It’s not about flags of our fathers, it’s purely about excellence in sport

It’s been quite the week for contrived crises over national identity.

After a summer during which sport showed the best of what nationhood can offer, two eloquent young stars born within complex borders used actions and words to try and bring the last remaining holdouts with them into the 21st century.

Nothing like patriotic fervour to stir up a storm. But none of the harshest critics of Andy Murray or Rory McIlroy could ever cope with the real adversities these two great men face when their only battle is ball and precision and not the flag under which they or their opponent happens to find themselves.