With the Home Nations looking like hurricane-battered New Orleans, properly swept away by the Southern Hemisphere rugby union giants, I'm a Springbok fan wondering if Martin Johnson's England can turn the All Blacks back from the gates of an emphatic Grand Slam blackwash.

It's a case of my heart saying yes, and everything else says ouch!

As a South African, I've gone penduluming like the King of Swing from last week's Springboks war against England at Twickenham to a full-throated, full-throttle yell for the Saints to come marching in.

Bono and U2 inspired the lads in a thoroughly stricken New Orleans with his hit "The Saints are Coming" and I'm actually banking on another miracle - that England will rise up and send the New Zealanders back to the edge of the planet to think again.

Not likely, but nevertheless I'm not abandoning hope for England to ally themselves with South African fans and rid us of these so-called Tri-Nations heroes.

It would take something special. U2 singing "God Save the Queen" at the kick-off might be more likely.

But if the All Blacks don't keep their eyes on the prize, who knows?