Rugby Union.

Good match between Wales and Ireland, which could have gone either way, and which showcased northern hemisphere rugby at its best - not, I fear to say, that that says too much in international terms. England's first half performance against France was shown to be pretty much a false dawn - they were very ordinary against an even more ordinary Scotland. France, as is so often the case, gave a series of Jekyll and Hyde performances, and Italy once again proved to be just the whipping boys. What I simply can't understand is that rugby, like all ball games is essentially a game of possession - you can't play without the ball. So what on earth is this recent predilection for aimlessly kicking the ball upfield? All it does is give possession to your opponents - just what's the point?