For those who thought England had found a hero to fire them to World Cup glory, it's a let-down of biblical proportions. But perhaps the Good Book may hold clues to the abysmal form of the country's best player, Wayne Rooney, in South Africa. As he trudged off the field after swapping shirts at Bloemfontein yesterday following the 4-1 annihilation by Germany that ended England's interest in the finals, he showed a chest devoid of hair. But did this flirtation with personal grooming account for his loss of powers, just as it did to the once superhuman Samson?
Hair free: Wayne Rooney shows off his freshly waxed chest at the end of England's defeat to Germany on Sunday (left). He normally prefers a hairier look, seen here after a match at Wembley in May
Hirsute's you sir: Samson, with hair, at the height of his destructive powers According to the Bible, in exchange for his incredible strength, God instructed Samson that he should never cut his hair. But after falling in love with Delilah, to whom he revealed the secret of his powers, she conspired to have his hair cut off and he was captured and killed by the the Philistines.Rooney is normally seen with a much hairier chest and for yesterday's match he had also abandoned his normal stubble for a clean-shaven look.
His new set of aerodynamics bore no dividends however as he failed totally to recapture the form that saw him score 34 goals in the Premiership last season. He looked tired, his first touch was poor and one wild shot on the run ended embarrassingly wide of the target.
Bare-chested: Rooney's waxed chest was a departure from his usual look
The Mail's chief football correspondent Matt Lawton thought he looked unfit and said he failed to get in the game - yet again after poor showings against the USA and Algeria, during which he was even substituted.
But the Manchester United ace is not the first footballer to wax his chest. His team-mate Frank Lampard, who came within a dodgy linesman's decision of levelling the scores at 2-2 yesterday, also has a history of close shaves. He was infamously pictured on a beach holiday with his chest and armpits waxed: painful - but not as painful as England's World Cup exit. Should Fabio Capello remain in his job, perhaps he should consider banning waxing kits as well as mobile phones and WAGS.
Clean shaven: Frank Lampard famously showed off his waxed chest and shaved underarms on holiday in Hawaii in 2004
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