in the normal sense of the word, just the general way in which aussies support themselves and anybody playing england.
If NZ and Aus both win their 1/4s he'll be starting on us and no doubt dredging up all the '03 hosting debacle and semi final meltdown. Probably renewing calls to ban the haka, McCaw's a cheat, they're all Samoans, etc etc. He's a PR man and knows how to grab headlines. He's a silly little man and should be laughed at as the wannabe comedian that he is.

Will be baracking for the draw as usual with Aus v Eng (i know 1 must win). Would love the ABs to knock the poms out in the semi, but don't think they deserve to get that far on performances.

Andy, London,

I used to live in Earls Court in the 1980s and most of my friends were Australian or other commonwealth people. We all had huge fun together, got drunk together a lot and at most there was friendly rivalry. Some Aussies had chips on their shoulder but most didn't. The worst Australians were the Aussie equivalents if Ivy leaguers, public school educated types and the like. For the most part we all just had a good time and that was the sole requirement to get on with everyone. I did get a little tired of hearing 'Land down under' every time a new plane load arrived though.....

Neil Murphy, cromer,

Like most extreme views the Australian hatred of England's supposed 'born-to-rule' mentality is a form of self loathing. In 2001 Australians voted to keep the Queen as head of state.

As for the perennial 'whinging poms' jibe: if I had a penny for every Aussie I heard whinging about weather/transport/prices in London I'd be a rich man: rich enough to up sticks and never be subjected to their boring conversations and clumsy 'banter' again.

nick, london, U.K.

And Australians call the English whingers! They're good at certain sports, but what else have the Aussies got to say for themselves, apart from their massive inferiority complex and a sackful of chips on their shoulders? Come back to us when you've learned some manners, humility, decency or sportsmanship, Mr O'Neill.

Neil S, Glasgow, Scotland

O'Neill, once you've properly mastered the language of the people you profess to loathe, you'll know that a quip, by it's own definition, is actually supposed to be funny.

Without wanting to sound like an Express reader (I'm not), I think the lesson learnt here is that it's perfectly ok to hate any nation, so long as it's the English. Ashton and co would do well to stay out of this pathetic affair...

Alex, London, UK

Of course, would this rant be aimed at the outdated people that like to refer to themselves and their neighbours as the so-called "home nations"? Home of what, the Empire? Long dead and buried. Also, the rest of us have updated our maps and there is no South Sea. There's a Pacific Ocean (hence Pacific Island(s/ers) and a Southern Ocean (but there's no inhabited islands there. certainly no polynesians living there).

Have been quite disgusted with ITV's coverage which solely focused on Ireland and Wales over the weekend, with barely a mention of Argentina or Fiji's superb efforts. You'd think this was a tournament only involving Ire, Eng, Scot, Wal, Fra and NZ, although NZ gets almost more coverage than all those 'local' teams. At least Fitzpatrick and Pienaar are there to add a bit balance.

Mind you, Fiji probably didn't actually win. How can a team from a mythical place like the South Sea Islands defeat a real-life "home nation"?

Andy, London,

"While the tone of O’Neill’s words are indisputably offensive".
Only if you decide to be offended. I can't count the games of various sports I've attended where normally mild-mannered types suddenly yell out things like "Kill him!", "Rip 'is 'ead off!" or "How much did they pay you, ref?". For an Aussie to say "We hate the English" in a sporting context is so trivial. The fact that Healey & co (or ghostwriters) have picked it up shows a thinness of skin. What we Aussies like is for someone to bat it back. Then you get our respect. Don't, and we keep sledging until you bite. Then we know it's getting to you.
So it was very easy for me to live with the incessant jibing I got from Pom mates in '03; I just replied that, as first-timers, you were entitled to your bit of fun but come & talk to me when you'd won your second RWC.
I've also heard many Poms say how much they hate Australian teams. I take it as a compliment; we actually elicit a bit of passion out of you.

Pete, London & Sydney,

are we beginning to see a pattern, jack wilson stating that he would not vote for england hosting the football world cup (and would actively campaign against it) and o'neill claiming that the aussies would not vote for england hosting this rugby world cup!

eugene, tralee, ireland

While John O'Neill's comments just show that he lacks any sense of common courtesy, they also reflect badly on the ARU. As a national sporting body, it should act as an ambassador for the sport and its failure to censure its chief executive for such a puerile, boorish comment raises questions over whether it has the wider interests of the sport at heart.

Philip, Bath, UK

John from Melbourne: 'English arrogance - a great tortology'. Do you mean 'tautology' by any chance? Looks like you'd fail your own citizenship test. Or perhaps basic spelling mistakes are actually required in order to be an Australian citizen?

Dave, Tokyo, Japan

Can't understand these people. 'Hate'! What is there to hate about 30 men kicking a bag of wind around? No wonder wards happen if this sort of pathetic baiting goes on.

Dave Littlewood, Sheffield,

Anger and hatred are born out of fear.

Kate Meadows, Shipley, West Sussex

John O'Neills comments are so cheap its barely worth a reply. Sadly for him,he really cant see that he has complemented the english by being so rattled by them.However he does not speak for all aussies as most realise the difference between sporting rivalry and just plain bitterness. But to have the chief exec of aussie rugby saying this so publicly,and when he was given the second chance of rectifying what he meant is a mistake that the IRB should deal with. I feel sorry for him having to carry such 'Hatred' for the english around with him. Maybe its our sportmanship and manners he should show more interest in. Let Bill Beaumont get his say!

will, london,

Its tough too accept but true, the rest of the world do hate England purely because of jealousy.
This great country of ours is envied by nations all over the world wishing they had what we have got, but alas they never will due to lacking in the style and panache which makes an Englishman great.
So dream on you pathetic Aussie/Paddy, you will never have class!!

Pete, St Albans, England

I find the whole 'hate England' thing highly amusing and a reaction to decades of being a tiny country that has punched above its weight in almost every area of life you can think of. You hate us because we are important and you are not - SA, NZ, AUS, Ireland, Scotland, Wales - nice places to visit for a holiday, but beyond that, very little substance, contributing very little. And you've still all got the hump because we owned you not very long ago.

St George, London,

Nice one Switzerland. Outside of having the longest name for a country without any repeating letters, you can't really talk. Australia is nothing. They are have more than twice your GDP!

Chads, London,

Aah, at last the World Cup really gets underway. Thank you, John! You have managed to drive a wedge between England and Australian fans that will simmer to a boil by the time the media has finished.
But the real sting in the tail is that surely the comments will fire the English players up to deliver a better performance than one might have expected? As a kiwi and a rugby fan, one of my favourite moments from 2003 (and there weren't many!) was Josh Lewsey's tackle on Matty Rogers after their earlier sledging in the international leading up to RWC 2003.
I think that we can expect more of the same and I, though I am sure the Aussies will be motivated to give the same back, they surely won't be thanking you (or grinning) as much as I am!

Grant Crawford, Dubai , UAE

Aussies have always loved England far more than the English have loved Australia. They come to work in bars and never leave, always with the excuse that it is a good point from which to travel the rest of the world. Five years laters, they are still living in the UK.

paddy, dumfries, uk

All this worry about one nation's crippling inferiority complex. The day Australians stop grandstanding about how much they hate England is the day I'll believe that the cultural cringe is dead.

The one thing Australia has managed to create to bind itself together as a nation is sport. Such a pity that, in the one pursuit that the world associates with them, Australians behave so loathsomely.

As for any white Australian claiming to be a victim of the British Empire, they're all its beneficiaries at the expense of the indigenous population.

Steve, London, UK

It's like saying " I hate green" or " I hate jam". It means nothing. I hate poverty and I hate injustice and I dislike people who hate the English. Grow up.

Terry Nicholas, Radstock, England

Ahh the legendary wit of an Australian. 'Hey, you're English and you're rubbish at sport'. Repeat a thousand times and laugh a thousand times. At least they've found the one-dimension that makes up that nation's sense of humour. Need another joke? Try this one.... 'hey, you're Australian and your idea of ingenuity is the hovercraft'. Maybe you can remember that one next time you're on a jet plane. Oh, and 'born to rule'? What decade is this man living in? All the English want is independence from Scotland!!

malcolm, brum, UK

Re Campo, I did go and see him a few years ago in his shop on the 'Rocks' or 'in the rocks' what ever. I am an ex 2nd row. We shook hands I asked him about his hatred of the English and about rugby he said 'I like the English mate, they are good people' and he said, 'he did not watch rugby these days, he said it had changed so much and the players changed so much he did not recognise, understand or enjoy it'
Either he was not being truthful then or is not being truthful now.

paul wright, peterbourough, uk

Mr O"Neil's comments are tasteles and reinforce the old cliche that an Austalian is well balanced ,having a chip on each shoulder.His team did not need this immaturity,as all it illustrates is that England have them worried.By the way,I am a Welsh supporter and do not hate England,or for that matter any other team.But,I do find bad sportsmanship extremely distasteful,especially when displayed by the very man who should be setting an example in the game.Sad,sad ,sad, MrO'Neil.Grow up.

R G James, Brasschaat, Belgium

Nothing wrong with a bit of banter before a game. It's how you conduct yourself during and afterwards that counts. I still remember the grovelling apology on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald after the last world cup final.

The Wallabies (as clear a favourite as England were in the final in 2003) will win and hopefully both teams will show a modicum of grace after the game.

Matthew Atkinson, London, England

England is hated generally by countries that were part of its Empire, or that it has defeated in war. That gives us a lot of scope to be hated. The fact that noone still alive is responsible for any of that, with the possible exceptions of Maggie Thatch and Tony Blair, just shows how daft the hatred is.

On a rugby note, if O'Neil and Campese have any English mates from the rugby world, I hope that next time they see them they have the balls to repeat their comments. Of course, they wont have.

Darren, Portsmouth, UK

It's just the same in New zealand everybody hates the English. The only thing the English can do
is when the haemorrhoids ( Aussie) and Birds (nz)
are in England and they flock there is give them a hard time like they do to the English when in their country.

Barry Holmes, Christchurch, New Zealand

"Born- to- rule menality"? Sorry is there a problem here? Is a "born to come second" menality helpful to a team trying to win a rugby game?

Claire Barker, London, England

What else does one expect from an Australian of Irish origin, the chippiest group of people on the planet? Most English people would find it hard to hate the Aussies as, outside the sporting arena and daytime soaps, they are too insignificant to provoke such feelings. Let's face it, outside sport or its own borders Australia is nothing, never has been and probably never will be: the Australian shrimp to this day stands on the beach, beating its chest and, at the top of its voice, screams "I`M A LOBSTER". Sad.

Robert, Geneva, Switzerland

All good stuff. We English have been dishing it out for years, verbally. It's what makes us laugh. Sometimes, we have to take it too.

Bryan , Manila, Philippines

Firstly - like it or not - what O'Neill says is true.

There is an old joke that a good cricket test is one where Australia beat the West Indies on the last ball of the 5th day or when Australia beat England by an innings on day 3.

However - O'Neill shold not have said what he said.
It just opens the door to motivate England and also obtain the "arrogant" tag which is held by the Australian cricket team. But when you are as good as the Australian cricket team are then you at least can put your mouth where your performance is. The Wallabies are good but not that good.

That said CARN THE WALLABIES

a don, sydney, Australia

I am an ex pom (now an Australian citizen) living in Perth and I find the tone of ONeil's comments offensive. His hubris is there for all to see, he actually believes that what he has to say is important. Suffice it to say whilst supporting England in this match I expect Australia to win (recent results point that way) but I hope we see a good game played in the right spirit (Mortlock is correct) But hatred?
Perhaps O'Neils antecendents colour his opnions??

Roger, Perth, Australia

As a proud Australian I have to say I couldn't disagree more with the comments our commander-in-chief-of-everything has made. Neither I nor anyone I know hate the english but enjoy the fierce rivalry we're developed at the many sports we compete with each other, including the banter we share with the many pomgolian backpackers that invade our shores each year. I know a lot of us aussies are perhaps a little disappointed with the way england won in 2003 but they obviously played to their strengths and on the night they were better than us & we had to swallow our medicine & say fair play just as we did in the ashes series last year. Please take no noticed of O'Neills comments as even though we won't admit it most austrailans actually have a little soft spot for the motherland...

Chris, Cairns, Australia

Everyone does hate England. I have a Scottish friend who spits every time he crosses the border. And here in South Africa, the only people we hate worse than Australians are the English. So it is going to give me great pleasure to see Australia rack up 50 points. I only hope England plays Andy Farrell. The match up I have been looking forward to all World Cup is Farrell vs Giteau. Mortlock won't get a pass all game long as Giteau will be under the posts every time. (Only England would play a prop at center). They have become so enamored with all the large Islanders in the Premiership, they must have decided Farrell had similar qualities... except for the speed, finesse, aggression, know-how, etc

Kynan Griffin, Durban, South Africa

War of words? I can't see any Englishmen insulting the Aussies. As usual it's one way abuse directed at England. 'Born to rule mentality' ?? How about the 'born to whinge' mentality of people like O’Neill?

D Cavanagh, Tokyo, Japan

'English Arrogance ' , a wonderful tortology.
Recent citizenship tests introduced into Australia require a basic understanding of the English language , as a result most of the ' visiting ' Poms contributing to this Blog will be on their way north whilst the World Cup travels south .

John, Melbourne, Australia

John, you must be a recently-arrived convict yourself, for by your reckoning no Englishman would want to go live in Australia on his own free will.

Dave, Perth, Australia

Did you know that the South African's hate the Australians? Loathe them, detest them. So now Mr O'Neil says something in similar vein with the English as the target. The media who have been bored witless by the RWC so far finally have something a bit more interesting to write up, but not much, so it gets the beat-up treatment.

Puerile behaviour by all concerned; but primarily it is unsportsmanlike, which is the worst judgement anyone could pass on this standard of behaviour.

Duncan McGregor, Melbourne, Australia

The issue of "hatred" is a real one. After 17 years of living in Scotland as an Englishman, I can tell you that banter was only the beginning. It's institutional racism. When asking why, it was always Culloden etc - which means nothing to most English folks as we are taught history has more scope than just England v. Scotland.

So why does this spill over so much into the sporting arena? The English players, coaches etc are realistic enough, for the most part to call it realistically. I'm sure Ashton and the team have no illusions they will win the cup. No the "arrogance" does not come from the players, but the media. All England have to do is beat some third rate team in any sport and the media go wild. Put the balme where it lies. The newspapers are the culprits not the sportsmen themselves. Give the lads a break, they are just doing their jobs. The journalists, bloggers etc, they have no accountability. It's time they did.

Dave Evans, Dubai,

But , It's true . We (Celtic Nations ) do hate Engerland , in all it's codes.
I thought everybody knew that .

aidan, Wicklow, Ireland

The tone of O'Neills comments basically sums up the Australian attitude to sport, that is, "win at all costs, be bad losers and even worse winners"; the droning sound of Campese adds to the overall atmosphere. None of this would come as any surprise to British people living in Australia and observing Aussie sport. Touring cricket teams are exposed to a barrage of media propoganda weeks before they set foot in the place - England's team is too old and can't be bothered to practice, Sri Lanka have a spinner with a very dodgy action, the West Indies are past it, India has no heart, the list goes on.
Fingers crossed for next weekend.!!!

Keith Harding, Perth , Western Australia

Australians only have sport, otherwise they are way behind pretty much every other nation in pretty much everything, and plenty of their leaders are barely functioning morons like O'Neill, who probably thinks he is Irish anyway.
Shame really, because so many of them are so nice and easy going, and the banter with us poms is mostly friendly. The trouble with the press and the bloggers is that any tit with an opinion can get it aired, including this one.

John, Sydney, Australia

He was sacked before so why not again
"he was offside with members for a number of reasons - and top of the list was his ego"
Remember this is the guy who stiffed New Zealand on joint hosting of the world cup in 2003 , so his opinions and character are meaningless.

simon, London,

he's right you know - why do you think the rest of the world always backs the team playing England? Why do you think Tonga had such huge support over the weekend?

Heather, Wellington, New Zealand

Most people i know suooprt their own teams as well as anybody playing against england - rivalry, dislike or hatred, england are the cause of this. but they are too blind to realise how they manage to create this unified antagonism

chris, dubai, uae

John O’Neill words Do Not reflect what Australian’s think. The comment is probably a publicity stunt.

Dianne , Melbourne,

John O'Neil is a great administrator but he should pull his head in. His comments are oaffish and embarrassing for a man in his position. In fact I'm entirely bewildered as to why he is allowed to get away with this nonsense.

And as for Campo, why does anyone listen to him? He was a good runner and he had a swerve which was pure poetry but his understanding of rugby even when he was playing was always suspect.

mikey, sydney, australia

To pinch a line from columnist Stephen Jones, I believe the Australian Rugby Team is quickly become the most disliked team at this tournament although I think Stephen was referring to the All Blacks at the time and in his view of the Kiwis’ arrogance which I failed to agree with him on. However I think even Stephen Jones would take major offence at the continued jibs and distasteful remarks coming out of the Aussie camp aimed directly at his beloved English squad. I’ve never been a fan of English Rugby or their Rugby Team, I find their style of play very boring and one dimensional albeit sometimes very effective. However this weekend I will be cheering on the English lads as I did in the last World Cup Final four years earlier and why you may be asking? Simply because I can’t stand the Wallabies poor sportsmanship and attitude as clearly shown by George Smith who captained the Wallabies against Canada with his failure to mention of even acknowledge the Canadian Rugby Team......cont...

AusFob, Gold Coast, Australia