Paulie’s ‘Fear of God’ speech v ‘Life is a Roller Coaster’?

God knows our little-stitious rugby stars may need every bit of luck we can rub together, deep behind enemy lines

TO paraphrase one of Ronald Reagan’s White House advisors, speaking during a particularly stressful political stand-off, Eli Manning is an NFL quarter back so chilled out he sometimes endures sleepless afternoons.

Thanks to this calm demeanour, a chronoscopic arm and a thimble of good fortune, he managed to drive the unfashionable New York Giants to an unlikely and famous Super Bowl victory in the 2007 season.