The English have a gift for producing snarling pantomime villains. Born to rule god monsters who are wont to stand over you shouting 'Welcome to the House of Pain!!' after a scrum goes down.
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The Scots, French and Irish may want to beat England each year as much as Wales, but two factors make this the big one in the northern part of the globe.
First, Wales’ national identity is intrinsically linked to rugby - a game that unites a nation and cuts across class barriers in a way in never has in England means there is a particular edge to this match (often to Wales’ detriment).
Secondly, Wales’ superior record against England compared to the other northern hemispheres means this is no one-way rivalry. Welsh captain Phil Bennett once gave a team talk that went: “We've been exploited, raped, controlled and punished by the English – and that's who you are playing this afternoon.”
In that light, here are the most disliked English rugby players in the history, in the opinion of Wales Online.
*Honourable mention* - John Inverdale:
Wales Online: "Ok, so he's not a rugby player, but we simply couldn't leave him out. You sense Wales could reach the World Cup final and Inverdale would still find a way to present it as the 'appetiser' ahead of the 'main course' that is England's Bowls team v Canada. Biased to the point of hilarity, it's clear the man just can't help himself."
#8. Matt Dawson
Wales Online: " A player so unpopular, not even the English really liked him. A World Cup winners medal and Lions series victory earn him some respect, but we all know he'll go down in history as the man who oversaw the demise of the institution that was A Question of Sport."
#7. Dylan Hartley
Wales Online: "Another man Welsh fans have never warmed to, Hartley riled Warren Gatland in 2011 by giving evidence at a disciplinary hearing that resulted in Richie Rees being banned. Given the chance of a Lions reprieve but blew it."
Dylan Hartley (captain) of England arrives at Twickenham Stadium before the RBS 6 Nations match, between England and France at Twickenham Stadium, London , UK, on the 4th February 2017.
#6. Will Carling
Wales Online: "Poster boy and captain when the English team was at its most pompous and boring. Sadly this also coincided with us being at our most shambolic. Never shy of an opinion and another you can expect to be winding up the Welsh in due course."
#5. Brian Moore
Wales Online: "Snarling, punchy and prone to reading extracts from Henry V in the dressing room, Moore represented everything Welsh fans loved to hate about that England team from the mid-90s."
#4. Wade Dooley
Wales Online: "The "Blackpool Tower", as he liked to be known, really helped himself in the popularity stakes by breaking the cheekbone of Welsh forward Phil Davies during a game at the Arms Park in 1987"
#3. Owen Farrell
The England captain fits the label “our guy” better than most, meaning you love to hate him unless he’s in your squad. Then you’d go to the end’s of the earth to defend him.
Farrell, also known as ‘Shoulder boy’ for his high tackling, does himself no favours with his poor tackling technique.
#2. Austin Healey
Wales Online: "It seemed unlikely when he retired that Healey would manage to become even more annoying as a pundit than he was as a player. But, somehow, he's achieved it. Great job."
#1. Mike Brown
Could it have been anyone else? I'm sure he isn't a bad guy, but he was the pantomime villain when the two teams clashed for a long time.
In his own words, the fullback is a ‘marmite player’ with fans either loving or hating him. A skinhead who enjoys confrontation is not the traditional mould for an England No15.
He played with the annoyance of someone who's read plenty of literature chastising the English and wants to shove it up the noses of the Queen's enemies.
AI predicts the next 20 Six Nations winners, Scotland finally win it
Groundbreaking AI technology has unveiled its jaw-dropping forecasts for the next two decades of Six Nations glory, and the results are nothing short of mind-blowing.
According to the cutting-edge predictions, England is poised to clinch victory in a staggering five out of the next 20 tournaments, while Scotland is primed for a historic triumph, marking their first title since their Five Nations conquest in 1999.
However, the road ahead seems daunting for Wales, as the AI oracle forecasts a prolonged wait until 2041 for their next taste of Six Nations glory.
Meanwhile, traditional powerhouses such as England, Ireland, and France are slated to dominate the competition, casting a shadow over Welsh aspirations.
Check out the next 20 Six Nations winner's below.
2025: France
2026: Ireland
2027: England
2028: England
2029: Scotland
2030: France
2031: Ireland
2032: England
2033: Ireland
2034: France
2035: Ireland
2036: England
2037: Scotland
2038: France
2039: Ireland
2040: England
2041: Wales
2042: France
2043: Ireland
