SPORT ON TV: In the gathering dusk last Thursday night, I was in my car at the traffic-lights at Sutton Cross, when two teenage lads crossed the road. With slim, canvas golf bags slung over their shoulders, they were, presumably, returning from a round nearby at Sutton GC, after school.

It was a charming sight and a stark contrast to the depressing image of our youth painted the previous weekend by the horrific happenings on the Stillorgan Road. But, of course, these were privileged lads.

Still, driving on, I got to thinking of the enormous force for good sport represents in the modern world. And by its largely urban nature, soccer has probably done more than any other sport to civilise young people who might otherwise be tempted to choose the road to social exclusion.

The point gained emphasis on Saturday evening as I watched The History of Football: The Beautiful Game on Network 2. This particular segment, narrated by Darragh Maloney, dealt with the game's development in South America, whose national sides dominated internationally for much of the 20th Century.

A significant weakness in the programme was that it concentrated essentially on the finished article: we weren't told how youngsters from the River Plate region of Uruguay and Argentina developed such irresistible skills. Nor, for that matter, how Brazil joined this soccer aristocracy. Yet it remained a fascinating exercise.

Almost inevitably, the programme started with Maradona's scandalous hand-of-God goal against England in the 1986 World Cup. But for the most part, clichés were kept to a minimum. We were told how Uruguay and Argentina met for the first time in 1901 and how, by 1922, they had played each other no fewer than 80 times in tournaments such as the Lipton Cup, donated by the Scottish tea baron in 1905. And how Argentina went on to win 15 South American championships and Uruguay 14, compared with a puny six from Brazil.

There were the achievements of implacable Argentine rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate and how Uruguay became the first South American side to venture across the Atlantic, when they competed in the Paris Olympics in 1924 and won.

Indeed, it was claimed their victory over Switzerland in the final was arguably the most influential match in the development of French football as we know it today. "They played beautiful football - from memory," was the simple explanation by the legendary Alfredo di Stefano.

While recounting South American dominance of the World Cup, there was also a fascinating reference to the manner in which Argentina's charismatic dictator, Juan Peron - or was it his wife, Eva, who had the greater mass appeal? - put a ban on the country competing internationally for eight years.

Ironically, these were golden years for Argentine football as Peron's government invested hugely in stadia throughout the country. But acutely aware of how important the game had become to the masses, the dictator maintained an isolationist attitude for fear the national side would be beaten.

Eventually, Argentina made its return to the World Cup in Sweden in 1958, when they fell victim to what they described as the simple, clumsy football of the Europeans, losing to West Germany and Czechoslovakia. It was this experience which transformed the Argentinians into the physical side which England manager Alf Ramsey slated as "animals" in the 1966 World Cup.

That was when the Argentine captain, Antonio Rattin, was sent off. And recalling the incident, Rattin, to his credit, spoke kindly of the German referee, who has since died. But he added: "Tell God not to let him come down and referee any more of our games."

Then we heard about the emergence of Brazil's great Santos team, inspired, of course, by Pele. And the incomparable Brazilian was quoted: "The great dispute between the Latin teams and the European teams is that the Latins think their football has more technique and is more open, while the Europeans think their football is more organised and stronger."

Meanwhile, there was no escaping the influences of the wretched tabloid press. No doubt in 40 years we will be reading how the matter of Ulrika Jonsson and Sven Goran Eriksson undermined England's prospects of winning the 2002 World Cup.

The 1962 World Cup in Chile became infamous for the so-called Battle of Santiago. This, in the view of a former Chilean coach, could be attributed to the stupid, intemperate writings of an Italian scribe, who claimed amusingly: "The women over here are all whores."

In the event, the match between Chile and Italy descended into ill-tempered chaos before the host side emerged victorious by 2-0.

As Munster showed us on Network 2 earlier on Saturday, sport should be passionate. And it doesn't get any more passionate than what we witnessed on the same station later in the day. Wonderful lunacy! And what of Munster? For those who might be tempted to sack the Irish management and simply stick green shirts on these red-clad, south-western heroes, the inimitable George Hook restored us to sanity.

Prior to the post-match patter, the camera gave us a heart-warming shot of two marvellous play-makers whose skills have characterised the rivalry between Castres and Munster. With an outstretched arm to Ronan O'Gara, Gregor Townsend sportingly acknowledged that on this occasion he had been forced to give second best.

"I don't understand it; they defy conventional wisdom," was Hook's initial reaction to Munster's marvellous achievement. "No other team in the competition has won three times away from home. What they are doing is quite extraordinary." And you knew that this wasn't the end of it.

So it was that Hook added pointedly: "We must remember, however, that no matter how well they have done, you can't pick 15 Munster men on an Irish team. International rugby is a step above what we have seen today."

So, Munster would be well advised not to declare UDI. Well, not until they've won the trophy.