Best haunted by memory of ‘07

A rueful smile colonises Rory Best’s face at the mention of Parc des Princes and 2007.

Amidst all of this week’s talk about Cardiff and the World Cup quarter-final loss to Argentina two years ago, the haunting pool stage exit at the Pumas’ hands a decade ago has scarcely merited a mention. Until yesterday, when the game’s sole survivor fronted up after his captain’s run.

Best was at the foothills of a Test career that has now hit 105 caps without yet parking that late September day in Paris 10 years ago. His involvement stretched to 14 minutes off the bench in place of Jerry Flannery after earlier runs against Namibia and Georgia.