Rugby: Football looks over its shoulder

WHEN Gerhard Aigner starts talking about introducing sin-bins to reduce indiscipline and Bobby Robson compares the left foot of England rugby hero Jonny Wilkinson to that of Ferenc Puskas, it is time to ask what soccer can learn from rugby.

The answer would appear to be: a considerable amount.

With the rugby World Cup reaching its climax in Sydney today, senior soccer men have taken note of how its distant cousin handles things, so to speak; and sponsors have also registered rugby's 'cleaner' image.