It is an image which has endured – and even been actively cultivated – but it is also somewhat misleading.

For one thing, it infers there is little need for tactics. Well, one should need little direction to introduce an opponent to a wall. Yet the nature of the sport places a unique pressure on the coach, with play shifting spasmodically and players requiring to be circulated at regular intervals due to the physical exertion demanded just to keep up. It is a taxing existence, but one which clubs in the UK have often tended to bestow upon senior players in their rosters.