After the darkest of days, some brightness emerges

One thing Anthony Foley’s tragic passing highlighted over the last week was just how small and tightly knit the European rugby community is.

The gestures of goodwill stretching from Belfast to Clermont-Auvergne, from London to Montpellier over the course of the weekend made you feel good about a sport that threatened to lose some of its identity when the bitter war of words was at its height surrounding the very future of the Heineken Cup only a few short seasons ago.

Much of that was due to the quest for power from many of the French and English club benefactors who sought greater control and influence into the direction of their respective clubs. The game at international level is of little or no concern to them.