THIS

newspaper revealed last week that England’s first day of training against Georgia in Oxford had led to brawling. The response ranged from outrage that such conduct had occurred in front of watching school pupils, to outrage it was even reported. This column would argue that any moral indignation is misplaced. Georgia brought edge and aggression to proceedings. Good. It was just what England needed after their setback in Cardiff and the low-key approach to a home encounter with Italy. Far from choosing not to work with the ‘Lelos’ again, Eddie Jones is bound to welcome them back with open arms. It is a confrontational sport. Fighting in matches can rightly lead to red cards and suspensions, but training dustups are a familiar aspect of the game. Just maybe don’t invite children to watch it live.