Murrayfield atmosphere reflected rising noise, bile and spite in rugby union | Robert Kitson

Six Nations sees respect jettisoned for ill-feeling, as evidenced by Eddie Jones’s name-calling and fans jeering goalkickersFew sports tread the fine line between love and hate as precariously as rugby union. It is part of its attraction: beauty and the beast occupy the same arena, passion and restraint are essential requirements. What has traditionally bound everything together is the realisation that, ultimately, it is a game that relies not only on the “rugby” for its enduring appeal but the collective power of “union”.Essentially it boils down to a single word: respect. The code used to be…