Peter Jackson: Munster lifted by a higher presence

Every now and then, a sporting event takes place which leaves those who witnessed it wondering whether a superior force had been at work.

Eric Liddell, the Scottish rugby player immortalised in Chariots of Fire, went to the 1924 Olympiad in Paris to run in the 100 metres but refused sacrifice his Christian principle about never competing on a Sunday.

He switched to the 400-metres instead and, clutching a piece of paper bearing a brief quotation from the New Testament, defied the odds to win gold in a world record time. Liddell’s faith as a missionary left him in no doubt that a higher force had been at work.