Rugby to bounce back

Bloodgate, eye-gouging and drug-use at one of the nation's leading clubs have certainly not done the sport any favours, and there are likely to be further recriminations this week.

But away from the lurid headlines and finger pointing - mostly by followers of the nation's favourite sport (or should that be obsession?) - it must be said that rugby in the UK, and Ireland and Europe, looks set to continue on its relatively steep upward curve when the league kicks off on Friday evening.

Reports of season-ticket sales at Premiership clubs remain positive, attendances are on the rise (Leicester will be playing in front of 30,000 at the new Welford Road this season), television contracts remain in place and the numbers coming into the sport appear not to have been affected.

All this despite the difficult economic times we have been facing.

Rugby has always prided itself on its honesty and adopting a different ethical stance to football, and while it may have taken its eye off the ball somewhat this summer, there is little evidence to suggest that what the sport represents in most people's eyes has changed.

Some have claimed the pressures of professionalism have lead to a moral demise within the sport; others deny this and insist recent examples of misbehaviour also occurred during the amateur era.

The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, but the most reassuring thing for the sport is that it has identified the issues and taken steps to eradicate them from the game.

Rugby's self-policing has been in evidence and the action taken has been swift.

We'll know for sure as the season progresses, but there is a very strong chance that faking blood injuries, using cocaine and eye-gouging will not be witnessed in the near future.

The fabric of the sport has not changed and OT suspects it will show its true colours in the way it responds to recent difficulties and becomes all the better for it. Can that be said of football?

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Jonny Wilkinson has wasted little time proving his detractors wrong by making a storming start to his new career with Toulon in the Top 14. Three games down and already the World Cup winner is six points clear at the top of the scoring charts with 47 points.

Furthermore, Toulon are nicely-placed in third spot with two wins and a draw, though we will get a better idea of their credentials when league leaders Clermont visit Stade Mayol on Wednesday.

Now Wilkinson obviously still has to demonstrate he can remain free of injury and make a season-long contribution to the Toulon cause, but surely he has already done enough to show he is still a force to be reckoned with, no matter how many career-threatening injuries he has had to battle back from.

If he can stay fit - and judging from Australia and New Zealand's form in the Tri-Nations - England might just have a chance of winning their November series games.

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England coach Martin Johnson will have some understanding of what Australia counterpart Robbie Deans is going through at the moment.

The Wallabies have lost all four of their Tri-Nations matches this season, making it six losses on the bounce in the southern Hemisphere championship after also going down in their last two games of last year's series.

Another home game with high-flying South Africa and a trip to Wellington to face the All Blacks remain, and suggest they will likely go winless in this year's tournament.

Australia saw it as a major coup when they lured Kiwi Deans away from New Zealand rugby, but unless he turns things round quickly he could be on his way back sooner than anyone imagined.