Persevere and the perception may change. It should change

The perseverance of some players is necessary to overcome damaging perceptions of them, writes Ronan O’Gara

The first weekend of the Heineken Champions Cup was a celebration of perseverance over perception. Three third-choice scrum-halves came out poised and determined, with points to prove.

The misleading part is the (over)reaction when they’ve done well, as if they’ve gone from the scrapheap to greatness.