LEAVING to one side the more reprehensible followers of Ing-er-land's footballing fortunes – but for the danger of offending countless colonies of great crested newts, your columnist would happily describe them as “pond life” – much of the post-Euros talk has concerned Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, the two senior citizens at the heart of the Italian defence.
What an extraordinary pair of sporting craftsmen they turned out to be: worthy successors to Maldini, Baresi and Facchetti, not to mention generations of non-Azzurri greats from Beckenbauer and Krol to Olsen and Puyol.
Rugby has produced its share of half-decent “none shall pass” types – during his most stellar spell in an All Black shirt, Tana Umaga made Fort Knox look like a Wendy house – but in an age when everyone tackles like a ton of bricks, it is difficult to distinguish the true defensive artists from the mere artisans.
Football is fortunate in this regard. Because it is possible for an outclassed but organised side to man the barricades and return to the dressing room unannihilated, there is no need for the people running the game to tinker around with the laws in an effort to encourage attacking play. The two co-exist naturally.
Compare and contrast with the latest proclamation from the folk at Premiership Rugby, who have just published the 2021-22 fixtures with an accompanying self-congratulatory list of last term's statistical achievements: 50 points, give or take, and more than six tries per game.
Is this good? Or is it basketball? Those of us brought up to believe that a try in Union should be as hard-earned as a goal in football or a wicket in cricket cannot help wondering if our beloved sport is parting company with them.
