So, the preparations we put in place were all for nothing, writes News Blogger David Burrows.

Putting staff on standby to come in on a Sunday in case Jonny and the boys pulled off a second Rugby World Cup win was necessary, but (and I think we all knew in our hearts) pointless.

Still, at least my colleague Ben got a trip to Paris out of it (even if the only hotel we could find for him was just outside Paris. Folkestone, I think they call it).

Hopefully another of my colleagues, Kirsty, will have better luck booking herself into a hotel the next time she is in London for the Diana inquest, although so far Watford Gap Travel Lodge is looking hot favourite. It has a trouser press, though.

I heard that, while most newspapers took the “stiff upper lip” approach to England’s defeat and Lewis Hamilton’s failure to secure the Formula One world title at the first attempt, one decided to kick us while we were down and state that England as a nation were gallant losers – but only out of necessity!

How dare they suggest such a thing. I mean, you only have to look at Eddie Edwards (not the Shrewsbury town goalkeeper – real name Paul – but, older readers may recall, that skinny guy who entered the Winter Olympic ski jumping with no training and a couple of bits of 2×4 strapped to his feet).

No, there’s no doubt we are a nation of winners. Now let’s all put it behind us and look forward to the football – at least we’re a shoe in for the European Championships.

See also – ‘Paris . . . the ugly truth’, Ben Bentley’s blog from the French capital.