RUGBY MATTERS
A weekly look at the game’s other talking points
BRENDAN GALLAGHER

For some reason, the good old days have been getting a shoeing recently. Apparently they were never that good, indeed they are vastly overrated, and borderline rubbish compared with our modern-day heroes and heroines.
In answer to that I would point out that 50-60 years ago every fly-half bar none could launch a spiral bomb, every full-back could catch said spiral bomb, everybody could pass legally backwards on the hoof and think nothing of it, scrums took about ten seconds not two minutes, only the captains...