Just for posterity: Hull City above Liverpool, Arsenal and Man United in the Premiership.

Ridiculous.

That’s the one-word message I sent to a rugby-loving mate on Sunday morning. After England beat France in the RWC semi-final.

Eddie Butler in The Observer agrees:

In all the stories of comebacks in sport, few have restarted from such a low point as England. It is hard to describe how ineffably dreadful they were at the start of this World Cup. How they only got worse against the United States. How they fell so hard against the bottom of a deep, deep pit against South Africa.

It is absolutely impossible to state how slim their chance were of defending their title. They were shite.

Now they are in the final of the World Cup. Rub your eyes again, slap yourself across the cheek and pour a bucket of cold water over your head. England are going to the final. If they had to bear some terrible stick for all the stumbles, all the headlong plunges they took into near-oblivion between World Cups, now they deserve all the credit going.

God, they are an ugly, beautiful side.

Ugly, sure, but it’s not ice-skating.

Only problem is, pretty much all of my mates didn’t think England would make the final, and so are away next weekend!

Hope you all saw this - a message from Kenny Rogers to the England team. More info here.