To chicken-banana or not to chicken-banana - that is the question.
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous social media abuse at the end of a Wales-England game, or take arms against those who froth at the mouth.
It says much about the current state of Welsh rugby that the major debate in the wake of Wales losing 67-12 at home to England in the Women’s Six Nations has been about a TikTok dance.
Jasmine Joyce-Butchers had a look of anxious concern on her face in the fleeting seconds before she was strong-armed by England’s Sarah Bern into performing the chicken-banana dance, pitchside, on live TV.
It was the same expression Wales’ highest profile and most decorated player had worn as England were busy running in their 11th try of the afternoon a few minutes earlier.
Let’s try and join some dots here.
England women are sponsored by O2. Wales are sponsored by Vodafone.
It’s just a thought, but could it possibly be that both phone networks are keen for customers to scroll through TikTok at the end of live sport on TV?
Another wild guess, but maybe both sponsors even encourage players like Bern and Joyce-Butchers to get involved.
Heck, perhaps even the BBC chatted this through with Guinness, O2 and Vodafone when they all sat down for lunch having agreed the broadcasting deal.
READ MORE: Wales Women Suffer Same Fate As Wales Men – Crushed By England, But Sean Lynn Remains Upbeat
Either way, the players wriggled and giggled their way through about five seconds of said dance while Gabby Logan queued it all up in a way that looked slightly less than spontaneous.
The predictable howls of outrage followed on social media, with Joyce-Butchers accused of being unprofessional, the same Joyce-Butchers who has been to three Olympic Games as a Sevens player for Great Britain and who has scored the kind of tries all around the world that Shane Williams would be proud to have in his showreel.
But let’s put that aside for a moment and get back to those dots.
Three days later, Joyce-Butchers defended her actions in a series of interviews, set up by sportswear manufacturer IDA.
The interviews - many with the same media outlets who had buried Joyce-Butchers in criticism a couple of days previously - all carried agreed marketing speel for the new rugby boot, the IDA x Guinness “Never Settle” boot.
READ MORE: Jaz Joyce Admits “Numb” Feeling After Third Olympic Heartbreak With GB
The plug ran as follows:
Welsh rugby player and Guinness ambassador Jasmine Joyce-Butchers was speaking at the launch of the IDA x Guinness “Never Settle” Boot, the world’s first-ever soft ground boot for female athletes. The boot has been specifically designed to address the long-standing issue of ill-fitting footwear for female athletes and to empower them on the field of play.
Again, it’s just a wild stab in the dark, but maybe, just maybe, IDA and Guinness were in on the great TikTok Dance Plan and how they might be able to ride happily along in its wake.
All of which is not to degenerate in any way, Joyce-Butchers’ right to have her say and defend her actions on Saturday night.
Fans and TV viewers pay good money to watch live sport, but as far as the players are concerned, their obligations end at the final whistle, or at least after the final interview.
If female rugby players want to then dance with their opponents, that’s entirely up to them.
To say they shouldn’t is as ridiculous to suggest that male rugby players shouldn’t go into each other’s dressing rooms to share a beer.
You don’t hear too many keyboard warriors moaning about that after a men’s Six Nations defeat.
But let’s not kid ourselves what this is really all about.
The sharing of beers in a macho dressing room is nowadays a photo opportunity for sponsors - wait until the Lions tour and you will see lots of it.
Female players twirling around doing TikTok dances is not some spur-of-the-moment thing done away from the cameras.
It was doubtless organised and okayed beforehand, even if Bern and Joyce-Butchers looked as though they could have done with a few more rehearsals.
Meanwhile, the debate that is not really happening in Wales is how come our two main national teams conceded 21 tries between them at home against England in the Six Nations?
How bad are their defences? Why are they - as full-time professionals - so clearly second best when it comes to power, endurance and game management?
Why is the gulf between the two nations so large?
Where is the men’s new national coach, their director of rugby, the detailed strategy that was promised from the WRU 10 months ago?
How the WRU must love TikTok and their power to distract.
