Well, it makes a change, doesn't it, seeing Fabio Capello under so much criticism and Martin Johnson being lauded, but that's what can happen in a week of sport if results goyour way - or not. This time last week Capello, despite that 1-1 draw v the USA in England's first group game in the World Cup, was seen as the man more likely to win the World Cup than, seemingly, any England manager since Sir Alf Ramsay in 1966. Then the goalless draw against Algeria followed by stories of player revolt and disharmony erupted. All is not entirely lost, of course. Beat Slovenia tomorrow and England are through to the knockout stages but, on the evidence of what we have seen so far, what price on England winning the World Cup now? Meanwhile, overwith the oval ball, life is good again for the man who captained his country to World Cup glory seven years' ago. Johnson and his coaches were under severe criticism prior to last Saturday's second test against Australia in Sydney because of his record of just 8 wins in 22 test matches. In truth England could easily have lost again but for a sensationalpenalty miss from Matt Giteau in front of the posts and it would have made no difference to what had been an outstanding, all-round performance. But the fact that they won has made all the difference. Johnson's record remains unimpressive, of course, but a win away in Australia -only the third recorded by England in 101 years - suggests that a team bursting with young talent is about to come off age. More importantrly it has shooed the vultures away from Johnson and company who will observe, with some irony, that the birds have now settled alarmingly close to a bespectacledItalian.
