Blunder by Burns is what happens in age of the selfie

SCHoolBoy defending. We all know what that phrase means. Kids don’t make the best defenders. They let the ball bounce in the penalty area, they make bad positional judgments, they lose their man, they lose their place on the field.

Sometimes they try to play their way out of trouble, showing scant awareness of their technical limitations. And they complicate the play at a time when even Paolo Maldini would just put his damn foot through it. They’re schoolboys. That’s what they do.

But here’s what they don’t do. They don’t kiss the badge. They don’t wave to the crowd or go searching for the best camera angle before the ball is over the line. By and large, they get on with the game.g youth teams have Showboating Burns acted like an Under 13s B-team player stars like any other, but there is considerably less ego at junior level than can be found in the ranks of the professionals.

So, while it never does to take issue with Sir Clive Woodward on matters of rugby, for him to describe what befell Freddie Burns on Saturday as reminiscent of a kid scoring his first try for the Under 13 B team just isn’t right.

I know what he meant — Burns (right) was immature and amateurish. But nobody playing for the Under 13s, A or B, would make the mistake he did.

Schoolboys would be too worried about letting their team-mates down to mess about with what would have been the winning try in the game.

I watched my three boys play through every age group in four major sports, for club and school, and nobody kissed the badge they got the job done. Ever. Nobody on their teams, nobody on the other teams. I must have seen thousands of schoolboys — and some schoolgirls — playing sport across more than a decade, with a range of abilities.

There were kids who represented England, or the county, kids who were contracted to clubs, who looked capable of enjoying professional careers.

There were kids who were clearly the best thing out there, who were carrying their teammates with bat or ball, there were national finals, local derbies and plenty of grudge matches. Not once did I see a badge kissed or anyone dive when they were in a position to shoot. Not once did a player wave an imaginary card.

The bad behaviour was the stuff you don’t find in the professional game. Proper fights, with proper punches. A genuine attempt to break someone’s leg. I’m not saying schoolchildren are perfect. They make terrible decisions sometimes. Some have rotten tempers and bad attitudes to authority. Some are right little nutcases, to be honest. But what Burns did is a failing of the professional game. It is what happens when, in the age of the selfie, the team take second place. For those who are unaware, Bath were trailing Toulouse 22-20 in their Champions Cup tie with two minutes to go. Burns had just missed a simple penalty kick to give them the lead when the opportunity for redemption presented itself. He broke clear and only had to place the ball down for what would almost certainly have been the winning try. Burns had enough clear space to put it beneath the posts and, considering what had gone before, his debt to his team-mates should have been forefront. But, no. It became all about him. Slowing down for maximum effect, tugging at his badge, ball in his right hand, blowing kisses to the crowd with his left, eyes searching for the camera that would best capture his moment, he was the picture of self-involve

Sir Clive in yesterday’s Sportsmail

ment. and then just as he was about to finally get the game won, Toulouse wing maxime medard knocked the ball out of his hand. Bath lost and will almost certainly exit at the pool stage. and Burns’ folly will be the latest addition to the reels of sports bloopers.

They must have a running time near the uncut Heaven’s Gate, considering how often this now happens. Twice at Bath, alone, this season. On the opening day against Bristol, full back Tom homer took a pass from Rhys Priestland and headed unhindered towards what should have been a match-winning try. he decided to celebrate with a one-handed tumbling touchdown, lost contact with the ball as he did, and the score was denied. Only 45 days separate that incident and the one involving Burns.

The other thing schoolboys do, by the way, is learn. Well, the smart ones, anyway. Todd Blackadder, Bath’s director of rugby, addressed the problem in his team review, but should that be necessary?

Should professional rugby players need to be told winning the match is the priority, not mugging for the cameras or waving to the crowd? Nobody is trying to take the fun from playing sport. Celebrate as you like, once the ball is down. Cavort, gambol, blow kisses to your heart’s content. But points on the board first.

This isn’t just rugby’s problem — clearly, Jose mourinho has had issues with Paul Pogba losing focus, while Pep Guardiola has delivered similar warnings to Benjamin mendy.

Both players have a very strong social media profile and there is nothing wrong with that, providing what is truly important remains primary.

On Saturday, Burns thought it was about him, not them — his team-mates, his club. In doing so, he made a mistake no 13-year-old would, not even in the B team.

In this way, Burns was not at all guilty of schoolboy behaviour. What he did was every bit the action of the modern, self-indulgent professional.