One of the very noticeable differences between American footfall and South African rugby, as I played it and coached it, is the role of the coach. In rugby the game is in the hands of the players. The coach is a spectator with no role to play once the game has started. In football, though, one has the sense of two generals pacing the sidelines like Napoleon and Wellington and directing every move. The players are merely pawns in this game. Their task is simply to execute the plays that they are given, which they do with varying success. One wonders whether the Cowboys would have won against Philadelphia if one had swapped the coaches?