The fans were furious but while at first it seemed a baffling decision and even Marcelo seemed to be bemused by it, it was an eloquent comment on how well Villarreal played; from chasing the match, Madrid recognised the need to conserve it.
Hodgson's charge-down try at the start of the second half plus eight points from the boot of debutant Farrell left Scotland chasing the match at Murrayfield as England withstood a wave of pressure from Scotland.
Only when Philippe Coutinho scored did the Chilean change his mind and ask the attack-minded Frank Lampard to enter and chase the match.
They spent the rest of the match chasing the lead in vain, missing a few good chances in the process.
But Sobers was pursuing excitement, resuscitating a dying match, chasing a win and excitement for the fans – not a leather jacket and the interests of bent bookies.
Down a break, the Spaniard threatened a comeback at 4-2 but Murray saved a break point with the shot of the match, chasing down Ferrer's volley before whipping a low forehand down the line for a brilliant pass.
South Africa finished the group-stage winless when they suffered a 199 run defeat to New Zealand in the final group match; chasing 250, South Africa only managed to make 51, with Brits' score of 25 making her the only South African to make it into double figures.
Undoubtedly the in-form team in England's top-flight, Liverpool are now unbeaten in 11 league matches, chasing Chelsea's record this season of 14 from the start of the campaign.
Now and then in his matches, chasing down a ball that looks as though it had already gone by him in the backhand corner, he will reach out and flick it back with a wrist shot so precisely executed that the ball skims cross-court and drops, untouchable, on the other side of the net.
It turned into the most chastening loss of all, the team with which England were supposedly most well matched chasing a target of 310 for the loss of one wicket with 16 balls to spare.
