Bravo boys, you’re giving us a show to remember

IT’S high time for lashings of unambiguous praise for the professional rugby players of this Covid-infected land and in particular how they have risen above the depressing sight and sound of empty echoing stadia to play with a splendid intensity, passion and panache. In recent weeks I have watched Wasps come back from the dead at Bath, Sale stir themselves mightily in the second half to overcome Quins in the Premiership Cup final and on Tuesday night Bath produced a final quarter of staggering intensity and deadly precision to banish Gloucester. The physicality has been off the scale in many of the games, the hits bigger – but to my eye more legal – than before lockdown, and many of the tries late contenders for try of the season. Against huge odds the Premiership clubs have conjured a climactic end to this neverending season. They have adapted to harsh health protocols, taken wage cuts, remained motivated, kept believing and cracked on. They have been professional in the very best sense of the word. And yes I suspect like the rest of us deep down there are days they are extremely hacked off with life, worried about the future, and wish it could all go back to ‘normal’. Of course there have been a couple of turkeys and mismatches as clubs try to harbour their resources and rotate in difficult times or engage in a fixture that has absolutely nothing riding on it. But it was ever thus. Ever since league rugby became established there have been meaningless end of season fixtures, it comes with the territory. It is often said that the sign of a great sportsman, is how they perform and behave when nobody is watching in training. The refusal to take short cuts and get into sloppy habits. The determination that standards should never drop. Well to a degree that now applies on match day. There is nobody but themselves to provide the motivation. No surges of adrenalin from the terraces, boos or jeers to kick back against, no family and friends in the crowd. No laps of honour, clenched fists to the faithful, Champagne MOM presentations, no back-slapping in the bar afterwards. That may be so but rest assured guys on TV sofas around the land the applause is deafening and the admiration considerable. Keep going.