There is a similar approach among the best countries in the world and South Africa showed it against Wales when they were simply outclassed for most of the game, but still came through to win.
So it is time to look at some of the talking points of the World Cup and wonder whether there was too much talk, too many column inches, for the good of the team and future success.
Wales did not lose against South Africa because they were denied a perfectly good James Hook penalty. TV can be deceptive, has no depth perception and the camera was not directly behind the ball.
TV replays are great for showing if the ball passes behind or in front of a post of crossbar, but Hook's kick sailed high above the posts. The only person on the planet who knows for sure was the touch judge looking straight up and he said it did not pass inside the line of the post.
That kick came in the fi rst half, South Africa did what they needed to do to get ahead in the second half – reacting to the scoreboard as it was. Wales then had two
gilt-edged chances to win the game, but the kicks were not even close.
Then the second part of the conspiracy theory was the semi-fi nal sending off of Sam Warburton, by an Irish referee with a French mother.
It was not a deliberately dangerous tackle, it was certainly unlucky, but it was a defi nite sending-off according to the laws as they stand.
People argued Rolland made the decision too quickly – but they are wrong. He saw what he saw, what was there to delay about?
People have argued he should have consulted the touch judges – wrong. He was eight feet from the incident and they were far further away with a worse view.
People have argued that a different decision should have been made because it was such a big game – desperately wrong. If big games are refereed with greater laxity than others, then down that road lies disaster.
If the decision had been referred to a
television match offi cial – something which should be looked at for red cards and possibly yellows because they can have more impact than a try – then it would have been confi rmed.
Wales and Warburton pleaded guilty to the offence and did not appeal afterwards. Nothing more should have been said, but it took Warburton himself to stop the excuse culture short by pointing out the truth of the matter on his return.
The captain had an immensely impressive World Cup both on and off the pitch – compare him with England's Lewis Moody and Mike Tindall if you want a good laugh – and that honesty was even more immensely impressive.
France changed their game plan after that incident, so it not right to say that Wales would certainly have won. It was an outstanding effort by the remaining 14, some incredible heroes out there in Wales jerseys, but the injury to Adam Jones was another crucial moment.
France took it for granted they would win against 14, they just tried to keep the game under control – quite frankly, who
issue19twothousand&twelve sportingwales
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