First, it struck me as utterly charming that, in this crudely commercial age, a sportsman would turn to verse for inspiration over such an important career decision.

I couldn't imagine the muse figuring large in the thoughts of previous captains like, say, Graham Gooch; possibly Mike Brearley.

What also intrigued me is that I didn't recognise the line. The only similar phrase I can find is in a Frost poem called The Fear: ``You speak as if there were a travelled road.'' But the context isn't right. Besides, taking a team back to the West Indies is hardly choosing ``a road less travelled''.

However, since we know that the tabloid press were a factor in Atherton's calculations, he might have had these lines in mind:

Let him get off and he'll be everywhere Around us, looking out of trees and bushes Till I shan't dare to set a foot outdoors

There is a line in The Birches that might have reminded the England opener of his dismissal at the Oval:

He learned all there was to learn About not launching out too soon

In After Apple-Picking, there is a hint of what he can expect against Curtly Ambrose:

My instep arch not only keeps the ache

Excessive appealing seems to be covered in a Frost poem, Out, Out:

The boy's first outcry was a rueful laugh, As he swung towards them holding up the hand Half in appeal

More seriously, though, the stubborn Atherton might have been moved by these lines from another poem:

We will not be put off the final goal We have it hidden in us to attain

To which one can only say: hear, hear and let's hope so. Final lines from the poet sum up the task Atherton faces:

But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

AUSTRALIA'S Prime Minister, John Howard, has joined a campaign for the Ashes trophy to be held in the country winning the series. I don't see what's wrong with that myself.

This isn't a new controversy. It came up at Lord's at the time of Australia's bicentenary 10 years ago. I remember taking part in a heated debate about it.

All sorts of objections were raised against moving the Ashes out of the Long Room. Who would insure them? Who would guarantee their safety? In the end we concluded that after 200 years, Australia should be accepted as a grown-up country.

A serious condition was imposed, however: the Ashes should only be transported by a member of the Royal Family. Incredibly, this condition was agreed and Prince Charles took the urn out to Sydney.

I DON'T suppose Jack Rowell reached for a poetry book before resigning his job as England's rugby coach - as I forecast he would two weeks ago. I also forecast that this would leave Twickenham ``in the lurch''.

I won't shed any crocodile tears for Rowell, since I had urged his removal, but he deserves credit for his dignified departure. The same cannot be said of the Rugby Football Union.

The present chaos over appointing a new coaching team cannot be blamed wholly on the RFU's new-broom leadership, since the succession should have been planned long ago. But Cliff Brittle, the RFU chairman, was the first to destabilise Rowell's position when he called a special meeting of the playing committee after England's poor form in the pre-Christmas matches.

And Brittle's new appointments, Fran Cotton and Bill Beaumont, have hardly won prizes for tactical finesse by rubbishing Rowell in public and touting his job around behind his back before ensuring that the intended replacement, Ian McGeechan, was actually available.

The muddle over Clive Woodward strikes me as ridiculous. As I understand it, he only has an exchange of letters with Bath, not a binding contract, to help them as assistant coach for this season. He says he did that to keep his options open.

It does Woodward credit that he wants to keep his word with Bath, but surely the club can release him from this obligation in the wider interests of English rugby. It seems churlish to hold him to this limited agreement or demand large sums in compensation.

If Woodward does get the job, he should demonstrate his credentials to the squad by playing them a tape of his legendary try against Scotland at Twickenham in 1981. I watched it again yesterday and it really was a mesmerising run, set up, incidentally, by a line-out catch and charge by Beaumont.

The England players are all too young to remember, but I bet they would pay their new coach closer attention when they've seen that he could play a bit himself.