The boot is suddenly on the other foot and England's rugby union fans are swinging it in with gusto.

Long before their 14-9 defeat of France in the semi-final at Stade de France in Paris before a capacity 80,000 crowd, the rejoicing Englishmen were in full cry.

"Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!" they crowed every time a gold-jacketed band of Australians trooped by. "Oi! Oi! Oi! Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Sob! Sob! Sob!"

The Australians put on a brave face and took it on the chin. But it was hard work. Every street corner seemed to be a watering hole for Poms.

"What's the difference between an Aussie and an old tea bag?" called one, rushing to wave a text message in the faces of more brassed-off than bronzed Australians. "The tea bag is still in the cup!"

The Australians' defensive mechanism soon set in.

"Don't forget the Ashes, boyos!" Back came the response: "Leaving … on a jet plane for Horse-traya!"

But there was only humour in the air, no spite, no spleen, just tens of thousands of white jumpers and red roses, embracing and drinking, and drinking and seeking tickets for this weekend's World Cup final.

Former Sydney West Harbour first-graders Chris Stephandellis and Ron Lipovac have the mobile number of one Englishman who wants five tickets - starting price €1000 ($1570) per ticket. The canny Stephandellis, who played fullback for NSW, said he would ring back when he found out the going rate for Cup final tickets. Two Englishmen each paid £1250 ($2800) for a match ticket and embarked on a hasty flight from Hong Kong to see the semi-final win over France.

One New Zealand rugby millionaire with All Black eyes and tunnel vision is said to have invested $125,000 on a lavish conducted tour for himself, his wife and three children. When his team were bundled out in the quarter-finals on the same day as the Wallabies, he packed his bags and left - after just four days.

About 20,000 Australians came to France for the sixth World Cup. Most stayed on after Australia's elimination and are loving the the touring and the sightseeing in France's mild autumn, if not the rugby.

But one disillusioned Australian said it would be her last World Cup. Asked by a BBC interviewer her opinion of England's win over France, she replied they were "the ruination, abomination and damnation of the game" because of their obsession for kicking.

"Madame," he interjected, turning off his tape recorder, "do you have an opinion or don't you?"

Undeterred, she went on: "After Argentina's wonderful win over France in the first game I thought it would be a tremendous World Cup. I came to see sweeping, attractive rugby." "Like you see at Lindfield Rugby Club," chipped in Sydney engineer and former Lindfield coach Dick Kell.

The Millennium Hotel's two-metre Senegal-born chef, "Baby", sharing in France's national mourning, announced with a broad smile to his Australian admirers: "I no cook omelets for Englishmen today!"

If it was the worst insult the Poms could have copped, they are still laughing. It's the old story: winners are grinners.