Who'd have thought it then? it was simply amazing, wasn't it? There, on the pitch was yer actual big-boned, miked-up operatic singer belting out 'Jerusalem' for all he was worth. The near 80,000 crowd fell silent out of respect - the players' bottom lips collectively quivered as England's unofficial national anthem proved a superb curtain raiser to a titanic struggle of rugby.....
It was great to see - especially when the rendition ended - the crowd erupted into spontaneous applause - and a few tears were wiped away from the cheeks of more than one 18 stone prop-forward. It would have been fantastic to have actually been there don't you think?
"Been where" I hear you ask. You're right, it wasn't Paris and the England-France World Cup semi final - they obviously went with God Save the Queen. No, it was Old Trafford in Manchester and the Rugby League Grand Final between Leeds Rhinos and St Helens.
So, well done to the Rugby League authorities for doing the decent thing and recognising that God Save the Queen is not England's National anthem - and for having the balls to go with Jerusalem as the anthem of choice. The RFU, the FA and the ECB would do well top follow their example.
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The ITV subtitles for the England-France match said "England's national anthem plays".
Needless to say I put in a complaint.
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