Saracastic New Zealand Herald reply to English gripes about the All Blacks

The New Zealand Herald have returned fire at journalist Simon Barnes and the England rugby team.

It came after NZ Herald’s Steve Deane read Simon Barnes’ piece for ESPNscrum in which the former Times writer said the All Blacks were given special privileges at the World Cup.

Barnes wrote: "People are prepared to buy into the All Black myth."

He also argued that the awe surrounding the All Blacks nickname gives the Kiwis an edge.

"Their nickname is used almost as often as the name of nation, slavishly, sycophantically."

Deane claims that Barnes’s diatribe was just a rehash of old gripes about the All Blacks.

“Barnes brings out all the staple complaints about the All Blacks - including that people reverentially refer to them as the All Blacks instead of New Zealand, they get away with doing a haka and get away with cheating at the breakdown,” he wrote.

The New Zealander’s response was predictably sarcastic.

He claimed that England were experiencing the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance) and were now in stage 2. He did, however, say that Barnes might be regressing to stage one and he had a solution to England’s World Cup hangover.

“Chin up mate. You might just have found the answer to England’s woes. If only we can come up with a cool name for them they’ll be twice the side.”

Ouch.