It shouldn’t really matter to those of us whose first sport is rugby union, but you have to admit that the round ball World Cup in Qatar has had an irresistible fascination for people like me who want their sport to be unpredictable.
The shocks provided in the group stages by the likes of Japan, Saudi Arabia and Iran, not to mention Cameroon defeating Brazil, were proof positive that football can often be difficult to foresee – it’s why the bookmakers make fortunes on their fixed-odds coupons.
Anyone who thought that Germany and Belgium would crash out at the first hurdle must have had a crystal ball, and if it’s you can I copy your lottery numbers, please?
