23rd June 1996

No threat to humans

By Hiranthi Fernando

Recent reports have highlighted a deadly virus disease devastating Sri Lanka's prawn farms and yet another virus disease affecting the poultry industry. The public are much concerned about the after effects of unwittingly consuming these infected food products. Despite assurances that these virus diseases pose no threat to human beings, doubts seem to linger in the minds of many people.

The virus SEMBV causing the White Spot disease in prawns has affected the prawn farming industry along the North Western coastal belt, north of Chilaw. It was detected for the first time in Sri Lanka about six weeks ago.

Dr. J.M.P.K. Jayasinghe of the National Aquatic Resources Agency said that the disease which had been kept under control has recently shown a relapse after 2 - 3 weeks. New areas such as Wanathavillu and Vairankattuwa have been affected. Within five to seven days of infection, there is 100% mortality in an affected pond. As soon as the disease was detected, healthy prawns in the affected areas have been harvested. Most of the prawn farms bordering the Dutch Canal, which serves 60% of the industry, have been temporarily closed down.

According to Dr. Jayasinghe, there is no health hazard from this disease unless decayed prawns are consumed. If diseased prawns are sold in the market, they could be identified by the white spots and discoloured gills. In the dried state, the spots are even more clearly visible. When a prawn is infected by the virus, all its organs except the alimentary canal are affected. The white spots are the debris of affected cells. "The quality of these prawns is poor", said Dr. Jayasinghe. "They are soft in texture and cannot be exported. However, there is no real health hazard".

Dr. Jayasinghe said that immediate precautions are being taken to contain the spread of the disease. Farmers are being educated. However, long term measures are also necessary. The Dutch Canal is highly polluted. It needs to be desilted and the blocked sea outfalls cleared to enable an exchange of water. If the water is clean, the disease cannot spread. According to Dr. Jayasinghe, small scale farmers who have started recently have suffered most losses as a result of this disease.

When the farms are restarted, Dr. Jayasinghe stressed that farmers must take precautions such as avoid overcrowding the ponds. "With the cooperation of the farmers, the problem can be overcome", he said.

Questioned about a reported disease affecting fish, Dr. Jayasinghe said that this Ulcerative Syndrome had been detected about five years ago during bad weather. Last year, it was detected at Batticaloa. There have been no signs of this disease recently.

Mr. Nimal Wannigama who owns a large scale prawn farm at Rajakadaluwa is also an aqua-consultant in the area. "I cannot say the disease is increasing but it is spreading at the same rate", commented Mr. Wannigama. "It is all over Puttalam. North of Chilaw, 90% of the farms are affected. South of Chilaw is still safe".

At his own prawn farm, the disease was detected in one of the ponds about a month ago. The pond had been immediately closed down and the prawns destroyed by chlorination. However, the disease had later spread to another two ponds. They had done an early crash harvest of the healthy prawns in all the ponds which are now empty. Mr. Wannigama says they kept one pond for observation since this is their first experience of this virus. It was found that although some prawns can survive, it is not worth keeping them.

"When the virus infects a pond, at first only a few prawns are affected", said Mr. Wannigama. "The diseased prawns can be observed at the edge of the pond, where they come up before they die. They can be easily separated. Only the live prawns are collected along with the water. Dead prawns sink to the bottom from where they are collected and buried".

Mr. Wannigama stressed that the virus is not harmful to human beings even in the raw state. According to him, even diseased prawns can be eaten unless they are rotten. Decomposed prawns become reddish in colour. However, in Sri Lanka, prawns are usually eaten cooked. When heated to a temperature of 80¡, the virus is killed. "So there is nothing to worry, since the prawns get heated to 100 in cooking", he said.

Mr. Wannigama dismissed any scares about disease infected fish. He says the disease in fish surfaced five to seven years ago in fresh water fish and wild fish in tanks. There has been no incidence of such a disease recently.

A spokesman from the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said that on the 16th of May, the Ministry had appointed a Special Task Force comprising representatives from NARA, The Aquatic Resources Dept. of the Ministry and the Wayamba Provincial Council. An extensive programme has been carried out to educate the farmers of affected as well as susceptible areas. Farmers had been made aware that the propogation of prawns should be stopped until the disease is brought under control. According to the Ministry, the farmers are now making strong attempts to follow the advice given by NARA and the Ministry. For instance, they are now using some of the ponds to store and purify the water before use. They feel the disease is now under control.

Poultry farmers too are encountering problems with the outbreak of Gumboro Disease or Infectious Bursal Disease, a virus affecting poultry. Gumboro or IBD was first detected in 1962 in the US in a small village called Gumboro, hence the name. It is apparently prevalent in all poultry producing countries.

Dr. Ranawana of the Veterinary Research Institute in Peradeniya says that Gumboro is not communicable to human beings in any way and there is no danger at all. He says Gumboro was present in Sri Lanka in a mild form for about ten years. The current outbreak is a virulent form which has been found in India and Pakistan. In Sri Lanka, it was first detected in Vavuniya.

Dr. Pushpa Wijewantha of the Department of Animal Production and Health, said that this virulent form of Gumboro has a high mortality rate. It was found to be spreading in the poultry producing areas of the North Western Province and to a lesser extent in the Western Province. However, she said it is now under control and no new cases have been reported since early June.

The susceptible age of infection, according to Dr. Wijewantha, is between 2 - 8 weeks. The rate of mortality is low in broilers and high in layers. It is not transmitted through eggs. As only the younger chickens are affected and layers start laying between four to five months, the eggs are not infected. "The Dept. of Animal Production and Health, together with the private sector, carried out a programme of vaccination of the susceptible birds in affected areas", said Dr. Wijewantha. This virus which is present in all poultry producing countries in the world, is controlled by vaccination. In Sri Lanka, vaccination has been compulsory in the 46 Parent Breeding Farms. Thus, the commercial chicks issued to farmers from these breeding farms, are immune during the early susceptible age. Dr. Wijewantha also confirmed that the disease is not communicable to human beings.

Medical Research sources also say that Gumboro is not transmittable to humans either through flesh or eggs. The infection is transmitted through any kind of secretions from the infected bird, being taken in by another. Infected birds die within two weeks.

Mr. Ravi Sandrasekera, Coordinating Officer for Information of the Ministry of Livestock & Rural Development said that prompt action has been taken to bring the outbreak of Gumboro Disease reported in March 1996 in the Western and North Western Provinces, under control. This was done by vaccinations, awareness programmes and strengthening of bio-security measures.

The Ministry also confirms that the disease is not communicable to humans. A joint annual publication of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Food & Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Office International des Epizootics (OIE), does not include Gumboro as a disease communicable to humans.

The Ministry further adds that this disease has been present in almost countries since its first identification in 1962. Recently, severe outbreaks have been reported in other Asian countries such as Japan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

These Rugger Buggers

As the most central 'player' in the game I couldn't have chosen a better time than Bradby Time to muse over it. The Bradby continues to give me pleasure due to the great rugby tradition surrounding it, the friendly rivalry, and the splendid camaraderie it has always generated.

Let me begin at the beginning. William Webb Ellis is the worthy progenitor of rugby football. Thanks to him I am still "flitting" around joyfully, and at times rather mischievously .

If you may recall, it was Ellis, who first shoved a ball under his arm and dashed for dear life, surprising everybody around him. That was in 1823 during an ordinary school-day football game at Rugby School. That dash gave birth to an extra-ordinary game, of which I'm very much an integral part. None will ever know for sure why he ran so. One thing, however, is certain: he must surely have had adventure, enterprise and innovation in him and a penchant for surprise.

Since that dash, which also signalled my impending arrival, I have been to almost every country to which the Britisher cared to take me and have remained behind to share the wonders of this game with the Indigenous.

Originally I was rather rotund in shape, such being more suitable, as they thought, for place and dropkicking. But soon I became "fortuitous" in shape with an ordinary pig's bladder inflated after insertion in a leather case, roughly the shape of that bladder. The boys at Rugby School, along with their equipment supplier William (another William!) Gilbert had researched and developed me. At first, it was Gilbert's nephew, James Gilbert, who used to inflate my rather ungainly person, blowing into me through the stem ot a clay-pipe. Apparently he had the skill and the power to do this.

I am in good oval shape now. Happily, my fashioners have also been moved by the same spirit that moved Ellis, to generate through me that spirit of adventure, innovation and enterprise in those who wished to handle me. Given half a chance, I will bounce about, sometimes mockingly, all the time awkwardly, compelling my handlers to develop a high sense of anticipation. A player will never know which way I will bounce nor will he know which way I will direct my naughty self when I'm kicked about unless he has really mastered the skills of kicking and handling me. I can play the tool of any player, who wants to be fooled by not really fathoming my true character. Those who have done so by hard, conscientious practice and dedication have done well collectively and individually.

I love to be right in the thick of things, especially in the conventional 15-a-side game (originally there were around 20-a-side). It is the conventional game that provides the opportunity for all the initiative and rugby genius to burgeonmaneuvering in the available space or creating even more space to get me over the gain line and then to press me over.......

The classical definition ol conventional rugby appeals to me, which rightly states that fourteen players handle me to help the fifteenth player to score and you are never that fifteenth player. This shows the intricate importance of coordination, cooperation, team work and support in rugby.

Imagine my ecstasy when I'm carried over the goal-line after being handled with skill, determination and support. Many a joyful ride have I had moving from one willing hand to another. For instance, I will always relish the ride I had in the comforting hands of winger Obolensky, the Russian Prince on 2nd January 1936 playing for England against the All-Blacks. It was a princely ride, one of the finest I have ever had not only "for the speed, dash and deceptiveness of running, but more for the decisive unorthodoxy with which he outwitted the whole of the AllBlacks defence."

Again in flyhalf Richard Sharpe's dummy-scissor try lor England against Scotland in the Calcutta Cup match of 16th March 1963 I found absolute glory. I felt I was riding in a super-jet leaving the enemy behind in total disarray. Here Sharpe pays due tribute to his inside Mike Weston, who pretended to accept me and fractionally deceived the opposition, giving Sharpe the space he needed. If greatness is measured against adversity then here was ample proof of it. I was heeled out of a scrum, and "tried" at a time when it was virtually impossible to score off a set-piece and when England was trailing behind 5 points to 8. Needless to say, Sharpe would not have got me into his hands if the whole pack did not heel me out in coordinated support, and the English scrum-half, Dickie Jeeps had not served me well to him. No wonder the Welsh fly-half Clift Morgan, witnessing this game was delighted to say "for a fly-half, watching a fly-half, this try was the ultimate."

If evidence is required of the importance of support, one need only recall the classic try scored for the Barbarians against the All-Blacks in the seventies by Gareth Edwards, the brilliant scrum-half of Wales and British Lions' fame. The fly-half; mercurial Phil Bennet, first got me into his hands in his own territory in open play and sniffing the opportunity (something Carwyn James, the Llanelli, Wales and British Lions Coach extraordinniare would always relish!) started going forward (another essential requirement for success). Thereafter I was moved through many Barbarians' hands, who cared to be there tor support, until Gareth came in a flash, from the shadows, as it were, smelling.that opportunity again, to receive me with glee and fall over near the left corner-flag! Oh boy, what a ride it was!I had travelled almost the entirety of the field. Such is the potential of opportunity and support.

I have been around Sri Lanka, too, for well over a hundred years. It was Ceylon when I arrived. I have been handled with great skill and care not only by the Britishers who brought me over here but also by the locals, who reached great heights in performance. They played the game for the sheer love of it and for the Bonhomie built around it bearing in mind the great traditions of this noble game.

To name everyone who marvelled in the game here is an unpleasant job. Besides, it may not be advisable to single them out, either, in a team game such as rugby. But then pleasant memories do excite my bladder. So I'm sure you will pardon me for fondly remembering those to whom I was something in their rugby lives - whether rucking, mauling, kicking, dribbling, passing or running with me in hand. One of the finest handlers was Lionel Almeida. I was simply a toy in his hand. He used to revel in handling me from a very young age with a natural flair and a special affinity for me, and, ofcourse, with unbounded versatility and joy. He first began handling me as a diminutive scrum-half for Royal way back in the early fifties and went onto play as a flyhalf, centre, wing-three quarter before finally settling down as full back for Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). This is not to forget his intermittent spell as a wing-forward (flanker) for KV!

So was the other Almeida. Didacus. Tough as door nails, hard running with a beautiful jinx, extremely talented, albeit impetuous. Once he fell off a coconut tree but ended on his feet, quite unscathed! Nothing could lay him low! Maurice Anghie that Royal, Havelocks and Sri Lanka fly-half; centre-three quarter also needs mention here not only for his mercurial capability but also for his percipient rugby brains as well. And for talent his cousin Adiel Anghie of St. Peters, and University fame was a strong contender. Indeed any ball was a toy tor Adiel, not only my good self!

Ken de joodt and Sena de Sylva have a special place in my rudy bladder for their astounding handling and running ability. When I nestled in Ken's ams, you never knew where I would end up until he had pierced a bemused opposition! There used to be a hyphenated centre-three-quarter playing for England by the name of Horrocks-Taylor. I used to enjoy myself in his hands because invariably Horrocks went one way, and Taylor the other way leaving the hapless opposition with the hyphen. To be sure, Ken's was not a hyphenated name, yet I had a sneaky feeeling that he too left a virtual hyphen in the confused opposition hands. When they realised the confusion, invariably it was too late.

Now this was reminscent of Kavan Rambukwella, one of the most renowned salesmen of the dummy in your country. Two of his remarkable runs, inter-alia, I will always relish. The first was in the first Bradby of 1951, which try was brilliant enough to be embalmed for posterity. The second, was in the Bombay vs AllCeylon, All-lndia Cup Final of 1960, where he simply made "merri-hai" of the rather astounded opposition. As for Sena de Sylva, the other maestro, to this day I wonder how he managed to slice through at all angles, leaving the opposition clutching the air in utter desperation. Latterly only players like Jagath Fernando, Michael Jayasekera, P.L. Munasinghe and Frank Hubert could emulate these greats of yore! By the way that marvellous runner Anura Dhammika (long-handed, Barry John like!) has also caught my fancylest you misread me only as a brilliant centre three-quarter!

As for orthodox placekicking over the cross-bar Mike Thacker of Dickoya and Uva, Malcolm Wright of Trinity, University, CR & Ceylon and Trevor Anghie of Royal, University CR, IHavelocks and Ceylon are hard to beat. While Thacker of Uva caressed me well over the bar with his silken boot perfect-iming being his forte, Trevor simply "zoomed" me over like a jet across the skies with his power-acked boot. You can imagine the power. His legs were like logs. Malcolm Wright, too, sent me over with equal finesse, only there was more timing than power in his boot, which was always a very reliable one. Later, he was equally reliable with his whistle as a referee of distinction. In more recent times only Shanta Fernando of Royal has shown a similar boot to these to thrill me as well as the lovers of the game. Young Tennekoon of S.T.C. would also have joined them, if he continued his kicking. Not forgetting that finetimer of any type of kick, William Molegoda of CR & Ceylon and John Arenholde of CH & Ceylon for his immaculate line kicking, so utterly exhausting for the opposition because he sent them invariably back 6070 yards. Talking of kicking, for kicking me tactically there was none to beat fly-alf Nimal Maralande. Whether he was partnered by Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Dickie .Jayatilleke or Tony Sirimanne. And into the box would I roll over, spot on! Not to forget his amazing burst of speed over short distances carrying his protuberant self and me along with him. If Nimal had fine scrum-halves to serve him, then there were other renowned combinations that regaled me like Mahes Rodrigo, that arch tactician, and Archiebald Perera, for CR or Mahes and Ago Paiva, an all-ime great and combination, S.B. Pilapitiya and Ago; Neville Leefe scrumhalf (who also played fly!) and Nick Tait, of CH & Ceylon. And ofcourse I fondly recall the indomitable spirit of scrumhalf Clare Roellofsze of Havelocks, and KV who just kept playing on until his son John was ready to take over from him as KV scrum-half.

But then I have been drop-icked at goal, too, with great aplomb. For instance, Mahinda Ratwatte used to drop me at goal from 50 yards out from any angle! Karunasekera the Royal full-ack another good handler, safe as a house, used to do the same in the early sixties. But of all the drop-ickers, late Dr. Laki Dissanaike really takes the cake (sorry, takes my bladder!). I can never forget him for the joy he gave me in the 1964 Bradby at Nittawela, by making me soar and soar to near-haven. Not once but many times over. Elated I was, at such a high elevation, from where I could proudly see myriads of rugby fans, even from the ranks of Tuscany, cheering me on, while acknowledging incredible talent. Dr. Laki was both talented and versatile. He began as a prop-forward and ended in the third-row as a No. 08 for Royal along with two ferocious and highly mobile wing forwards (flankers) Lakshman Hettiararchchi and Keith Paul. These together with other high-requency third-rowers like Barry Cameron, of Kandy ferocious as ever, Chris Bean, John Bousefield and David Bretherton of Dickoya, the De Sylva brothers Raji, Sari and flying Doc 'Tony' of CR, the Ephraums brothers Desmond and Conrad, the work-horse of Havelocks, Geoff Weinmann, Numan and Norman Gunawardene of CR, Ralph Wickremaratne, one of the finest, though unhonoured, Peter Filmer of CH, that marauding No. 8 Ajit Abeyratne of CR, who early in the sixtees teamed up with Gogi Tillekeratne and Sunderalingam to form a fantastic third-row for Trinity; Gamini Fernando of Havelocks, Indrajit Cumaraswamy of CR, 'Viper' Gunaratne of the Air Force and CH, Daya Jayasundere of the Police, all of them strained their every sinew to thrill me and the rugby fans who thronged to seem them. I was very much at home in their company. For they handled me with skill and care and enjoyed themselves, to boot!

There were others who were quite adept at handling me, snatching me, as it were off the sky in the lines-out. Foremost among them was Ashey Cader, who captained Royal in 1948 to their first Bradby Shield Victory, with 14 freshers. Ashey was an automatic, obvious and continuous choice for his own country from the time he first represented it until he hung up his boots. One would marvel at the way he soared in the lines-out to grab me even against heavier opposition foreign. Invariably he would emerge last from the bottom of the line-out, unscathed. He remained unscathed throughout a remarkable career. Eric Roles of Trinity took over the mantle from Ashey for his club and for his country. Good clean jumping, high in the sky, to serve me clean and good to their scrumhalf, that was their mission. There were others with a similar mission such as Hubert Aloysius of S.J.C., University, Havelocks and Barbarians. Harendra de Silva, Dudley Fernando, Fred Perera and Janaka Thoradeniya of Royal and more recently Basnayake of Trinity. There was, ofcourse, a highjumping pair of Lanil Tennekoon and Maiya Gunasekere, who also served me well, particularly remembered for their effective clean service from the linesout in the ASIAD finals against Japan at Longden Place in1974 . As the central "player"in the game, I have respect for those who handle me clean and serve me clean to others to continue the good work. that's how you can enjoy this game.

But joy means laughter as well. And laughter is very much a part of this game, both on and off the field. For example, it is not uncommon to have one's bottom pinched in a melee - a mere peccadillo, one might say (After all it is better than getting something else grabbed!). On one such occasion the protagonist. unable to bear the unwarranted insult more than the pain yelled impatiently - who the body hell pinched my ...rse? The answer was quite close at hand - none other 'LiberaceÕ. OId Bhoy! (He was lucky that Oscar was not around!) My bladder almost burst with laughter: the whole field was full of it. In fact, the game is full of it. How else can one explain, a player actually snoring on the field, if only for a moment, while a line-out was in progress! Or the centre-three who did a reflex jerk merely because someone opposite him with me in hand did the same. Lionel Almeida was playing fullback at a CR practice session. He joined in the centre from this position with me in hand and jerked. It was only a jerk, mind you. No, not even a jinx. The man opposite, or nearest him was a man, more a comedian by profession than a rugby player, who attended practices for two reasons. First, for the wonderful rugby company, which he insisted, was unmatched. Secondly, to get his wind, as it were, which would facilitate his stage performances. (Later Desmond de Silva used to do so for much the same reason). With me in hand Lionel jerked and so did the "artiste", while his performing legs got entangled with each other to make him fall helplessly to the ground (the first and the only time I was privy to a thing like that!), leaving a trail of speed (from Lionel) and laughter (from everyone) behind! This same "artiste" used to accompany the CR team as a kind of "reserve". Once at Taldua, the KV was short of players and he was "loaned" to the ICV to play as a wing-three quarter. The only occasion he had me in his innocent hands Sari de Sylva, playing wing-forward for CR artfully ordered him to hand me over to him forthwith, which was promptly complied with to enable Sari to score yet another try for CR! At the "Team Bar" an important adjunct to the game, by the Wely, where many lasting friendships are forged, when he was asked for an explanation by the KV players, the 'artiste' simply said loyalty to the fore. I simply couldn't refuse my friend, Sari.

Another little incident merits mention. Time was when the Police rugby team was led by the evergreen (not by complexion!) Sivendran. He was hooker and leader of the pack as well. Annoyed by the consistent butter-fingers of his line-out forwards, he was once heard to loudly exclaim in utter desperation - that his forwards, when jumpimg, should watch their balls, the plural giving a different meaning and content to the proceedings. The entire ground burst into laughter. My only regret is that Siva referred to me in the plural, when I am very much singular in character. But then the real flavour was in the plural! It reminded everyone that there's fun, much of it, in rugby. Like that occasion when "Boroo" Pillai (remember that guy who fell asleep!) took a pick-a-back ride on the back of an Oxbridge forward (on the shortest fellowship!) off a line out into touch with me and all. So, while these players, all of them without exception, played they enjoyed too; had fun and lived the fun and fury of it all.

But from recent times, I have noticed, rather sadly, a most disturbing trend here. The Sponsor-Trophy Mania, has had a tendency to seriously damage everyone's attitude to the game, very much to the detriment of the true spirit in which it ought to be played and has been played. The "Win-At-Any-Cost- syndrome has devoured almost all the goodness of it. Being very much an integral part of the game, I regret this very much, because it has taken away from me the joy of havin g me played and handled for the sheer delight of it. I do feel "deflated" to see players playing each other instead of playing me, sometimes long after I have been passed or kicked away. This ugly approach is adopted, indeed encouraged (by ignorance I do hope!), even at junior level. Often I see, though the referee is blind, a player being kicked, and in the head at that, long after I have left his possession. It is sad that you get this kind of stray dog, who is also trying to "play" rugby, no doubt misguided by elder stray dogs, who should know better, how else can one explain bite marks in the chest region, or any region for that matter. even at the most junior class of rugby!.

This makes me seriously wonder whether the so-called "coaches" really know the philosophy and the traditions that govern this game. They ca, ofcourse, gather an nvaluable hint or two from Ray Williams' excellent exposition on the the philosophy of the game set out in "Skilf Rugby". It's a really pity. For rugby is an almost 100% physical contact game where such contact is expected to take place only to retrieve me, gain possession of me and to score off me. The unhealthy competition, generated by trophies and sundry sponsorships, bothers me no end. because of the indiscipline it has engendered. The agents of indiscipline, ofcourse. will certainly not be there to bear the responsibility when the wonders of this game and its great traditions are lost to the next generation.

How forlorn do I feel when I am taken blindly back into a moving melee of ungainly forwards by an unthinking three-quarter who just prior to that had run all over the show like an aimless wildboar under fire, leaving me so utterly useless and hopeless. This forlornness is further exacerbated when he is encouraged to do so by an ass of a "Tuition Master". Now, you don't need a rugby player for this type of boorish play. You only need to hire a hellicose boullcer from a casino!.

Sometimes a player can also be so moronic as to unnecessarily "crate" so called "crashball," as per instructions of course, when he can, using his head, very well run through the gap that is obvious to all, (except to himself!) almost side-ways.

The essence of all this is that rugby is not for the 'blind'. Things change so fast and so unpredictably as the game progresses that what can be pre-determined from the dressing room is minimal. The essential genius of rugby is that the players should be doing their own thinking, and should be allowed and taught to do so. If a player can't think rugby, then he'd better stay at home. It pains me to see potential moves frittered away by the unthinking player and genius smothered before it could burgeon by the wrong physical emphasis, ending me effete midst a mass of brawny in a brawny mess!.

As the most central 'player' in the game I crave to be played, handled well, moved about in gay abandon, kicked about skillfully, intelligently and tactically. I have every right to ask for all this. For without me no player is worth anything. If you have your eye on me, may both eyes on me, youÕll obviously handle me well. So, 'try' me and 'try' me again. Enjoy your rugby, enjoy your Bradby!.

Me thinks that every rugby player, should take to heart the words of that ace rugby guru, the Llanelli, Wales and British Lions' coach extraordinaire, Carwn James. "Rugby football" he said, "is a player's game. He is the warrior who matered ... he takes the field; he does the actual thing and should have qualities of honour, courage and pride in performance to play the game as it should be played, (not for Cups and Saucers alone), like living a life, fury and fun, chivalry and enjoyment,..." ie, fury and fun, chivalry and enjoyment, playing and handling me and me alone.

By the way, this is a great game that ought to invest you with humility and not publicity. So you needn't bother to get inflated about anything. Only I have that privilege!

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