THERE was an occasion when I was at school in Wales that I misbehaved in class – well there were probably several actually.

We were learning a new song, Swing Low Sweet Chariot and if we’d know then that in later years it was to become the rugby anthem of England, the school would probably have banned it.

Anyway I misheard what ‘Miss’ said the song was called – thinking it was ‘sing’ not ‘swing’ – and in typical pimply-schoolboy fashion sang it in a low voice.

I was banished from class for the rest of the lesson.

So when standing in the Millennium Stadium last weekend before THE match I resisted the temptation to sing the ‘England’ song in any sort of key – but gave full voice to Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. My music teacher would have been proud.

And once again it struck me what a wonderful game rugby is in every aspect. It leaves football gasping in its wake.

It isn’t just the game (they really should introduce sin bins in the round ball game), but it’s the attitudes. The players have absolute respect for the referee – and he certainly doesn’t get roundly abused by them – and there’s no need to segregate the fans because the behaviour doesn’t go beyond the boisterous fun level.

For instance I enjoyed a continual exchange of banter with an England fan sitting in front me. At half time he came back to his seat with a plastic blow-up daffodil and threatened to hit me with it every time Wales scored a point.

We notched a penalty and a try in quick succession after the restart and I was duly belted!

However the psychology of it all is fascinating.

I was talking to an ardent football fan last week and he told me of his trip to Cardiff for a big match. One group of fans were kept in the castle before the match and then herded down to one side of the stadium while the rival fans were driven into another entrance.

Much like a cattle round-up by the sound of it.

Yet the Six Nations clash saw Welsh and English fans wandering together around the streets both before and after the game. There were few police, no fights, no confrontations.

It was all pretty decent and friendly, making for a great atmosphere and a memorable occasion.

So how has football got it so wrong?

Both sports generate a tribal instinct, but football seethes with an undercurrent of violence and anger among the players and fans. You’re just left waiting for the volcano to go off.

Some analysts say that football has become such a big-money sport that there’s too much at stake not to succeed. Frankly I don’t buy into that.

There’s something much more profoundly fundamental that sets the games apart for both players and fans and that’s in terms of attitude and respect.

Football’s got it wrong, rugby’s got it right.