‘I am grateful to the gaffer for the opportunity and to God for letting me score,’ said Daniel Sturridge after his last-minute winner for England against Wales in Euro 2016 last week, a goal that certainly made me seriously question the Man Upstairs: I had invested quite heavily in the draw. What an enviable feast of attacking options Roy Hodgson has available at his fingertips for that tricky meeting in the round of 16 on Monday: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Sturridge himself, of course, and God. Not to mention Wayne Rooney, who is better used in a deeper role, but could be pressed into service up front. Though not as an impact substitute for the last quarter, as against Slovakia: that might be a role more easily filled by God.
Less blessed with eternal life but godlike on the pitch have been the two outstanding personalities of the tournament so far, Andrés Iniesta and Gareth Bale. Bale has scored as many goals as the whole England team, and has been a magnificent leader of an inspired Welsh side. He is one of the best players on the planet, so we shouldn’t be too surprised. Bale would walk through fire for Wales, and clearly his teammates would do the same for him. Iniesta, known in his homeland as Saint Andrés, is quite magical, his vision, speed and passing skills bewildering opponents, thrilling the crowds and quite possibly winning the tournament for Spain.
If there is a lesson that can be drawn from Eddie Jones’s success and the England rugby team’s heroics Down Under, it is surely this: that not being a boring person can go a long way. Jones is witty, tough and a brilliant man-manager.
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