IF cheers from Wiltshire could not be heard in Sydney it was not for want of trying as fans around the county cheered on England in the Rugby World Cup.

Devizes Rugby Club members are now back in England after a dream visit to the Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Les Dowse, steward of Devizes Sports Club, who has followed England from their qualifying matches in Perth, said watching England play was not a relaxing pastime.

"They were all tense matches," he said. "Samoa and Wales both raised their games to meet the challenge of the favourites and there was anxiety among the people around us at half time in both matches.

"But the final was something else. Although the Aussies pegged us back, I never felt we were going to lose, but it was so close. We could see Jonny Wilkinson being protected in preparation for a drop goal and then seeing it going over was bliss."

The Devizes contingent also spent time on the golf course and sightseeing.

Malmesbury Rugby Club members raised the roof to the clubhouse at the Worthies, as the winning kick from Jonny Wilkinson flew over, but almost ended up crashing through the floor.

Club member Justin King was at the party. He said: "The atmosphere was fantastic. A lot of people had come up from town and everyone was absolutely wedged in the clubhouse.

"Our clubhouse is a bit rickety and when Jonny got the last kick through, everybody started jumping up and down at the same time.

"The place was shaking. We were worried everybody would end up going through the floor."

By the time the euphoria in the Marlborough Rugby Clubhouse which followed the Poms' win over the

Wallabies had died down, the bacon butties were cold.

In common with rugger clubs the length and breadth of the land the Marlborough club opened in time for members and supporters to watch the game on Saturday morning.

Bacon sandwiches were the order of the day and a goodly number were consumed in the opening stages of the game, said club stalwart Alec Thomas.

As the game warmed up, the sandwiches were forgotten. More than 45 people had squeezed around the TV to watch the game.

Mr Thomas said: "We had a wonderful time, even the Welsh members like me enjoyed it because it did a lot for British rugby. It will attract new players to the game and already, since

Saturday's cup final, we are noticing new people coming along."

Mr Thomas said Saturday's international success would undoubtedly lead to more young people taking up the game and supporting their local clubs.

And there was a larger than usual crowd around the touchline for the Marlborough match that followed in the afternoon when the home team beat Salisbury 3rds by 197.

Rugby fans also packed the Four

Seasons pub in the Market Place,

Chippenham, on Saturday, to watch the match on the big screen.

Landlord Chris Mills was rushed off his feet and was so busy he did not get a chance to see the match himself.

"It went very well," he said. "We were exceptionally busy."

The pub opened at 8.30am and began serving drinks at 9am, thanks to a special licence for the event.

"We served between 50 and 60 drinks within an hour," he said.