DAVID ISAACSON | Englishmen are mad dogs? ‘Ruffian’ Farrell deserves a special reception

Journalists are supposed to ask difficult questions, but every now and then impossible questions are fired.

A case in point was just after Wayde van Niekerk had won the Olympic 400m gold at Rio 2016, having broken Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old world record with his 43.03 sec run.

At the press conference late that night Van Niekerk was asked by a British journalist what guarantee he could give that his run was legitimate and not fuelled by drugs.

It was a harsh question for a youngster who could only respond that he doesn’t dope.

It might be argued that such questions are necessary after Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France lie, which was predicated on the “he’s never failed a dope test” line.

But still, I don’t know that Usain Bolt, Sydney McLaughlin, David Rudisha, Eliud Kipchoge, Armand Duplantis and hosts of other record-breaking athletes have been subjected to that kind of direct questioning.

If they were all asked the same question after their feats it would probably be fair, but somehow it was the wiry kid from the southern tip of Africa who copped it.

I got thinking about this because of Owen Farrell’s looming entry into the Rugby World Cup after England’s match against Japan this Sunday.

The flyhalf was banned for just four matches, including the first two games of the tournament, for his high tackle on Taine Basham in England’s 19-17 victory over Wales last month.

I’ve heard the expression of Mad Dogs and Englishmen, based on the Noel Coward song, but Farrell’s persistent foul tackling techniques — he likes shoulder charges as well as stiff arms — makes me think it should be recoined to Mad Dogs are Englishmen. Or Englishmen are Mad Dogs. Take your pick.

I’ve seen some illegal tackles over the years. For those old enough to remember, there was Morne du Plessis’s hit on Naas Botha at Loftus in 1977.

Du Plessis went in hard just as Botha received the ball and took out the young flyhalf in front of his home fans.

The Northern Transvaal faithful have insisted ever since that the Western Province and Springbok skipper had broken every rule in the book and more, from offsides to treason, though his only crime was failing to attempt to wrap his arms in the tackle.

He was penalised and the Bulls fullback Pierre Edwards kicked the ensuing penalty to win the match 15-13. After the final whistle one of the cops escorting Du Plessis off the field turned to him and said if he hadn’t been in uniform he would have bliksemmed the eighthman himself. 

Then there was Chris Burger’s stiff-arm tackle on Botha at Newlands in 1979. He concussed the flyhalf to the point that, to this day, Botha does not remember the incident.

Botha converted the penalty before leaving the field, and this time WP went on to win 15-13.

More recently there was Butch James, who did his fair share of shoulder charges and stiff arms, especially in 2001. 

But those shenanigans were a distant memory by the time the Springboks lifted the Webb Ellis trophy at France 2007.

Du Plessis’s and Burger’s indiscretions were one-offs, and James changed his behaviour.

Then you get Farrell, a serial offender. He is little more than a ruffian who is lucky not to have spent longer periods of time on the sidelines.

Some critics like to believe he’s got the unofficial backing of World Rugby head Billy Beaumont.

I won’t offer an opinion on this view, but I’ll recount the following anecdote, from the afternoon before the first Test between the 1980 Lions and the Springboks at Newlands.

A member of the Lions management addressed our school, which was just up the road from the stadium.

The assembly hall was packed. When question time came, one of the older kids asked if the Lions had any plans to take care of Botha the same way Burger had the year before.

The manager simply replied he would be best-placed to answer that after the match, but in the first line-out in the first minute of the game, Lions No. 8 Derek Quinell punched Morne in the face, a blow that was unprovoked and aimed at trying to unsettle the South African forwards.

The Lions captain in that series was Beaumont. Read into that what you will.

The moment Farrell joins the England squad after they play Japan on Sunday I would love to see journalists bombarding him about his dirty play at every opportunity. They must demand he provide guarantees that he won’t resort to scumbag tactics.

And if he’s not available at any press conferences, they should ask the same question of whoever is: what assurances can England provide that Farrell won’t tackle like a two-bit hoodlum? 

If Wayde had to face an unwarranted question for a non-existent doping offence on the greatest night in the history of the men’s 400m, Farrell deserves to be pulled through the wringer.