Sometimes rugby can be the most exciting sport of all

After the failure of Bazball – ending in England’s dismal capitulation on the cricket fields of India – let us give thanks for the emergence of Borthball in front of the Twickenham faithful. And it certainly was much needed: Steve Borthwick’s England rugby team had apparently been trying to convince us that they really weren’t very good at the game before donning Superman cloaks last Saturday to give a classic fooled-you performance against Ireland’s dogged champions. Playing fearlessly with speed, adventure and aggression, this young(ish) England side produced one of the greatest games of the century.

Just as our love affair with the sport was beginning to cool, along came two games to remind us that on its day rugby union can be the most exciting sport on the planet. England put in their best performance against Ireland, the world’s top-ranked side, since the demolition of the All Blacks in the World Cup semi-final in 2019.

It was arguably even better than that, given the patchiness of the past few years. They played with an attacking brio throughout and an ice-cold control in the final two minutes, leading to Marcus Smith’s dropped goal. A spicy little verbal skirmish at half-time between Borthwick and his opposite number Andy Farrell showed there’s much more to the England coach than spreadsheets, data and box kicking stats. He is using bright young players like the massive lock George Martin, 22, and the brilliant 21-year-old winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who is destined for a bright future in medicine if his surgical skills are anything like his rugby.

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Meanwhile, is there anyone not enjoying the rise of Italy? What a massive shot in the arm they are to the Six Nations: they thoroughly deserved their win against Scotland and would have beaten France a couple of weeks ago if Paolo Garbisi’s last-minute kick at goal had not hit the post.