Sporting Tap

First, a bit of background to my creation of this blog - I had originally intended to call it the 'Sporting Tap' in reference to my fondness for the sportsman's use (and this is in, I believe, every single team sport) of the encouraging buttock slap. Now, before you jump to the conclusion that this is some wierd perversion - I just enjoy the innocence and simplicity of such a gesture in motivating fellow team mates.

So anyway, it turns out that Dan Parks was a master of this fine art, as highlighted in this wonderful paragraph by John Beattie:

"And I've watched him pat what appeared to be the bottom of every team mate during games. He has an extraordinary mind, honed from memorising car number plates as a wee boy."

So although I still think his sideburns are a bit too pointy, I must say that Dan Parks departure from the international game is a sad loss. A fly-half for connoisseurs of the tactical, unflashy side of rugby and, by all accounts, a good bloke - it will be a shame not to see him grace the Six Nations anymore. Still, I suspect that a successful career as a coach, building on his motivational skills (read buttock slapping skills), is not far off...