Peter Jackson: Yogi Berra’s warnings unheeded

The great and the good had been queuing up all week to predict an England win at Twickenham on Saturday night, among them three captains from World Cups long gone, writes Peter Jackson.

Sean Fitzpatrick, Lawrence Dallaglio and Keith Wood all backed the hosts to beat the noisy little neighbour. The New Zealander went for England by eight, the Englishman by six to seven, Munster’s Uncle Fester by fewer after “an unbelievably close” match.

Maybe all three had been so immersed in a bottoms up, scrummaging habitat that they were oblivious to the passing of Yogi Berra, the revered Yankees catcher straight out of the same ball park as Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Jackie Robinson.