Numbers...

There have been 20 teams at the World Cup. For the last few weeks there have therefore been 600 rugby players (plus those called up as replacements) representing their respective countries at this year’s jamboree in New Zealand.

Of those 600+ players, are we to take it that only English players have stepped out of line off the pitch?

For that is what the esteemed members of the British press corps would have us believe.

That is not to condone or excuse some of the alleged behaviour of certain players, only to treat it with a little perspective.

That the NZ press haven’t even felt the need to give the England team a hard time says everything about the voracious determination of our own press corps to make mountains out of molehills.