That was a half decent few sporting days, even some of the rugby was quite watchable on Saturday, 193 points in the three games, 31 of them belonging to England. That they won the Grand Slam in the centenary year of 1916 might have felt inappropriate, when the wooden spoon would have been more apt, but Daire O’Brien had advised us pre-Paris-match to put our Tricolores down, that an England triumph would help our boys’ in the world rankings.
Sporting life is full of little dilemmas like that, when you have to set aside ancient grievances for the greater good, so there was just no option but to applaud Dylan Hartley when he raised that trophy.
Eddie Butler had earlier fretted that Hartley would be in no fit shape to collect the shiny prize when he lay seemingly unconscious on the deck after his head’s accidental brush with Uini Atonio’s knee, and considering Uini’s knee is attached to a body that weighs over 24 stones, that’s the mother of all brushes.
Concussion debate
“The captain may not be able to go up to receive the Grand Slam trophy,” worried the BBC man at a moment when the greater issue was the captain not knowing what planet he was on. Hashtag concussion debate.
Anyway, England triumphed, France finishing fifth, so the BBC focused on France and showered them in congratulations before their entered the Six Nations’ winners enclosure.
Kiddin’. But for those who backed On The Fringe in the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham on Friday, and possibly didn’t find out ’til Saturday afternoon that Nina Carberry had steered the beast to victory, that might have been how they felt about Channel 4’s coverage.
Rishi Persad nigh on had to swivel past Nina to get to Victoria Pendleton for a breathless post-race chat, but as Clare Balding informed Channel Four watchers, 19 news crews had turned up to monitor Victoria’s performance, so horse racing folk shouldn’t be cranky about it all, they should be doing a happy dance, not since Devon Loch was a boy had it got as much coverage.
And one thing we all know about Nina Carberry, she is gracious. So she looked fairly humbled to be allowed in the winners enclosure alongside Victoria.
AP McCoy did his best. “Well done to Victoria Pendleton for getting ’round, but it’s all about Nina Carberry,” but Channel 4 was having none of it and, sure look, why not? She was brill, her being the “accident waiting to happen”, as Johnny Francome had described her, although he recanted a bit after. “I’ve never been more happy to be wrong.” (But? “She had a fantastic horse to ride.” Shoo).
Nina, Victoria and Claudio. Yesterday might have been International Day of Happiness, but the trio stretched it over two days.
“1-0 to the Leicester.”
Arsenal are trying to keep up, and trying is the word their devotees would use. But they did their job at Everton.
Another reason
Glenn Hoddle put it down to the size of the Goodison Park field staying constant – “If the pitch stays as big and wide as it is, Arsenal will pick Everton off” – while his BT Sport colleague Michael Owen gave us another reason to love Michael Owen (“He’s given a goal-kick so I can only imagine he’s given that for the ball going out of play”).
On to Super Derby Sunday and Norwich City were the real winners of the north-east ding dong, before Marcus Rashford earned himself a permanent spot in the Mancunian winners' enclosure. The red one.
Louis van Gaal purred. For Dutch man’s United, fifth is the new first.
