Maybe he felt like that if you went to the second day of the fifth ashes test in the oval in 1948 to witness Don Bradman's final and saw him a duck. Sometimes, even genius takes a day off.
Perhaps that is a bit hard for Antoine Dupont, the best rugby player in the world, whose arrival on Twickenham as part of the confrontation of the six nations of France with England had been received with such a sense of anticipation.
The last time we saw it, I was producing a brave acting against Wales in the Stade of France last week, playing as a musketeer, with the type of dynamism and explosiveness that left her breath.
And the memories are still fresh in the way he took France to gold in the Sevens of Rugby at the Paris Olympic Games last summer, producing one of the individual exhibitions of the games to demonstrate that his genius was versatile and beautiful.
But this bitter afternoon was a long way to be his best time. Dupont was swallowed by the mediocrity around him and his last contribution to France's 26-25 clash was to try and fail Elliot Daly's game at the last minute.
Daly overcame Dupont's Tackle, England broke a streak of six losses in her last seven games and France stayed to confirm the end of her dreams of winning the Grand Slam after the demolition of Wales.
The final contribution of Antoine Dupont against England was not to stop Elliot Daly's late attempt
Daly's last score helped England register a 26-25 victory on Twickenham on Saturday
Dupont had a rare day for France, whose hopes of a Grand Slam came to an end in London
The game was not a classic. England's victory since carefully will give him a happy winning contribution of Rose Sheen and Smith end in his first start, in the middle of the average, he was greatly encouraging, but this clash was a comedy of errors.
In the first half, in particular, France had thrown a scoring opportunity after another and Dupont was among the culprits.
In a party that must have been close to establishing a new record to handle errors, the captain of France was difficult to rise above mediocrity. He pushed and coined, but anyone who waited for the type of buckbuckling action for which he has become recognized, would have walked home through the bat of southwest London, very disappointed.
Even Lionel Messi loses a penalty from time to time. Even Ayrton Senna turned from time to time. Even Roger Federer made un -forced mistakes. No one can do it every time and this was one of those occasions when Dupont simply could not make a difference.
He had left in the February gloom with the praise of the rugby aristocracy that sounded in his ears.
England's former international, Joe Marler, said he was the best player he had seen. Dan Biggar, the former half of Wales, was equally effusive.
“He has everything,” Biggar said. 'It is stronger than most centers and faster than most wings. He begins both feet. If you try to hurry him, he will put his teammates in space. If you give him time, you are absolutely nervous because he makes breaks to have fun.
England had lost 53-10 against France two years ago and many expected more of the same, but it soon became clear that this was not going to be an explosion. France lacked a group of key players and soon said its absence.
Dupont's first attempt for a cross kick to Damian Penaud in the wing jumped into the contact
France Scrum-Half Dupont seemed safe to score during the first half, just to drop a pass
Dupont was not alone with Damian Penaud dropping the ball when it is fine inside England 22
However, he showed his class for the attempt to open France, but proved to be England Day
After the applause threw in their direction in the preparation of this game, the initial minutes showed that not everything Dupont touches becomes gold. His first attempt at a cross kick to Damian Penaud in the right wing was marginally missed and bounced in contact.
Dupont was not alone. The soaked and rotating conditions hindered the handling and kicks. Thomas Ramos dragged a penalty wide. Penoud dropped a simple pass and was so frustrated that he got tangled up in a failure with Ollie Sleightholme.
France seemed that they were about to banish their uncertainties in the middle of half when Ramos led an attack on the left and threw the ball to Dupont, which had a clear race to Try's line. He extended the left hand to capture and dropped the ball. The eyes were rubbed with disbelief.
France rejected another opportunity to move forward when Penaud dropped a pass inside England 22. In the box of the coaches, Fabien Gallthie seemed that he wanted to make a hole on the wall. Another member of his staff threw himself into his seat and put his head between his knees.
But 10 minutes before part time, Dupont finally made his class say. He ordered another sequence of careless management of France and cut a strip through the broken field. He seemed to be about to pass the ball in par, but he changed it to Penoud, instead, with the foot of the defense. Penaud kicked Louis Bielle-Barrey to pass.
It was a wonderful moment of improvisation and ability in Dupont, but there should be no other. This was a day for the spirit of England and its resistance and for the promise of end Smith. Genius left the stadium in the back seat.