Every now and again sport goes through a glorious retro phase. Cricket is back where it used to be in the 1980s with West Indies smashing England in the Caribbean, while Wolves are once again a footballing force. England’s rugby men are also back in business, evoking memories of 2003 by taking Ireland to the cleaners in Dublin.
It is a large part of what keeps every sports lover coming back: the romantic idea that, despite years of evidence to the contrary, the good times will one day return. The Six Nations relies heavily on precisely that emotion. That sense of fresh faces on familiar old ground, honouring their predecessors and putting their bodies on the line for an almost mythical cause, is as powerful in the pubs and bars on an international weekend as it is on the pitches.
Related: George North seals superb Wales comeback after France throw it away
11 Aug 2007
England 15-21 France (Tour match)
Related: Six Nations: talking points from opening round of fixtures
Continue reading...