Letter: Sourpuss Catt

Sourpuss Catt

From Mr G M Williams,

Sir: What does Mike Catt think he is doing? In an article in the Independent (7 November), he manages in one fell swoop to malign two erstwhile English colleagues (Rob Andrew and Tony Underwood), as well as criticise the general attitude of English sportsmen and women (they "don't possess mental toughness").

Is this what the new age of professionalism is all about? Does it occur to Catt, a South African, that this sort of talk is hardly likely to endear him to his colleagues? They will be looking over their shoulders and thinking that if he can do this sort of thing to Andrew, who, whether Catt likes it or not, has won more games for England than Catt is ever likely to, then he will do it to them as well.

It is all very depressing - on Sunday we saw team-mates of Jonathan Davies at Cardiff clearly not keen to see him back in the rugby union fold and starving him of opportunities on the field. This used to be the team game par excellence, but is it all now to be destroyed by professionalism?

Yours faithfully

G M WILLIAMS

7 November