The American football coach Vince Lombardi famously declared: “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.”
Well, OK.
The problem is there can be only one winner. That being the case, perhaps the next best thing is to lose with a bit of class.
Read more: 'It's sackable!' Jiffy bemused by Wayne Pivac as he rips Wales apart on TV
Step forward, Josh Adams. The wing's decision to hand over his man-of-the-match medal to an Italian opponent after the Azzurri’s victory over Wales in Cardiff was a feel-good moment amid the misery the 39-cap player must have felt at the time.
Adams had played well for pretty much the whole game, so his player-of-the-day gong seemed reasonable when it was made by Jonathan Davies in the 78th minute. But then the script went haywire.
A spot of dissent from the Wales No. 11 saw his team marched back 10 metres and there was also a missed tackle on Ange Capuozzo as the little full-back raced through the home defence en route to setting up the try of tournament. It was a score that allowed the visitors to stop a run of 36 Six Nations defeats.
What happened next, though, at least allowed the hosts to pluck a heart-warming moment from the ashes of defeat, with Adams seeking out Capuozzo on the pitch and presenting him with the man-of-the-match medal. The youngster in blue, who plays for his club rugby for Grenoble in Pro D2, French rugby’s second division, looked taken aback but his Welsh opponent was insistent.
In an interview published on the Rugbyrama website, Capuozzo said: “It was a moment of great class. His gesture was sublime. He has the lucidity to do it when they have just lost, which I find really strong. He offered me the man-of-the-match medal, telling me it had to come back to me.
“I thanked him 100 times but replied that it was his. I really wanted him to keep it for himself.
“For me, his gesture is worth 10 medals. I did not expect it and was shocked at the time. For the little Pro D2 player that I am, these are the guys I draw inspiration from every day and to be honoured by this kind of player was unthinkable.”
Capuozzo continued: “This is clearly the most important try and match of my career. We celebrated the 150th Wales cap of Alun Wyn Jones — I'm not yet at 50 with my club Grenoble. But what I want to remember is the joy of the group after this feat.”
Of the try that won Italy the game at 22-21, the player who has just been signed for next season by Toulouse said that with only a minute left he had no option other than to attack when he received the ball some 60 metres out from the Welsh line.
There followed a burst of searing pace, a sidestep from the gods that left Kieran Hardy beaten all ends up — the scrum-half is probably still searching for the tiny figure in blue who had been running at him — and a beautifully executed inside pass to Edoardo Padovani. Paolo Garbisi's conversion from in front of the posts sealed the deal.
“I probably could have gone there alone,” said Capuozzo. “but the score wouldn’t have been sure. The pass had to be made for us to go under the posts.
“Edoardo yells at me and calls out to me, and when I give it to him, I really feel a big adrenaline rush."
Capuozzo didn’t totally buy the idea he alone was the Italian hero. “We represent a country with a real passion and a real identity. When you make so many people proud and provoke so many emotions, it's incredible. But for me, the hero of the match is the team, the group.”
The 22-year-old relished playing at the Principality Stadium, saying: “It's the most beautiful stadium I've played in. We really have the impression that the supporters are on us, with the atmosphere palpable. It is only happiness to play in an enclosure like that. Welsh and Italian, they were all amazing.”
As for what the win does for Italy after they stopped their historic losing run, he said: “Our goal was to gain credibility. I think it's done."
