What happened at Harlequins demonstrates that any notion of right or wrong in pursuit of victory in sport had long since vanished - writes Simon Barnes in The Times.
"There are two kinds of cheating in sport. The first is a spontaneous response to circumstances: to stick out a hand and push the ball in the net at football; to claim a catch when you know the ball hit the ground first in cricket; to elbow the player who has been annoying you when the referee is looking the other way. That, however regrettable, is part of the game and stopping it — or at least keeping it to a minimum — is what referees and umpires are for.
"Then there is the second kind, in which cheating is planned, plotted and orchestrated; when cheating involves the organisation and the connivance of figures of authority within the sport. This is not part of the game: it is an attempt to destroy the game."
RSS feed
