The Haka - has the protection of the All Blacks gone too far? © Getty Images

Tony Johnson can't udnerstand the recent furore over responses to the haka on Supersport.

"The IRB’s heavy handed stance on teams facing the All Black haka at events like next year’s Rugby World Cup has brought a predictable, and in some cases outraged response.

"It came to light during the recent IRB Womens World Cup when the Australian Rugby Union was fined because their team, the Wallaroos “advanced” on the challenge being performed by the Black Ferns.

"The message is clear…any teams doing so during next years tournament will face similar action.
As a New Zealander I find it absurd, and frankly embarrassing that it should come to this, and I just hope that the All Blacks or the New Zealand Rugby Union have had nothing to do with it."

Hugh Farrelly gets down to the bare bones of Leinster's defensive problems in The Irish Independent.

"Former Leinster and Ireland prop Emmet Byrne has proven his forensic qualities as an analyst.

"When it comes to rugby, Byrne is a self-acknowledged anorak and not just about his primary area of expertise at scrum-time, but in every facet of the modern game. It's a microscopic attention to detail that is in keeping with a man who is four years into a degree which will end up with qualification as a surgeon.

"Leinster name their team to face Munster today and Byrne highlights the availability of Jonathan Sexton as a major issue. There is a long way to go in the Magners League and, if Sexton's quad muscle injury is still niggling him, there is a chance the out-half will be allowed another week to get ready for the immediate imperatives of the Heineken Cup."

Paul Rees offers his take on Steve Borthwick's absence from the Heineken Cup launch in The Guardian.

"Millwall supporters in the 1970s used to chant: "No one likes us, we don't care." They probably still do but in rugby union it is Saracens, the club itself rather than fans, who take a delight in being different.

"Never afraid to target the eye of authority, Saracens hijacked the launch of the Heineken Cup this week by telling their captain, Steve Borthwick, to sample the delights of the Munich beer festival rather than answer a summons from the organisers to perch himself on a high chair in a lounge in the Millennium Stadium. Lunch rather than launch.

"All the other five English clubs in the tournament supplied the required head coach and captain. Sarries were represented by their director of rugby, Brendan Venter, who made no apologies for Borthwick's absence. He wanted all his players to relax and bond after their victory over Northampton before matches against Leicester and Clermont Auvergne."

Sonny Bill Williams did plenty of damage off the bench against Wellington © Getty Images

Canterbury coach Rob Penney looks at the difficulties facing New Zealand provincial coaches in terms of player management in The Press.

"One of the skills required by provincial coaches these days is managing players and determining just when they should, or should not, return to the starting side.

"Whether it be because of injuries to players, their All Black duties or just a need for a rest, coaches are always pondering their permutations ahead of the next match – just as we have been for this Saturday night's match against Otago in Dunedin.

"Last weekend we believed it was the appropriate time to ensure Sonny Bill Williams remained 100 per cent fit, especially given that he had previously made two 80-minute appearances against Taranaki and Northland after his comeback from injury. So we listed him on the bench."

Gerry Thornley takes a look at Leinster's defensive structures in The Irish Times.

"So the palindrome opens its doors properly for the first time on Saturday. It ought to be a cracking atmosphere, and both more colourful and noisier than the more expensive November Tests, whatever about the match itself.

"Incredibly, Leinster go into this fixture against Munster already a dozen points adrift of their rivals, not to mention six and eight points behind Connacht and Ulster. Thus, regardless of next weekend’s results, Leinster will be occupying next season’s Amlin Challenge Cup place at the end of the first tranche of matches as this season’s Heineken Cup embarks.

"With Racing Metro, one of the early-season pace-setters in an unpredictable Top 14, first up at the RDS followed by heavy-spending Saracens and their board of millionaires at Wembley, Leinster are facing something of a make-or-break point in their campaign. Lose the next three games and already their season would look somewhat goosed by the third week of October. As the panicky geezer in Dad’s Army used to scream: “Don’t Panic.”

Wynne Gray, writing in The New Zealand Herald, is pleased from an All Black point of view that Peter De Villiers kept the Springbok job.

"Whew! From all accounts, even among those wearing the crustiest Springbok blazers, there was some serious heat on Peter de Villiers and his South African coaching entourage.

"That group and the players had managed a solitary Tri-Nations victory this season, one measly win in Pretoria against the Wallabies after trailing 21-7 at one stage.

"It was not a good look. The results sheet looked shabby, P Divvy had made more vocal gaffes than George Dubya and there were some serious rumblings about the need to shore up the coaching group."

The pride of the south - New Zealand © Getty Images

Looking enviously at golf's Ryder Cup, The Guardian's Robert Kitson wonders if rugby could ever put a viable north v south match together.

"The Ryder Cup will soon be with us in all its pastel-slacked, absurdly partisan, you're-the-man glory. Not so long ago it was but a relatively low-key event in the golfing calendar; now there are pretty much dedicated 'WAG lanes' on the M4 to ferry the players' partners to and from Celtic Manor. Rugby union, always looking for ways to boost its global profile, can only gaze longingly at golf's sexiest format.

"The nearest oval-ball equivalent is the British and Irish Lions, whose teams generate massive interest for a relatively short space of time before dissolving into history overnight. Never again will Jamie Roberts and Brian O'Driscoll have the chance to dovetail to the same stunning effect as in South Africa in 2009. The closest thing to a direct Ryder Cup comparison - apart from the occasional Barbarians showpiece - came in 2005 when the Southern Hemisphere beat the North 54-19 at Twickenham to help raise money for victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami."

The Irish Independent's Hugh Farrelly believes Leinster's Joe Schmidt needs to start winning matches as the season hots up.

"Time is "the school in which we learn and the fire in which we burn". Whether it lingers for women has never been properly established but we know that time waits for no man -- and certainly not the professional rugby coach.

"Victor Costello reckons the bedding-in process between players and a new coach takes three months. The problem for Leinster coach Joe Schmidt is that, when his three months are up, Leinster's challenge for Heineken Cup and Magners League silverware could, effectively, be over. In one sense, that would take the pressure off and allow Schmidt, who is on a three-year deal, to entrench systems and build confidence for the future. The problem is that this is World Cup year and Ireland need their top players, a chunk of whom are corralled in Leinster, to be competing in high-intensity knock-out games to prepare for New Zealand 2011."

Ian Keatley takes one on the chin © Getty Images

Hugh Farrelly reports on Connacht's injury problems and the madness of TV-dictated fixtures in The Irish Independent.

"It's like a scene from 'MASH', there's bodies everywhere."

"Eric Elwood's description of the Connacht dressing-room in the aftermath of an unremittingly physical collision with Ulster on Saturday night left no scope for misinterpretation. However, despite the Connacht coach's wryly humourous take, it also emphasised the serious challenge he and his men now face, with their next assignment just three days away.

"Connacht are down to face the Blues in Cardiff on Thursday and, with his squad already stretched paper thin, it is fair to say the scheduling rankles with their coach."

Winston Aldworth hails Southland following their Ranfurly Shield win over Auckland in The New Zealand Herald.

"As sports fans emerge from another Fashion Week, it's informative to note that deep maroon tones with gold trim and highlights are the "in" look this season in domestic rugby.

"Blue and white stripes - so popular during the big-city boom in the shoulder-padded 80s and early 90s - had their chance to return to the top of the Ranfurly Shield catwalk.

"But they were cut off by the timeless elegance of a face full of Invercargill mud in a howling southerly. And neutral rugby fans loved it."

Peter Lampp of the Manawatu Standard reserves special praise for the Turbos' Hamish Gosling.

" Had the Turbos been able to call on eight Hamish Goslings at Albany yesterday, they would've knocked North Harbour for six, instead of losing 44-30.

"His exemplary performance in part camouflaged the Turbos' eighth loss, as did their fightback to score four tries for a precious bonus point.

"These Turbos are short on horsepower and go through horrible tackling lapses, as they did yesterday when Harbour packed on a nauseous 21 points in 18 minutes."

At present, the Six Nations does not reward teams for scoring four tries or more, or losing by seven points or less © Getty Images

In an article which is reproduced on Rugby Heaven, The Telegraph's Paul Ackford wonders if it is time for Six Nations organisers to finally embrace the bonus point system.

"On the weekend when Leicester became the first club in the history of the Premiership to notch 100 bonus points, taking full advantage of an innovation introduced into English domestic rugby in September 2000, Feehan confirmed that the Six Nations has no intention of introducing additional rewards for scoring four tries, or for losing by a margin of seven points or less, deliberately positioning the Championship at variance with the Premiership, the Celtic-Italian league, the European competitions and the Tri Nations.

"'What we have in place works, so why would you mess with it?' Feehan said. 'We have looked at a bonus-point structure and applied it retrospectively, but it wouldn't have changed any results over the last 10 years or so. One third place might have been a fourth place, but there would have been nothing of real consequence.'

"Yet, is Feehan right? Not according to some directors of rugby currently working in the Premiership. They believe that the Six Nations is out of step with the rest of the world game and would benefit from a revamp."

In his column in The Independent, David Flatman admits that he can fully understand why Toulon are willing to make 'Human robot' Jonny Wilkinson the highest-paid player in world.

"I had a chat with our club president the other day and he said: 'We want to keep you, at any price.' I remember at the time thinking how strange it was that he had developed, almost overnight, a strong French accent but decided not to let it worry me. After all, this was a good day. It was when I woke up shivering under a filthy blanket in my Bath bedsit that I realised it had all been a dream.

"I checked the phone for messages offering to make me the world's highest-paid player but either the network was down or nobody had called. When I arrived at the training ground I overheard some of the chaps chatting about something with great vigour and, being the king of club gossip (with David Barnes as my dutiful queen), began to eavesdrop aggressively. Slowly pieces of the jigsaw that forms the link between my unconscious mind and the real world began to fall into place.

"Just like the way the last song you hear in the car on the way to work infiltrates your brain without you knowing, it seems the last bit of rugby info I had read on my laptop before bed had been absorbed. Mourad Boudjellal, the president of the Top 14 big spenders Toulon, had declared publicly that he is desperate to keep Jonny Wilkinson, whatever the price."

Brendan Fanning of the Sunday Independent analyses the potential fall-out of the Irish government's proposal to make Heineken Cup games involving the four Irish provinces available on terrestrial television.

"The tail end of last season and into the summer was dominated by an earthquake whose epicentre was Adelaide Road, where communications minister Eamon Ryan hangs his hat of a working day. He gets to decide what is and isn't on the preserved list of sporting events that must be screened free to air, and as such he can define the lives of sporting organisations for whom tv revenue is oxygen.

"No, this topic hasn't gone away. In fact, it's currently on the table of economic consultants hired by Minister Ryan. Later next month, for a fee of €73,787 (inc vat) they will lob their report onto his desk. What he does with it then has everyone in Lansdowne Road transfixed.

"They are petrified that he will park both the Heineken Cup and Six Nations in the free-to-air zone, scuppering the market. As the market itself has already placed the Six Nations in that car park until 2013, the initial point of contact is the Heineken Cup. And if that happens, Sky will reverse with their money."

Writing in the New Zealand Herald, Gregor Paul looks ahead to New Zealand's upcoming visit to Great Britain and Ireland and argues that while England and their Six Nations rivals are improving, they are still lagging some way behind the all-conquering All Blacks.

"What creates doubt around England, and the northern hemisphere in general (with France a possible exception), is they tend to be 6-12 months behind the global benchmark.

"This current England squad may indeed be the fittest Johnson has ever seen, but the claim they have reached world-class levels could be out of date. The All Blacks have probably moved the bar significantly higher on that front and what may have been world class last year could be some way behind now. England are probably fit, but fit enough to beat the All Blacks? Unlikely.

"The other concern buried under the northern hemisphere's optimism and excitement about rugby's new direction is the failure to realise the amount of ground they need to make up.”

In his latest colum in the Sydney Morning Herald, Adam Freier offers some ideas on how to close the gap between the club game and the professional game in Australia.

"The tug of war of rugby's nurseries is a fine and delicate matter. On one side we have the dusty grass floors of park rugby. The other side is a Project Runway-style process of identifying talent early and churning them through the high-performance structure of the 'academies'.

"My path was a little skewed: I was able to work from the ranks of Randwick Colts through to third grade and eventually into first and so on. But if that were the same path I chose this year, would I have the same results and a framed Wallabies cap hanging in my study?

"Times are definitely changing: the importance of Sevens and the under-20s is considered a lot more critical, while coaches are now using a similar system to that of the Socceroos, using the world stage to develop their young talent, with players such as James Slipper showing promise in the Wallabies this year.

"So how can we reward those who battle on through the turf of our local clubs, whom many would say are as good, if not better, then those in front of them? It's a hot debate - many of our Sydney practices have the view that the gap between professional rugby teams and club sides are growing further and further apart.”

England will be hoping to push New Zealand all the way in November © Getty Images

Writing in the New Zealand Herald, Wynne Gray is optimistic England and Wales will offer the All Blacks a significant challenge in the November internationals.

“There has almost been an air of resignation about these trips, from the All Blacks and their opponents.Perhaps no more, though.

“Wales have been muscling up, while ol' Beetlebrow Martin Johnson - who often gave the "we're learning" post-defeat soundbite in his early coaching life - has been talking a little more resolutely about England this season. He believes his players are hitting fitness levels they have never before achieved and have cottoned on to the new law interpretations.

He added: “For the All Blacks' sake and for the sport, let's hope some of the off-field optimism translates into some quality opposition in November.”

In the Daily Telegraph, former England centre Will Greenwood says that it is time for London Irish fly-half Ryan Lamb to find the consistency that could take him to the top of the game.

"Lamb has been goal-kicking with top-class percentages and has an unerring ability to find at least three gaping holes a game with precision passing, he also has a knack of flying by the seat of his pants when it comes to game management. And the fact that Lamb doesn’t do boring causes its own set of problems.

"He will attract criticism, his spotlight errors will make it hard for him to climb the ladder to Test rugby, but a week later, given the same choice of choosing safety or making the miracle pass, he will still take it on — like last week’s back-of-the-hand pass which almost cost his side a try completely against the run of play.

"It is fascinating watching Lamb develop. If he learns from [Mike] Catt and his more experienced team-mates he could take Irish to the summit."

Newcastle head coach Alan Tait has rejected suggestions from former England forward Jason Leonard that Falcons prop Jon Golding should change clubs in order to boost his international chances on the Journallive.com

“This game brings out a lot of opinions and Jason is fully entitled to his. What I would say is that if any player, let alone Jon, is happy here and playing well, then why look elsewhere. Fortunately for us, and more importantly Jon, he is happy playing for Newcastle at the present and for the foreseeable future.

“If he wasn’t enjoying his time here I would probably give the same advice as Jason but that’s not the case. He’s happy and playing alongside some very good front-rowers such as Tim Ryan who has done well in filling Carl Hayman’s boots.”

Leicester Mercury reports that former Leicester Tigers flanker Neil Back, who is now head coach of Leeds Carnegie, believes his old club are "under a lot of pressure".

"Leicester are finding themselves with only one win and in unfamiliar territory and under a lot of pressure," Back said. "Having been in that [Leicester] environment for a few years and looking at where they are now, the heat will be on. They lost a number of key players last year, a lot of experience and a lot of leadership. That has been compounded by a few injuries in key positions.

"They are under a lot of pressure from themselves which will be the most important thing, but the quality is there, the belief will be there.”

Tom Varndell notched for Wasps in Saturday's dramatic win over Leicester Tigers at Adams Park © Getty Images

Writing in the New Zealand Herald, Wynne Gray argues that Waikato are primed for a late push for the play-offs.

"Stick some dosh on the Mooloo men to make the national rugby playoffs. Talk of Waikato's rise is beginning to bubble away in rugby circles, but they need some extra impetus as the ITM Cup warms towards the semifinals next month.

"Canterbury and Wellington have been the provinces to beat in the past few seasons, but there is a feeling, certainly in the area south of the Bombay Hills, that the troops clad in the famous red, yellow and black might give the championship a nudge again.

"Waikato last won the national crown in 2006 and that target may seem some way in the distance as they look at their mid-table position. It may get even more disconcerting when their last two outings show a loss to Southland and a draw against Hawkes Bay. Proposing Waikato, after those results, will make the playoffs might have some suggesting mental health issues.

"But here goes anyway....."

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Nick Easter admits that he is not in favour of reinventing himself as a lock.

"Nick Easter is not ready to surrender his status as England's premier No 8 just yet, despite Martin Johnson's desire to experiment with him in the second row.

"The national manager has been pondering for some time moving the Harlequins talisman to the engine room to add dynamism in that area. The emergence of Courtney Lawes and Dave Attwood on the summer tour has improved the stock of locks at his disposal, but Johnson evidently has not abandoned his plan entirely.

"Last Friday, Quins picked Easter in the second row for the Aviva Premiership match at Sale, after consultation with England. However, while the 32-year-old is ready to adapt if necessary, his preference for now is to carry on at the base of the scrum - where he has started all but two of his 34 Tests."

Writing in The Guardian, Shaun Edwards argues that a vibrant Premiership that encourages attacking play coupled with the forthcoming autumn internationals will get attendances rising again.

"Considerable attention has been paid this week to the drop in attendances in the Aviva Premiership in the first three rounds of the season but I am not sure how valid comparisons are with where we were a year ago.

"Rugby went into the 2009-10 campaign on the back of a summer when the sport was rarely out of the headlines. First there was the Lions' tour of South Africa which provided an absorbing Test series and generated huge interest.

"The two best teams in the world then gave everything they had against each other and it was not only a tremendous advert for rugby in Britain and Ireland but it sparked a feelgood factor, even though we narrowly lost the series. People were talking about the game enthusiastically."

In his latest column in Irish Times, Liam Toland talks about the way in which the Irish provinces have adapted to the new laws.

"Munster, Ulster and Connacht are in the top four of the Magners League. Clearly, two of the three are vastly improved. The Sportsground tomorrow will be a real barometer. For the first time in the history of the league both Connacht and Ulster will arrive to the fixture with much greater ambition. Pressure for the third Irish provincial slot over past seasons has made this a dogfight cup match. Tomorrow will see a major step in the evolvement of both provinces’ rugby. Especially in this new era of possession rugby.

"Ulster, by virtue of their three from three start, are arguably the most improved. Their use of the ball is a major reason for the improvement. The contest for possession of the ball is one of rugby’s key features. These contests occur throughout the game and in a number of different forms; in contact, in general play and when play is restarted at scrums, lineouts and kick-offs. The contests are balanced in such a way as to reward superior skill displayed in the preceding action."

Who will force their way into the Wallabies' tour squad? © Getty Images

Rupert Guinness pops along to a Wallabies scrum session as the competition for places on their November tour heats up in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"It might be the off-season for the Wallabies but for scrum guru Patricio Noriega and ''the new generation'' of tight-five talent, it is still heads down and bums up as they prepare for the World Cup year.

"With the Wallabies' spring tour Tests against the All Blacks, Wales, England, Italy and France to come, scrum coach Noriega is leaving no stone unturned to ensure Australia's stocks of elite second- and front-rowers are all versed on a common approach in the art of scrummaging.

"Until the Wallabies leave for Hong Kong on October 23 for their Test against the All Blacks a week later, Noriega is taking scrummaging classes for those in contention for the 40-man train-on squad that will be named on Sunday week. The final touring party, the number of which has yet to be decided, will be named on October 14."

Promising Connacht prop Jamie Hagan gets the profile treatment from The Irish Independent.

"Jamie Hagan walks in and the first thing that strikes you is his size.

"Six foot three and a well-distributed 19-and-a-half stone, the Connacht prop is not quite in the Tony Buckley bracket, but he's not far off. As well as the more predictable moniker of 'Hago', his team-mates call him 'The Beast From The East,' but not, as you would assume, because he hails from Leinster.

"No, they think I look like a Georgian wrestler," explains the 23-year-old. "I dunno, maybe I do, with the beard and everything."

Paul Rees wonders whether the All Blacks are being mollycoddled by the IRB in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup in The Guardian.

"Peter de Villiers earned himself a date with a disciplinary committee earlier this year after he suggested that referees were favouring the All Blacks because New Zealand was hosting the 2011 World Cup. The South Africa coach escaped censure but was told by his employers, not for the first time, to send the brake on his tongue in for repairs.

"De Villiers might have been tempted to have responded to the International Rugby Board's edict this month that teams who disrespected New Zealand's haka, or any of the war dances performed by the Pacific Island countries, by encroaching too close or reacting menacingly would be fined, but for the impending review of the Springboks' Tri-Nations and friendly international campaigns this year by the South African Rugby Union which is occupying his attention.

"The Australian team in the recent women's World Cup went home £1,000 poorer for advancing during the haka and breaking small print in the tournament regulations. The IRB deems the haka to be a traditional part of the game and one worth preserving; a pity it has not been so staunch in its defence of another traditional aspect of the game, rucking."

Joe Schmidt has endured a tough introduction to life at Leinster © Getty Images

David Kelly takes a look at the early-season plight of Magners League heavyweights Leinster following their loss to Treviso in The Irish Independent.

"When news filtered through to Thomond Park last Saturday night that Leinster, 2009's European champions, had been thwarted by Magners League virgins Treviso, guffaws and giggles suffused the Limerick air.

"After the initial shock reverberated throughout European rugby at the humiliation of one of its leading club sides, it was all some could do to simply laugh, especially if one's adherence lies in the red corner of Irish rugby. However, it has been no laughing matter within Leinster rugby. Their supporters are rightly peeved at such a shocking early-season reverse, a second in three games under their new coach Joe Schmidt.

"So too the players, deeply frustrated at what Ulster's Stephen Ferris has euphemistically called "the Irish resting thing", who are also not enamoured at the manner in which the wheels have come off so spectacularly this early in the season."

The season may be young, but there is cause for concern given the low attendances in the Aviva Premiership, according to Robert Kitson in The Guardian.

"It is too early to panic. September is always a month of colliding priorities. But what exactly has happened to Premiership crowds? Take away Northampton's Friday night gate of 13,491 and the average attendance for the elite tier of English club rugby at the weekend was in the region of 6,500. London Irish's crowd of 8,267 was lower than anything they attracted for a league game last season. The empty seats at Wasps for the high-profile visit of Leicester told a similarly downbeat story.

"The previous weekend, you may recall, Saracens could tempt only 6,087 souls to Watford for their game against Sale. Newcastle attracted barely 5,000 for the visit of Wasps and even Gloucester have recorded their lowest regular season gate for five years. Only a few short weeks ago, Premier Rugby was restating its ambition to attract higher average gates than football's Championship by 2015. That goal suddenly seems a long way off.

"Why? It did not appear to be an issue when 75,000 attended the London double-header earlier this month, basking in the feelgood glow of an exciting new season. That occasion now appears to have been the exception to the recessionary rule. People have less spare cash and are being increasingly choosy where they spend it. The early signs suggest they are saving up for a handful of big games each year, rather than splashing out every week."

Wynne Gray is worried about the All Blacks' workload in 2011 in The New Zealand Herald.

"Let's face it. The All Blacks' schedule next year is ridiculous. It has been aggravated by the impending birth of the Super 15, a tournament which expands the schedule for each franchise to a possible 19 games from mid-February to a July 9 conclusion.

"Those chosen for the All Blacks will have a three-week break before they begin a four-test Tri-Nations series then a fortnight's interval until the start of the Rugby World Cup.

"It is a heavy programme, rugby overload, and little wonder the All Black coaches have been wooing the Super rugby coaches at this week's meetings to get some agreement about sparing the top players."

Sonny Bill Williams - an All Black in waiting? © Getty Images

He may not be the finished article, but Sonny Bill Williams will soon be an All Black, according to Marc Hinton on stuff.co.nz.

"Sonny Bill Williams will surely tour with the All Blacks at the end of next month. Even with those defensive foibles that stud his game.

"Anybody who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves.Sure, he's still a long way from being the finished rugby product. On attack he's making great strides and it's no stretch to say his offload game is as good as anybody's running around. But defensively he's as wooden as Pinocchio and his instincts are as badly lacking as his positioning.

"To cough up two tries the way he did at the weekend when fielding ball on the deck would also have raised a few alarm bells. Granted, he wasn't done any favours by the conditions, but to twice squirt ball out the back that grateful Taranaki opportunists were able to pounce on was an unforgiveable sin."

Hugh Farrelly takes a look at the difficult situation facing Irish players and coaches in the build up to the Rugby World Cup in The Irish Independent.

"The World Cup 2011 player management scheme - pragmatic planning or needless meddling?

"There are mixed opinions on the issue - which has dominated the start to the Irish rugby season - and considerable frustration among the affected parties.

"First off, players want to play - otherwise they would be called 'trainers' - and being forced to look on from the sidelines when fit and able is never an easy assignment. Leinster centre Gordon D'Arcy, whose return to action was delayed until last weekend's disappointing reverse in Treviso, voiced his frustration a couple of weeks ago when he was not involved in the squad to face Cardiff Blues."

Tony Johnson takes a look at the different strategies used to manage the playing time of the All Blacks and Springboks on Supersport.

"In New Zealand we have I noted with interest the decision by SARU to withdraw its contracted players from the Currie Cup.

"There has been a similar, if not quite so far reaching decision here in New Zealand by the All Black selectors. 11 core members of the side are expected to sit out the rest of the ITM Cup, with other members restricted to a small number of appearances.

"Some, like Dan Carter, will be asked to play just one game to gauge their fitness ahead of the end of year tour after coming off injuries. Rather than be taken out en masse, as is the case in SA, they have been treated on an individual basis, but the effect is similar. It must be frustrating for fans and provincial coaches, but surely player welfare has to be the overriding factor.

"As I noted during the Tri-Nations it looked to me as if some of the key Springboks were looking jaded. It’s hardly surprising given the amount of playing time the likes of Victor Matfield and Bryan Habana have had."

Tom Varndell notched for Wasps in Saturday's dramatic win over Leicester Tigers at Adams Park © Getty Images

Writing in The Telegraph, former England international Brian Moore takes a closer look at Wasps' Aviva Premiership victory over Leicester in his own inimitable style.

"I can’t yet decide whether I will pay to watch the David Haye v Audley Harrison fight, but I have an idea for a bout on the undercard.

"Sean Edwards, Wasps defensive coach, in the mood he was in at the end of the first half versus Richard Cockerill, the Leicester coach, as he was at the final whistle of a gorgeously flawed match on Saturday.

"Contradicting their ASBO images they were quick to identify significant points in a game where Wasps scored 19 unanswered points, following their 18-30 deficit at half-time, to win. What they did not say will be aired at the respective team debriefings on Monday and will be more interesting because, to anyone not seduced by the thrilling nature of the game, plainly unacceptable flaws marked both team’s performances."

In his diary in the Irish Times, Bob Casey of London Irish argues that rugby is no longer a sport for all body shapes.

"It's time for a little hardcore analysis on the changing face of rugby under the amended laws. In the recent Tri-Nations championship the ball was in play for 39 minutes, up two and a half on the previous year’s tournament. That might not sound like much of a difference but when you’re on the pitch it’s a massive increment.

"Again using the Tri-Nations as a barometer, teams reached 10 phases of possession or a greater number 30 per cent more of the time in the tournament just finished, than they did in 2009. There’s little doubt that the faster game with more line breaks carries more appeal for most spectators – well, maybe not the purist who’ll lament the absence of a genuine contest at the breakdown.

"Referees have been instructed to strictly police this aspect of the game and to ensure that there is daylight between the tackler and the tackled player. In order to steal possession at the breakdown, a player must make a tackle, ensure that the referee sees him release his opponent, get up and then try and grab the ball. It’s not impossible but it’s become so much more difficult and as a result the role of the openside flanker has changed."

Melbourne Rebel Adam Freier writes in his Sydney Morning Herald column how he wants to see Australian fans shift their focus from the Wallabies to their Super Rugby teams to make the new competition as relevant as the AFL and the Premier League.

"Although the season is months away, there has already been a massive push for the next year's Super 15 competition. And so there should be. For rugby to be the premier sport in Australia, it needs to develop a competition that has sustainability and longevity.

"Fans need to embrace their Super clubs with the same fervour they have for the Wallabies. If you walk the streets of London, they all have allegiances to the national football team, but at the end they day, they support Liverpool or Arsenal.

"I'm a true believer in the Super rugby concept. It is like no other sporting competition and if done properly, the flow-on effect to our national team would be immense."

Martin Johnson is using technology to his advantage © Getty Images

Paul Ackford looks at the technological advances aiding Martin Johnson's England in The Sunday Telegraph

"Twenty years ago, when England players were undergoing an official early season fitness assessment, Mike Teague and Peter Winterbottom posted some remarkable results in the "bleep" test, a shuttle run between two fixed points designed to determine aerobic capacity.

"Everyone was staggered because, to be frank, the pair had enjoyed a good summer and were looking a touch porky. Later that night in the bar the secret behind their success was revealed.

"They had surreptitiously shifted the cones marking the zone a couple of feet closer together shortening the distance travelled. No can do anymore."

Wallabies scrum-half Luke Burgess falls victim to some ribbing from Waratahs team-mate Luke Burgess in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"The Waratahs already have one eye across the Tasman before next year's revised Super Rugby series, with teammates warning halfback Luke Burgess to watch out for a Sonny Bill Williams revenge mission when NSW meet the Crusaders in round three in New Zealand.

"SANZAR unveiled the new Super Rugby conference format and draw in Sydney on Monday, and it's the Waratahs who will be the first Australian side to face the former NRL enforcer and Toulon inside-centre.

"Williams has been impressive in New Zealand's domestic rugby championship after an injury-delayed start, and the Waratahs' Tom Carter labelled his likely match-up against the 108-kilogram former Bulldogs star as ''scary''."

Gregor Paul wonders about the Wallabies' capacity to cause an upset at next year's Rugby World Cup in The New Zealand Herald.

"There's a growing wariness about the Wallabies and the potential threat they will pose this time next year.

"So what if they have lost 10 in a row to the All Blacks - does anyone really trust them not to lose another two and then beat New Zealand at next year's World Cup?

"It would be so typically Australian to win when they have to - to rip out the All Blacks' heart then dance on it. This is the Wallabies, the masters at pressure football; the sort of cunning foxes who really would deliberately bumble their way through three-and-a-half years just to keep their true World Cup credentials a surprise."

Mike Ruddock has licked his wounds and is ready to inspire Ireland's youth, according to Brendan Fanning in The Sunday Independent.

"Mike Ruddock likes to tell a story about preparing for the unexpected. It dates back to 2005, his first season in charge of Wales and a campaign that would end spectacularly with them winning their first Grand Slam since 1978.

"The scene was the Stadio Flaminio in Rome, Wales' second game in the tournament. Already passions were running high back home for they had beaten England first up in Cardiff with the last kick of the game. And while they had been humbled in Rome two years previously, great things were expected. Sure enough, in the first half they rode out a storm and were looking good for two from two.

"Ruddock hopped out of his seat just before the break and skipped down the steps to be in the changing room when the team came in. En route he was struck by how smart and impressive the Italian police looked, with their perfectly creased uniforms and super shiny buckles and boots. He nodded to two of them guarding the doors at the end of the stairwell. They nodded back, and opened the doors for him. He stepped through them. And into the street."

Michael Aylwin discusses the importance of No.8 Nick Easter to England's masterplan in The Observer.

"If only we could be there to watch as Martin Johnson sucks on his pencil in the build-up to England's first international of the autumn against New Zealand in seven weeks. It might put a dampener on many an animated debate down the pub, but at least we could see for ourselves who the first name on his teamsheet is.

"A tenner says it will be Nick Easter. For a start, he is the only No.8 named in the senior elite player squad released by England this summer. Teams need their No.8s, what with their being the numerical, physical and often spiritual centre of a side. If there is only one of them in your squad the chances are his name will be written down first in the middle of the page, and that the rest of the sheet will be filled out from there.

"Either way, Easter is one of England's most vital points of reference as they approach the autumn internationals, their last chance to have a pop at the southern hemisphere big boys before the World Cup. Which is quite an achievement, given that he first played in the Premiership only six years ago and made his England debut three years later."

Exeter Chiefs announced their arrival in the big time with a shock win over Gloucester at Sandy Park © Getty Images

The Guardian's rugby columnist Shaun Edwards has been impressed by the way in which newly-promoted Exeter Chiefs have gone about adapting to life in the top flight.

"Exeter, like Blackpool in football's Premier League, are showing that when you get promoted to the big time you do not need to lavish huge sums of money on players to have a chance of survival.

"I was very impressed with Exeter at Leicester. They not only led for long periods of the game - succumbing in the end to the scrummaging power of the Tigers who have a big advantage in that area with props such as Marcos Ayerza, plus Martin Castrogiovanni on the bench - but showed impressive tactical knowledge.

"What you tend to get from promoted sides in their opening matches in the Premiership is a passion and adrenaline bath, their players flying into everything. That is not the case with Exeter, who showed in their opening victory over Bath that they are a well prepared side who are not fuelled by emotion. They may be largely made up of uncapped players but they are collectively strong."

In his weekly column in The Independent, Brian Ashton argues that there is a fundamental problem with the way in which children are coached at grassroots level in England.

"Once again, I was riveted by the dynamism of southern hemisphere rugby as the All Blacks and the Wallabies ran down the curtain on this year's Tri-Nations Championship.

"Last weekend's game in Sydney was not as high-scoring an affair as some of those we've seen in recent weeks and it seemed to me that there were more errors, but there was still an enormous amount to admire, particularly from a New Zealand side who were outplayed for 50 minutes yet still believed - correctly, as it happened - that if they stuck to their road map, they would find a way of reaching their destination. As rugby journeys go, the All Blacks' version is rarely less than exhilarating.

"This depth of belief, which manifests itself in a determination to play from anywhere on the field while keeping the tempo high and maintaining the highest level of physicality, reminds me of the great England side that flowered in the early 2000s. Looking back, we coaches had a very special group of players at our disposal, and this raises a fundamental question about success at the very top level: is it an accident of birth? When you think of the "big beasts" at the heart of that team, from the Johnsons and Dallaglios and Hills up front to the Dawsons and Greenwoods and Robinsons outside the scrum, it is fair to suggest that we'll be very lucky to see such a concentration of fully developed talent again. And if that is the case, what is to be done?"

Saturday night's clash between Munster and Ospreys at Thomond Park represents Alan Quinlan's 200th appearance for the province, writes Gerry Thornley of the Irish Times.

"Akin to the even more low-key John Hayes, the other old-timer in the Munster squad, Alan Quinlan, doesn’t like too much of a fuss being made of him. Unlike the Bull, however, the Mighty Quinny tends to attract attention. That’s been his way, and this evening there’ll be no avoiding it.

"Tonight, fittingly at Thomond Park, marks his 200th game for Munster. Quite a landmark. The boy from Clanwilliam done well. He’s had his tough times. He’s had more than his share of injuries. He’s occasionally fought the law too and, of course, the law has won. But that’s been his way too.

"He’s a total one-off; a throwback to the last days of the amateur era, a product of junior club rugby in Tipperary and Shannon’s peerless talent identification and player development. You could never pigeon-hole Quinlan. Aside from the lineout dexterity, the tackling and ball-carrying, he’s an innate footballer, who reads the game, comes up with the big plays – be it a quick tap, a well-timed pick-and-go, a catch as an auxiliary fullback or even a kick ahead - that influences games."

Fly-half Aaron Cruden fires a pass away during training with the All Blacks © Getty Images

Writing on Rugby Heaven, Marc Hinton wonders if Aaron Cruden is worthy of a place in the All Blacks squad for their end-of-season tour.

"The All Blacks selectors have a big call to make over the next month or so. Are they prepared to carry a player who is so flawed in the core tasks of his role?

"That's essentially what it comes down to in the case of Manawatu youngster Aaron Cruden who spent all season playing understudy to Dan Carter then fluffed his lines when he got his chance on centre stage in Sydney.

"It's harsh to pass sweeping judgment on the rookie five-eighth on the strength of one test - his first start to boot - when, frankly, the entire team didn't really measure up until the final quarter.

"And it was notable in the aftermath of New Zealand's 23-22 thriller to bring the curtain down on the first "perfect" six-game Tri-Nations campaign that the coaches steadfastly refused to condemn Cruden for a poor tactical and kicking game. Instead they chose to largely focus on the positives, which could be a pointer to their mindset around the gifted - but imperfect - No 10."

Dylan Cleaver of the New Zealand Herald takes a look back at this year's Tri-Nations and dishes out some awards.

"Captain Courageous, his slimline teammate - and the odd incendiary comment. It had it all.

"Best player: No prizes for guessing this one - Richie McCaw. The next four in line would have been All Blacks as well, with Kieran Read, Brad Thorn and Keven Mealamu all outstanding. Wallaby David Pocock was the closest foreigner, though he blotted his copybook with an ordinary night in Sydney.

"Surprise package: Looking like something out of a Jenny Craig commercial, Piri Weepu wasn't just thinner, he looked a different player. Snappy and direct, he also hoofed over kicks when required."

In his weekly column on The Guardian website, Paul Rees argues that the newly-promoted Exeter Chiefs highlight the way forward for Bristol, whose demise, he believes, is a symptom of professional sport.

"Exeter have made a notable start to their first campaign in the Premiership, defeating Gloucester at home and leading for much of the game at Leicester, but for every success in sport there is a casualty.

"While the Chiefs entertain Newcastle on Saturday, in a game that will provide a different test because they will not be going into it as underdogs, the team they pipped for promotion last season in a two-legged play-off final, Bristol, will be travelling to Moseley looking for their first victory of the season after three defeats, two at home.

"Bristol's failure to get back into the Premiership at the first attempt last season cost them. No longer inflated by a parachute payment, they lost a number of players and the rest had to take a pay cut."

Looking ahead to Saturday's clash with Treviso, Johnny Watterson of the Irish Times talks to Leinster's tight-head saviour, 31-year-old amateur Ballymena prop Simon Shawe.

"Former Southampton football manager Graeme Souness once received a call purporting to be from footballing great George Weah saying a player called Ali Dia was his cousin, had played for French team Paris Saint-Germain and won 13 caps for Senegal. The Scot decided to sign him on a one-month contract despite never having seen him play.

"Dia came on as a substitute against Leeds in a 1996 Premier League match and was described as looking like “Bambi on ice”. He finally ended up at the top of the list of worst footballers of all-time.

"Desperate times mean desperate measures and when coach Joe Schmidt found himself down to the last tighthead prop standing after Stan Wright tore his Achilles tendon and was sidelined for six months, the Leinster boss was forced into doing a Souness. He didn’t have far to look.

"Thankfully Simon Shawe, the 31-year-old amateur Ballymena prop, turned out to be more than the student hoax Souness fell for and as Leinster face into their third Magners League match of the season tomorrow in Italy, Shawe may have otherwise been contemplating Ballymena’s first fixture of the year next month in Towns Park against Midleton in Division Two of the All Ireland League. His remarkable re-entry into professional rugby after four years as an amateur has been pretty surreal."

James Haskell is confident of reclaiming his regular starting berth in the England team this season © Getty Images

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Stade Francais back-row James Haskell talks about the way in which he divides opinions, his newfound status as a gay icon and his determination to re-establish himself in Martin Johnson's starting line-up.

"A recent online article about a member of the England back-room staff provoked one of those opinionated responses that the internet tends to nourish. 'I can sum up what is wrong with English rugby in two words,' the contributor wrote. 'James Haskell.'

"The fact that James Haskell, who was not even mentioned in the aforementioned piece, can tell the story against himself does not diminish the hurt which most people feel when the object of criticism or, worse, vilification.

"'I thought, "oh my God",' Haskell recalls. 'But then it is not uncommon for people who don't know me but have a perception to hate me with a venom. If I cared one bit, I would go and top myself.'

"He cares all right. Haskell is England's marmite: his 8,000-plus Twitter followers form part of the fan club; on the other side of the toast are spread the rugby traditionalists who recoil from all the Brand Haskell stuff, the personal sponsorships, the Facebook page, the website, the naked photoshoots, the blogs, the podcasts and the tweets.

"There are two sides to Haskell. Behind the loud, brash, gauche, self-absorbed, preening self-publicist is an extremely likeable loud, brash, gauche, self-absorbed, preening self-publicist.

As the row over the Irish Rugby Football Union's ticket pricing for the upcoming autum internationals rumbles on, the Irish Independent canvasses the opinions of a number of figures from the lower levels of the domestic game.

"JOHN COOKE (Committee member at Connacht Junior club Monivea RFC):

"'They've lost the run of themselves because it's not just the price of the tickets, it's the burger and the pint and everything else that goes with travelling to Dublin for a match. It's just gone bananas. There's not many can afford that these days and €40 quid for a schoolboy ticket is madness, I remember not that long ago getting sent schoolboy tickets for €5.....

"'The regular guy will be left out because he will be priced out of the market. The guy on 60 grand a year can afford that lifestyle but the ordinary guy can't. I mean look at our club, there's guys desperate for work, labourers, tradesmen, who can't find anything. The pub trade is our village is nearly gone because no one can afford to go out, and it's not just Monivea. Look, it may be fine for the better-off rugby follower, and maybe that's who it's aimed at, but there won't be many from Monivea heading across in November.'"

The Reds' Will Genia and the Waratahs' Phil Waugh chat to the media at the Super Rugby launch © Getty Images

Head-to-head rivalries should escalate between Australian players as they battle for World Cup selection during an increased schedule of local derby games in the new-look Super Rugby competition next year, according to the Sydney Morning Herald's Rupert Guinness.

"In the 15-team tournament, the number of derbies will increase from six to 20 games for each of the three Australian, New Zealand and South African conferences. Teams will play the four other sides in their conferences twice for eight of 16 games.

"The other eight games will be against four of five sides in the two other conferences before playing a six-team finals series.

"Match intensity always increases in derbies but it will be even greater with teams playing each other twice - especially in a World Cup year when the scrutiny of the selectors will be highest.

''The players like matching up against players who they think are placed for higher honours,'' ARU high-performance director and selector David Nucifora said yesterday. ''The fact we are going to get 20 [derbies] rather than six is great. Everyone is a winner. There is more opportunity for them to match up and compete and that can only be a good thing."

The Australian Rugby Union is on the hunt for a back-up coach for Robbie Deans on the Wallabies' coming tour of Hong Kong and Europe. The Sydney Morning Herald's Greg Growden reports.

"Wallabies assistant coach Richard Graham has decided not to travel with the national team next month after having taken up Western Force's head coaching post.

"Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill said at the launch of the Super Rugby season yesterday that he would meet Deans and ARU high performance manager David Nucifora within the next week to find Graham's replacement. A decision will be made at the next ARU board meeting on September 24.

"Deans admitted at the weekend there were difficulties in filling Graham's position because at this late stage of the season most coaches had been signed.

"One alternative, which is understood to have support, is to coax Nucifora into more of a hands-on role with the Wallabies. Although a Test selector, the former ACT Brumbies and Auckland Blues Super 14 coach has regularly kept his distance from the team. He has been involved in coaching the Australian under-20 team."

This weekend should mark the return of the remaining Irish frontliners from delayed pre-seasons, the Irish Times' Gerry Thornley writes.

"Even Andrew Trimble is set to make an earlier return from injury than expected and is included in the Ulster squad to entertain Edinburgh this weekend, and although Leinster have not named a squad for their trip to Treviso, the likelihood is that Rob Kearney and Gordon D’Arcy will be involved.

"The Leinster management are also “optimistic” that the four players who picked up knocks before or during the win over Cardiff – Shane Horgan (back), Shane Jennings (foot), Jonathan Sexton (quad) and Fergus McFadden (cut head) – will be available for the trip to Italy. As with Ulster last week though, they may take the view that the sheer length of the Italian trips may make them opportune games for some to have their requisite rests.

"In addition, some of those involved in the Leinster A defeat to Munster last Sunday may come into the mix, as might possibly Rhys Ruddock after a dual load last summer of Under-20 World Cup and a late replacement on the Irish tour to New Zealand and Australia."

Writing in the Irish Independent, Tony Ward reflects on the start of the new Magners League season.

"Competition for Declan Kidney's back three going into the November series will be hotting up in the coming weeks but with the versatile Fionn Carr taking up where he finished off last May, there's no reason why he should not be in the frame for selection in the autumn internationals. He's in there alongside Ian Dowling and Johne Murphy banging on the door.

"Granted, Kidney is spoilt for choice, with Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe, Luke Fitzgerald and, when back to full fitness, Keith Earls and Andrew Trimble all pushing for that call, but when such obvious potential is being matched by consistency in form, the case for Carr will surely be there."

The likely absence of Butch James could open the door to a Springbok return for Peter Grant at flyhalf on the Grand Slam tour according to Sport24's Rob Houwing.

"Precocious Absa Currie Cup talents Elton Jantjies and Patrick Lambie ought to be strongly in the running for squad selection if their current sparkling form continues, but the Bok brains trust will presumably want either (or both) of them to be accompanied by a much more senior figure in the key position as well.

"Playing your rugby on the generally much faster, harder and drier pitches of South Africa – especially after such a mild winter here -- is very different to negotiating the heavier turf, howling winds and sometimes driving rain of the northern hemisphere in November and December, where more of a grinding “percentages” game can be the route to success.

"And a player as well-equipped as James to operate in such an environment is the Stormers flyhalf Peter Grant, given the 2010 Currie Cup off by his Newlands-based chief employers as he samples a stint for Kobe in Japan."

Scotland will make history in the World Cup next year irrespective of results when they help to launch a new 'greenhouse' stadium. The Scotsman's David Ferguson writes.

"Andy Robinson's squad will begin the 2011 tournament in New Zealand against either Romania or Uruguay - who play off for the final tournament spot in November - in the southern-most point of Invercargill, on Friday 10 September. However, when they pitch up in Dunedin to face Georgia, now coached by former Scotland coach Richie Dixon, on Wednesday 14 September the two nations will become the first to play an international rugby match in a fully enclosed stadium.

"Many teams have played in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium with its retractable roof closed, including Scotland, but the Otago venue being built to replace Dunedin's famous Carisbrook ground will have a clear roof with new technology that lets sunlight in but cannot be opened."

Teams should be able to respond to this challenge as they see fit © Getty Images

Gregor Paul argues that teams should be able to respond to the haka in whatever way they choose at next year's World Cup, writing in The New Zealand Herald.

"All teams facing the haka and other pre-match challenges next year will not be allowed to encroach closer than 10 metres. If they do, as the Wallaroos discovered at the recent Women's Worlds Cup, they will be fined. Absolute tosh. Teams should be free to receive the haka how they like.

"If they want to stand on halfway, or slowly advance, or turn their backs, or return to the changing rooms while it's going on, then let them. The haka is a welcome and established part of test rugby. Most players who have faced it say they loved it and in truth it often feels as if opponents get more out if it than the All Blacks. Long may it continue. But the world should not be forced into some kind of cultural servitude. To dictate how teams must behave affords the All Blacks reverential status, as if they are the only nation with any ingrained heritage or meaningful tradition.

"It also removes the prospect of unexpected drama. Who could forget the way the boggle-eyed Willie Anderson angrily advanced his Irish side into the All Blacks' faces in 1989? Anderson and Shelford ending up nose to nose - unforgettable; brilliant. England's Richard Cockerill did much the same in 1998, impeding Norm Hewitt to spark a rivalry that ended in those two scrapping in the back of a taxi later that night."

The Guardian's Robert Kitson applauds the RFU's decision to promote young referees quickly, but argues that they need more support in the fast paced environs of Premiership rugby.

"No wonder Ed Morrison, the RFU's elite refereeing manager, say he is instructing his officials only to blow for "clear and obvious" misdemeanours. It is a variation on the old journo maxim - "If in doubt, leave it out" - but is also a tacit admission that referees simply cannot spot all the simultaneous crimes being committed in top-level games. Even if the officials are up with the pace, someone will have a hand or foot where, technically, it should not be. Pushing the letter of the laws has been a part of rugby union since William Webb Ellis's day and will always remain so.

"The only snag with Morrison's otherwise sensible edict is that you cannot be half pregnant. Either a player has knocked the ball on or he hasn't. Either a pass is forward (or at least flat) or it isn't. Games are being won by hairline margins, affecting people's livelihoods, and it is the referee's tough job to make those correct calls. Of course it is a difficult task which very few of us are equipped to handle, mentally or physically. But, somehow or other, someone has to help the poor old (or young) referee make better decisions on a more consistent basis. They need a metaphorical hug or, failing that, a few more mates to assist them."

The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley has been watching the Tri-Nations from afar and he has been impressed with what he has seen.

"As well as making sharper decisions about tackling low or smothering the ball, counter-rucking or filling a defensive line, every All Black has to be prepared to stand in at scrumhalf, first receiver or anywhere else in an attacking line. It helps too when every player from one to 15 can take and give a pass, or even break a defensive line with footwork such as Keven Mealamu’s or handling like Brad Thorn’s. Where John Hart, John Mitchell were run out of town for World Cup “failures”, Henry and co were given a second four-year cycle and interestingly, the word rotation has been removed from the All Blacks’ lexicon. You wonder how long more the phenomenal Thorn, Mealamu and their other veterans can keep going, and those of a more pessimistic bent in New Zealand will fear they may have peaked too soon again.

"An ageing South Africa appear to have peaked two years too early, but no less than the over-reaction in the New Zealand media to the All Blacks’ losing three times to the Springboks in 2009 (two away, and one a thriller at home) the Boks were always unlikely to repeat those feats. Why? Because in the expanded nine-match itinerary, it was their turn to play two of three meetings with the All Blacks away from home. The Boks were also obliged to play those two first up, followed by a trek to Australia, and have had to do without the incomparable Fourie du Preez for the entire tournament, as well as Heinrich Brussow, Bismarck du Plessis and Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira, as well as being without Bakkies Botha and Juan Smith. In the circumstances, they unearthed some new talent, while Victor Matfield remained simply sensational."

Spiros Zavros believes New Zealand and Australia provided a template for how rugby should be played in Saturday's epic Test, writing in Rugby Heaven.

"Saturday night's epic Test between the Wallabies and the All Blacks was watched by 70,288 spectators, including several IRB heavyweights, the chairman Bernard Lapasset, vice-chairman Bill Beaumont, chief executive Mike Miller and the boss of the referees, Paddy O'Brien. What they and the vast roaring crowd saw was 21st century rugby at its best.

"The Test was everything the World Cup 2007 final between England and South Africa should have been, but was not. That final was a static match where both teams played for field position and penalties. On Saturday night, the ball was in play for long periods, with the All Blacks five times establishing seven phases of play, and the Wallabies once. There were only 33 kicks, and many of them had a scoring intent. There were five scrum resets, 14 lineouts, and 27 turnovers (12 to the Wallabies, 15 to the All Blacks). There was a thrilling unpredictability about the play, which is the glory of rugby.

"Australia and New Zealand have led the way (remember the ELVs?) to write a set of laws and a way of interpreting them that allowed for the thrilling spectacle at ANZ Stadium. For years, forces in the IRB resisted these efforts. There is some justice, therefore, that the Wallabies (No.2 in the rankings) and the All Blacks (No.1) lead the world in running rugby."

Out in front: The All Blacks celebrate victory © Getty Images

Brian Moore believes that the difference in quality between the northern and southern hemispheres was again apparent this weekend in The Daily Telegraph.

"What the Tri-Nations has again shown is that the northern hemisphere, in terms of pace, basic skills and rugby nous, is a step behind. The reasons for the shortfall in England were apparent over the Aviva Premiership games.

"Leicester and Wasps, hitherto the best exponents of English clubs that can play with momentum, are both struggling. They will get better, but the habitual dynamism is largely absent. Though Exeter Chiefs deserve credit for spirited effort, the Leicester coach Richard Cockerill knows that his side’s failure to play on the front foot was partially responsible for the liberties taken by Exeter.

"As for Gloucester; they won and that is about all you can say. The Bath v London Irish game was strewn with negative defence and the refusal of both sides to heed any of the breakdown laws. Those complaining of a whistle-happy referee should look to their own side and ask whether they have read the law book recently."

Hugh Farrelly reviews a difficult game for Leinster coach Joe Schmidt and a big performance from prop Mike Ross in The Irish Independent.

"After his successful stint as Clermont assistant coach, Joe Schmidt's arrival as Leinster's main man came with the 'French revolution' tag attached and, after 70 minutes of the Magners League clash with the Cardiff Blues at the RDS on Saturday night, the New Zealander had guillotines on his mind.

"Winless in pre-season and having let victory slip away to Glasgow the previous weekend, Leinster found themselves 23-20 behind to the Blues with 10 minutes left, having squandered a 20-6 lead.

"To add to the anxiety, the continuing complication of international player controls and a warm-up injury to out-half Jonathan Sexton meant Leinster's depth was being severely tested again, with Dominic Ryan, Ian Madigan, Fergus McFadden, Eoin O'Malley and David Kearney all on the park for the end-game."

Greg Growden hopes that former Springbok Braam Van Straaten can cure Matt Giteau's kicking ills in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"Braam van Straaten is heading to Sydney to help the Wallabies' goalkickers - and the arrival of the former Springboks kicking ace cannot come quick enough.

"Goalkicking has become a pressing issue for the Wallabies, in particular Matt Giteau's hot and cold days with the boot. When he is hot - and that is often - Giteau is as accurate as any goalkicker in international rugby, as shown on the South African highveld where he was successful with all his 10 shots at goal.

"But when he is not, the consequences can be dire. Such was the case on Saturday night, when he missed four of seven shots - which could have netted the Wallabies 10 crucial points - from failed conversion and penalty goal attempts. Any of those kicks would have given the Wallabies more breathing space in the final 15 minutes, when the All Blacks picked up their act to sneak home."

Wynne Gray reviews a nervous starting Test for All Blacks fly-half Aaron Cruden in The New Zealand Herald.

"His father and grandfather were in the grandstand, his left ankle hurt and he had almost doubled the playing minutes in his All Black test career.

It was that sort of mixed night for Aaron Cruden, he was unsure whether to be happy or introspective after the All Blacks somehow grabbed a 23-22 win against the Wallabies in Sydney.

"Cruden and Piri Weepu were the new Nos 9-10 combo for the visitors in a Hurricanes-laden backline. That selection formation was to ease Cruden through his first test start after five brief appearances from the bench."

Wallaby flanker David Pocock puts in yet another big hit, this time on South Africa's Schalk Burger © Getty Images

In his column in the Sydney Morning Herald, Adam Freier offers a positive outlook on Australia's current standing ahead of next year's World Cup.

"The Tri Nations competition has been unusually lopsided this year, with the All Blacks wrapping up the tournament three weeks ago, but which is the really healthiest rugby nation leading into next year's World Cup?

"I know it's a hard sell, and we sell it often, but the Wallabies have rebuilt a very competitive team, and the fans are now demanding to see them produce consistent results. For the frustrated fan it's been a long time coming.

"Australia's standing - the world's No.2 side - is is fair reflection of where they are in the mix, but I cannot wait to see some of these young players in a year's time.

"I have always said George Smith is one the greatest I have ever seen or played with but David Pocock is starting to close the gap, very quickly. The 22-year-old has been simply outstanding this year. I have never seen a player with a motor like his."

Writing in the New Zealand Morning Herald, former All Blacks skipper Sean Fitzpatrick hails the significance of his compatriots' Tri-Nations victory over Australia in Sydney on Saturday.

"There was a huge anticipation in the lead-up to this match about how the All Blacks would go but they came through brilliantly.

"I'm not sure they would have won a game like this 12 months ago. But there's a real belief about this side and they came out on top despite the absence of Daniel Carter and despite the number of changes made to what had been a settled side.

"They struggled at times to overcome those changes in combinations but they never wavered in their belief. They have a great leadership team, not only with Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina but also with Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith. That has allowed players such as Keiran Read, my man of the Tri Nations, to flourish.

"It's looking very, very good for the future."

Week two of a new season and Paul Ackford of the Sunday Telegraph claims that there is already there is disquiet over the standard of officiating.

"Last week Ed Morrison, the Rugby Football Union's Head of Elite Referee Development, had the good grace to admit that a decision by Andrew Small to show a yellow card to Alex Goode when London Irish clashed with Saracens - a decision Saracens' director of rugby Brendan Venter believed cost his side the match - was "wrong".

"Two hundred-odd miles from Twickenham, in the fixture at Sandy Park between Exeter and Gloucester, there were at least three forward passes in the opening 10 minutes which were all missed by referee Rob Debney and his two mates.

"Small beer? Not at all. If these were isolated errors then no worries, but the Tri-Nations has also thrown up a number of occasions where officials have come in for criticism. Early on in that competition All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith expressed doubts over whether referees were fit enough for the modern game, repeating a misgiving he raised a year ago when he wondered whether two referees should control Test matches.''

Ex-Ulster out-half Gareth Steenson has made quite an impression at Exeter, says Brendan Fanning of the Sunday Independent.

"Gareth Steenson doesn't reel off the time and the date but he has a fairly clear recollection of the day five years ago when he was called into the office in Ravenhill and asked to hand back his keys to the executive washroom.

"The problem was of course that he had never seen them, let alone held them in his hands. Having been picked up by Ulster for their Academy three years previously, the 21-year-old out-half from Armagh had never got close to leapfrogging David Humphreys, Paddy Wallace or Adam Larkin -- all of whom were in that queue ahead of him. Hardly surprising. It was suggested that he might look elsewhere.

"He did. And now, as a more travelled 26-year-old, he has worked himself into a position where his prime footballing years are beginning to unfold, just as he is setting foot in England's Premiership.''

Austrailan Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill, Wallabies fly-half Quade Cooper and coach Robbie Deans pose following the announcement of Cooper's decision to re-sign with the ARU © Getty Images

After his decision to commit his playing future to the 15-man code, Australia's Quade Cooper talks to Sydney Morning Herald.

"''I did feel a bit undervalued at the start, especially with the offers from league,'' Cooper says. ''They were very flattering so that was what made me get very serious about switching codes. I was very serious about league and it was a very serious offer that Parramatta put in front of me. There were some good financial opportunities there. When you have those sort of people knocking on your door it would be rude not to acknowledge them and take them seriously. It would be very silly and arrogant of me not to look into that as best I could. I guess the thing about playing rugby league is that it does offer another challenge; I haven't had the opportunity to play at the top level in rugby league so I was definitely fair dinkum about it and looking into that offer as best I could. At the end of the day, I enjoy playing both league and union so I guess I was in a win-win situation.''

"Coincidentally, the Wallabies have the man the All Blacks believe can be the X-factor in their World Cup campaign, Sonny Bill Williams, to thank for helping to convince Cooper to stay in rugby until the World Cup. ''Sonny Bill is a guy who I deeply respect, and to get an opinion from someone like that, who has played and done well at three sports, is huge,'' Cooper says. ''The advice I got out of him was that playing in front of 5.1 billion people who would be watching over the period of the World Cup is something I might never get again.''

Gloucester wing James-Simpson Daniel touches down in last weekend's defeat by Exeter © Getty Images

Gloucester winger James Simpson-Daniel tells The Guardian that he will do all he can to force his way into Martin Johnson's World Cup squad.

"Should James Simpson-Daniel regain his England place between now and next year's World Cup the credit will not be his alone. He already acknowledges a debt to his wife, Lucy, who is forced to cope with "the grump" on her sofa if the afternoon's game has gone badly. The couple's month-old baby son, George, has also helped him to develop a sense of perspective during the long, nervous wait for Saturday to come. Last, and clearly not least, he will owe the Guardian a beer for persuading him, starting today, to ditch the ill-fated superstition he has clung to since he was a schoolboy.

"It has been a compulsion for 12 years, long enough for the threadbare sole and heel to have shredded completely, but Simpson-Daniel has finally cracked. Against Leeds at Kingsholm his fond ritual of wearing a single navy blue Adidas stocking under his match socks will be quietly abandoned. It is not before time. He has won 10 caps for England but knows it could have been 50-odd. Who else but the endearing "Sinbad" would still reach for a "lucky" sock having suffered more untimely set-backs than any player of his generation?''

Leinster's new boss Joe Schmidt talks to the Irish Times about his coaching philosophy.

"Even before his identity was revealed you feared a little for Michael Cheika’s successor. Five years of steadily developing talent, shrewd signings, changing the culture and delivering them to the Promised Land of a first Heineken Cup. Follow that.

"About the only break Cheika’s successor has enjoyed is that Leinster didn’t add more silverware last season. Even so, Leinster’s stellar internationals were always going to be managed primarily with Test rugby and the World Cup in mind this season, after which the new man would most likely have to oversee a transition to a new generation.

"For all the talk about Cheika empowering players, and he may have been a marginally more benign dictator as the years evolved, that was only because he had helped to establish a more ruthless culture amongst a slightly underachieving squad. And as with Kidney and Ireland, or any other successful team environment, there can be only one boss.

"Cue Joe Schmidt.''

Writing in the Irish Independent, former Ireland fly-half Tony Ward attacks the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) over their ticket pricing policy for the Aviva Stadium.

"Whatever criticisms can be levelled at the IRFU, underselling its product is most certainly not one. Few if any sporting bodies have taken to professional sport as well as the governing organisation of the oval code here have done.

"There have been casualties, not least at club level, but in overall terms what we have is an extremely efficient game administered by an extremely efficient organisation.

"The new Lansdowne Road/Aviva Stadium - call it what you will - bears testimony to the foresight and efficiency of the IRFU. That said, they are still capable of the occasional howler. The decision to hike up ticket prices at a time when the country is on its economic knees smacks of arrogance and insensitivity in the extreme.''

Writing in The Independent, former England coach Brian Ashton hails the rugby being played by the Wallabies.

"They are playing a challenging brand of rugby that is confrontational in all the right ways: quick-thinking, ambitious, unfailingly positive. Judging by the number of quick throws they take, they must spend less time practising line-outs than anyone in the international game. As for their scrum, the subject of much derisive comment when England toured down there in June... well, it has improved out of all recognition in the space of a few weeks. Benn Robinson's return at loose-head prop has made a big difference, and with the hooker Stephen Moore back in business alongside him, they are far more combative in this department.

"Together with the lock Mark Chisholm, these individuals have brought a different level of physicality to the Wallaby act up front. They were certainly prepared to mix it with the Boks in the loose – never the easiest way of spending an afternoon – and with two or three key forwards still working through their rehabilitation after serious injury, there is surely more to come."

Australia have been told to respect the haka © Getty Images

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Wallabies have been warned that disrespecting the All Blacks' haka could result in a fine from the International Rugby Board.

"The ARU was recently forced to pay a £1000 ($1677) fine to Rugby World Cup Limited after the Wallaroos, Australia's women's rugby team, advanced on the Black Ferns mid-haka before their World Cup pool match in England last month.

"Shortly after the match, won by New Zealand 32-5, the ARU received a letter from the Women's World Cup tournament director, based at the IRB headquarters in Dublin, explaining that the conduct of the Wallaroos was in breach of tournament rules.

"The Australian women were found guilty of moving several metres towards the haka. IRB tournament rules dictated that the team facing the haka must stay at least 10 metres on its own side of the halfway line, but the Wallaroos made the mistake of walking beyond that line.

"There was also a warning that if the fine wasn't paid, or if there were any repetition of such behaviour while the haka was being conducted, the ARU was liable to find itself at the centre of a misconduct case.

"The Herald understands that there is no reference in the SANZAR tournament laws to player behaviour during the haka, but the warning is clear that in future IRB tournaments, such as next year's World Cup in New Zealand, the haka must be treated with respect."

The Sydney Morning Herald has Australia coach Robbie Deans quoted as saying he is in no doubt taht Richie McCaw is the greatest modern skipper in All Blacks history.

""He's clearly grown into a very effective leader," Deans told reporters on Friday.

"You look at his performance, his performance stats, which obviously aren't attributable solely to Richie but he's a big part of that, he's without peer."

www.sportbusiness.com says that the addition of Argentina to rugby union's Tri Nations competition from 2012 is set to increase the value of the tournament to $213.1 million.

"According to a study commissioned by MasterCard to the Centre for the International Business of Sport (CIBS), the 2010 edition will contribute $174.3 million to the sport and leisure economy across the Southern Hemisphere.

"Sydney will benefit from the largest single impact, from hosting Australia-New Zealand, pocketing $28 million, ahead of Johannesburg and Christchurch, with $19.6 million and $12 million respectively.

“The MasterCard study highlights that Rugby is clearly booming and providing a considerable economic boost to the Southern Hemisphere,” said Dr. Anna Semens, research fellow at CIBS and MasterCard’s advisor on the business of rugby."

Say Cheese: Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom and his All Black counterpart Richie McCaw © Getty Images

The Bledisloe Cup should not be treated as a marketing tool according to Toby Robson in The Dominion Post.

"By all accounts the ball has been a hit with tourists and a great advertisement for New Zealand, but the players looked uncomfortable and awkward as they were wheeled out and sacrificed at the altar of the marketing gods.

"Which brings us to the fact that less than 10,000 tickets have been sold to the All Blacks-Wallabies test scheduled for Hong Kong next month.

"Should the New Zealand Rugby Union really be surprised? Who would want to see these two sides play each other for the fourth time in a calendar year? Fans in Hong Kong – let's face it, we are talking about expat Kiwis and Ockers – are sending a message most Kiwis endorse."

Greg Growden talks to several of the surviving members of the 1963 Wallabies side that won on the high veldt following last weekend's Bloemfontein thriller in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"The Wallabies yesterday celebrated last weekend's historic win on the South African highveld with members of the previous Australian team to achieve that feat.

"Many players from the 1963 Wallabies team that defeated the Springboks 11-9 in Johannesburg attended a function at the SFS yesterday where a bronze of Wallabies halfback Ken Catchpole, who played in the 1963 Test, was unveiled.

As the past Wallabies admired the statue, on the walkway to the SFS main entrance near sculptures of Trevor Allan, Reg Gasnier and Dally Messenger, they congratulated today's Wallabies, who also attended the function. It was a special moment, as the 1963 players had been waiting too long for a team to emulate their triumph, which followed their 9-5 win in Cape Town."

Wynne Gray wonders if there's time for Sonny Bill Williams to become a Rugby World Cup bolter in The New Zealand Herald.

"Once they were referred to as the bolters but that selection element, certainly for World Cups, has shrunk in the world of professional rugby and increased test matches.

"Remember that first tournament way back in 1987 when raw Auckland loose forwards Michael Jones and Zinzan Brooke made the cut. Jones played test rugby for Manu Samoa 11 months before but that appearance did not prevent him being chosen for zone and national trials, then the All Blacks.

"His rise seemed inevitable although there were many who questioned his ruggedness, wondered whether he was promoted because of Auckland's superiority or if he was an appropriate choice anyway, because of his never-on-Sunday stance."

Paul Rees believes that South Africa will not be down for long after their dismal Tri-Nations campaign in The Guardian.

"No World Cup winner has successfully defended the trophy. South Africa looked equipped to do so before this year's Tri-Nations which saw the Springboks record one victory in their six matches to finish bottom of the table, a year after they won the tournament with five wins, including three over New Zealand.

"Peter de Villiers, the South Africa coach, is a man under pressure, but then he always has been. His appointment at the start of 2008 was seen by some as political, with the government determined that rugby followed a policy of transformation. Even when the Springboks were winning, his future was questioned.

"The South African Rugby Union will later this month conduct a review of the Tri-Nations. De Villiers's predecessor, Jake White, has offered to take over until the end of next year's World Cup, saying he would link up again with the former Australia coach, Eddie Jones, as he did before the 2007 World Cup. Jones, however, is contracted to Suntory in Japan and said he would not be available until next summer."

Can England make Twickenham a fortress again? © Getty Images

Mick Cleary outlines his thoughts on John Steele's responsibilities as chief executive of the RFU in The Daily Telegraph.

"The fact that scores of hospitality boxes are still available on long-term deals at Twickenham would not have aroused undue commercial jitters in John Steele, the new Rugby Football Union chief executive, as he took office for the first time on Monday morning.

"Steele knows that the union's finances are pretty robust in these difficult times. However, what should trouble the former Northampton fly-half and coach is that the suits are not clamouring for a guaranteed place at the Twickenham high table, fearful of missing out on top-quality action. Money is not an issue for the richest union in the world: its sporting credibility most certainly is."

After Jake White attempted to hasten the possible departure of Peter De Villiers from the Springbok hotseat, Brenden Nel defends the current Boks coach from a stab in the back on Supersport.

"When Jake White was still Springbok coach it wasn’t uncommon to hear his opponents and enemies refer to him as “Jake the Snake. This week, White made it undoubtedly clear that he wants the Springbok job back. But that’s no surprise. He made it abundantly clear last week, and a few weeks ago when the Boks lost in Auckland.

"It also isn’t different from the plea he made for his job back in 2008, when the Boks went through a similar bad spell. The constant thing about all these pleas is that White, who has done more self-publicity than anyone in rugby, is pushing himself for the job using the clever contacts he made in the media over the years.

"There is no doubt that there is a lot of frustration at the moment among the paying public at the performances of the Springboks. That alone - without adding in Peter de Villiers’ comments - has put enough pressure on the team a year ahead of the World Cup."

There's a quiet air of confidence around Munster following a hard-fought win over Aironi. The real season for Irish fans will begin at the Aviva Stadium as the two-time European champions face Leinster however, according to Hugh Farrelly in The Irish Independent.

"The competitive season has barely begun and, in terms of wider appeal, will not really kick in until Munster and Leinster meet in the redeveloped Lansdowne Road in little under a month's time.

"With the GAA championships still a going concern and the national soccer team plotting their path to the European Championships, it has been hard for the Magners League to command broad attention. However, after just one round of the expanded competition, anticipation is building towards that October 2 clash after a largely encouraging opening weekend for Irish rugby.

"Particularly in Munster. After last Saturday's well-constructed bonus-point victory over a dogged Aironi outfit in Cork, the analysis was upbeat among the various groups of supporters and old Munster warriors gathered around Musgrave Park -- although diluted somewhat by the perils of assuming too much, too soon."

Rupert Guinness talks to All Black fly-half Aaron Cruden about his first Test start and battle with cancer in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"Aaron Cruden will cut a small figure in the All Blacks line-up as they run onto the field at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night to play the Wallabies.

"Cruden, 21, the replacement at five-eighth for the sidelined Dan Carter, weighs 82 kilograms and is 178 centimetres. But All Blacks captain Richie McCaw is quick to remind you: ''He is not the biggest guy in the world but he is a gutsy tackler and will get in and make tackles.''

"McCaw's comment underlines Cruden's courage to battle against the odds and his ability to take on bigger players with ball in hand. And, on the way to his first starting cap for the All Blacks, Cruden has already overcome a foe mightier than he will meet on any field."

Peter De Villiers has continued to confound the media, but not so his assistants © Getty Images

Gavin Rich marvels at an outbreak of common sense at a Springbok press conference on Supersport.

"The lure of a mutton bunny chow and the chance to watch Robbie Deans do that thing where only the bottom part of his mouth moves when speaking saw me spend last week with the Wallabies in Durban, but my colleagues tell me there was a seismic event at a Springbok press conference.

"No, the reference is not to the “100% support” for Bees comment, but to a press conference last Thursday at which, by unanimous consent, there was an extremely rare outbreak of sensible and honest stuff spoken.

"It was probably not coincidental that it was also the first press conference this year that the two Springbok assistant coaches, Gary Gold and Dick Muir, have been allowed to come out and face media questioning. Which is a pity really, for those two guys seem to be under as much pressure from some sections of the media and public as head coach Peter de Villiers is, and yet they get so little opportunity to put their own points across."

After their Bloemfontein heroics, Spiro Zavos takes a look at Australia's 'Generation Y' in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"Some years ago the ABC televised the St Joseph's College first XV in one of their traditional GPS matches. A few minutes into the game my telephone rang. "How good is he!" my son shouted down the line.

"He" was Kurtley Beale. Beale threw magical short and long passes. He made breaks. He played with the confidence and flair of a youngster bound for glory. On Saturday night at Bloemfontein against the Springboks he converted that potential brilliance into the real thing. He was an outstanding runner when the Wallabies played their finest 38 minutes for ages in establishing a 31-6 lead. Towards the end of the Test, he made a series of blunders that allowed South Africa to consolidate their unlikely lead. But with time up he banged over a penalty from the halfway sideline, giving Australia their first win at altitude for 47 years.

"Chiefly responsible for the triumph was a new cohort of young Wallabies from Generation Y: David Pocock, Will Genia, Quade Cooper, James O'Connor and Beale. According to sociologists, this generation has "high expectations of their employers, seek out new challenges, are not afraid to question authority, value teamwork, seek the affirmation of others, crave attention and want to be included and involved''."

Robert Kitson ponders whether new RFU boss John Steele is in the right place at the right time in The Guardian.

"No chief executive of a major union has ever won a game of international rugby single-handed, although one or two would have you believe otherwise. It is a fact worth remembering as John Steele, the Rugby Football Union's new CEO, gets his feet under the desk at Twickenham this week. Having succeeded Francis Baron at the helm of the world's richest rugby nation it will, nevertheless, shortly fall to Steele to judge whether England's national team is set fair or whether a change of tack is worth considering.

"Steele, a well-organised fly-half in his playing days, is a thoroughly decent, level-headed bloke and may just prove the right man in the right job at the right time as far as the RFU is concerned. The union desperately needed someone with a rugby background and Steele, once of Northampton, London Scottish and the Army, has both played and coached at first-class level. His task is simple enough: to ensure England host a fine World Cup in 2015 and to help generate more on-field joy than there has been lately.

"Among other things, according to well-informed Twickenham sources, Steele will be looking at whether the atmosphere around the England squad has become too corporate and whether the players have become too isolated from the public. He will also, as part of his remit, be looking at whether the national team are thriving under the current regime. Martin Johnson and Rob Andrew, the RFU's elite rugby director, will have to answer to Steele, as well as the management board, if England fail to build on their summer victory in Sydney."

Tony Ward reviews Irish fortunes after round one of the Magners League in The Irish Independent.

"Home comforts proved decisive in an opening series of games which saw all six host sides register success as the revamped Magners League clicked into gear.

"If it is a sign of things to come, then it augurs well for the league, given the nature of the winning performances in Treviso and Galway, in particular. Glasgow and Ulster can take satisfaction, too, while newly-created Aironi provided enough evidence at Musgrave Park to suggest that a long overdue platform is finally being put in place for Italian rugby to kick on.

"From an Irish perspective, three wins from four represented the best percentage return of the four competing nations."

David Pocock got through plenty of work against South Africa © Getty Images

Wynne Gray is looking forward to David Pocock and Richie McCaw going head-to-head in Sydney on Saturday in The New Zealand Herald.

"About a year ago, David Pocock replaced the superb but tiring George Smith as the Wallabies' premier openside flanker.

"That ascension had only been a matter of when, once Pocock was nabbed five years ago by former All Black coach and looseforward John Mitchell for his Super 14 debut. Pocock is still only 22, but yesterday in Bloemfontein, he backed up his work from the week before with another stunning display in the Wallabies' edgy 41-39 victory.

"While most inspection would have been on Kurtley Beale's mishaps-to-messiah contribution in the second half, the Wallabies would have been buried without Pocock."

BBC Sport's Adrian Warner believes that bad behaviour by the crowd at the London Double Header is a warning for organisers of the 2012 Olympics.

"Olympic organisers have a big lesson to learn from some some chaotic crowd scenes which I experienced at Twickenham at the opening of the new domestic rugby season at the weekend.

"Having stopped people from taking drink cans into the stadium, presumably because they could be used as missiles, the bars still sold plastic bottles of coke and cider to spectators. Sounds harmless? Well, far from it when the bottles are flying into your face and landing on your children from a great height.

"In the second half of the Wasps-Harlequins game, the crowd got carried away with a Mexican wave and starting throwing anything they could find into the air; bottles, cups and cardboard beer glass holders."

Brian Moore takes a look at the difficulties facing players in a Rugby World Cup season in The Daily Telegraph.

"The players’ standard position is that they will concentrate on their club form because without this they do not even come into consideration for the national team. Like most truisms, the statement is simplistic and does not address the inherent problems facing many players as they attempt to board the plane for the land of the long white cloud.

"Even for players hitherto certain to be in Martin Johnson’s squad there is the problem of focus. England rugby players do not consider the club game to be the equal or better of an international match and the temptation to not focus properly week to week during a World Cup season is something they and their coaches, at both levels, need to address.

"Furthermore, depending on what selections are made around them, players can be faced with a dilemma not of their making but one which is, nevertheless, something they have to confront."

Peter Bills finds no problem with South Africa's heart - but a big one with their defence - in The Irish Independent.

"When the dust had settled on one of the greatest Test matches the old game had ever seen, some pertinent questions needed to be asked.

"Not whether there was still any spirit left in this defeated Springbok squad that has finished bottom of the Tri Nations table. That one was answered in bucket-loads as the Boks turned around a ruinous 31-6 deficit to lead 36-31 with minutes left.

"Only personal pride and a deep well of belief would drag a team out of that particular pit into a position to win a game. That they failed to seal the deal, when they were still in front, had possession and were less than 40 seconds from the final whistle, shattered the South Africans."

Bath prop David Flatman offers more views from the coal face in his latest column for The Independent, and he's not happy with jibes at his tiny feet.

"The thing is, the players are not lying. Twelve years ago, no matter what anybody said then, there were easier games. As the only non-international in a star-studded Saracens team, the week's preparation for Bedford at home was notably more relaxed than the week before against Wasps. We knew we would win, and we were right. But these days one would do well to spot an easy game.

"Today we face Leeds at Headingley. "Tough one, hey?" one reporter commented yesterday. What was I ever going to say to that? "Yes, I'd far rather have drawn Maidstone Under-8s, you know, to warm up on and boost the old confidence." Wherever the draw lands us, I am sure all the players in the Aviva Premiership (has a nice ring, that, though perhaps not as catchy as, say, the Twix Premiership – we can dream) are just gagging to get out there. This is, after all, our job, so now it just feels like time to work again.

"Pre-season is a particularly unrewarding time of year for the rugby player; all that hard yakka with very little to look forward to at the end of each week (unless, like me, you are lucky enough to have Saturday morning sessions too, due to a malfunctioning set of weighing scales). As much as saying it makes me want to cut out my own tongue, Stan Collymore was right: life feels empty when the buzz of the weekend's big match is removed. Granted, we do not all try to fill this void in countryside car parks; instead we just visualise the nice, sunny day when all our graft becomes worth it and we get to compete once more."

Could Kurtley Beale's match-winning penalty for Australia have hastened the exit of Boks coach Peter de Villiers? © Getty Images

Peter de Villiers just handed his bosses some more rope if it is, as has been suggested, their mounting desire to hang him. Sport 24's Rob Houwing writes.

"Already back in the firing line because of a fresh salvo of unprompted, nutcase comments regarding the Bees Roux matter and a strangely “verkrampte” threat to take his Springboks into some sort of stubborn laager as understandable public derision rings out, the coach’s orthodox rugby credentials are swiftly unravelling as well.

"The facts confirm that more starkly than ever, following the national team’s gutsy but yet again broadly unsatisfactory Vodacom Tri-Nations showing against Australia in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

"The Wallabies had last won in the Free State metropolis when it was a one-horse town … 77 years on and the bogey has been laid to rest.

"Not only that but the Aussies snatched the secondary Mandela Plate for 2010, courtesy of Kurtley Beale’s quite brilliant match-tilting penalty at the death, and banished the Springboks to bottom finish in the Tri-Nations.

"From champs to chumps in one year – sorry, but in such situations the coach tends to have to take the ultimate rap, doesn’t he?"

The most experienced side in South African rugby history may need an overahul before World Cup according the Sydney Morning Herald.

"It was the Springboks' fifth defeat in six matches and condemned them to last place in the tournament behind New Zealand and Australia.

"Most worrying for the Springboks was the way a young Wallabies team ripped their defence apart in scoring four tries within 17 minutes in the first half. Australia added another try in the second half.

"South Africa conceded 22 tries during their campaign, the most they have given up since the Tri Nations started in 1996, and twice as many as they conceded in each of the previous two seasons.

"For a team which prides itself on aggressive defence - an attribute which was a key factor when they won the World Cup in 2007 - it raised uncomfortable questions about the wisdom of keeping together the core of that team."

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Greg Growden reports on Australia's dramatic Tri-Nations triumph over South Africa in Bloemfontein.

"A spectacular Kurtley Beale penalty goal on fulltime has enabled the Wallabies to enjoy one of their greatest moments on South African soil when they won at altitude for the first time in 47 years when beating the Springboks 41-39 in Bloemfontein this morning.

"This was an unbelievable Test which involved all possible emotions, but thankfully the Wallabies were able to survive in the most dramatic of circumstances to ensure they won the Nelson Mandela Plate while consigning the Springboks to last place in the Tri Nations.

"...This was the chance for Beale to redeem himself after making several major blunders in the second half that helped the Springboks to get back in the game.

Earlier, Beale threw a pass over the head of five-eighth Cooper near his own goal line and it went dead, the Springboks scored off the ensuing scrum to make it 31-30 after 54 minutes. But Beale was up to the pressure, kicking it through the posts from just inside the Springboks half, leading to scenes of ecstasy from the delighted Wallabies."

The opening weekend of a new Premiership and already a contest to shake the rafters. The Sunday Telegraph's Paul Ackford previews Leicester's clash with Northampton.

"When Northampton and Leicester clash on Sunday afternoon, following a fly past by the Red Arrows, the consequences will be enormous.

"Sure, it won’t decide the title. But it will serve notice on whether Leicester can extend their extraordinary grip on English rugby, which has seen them contest the last six Grand Finals, and whether a fledgling Northampton side do have the resolve to hunt down success.

"Northampton stalled badly last season. They crashed out of Europe at the quarter-final stage to a Munster team lacking Paul O’Connell, and then they were bushwhacked by Saracens in the play-offs. The defeat at Thomond Park was just about excusable because very few sides travel there and win. But Sarries, at home, five weeks after all those internal resolutions, made after the Munster match, that they would learn from the experience? That was very painful."

It will be back to the day jobs soon enough, but before then, England's ladies will attempt to win the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. The Daily Telegraph's Brendan Gallagher reports.

"Many of the England girls have stored up their annual holidays or negotiated unpaid leave to take a 12 weeks off to prepare properly and then compete. New Zealand prop Ruth McKay has had to arrange cover at her farm near Hunterville, where she is head shepherd. I wonder if she walks around with a sheep under each arm à la Colin Meads.

"Everybody out there plays for the love of the game. Physically that game has been transformed in recent years. The pioneers had to deal with sceptics and also overcome the tag of being a novelty, but gradually they won that battle and women's rugby now attracts some seriously impressive athletes – England's all action flanker Maggie Alphonsi could excel at any sport she chose.

"The speed at which play now unfolds is unrecognisable and big hits are a big part of the proceedings. Some of the tackles during England's 15-0 semi-final win against Australia on Wednesday night were simply ferocious. Twenty years ago it did not sit comfortably, now it is just part of the game and spectacle."

Dan Parks did his bit to spoil Edinburgh's opening night in the Magners League as Cardiff Blues ran out winners. Graham Clutton reports for The Scotsman.

"For Edinburgh, however, it was a far from sound start, with Cardiff Blues, buoyed by Xavier Rush's decision to spurn a move to Ulster this summer and sign a new deal with the Welsh region, looking particularly polished in the opening quarter.

"As the leading scorer in the history of the Magners League with 1,105 points, there was no reason to believe Parks would hang around before opening his account for his new employers. True to form, the Blues' big money capture took just seven minutes before he banged over a penalty to give the home side a deserved lead.

"Parks has a reputation as a hoofer rather than a lock-picker, but his new coach, Dai Young, has insisted the Scotland stand-off had not been brought to Wales to kick the leather off the ball. Far from it."

With no prize money nor match fee, the England Women take on the might of the All Blacks – simply for the glory of holding the trophy. Emily Duggan reports for the Independent on Sunday.

"When the England rugby team walks on to the turf at Twickenham to face New Zealand in the World Cup Final today it will be in front of a near-capacity crowd and TV cameras. But there will be no big sponsorship deals, no match-winning bonus and, in fact, no money at all for any of the star players.

"The insulting lack of accolade or incentive is simply because the international athletes in this case are women – who have had to take holiday or unpaid leave from their jobs just to compete in the tournament."

The The Independent on Sunday's Hugh Godwin reports from Exeter's dream start to Premiership life.

"With their soaring "Tomahawk Chop" chant rolling out of the stands and away over to Dartmoor, the kings of the Premiership's new frontier sent Gloucester back to Kingsholm to salve their bloodied scalps. Exeter Chiefs arrived in the top flight with an uproarious win in something approaching a cup-final atmosphere and though their stalwart coach, Rob Baxter, wisely restrained any notion of a lap of honour and declared his preference for apple cider over champagne, it was quite just that the promoted club's supporters in this small but happy part of England's west went wild. It is Leicester away next week, but that can wait.

"This had always looked a decent first-up fixture for Exeter, who spent 13 years in the second division before making the longed-for leap via wins over Bristol, home and away, in May's Championship final. Gloucester came into this one with their captain, Mike Tindall, fretting over his side's tendency to repeat defensive mistakes. As one of the four clubs never to have been relegated since leagues began in 1987 – Bath, Leicester and Wasps are the others – they have the history and yesterday they had seven England internationals to the Chiefs' none. But Gloucester have weak links in the pack, their line-out fell apart in the second half and the sometimes breath-taking flashes from James Simpson-Daniel in the backs never quite complemented the good work the forwards did in the scrum."

Leicester are the strong favourites to retain their Premiership title despite the loss of Lewis Moody, according the The Oberver's Paul Rees.

"When the Premiership introduced the salary cap 12 years ago, one of the aims was to ensure a competitive league. Yet four clubs had won the title up to 1998 but only three have done so since in a tournament that has been dominated by Leicester.

"The Tigers were the inaugural champions in 1988 and have won seven of the past 12 titles, appearing in the past six play-off finals. They are, hardly surprisingly, the bookies' favourites to retain their crown and 1,500-1 outsiders to be relegated. The cap fits some better than others.

"Leicester open their campaign today at Midlands rivals Northampton, whose chairman, Keith Barwell, is threatening to move the Saints out of Franklin's Gardens in protest at the local council's refusal to sanction plans that would see the capacity at the ground rise to more than 17,000, with some adjacent land sold to a supermarket chain to fund the development."

Robbie Deans needs his eye on the ball in Bloemfontein this afternoon © Getty Images

Greg Growden believes Australia need to deliver against South Africa this afternoon, writing on Rugby Heaven.

"Since taking over in 2008, Robbie Deans has suffered a succession of horrendous episodes as part of the move from a provincial side attuned to success to one that struggles with the concept of victory. And this perplexing drop in standards has been revealed repeatedly when the Wallabies have wandered around South Africa. Deans learned early that the path to transforming the Wallabies into the national version of the Crusaders was lined with potholes. One week after their first win in South Africa in eight years by defeating the Springboks 27-15 in Durban, the Wallabies fell apart in Johannesburg, losing 53-8.

"Deans was told at the press conference that he had just been involved in Australian rugby's worst defeat. He was mortified. It took him a few seconds to compose himself before responding. He was in a similar state of despair last Sunday morning in Pretoria as he tried to comprehend how his team had let an opposition mow them down. As he sat in the foyer of the team hotel waiting for transport to take the Wallabies back to friendlier climes on the Durban coastline, Deans was furious. He could not comprehend how the Wallabies had lost what seemed to be the unloseable Test. Good teams don't get beaten after leading 21-7."

Writing in The Guardian, Robert Kitson believes the Women's World Cup has dashed a lot of myths about the sport.

"The popular notion that women's rugby is but a pale imitation of the men's version has been lain to rest this past fortnight. Some will say that has been the case for a while, and they may have a point. But what has died a spectacular death is that most basic of counter-arguments: that women are simply not designed for rugby. Tell that to Maggie Alphonsi, the stupendously good English openside who prefers the nickname The Machine, or Danielle Waterman, whose cover tackle on the aforementioned Beck in the second half of Wednesday's semi-final was another nail in the heart of lazy sexism.

"The watching Martin Johnson will also have been impressed by the fitness and technical skills on display. As in cricket or golf, what it may lack in power it makes up for in terms of alertness and precision. The quality of England's recycling work and passing are a credit to their own head coach, Gary Street, and Alphonsi's ball-snaffling is an object lesson for any aspiring flanker.

"A sense of perspective, nevertheless, is probably worth retaining. Twickenham will not sell 80,000 seats for a women's international any time soon. The oval-ball future is unlikely ever to mirror the Two Ronnies' serial "The Worm That Turned" when Diana Dors ruled Britain, men were forced to wear dresses and the rules were upheld by mini-skirted "Gestapo" officers. But rugby does have a new army of role models, as Sunday will surely re-emphasise. All those tiresome hooker-themed jokes are so last century."

Ex-England centre Will Greenwood believes the style of rugby being played in this season's Tri-Nations could revolutionise the game, in The Telegraph.

"The reason for my optimism is the quality of rugby played in the recent Tri-Nations tournament. It was breathless stuff – literally. I have never seen rugby played at such pace for such a sustained period of time. Players were moving the ball from all parts of the field, preferring to run rather than kick, daring the defence to stop them if they could. Props were flinging passes that three-quarters would have been proud of, backs were rucking and taking contact.

"This was rugby turned on its head and it sent out a message to teams such as England: play static rugby, dither with the ball at the back of a ruck or maul, try to slow things down, and you will be punished. England will have a lot to think about. They have been trying to move to a more liberated, quick game, the second Test v Australia was exceptional but it can now not be the exception.

"After this last Tri-Nations, they will have little choice but to be even braver in how they play or they will be blown apart. It really will be do-or-die stuff for the team and management, such was the quality of rugby on offer in the Tri-Nations.

"I was getting text messages from friends, both rugby fans and sometime viewers, who could not believe what they were seeing. They all talked about the spectacle of what was going on. This was a style of rugby that could draw people away from football, from Twenty20 cricket, from anything that sold itself as fast, sexy and exciting. Rugby was suddenly seat-of-your-pants stuff that you didn’t have to be a purist to understand."

Sonny Bill Williams will have to perform well for Canterbury to gain an All Black call-up © Getty Images

Sydney Morning Herald reports that New Zealand captain Richie McCaw has warned Canterbury newcomer Sonny Bill Williams he will have his work cut out to force his way into the All Blacks side.

''He is not going to be picked just because he has decided to come and play rugby,'' McCaw said. ''He is going to have to play good enough to prove himself. Some of the guys he will be competing with are pretty good players.

''He is a hell of an athlete. He is a big man with a lot to offer. It's whether he can fit into how the teams play or not. I could imagine if we help him as much as possible - firstly in the Canterbury set-up and then the Crusaders - he can be a real handful. A couple of guys who played him in Toulon say he is a real threat every time he gets the ball. I'm intrigued to see how he goes.''

Gethin Jenkins is ready to return to rugby © Getty Images

WalesOnline says that Blues boss Dai Young believes Wales prop Gethin Jenkins will return to his best form this season after overcoming injury troubles that plagued him last season.

“Gethin has been excellent in pre-season and has been really looking forward to getting back playing,” said the former Wales prop. “He’s very happy that he has got over a bit of a long-term injury in his calf. It may or less came from his foot. He had a bit of a toe problem and it was a follow-on from that.

“What he and the medics have done is look at different exercises to stop that. Last season, because there were always big games coming up for us and Wales, he never perhaps had the right time to totally get over it and put a bit of groundwork and rehab to make sure it’s 100 per cent.

“He’s had a solid base which he hasn’t had for a number of seasons because he’s always been on tours. He’s had a strong pre-season and he’s thirsty for rugby again, which is what you’ve got to try and get from your senior players – that hunger for rugby.”

Bath skipper Luke Watson leads from the front © Getty Images

The Bath Chronicle reports that Bath captain Luke Watson is attempting to play down expectations ahead of the new season, despite the club's recent recruitment drive.

“The best pressure is pressure you apply to yourself,” he said. “Any external pressure is not a real thing – it’s not tangible, it’s not a physical force, it’s an emotion. I look at this upcoming season and there is a lot of expectation, a lot of people saying things, but at the end of the day it’s about what our expectations are as a side that will determine how far we will go this season.

“It’s the amount of pressure we put on ourselves to perform to our optimum that will be the deciding factor, not other people’s expectations. It’s the 15 men on the field that will have the say at the end of the day.”

Dafydd James is currently without a club © Getty Images

Scrum V reports that former Wales wing Dafydd James has "massive reservations" about the numbers of non-Welsh qualified players at the nation's four regions.

"Alright, it serves a purpose where it can help develop some players, but I think when you get too many players coming over, the younger guys then are not getting exposure, not getting the game time and can't develop. And hopefully this won't cause Wales too many problems, but unless the rules change slightly, I can see a few problems later on."

Samao star Mikaele Pesamino cruises over for a try during the London Sevens in May © Getty Images

The Independent reports on the increasingly curious case of Mikaele Pesamino, the Samoan Sevens ace who signed for Sale Sharks two months ago but has yet to appear at Edgeley Park.

"Mikaele Pesamino, the spectacularly successful seven-a-side specialist from Samoa, is widely considered to be among the quickest players in world rugby. Unfortunately for Sale, his new employers, the Pacific islander's move to the north-west of England has been slow to the point of tortoise-like.

"A day before the start of a new Aviva Premiership season that is pivotal to the club's future as a serious force in the domestic game, there is still no sign of the man, although if he is as fast as people say, he may possibly have been and gone without anyone noticing.

"Mike Brewer, who is about to embark on his first campaign as the head coach at Edgeley Park, is more than a little baffled - hardly an ideal state of mind, given the proximity of tomorrow night's opener against Newcastle."

Hugh Farrelly of the Irish Independent assesses the challenges facing the four Irish provinces ahead of the new Magners League season.

"With the World Cup just over a year away, and Ireland's frontline players operating under a carefully managed protection policy, the provinces face into their most challenging season since the inception of the Magners League a decade ago.

"Squad strength, particularly in Munster and Leinster, will be tested like never before and the respective coaches find themselves in the difficult position of trying to create cohesion without having the luxury of consistent team selection.

"Injuries do not help matters, with only Ulster heading into the campaign close to full strength. Leinster have captain and second-row Leo Cullen, prop Stan Wright and flanker Kevin McLaughlin on the long-term injury list while Munster are without twin totems Paul O'Connell and Keith Earls."

Writing in the Irish Independent, Peter Bills addresses the issue of player release ahead of the new season.

"The international game is booming; the style produced by New Zealand in particular in recent months, the finest advertisement possible for the old game.

"In Europe, a new season begins this weekend and hopes are high. With a World Cup now just 12 months away, immense challenges face both players and coaches. Even in these financially stressed times, sponsors continue to beat a path to rugby's door. It is a wonder to behold.

"And yet trouble looms in the field of player availability. The International Rugby Board's desire to sanction more and more international matches, sometimes regardless of hitherto agreed 'windows' in the year's playing calendar, threatens to cause huge trouble."

In an interview with the Irish Times, Munster boss Tony McGahan talks about the pressure he is under to deliver some silverware this season.

"By most normal standards, it would have been deemed a singularly competitive campaign. Despite being ravaged by injuries - five of their first-choice pack and a key back started less than half their games - they reached the semi-finals of both competitions only to lose both away from home. But this is Munster.

"When they did enjoy a relatively settled spell of games they reached their peaks – Perpignan and Treviso in January, Northampton in the quarter-finals. What rankled though was the manner in which they lost to Leinster and Biarritz, especially the way the latter blitzed the Munster scrum.

"It must have made for a lonely end-of-season and long summer for Tony McGahan. 'I suppose any job has its pitfalls or its obstacles, whether you’re a top or middle club or one down near the bottom, but I was lucky enough to be here for a few years before I took over the coach’s head role so I knew the expectations from everyone involved - players, management, the branch, all the fans, not only in Munster but across the world. It doesn’t make it easy but you still enjoy it and that hasn’t changed.'"

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has laid down the law to his under-performing squad © Getty Images

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has warned several players to get out of their comfort zone or their World Cup aspirations will be over. The Sydney Morning Herald's Greg Growden reports.

"What irritates Deans most is that he cannot penalise the repeat offenders because the back-up is so shallow. Some are holding on to their Wallabies spots simply because there is no one else available for selection. But he warned that when Digby Ioane, Ben Alexander, James Horwill, Wycliff Palu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Peter Hynes, Rob Horne, Dan Vickerman and Rod Davies again became available, he would not be sympathetic to those members of the squad in South Africa who failed to lift their standards over the next fortnight.

"World Cup spots could easily be determined by how some players fare in Bloemfontein and against the All Blacks the following weekend in Sydney.

"Deans said he had not lost hope of former Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock returning via the Melbourne Rebels next year, explaining that players who achieve high-impact performances would help transform this erratic line-up."

Leinster manager Guy Easterby talks to the Irish Times' Gerry Thornley ahead of the new season.

"Three of last season’s coaching ticket have departed; a cadre of experienced players have retired; their European crown has slipped; they lost the Magners League final at home; they have a brute of a draw in the Heineken Cup, and a combination of central contracting and the imminence of the World Cup means many of their front-liners will scarcely play half the games in an expanded Magners League. Ye Gods. Leinster supporters are entitled to be a tad apprehensive about a new season.

"The new management ticket, headed by Joe Schmidt, always knew the 2011 World Cup was going to result in player restrictions, and new manager Guy Easterby maintains “it’s still a pretty good hand”.

"Schmidt, with retained forwards coach Jonno Gibbes, skills and kicking coach Richie Murphy and scrum coach Greg Feek, inherits a high-achieving squad of players with a winning culture.

"Even the younger lads have been part of that winning mentality and they’re going to get their opportunity,” says Easterby. “For some of them it might prove too soon, but in a year or 18 months’ time we’re going to come out with a couple of decent players who may otherwise have never got that exposure at such a young age.”

"Easterby talks about the likes of flanker Rhys Ruddock, capped in the summer, and 20-year-old prop Jack McGrath, of whom much is hoped. To that can be added fellow flankers Paul and Dominic Ryan, and an opportunity should finally knock for Devin Toner."

Exeter's Andrew Higgins hopes French leave will help him bounce back from Bath shame. The Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary reports.

"The road to redemption has not taken many players via a cocktail bar in the oldest quarter of Paris or a six-month stint keeping uppity waiters in check as the general manager of a restaurant in the French capital’s swanky 1st arrondissement, but Andrew Higgins has rarely conformed to type.

"The former Bath wing, banned for nine months after becoming embroiled in the club’s notorious drink-fuelled, scandal-ridden end-of-season party in May 2009, signed for Exeter Chiefs before they had secured promotion to the Premiership.

"Higgins, an abrasive, hard-running player, wanted to get back in after several months away from rugby and swirling allegations. He knows that he will be a curiosity item in these early weeks, the focal point for those looking to see if he can still deliver on the elite stage after an unseemly exit from Bath. Higgins, 29, feels he has something to prove, to himself, if not to others."

Edinburgh's desire to promote young Scottish talent more quickly is evident with their first team announcement of the new Magners League season as former Selkirk winger Lee Jones claims the No.14 jersey. The Scotman's David Ferguson reports.

"The 22-year-old wondered if the professional game had passed him by when he was left out of selection drafts for successive SRU academies and pro squads, but he never gave up hope and believes now that his failure to win contracts has turned out to be so beneficial that it has played a key part in him winning a starting slot against Cardiff on Saturday.

"It is hard to believe I'm in the Edinburgh team to be honest," he said, "especially when I look back to this time last season. Then I was looking forward to starting the season with Selkirk again, was called up by the Scotland sevens squad, went for acclimatisation training in Delhi, came back to club rugby and played the whole sevens circuit too.

"Now, looking back, I think not getting picked for the academies actually helped me because it meant I could play every week with Selkirk, and that is where I was able to develop, learn to be consistent and it's where players do things to get attention from the papers.

"All these things have definitely got me this chance and I'm delighted now to be involved in pro rugby and pretty keen to make the most of it."

Nigel davies is looking for his Scarlets to keep the home fires burning as he casts an eye over the forthcoming season. He talks to the Western Mail's Simon Thomas.

"Davies’ men won only seven of their 14 competitive fixtures at Parc y Scarlets last term, losing six of their last nine on home turf. It was an unsatisfactory return from their first full season at the successor to the history-laden Stradey Park.

"And it was a contributory factor to them finishing as the bottom Welsh side in the Magners League, leaving them having to rely on the Blues winning the Amlin Cup in order to secure a Heineken Cup spot via the back door. Davies knows there has to be a significant improvement in their own back yard this time around.

"...We clearly understand what we need to be doing and where we want to be. But we just hope we can do our talking on the pitch. We don’t want to end up where we did last season and if we win 80 or 90 per cent of our home games we won’t.

"We have got clear goals and objectives which we’ve set in terms of where we want to finish."