Owen Farrell smiled politely, grateful for the kind gift, though conceding he had little idea what he would do with the samurai sword. In recent years, Japan have taken to presenting a ceremonial katana to the opposition captain, a memento to mark the occasion: “It’s better than a tie and a pin,” quipped defeated head coach Jamie Joseph.
Perhaps Eddie Jones will have an idea or two for his captain. Feeling his side were short of belief ahead of the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in 2019, Jones employed an antique blade of his own for a symbolic chopping of a kiwi fruit.
