Stormers' Peter Grant looks set to miss out on World Cup selection © Getty Images

"Peter de Villiers's Springbok World Cup squad stands at 49 and counting, but anyone with a passing interest in the Boks probably knows to within five players who the final 30 will be.

The following are 15 players who did the business in the Super 15 but probably won't go to the World Cup.

15 Riaan Viljoen

With the exception of the incredible Gio Aplon, Viljoen is the only South African fullback, Frans Steyn included, who can surprise the opposition on the counter-attack. He is probably wishing he used last year more constructively, having made the Bok end-of-year touring squad in 2009...."

Hamish Bidwell runs his eye over what he saw as an average Wellington performance in the The Dominion Post.

"How does the saying go? If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?

Well, as tempting as it is to simply say that Wellington beat Manawatu 10-7 in yesterday's pre-season rugby clash in Palmerston North, and leave it at that, custom dictates that we must write on.

The bad? There was plenty. But let's concentrate on the bright side.

The bulk of yesterday's team won't be selected for next week's final pre-season match against Canterbury. Wellington's Super Rugby stars will return and largely make what happened at FMG Stadium redundant."

Writing in The Dominion Post, Chris Barclay looks at Radike Samo's remarkable transformation.

"Appearances are not always deceiving - Radike Samo might be sporting an afro hairstyle these days now but he is still the same devastating ball player who trampled rivals as the Brumbies won the Super 14 rugby crown in 2004.

The Fijian-born lock-cum-loose forward was at the peak of his powers when an Australian side last won a Super Rugby title and, fittingly, he will play a leading role as the Queensland Reds try and relive their own past glories.

Like the Brisbane-based franchise, Samo has also undergone a remarkable transformation this season, a reawakening after spending three virtually anonymous years in Yokohama.

Visions of a rampaging Samo, short back and sides and the ball clamped like a limpet in one palm, faded from the consciousness when he left Australia in 2006 for Stade Francais and then Japan. "

Writing in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald, Reds coach Ewen McKenzie looks at the differing responses to feedback.

"Some players love feedback. Others avoid it.

In the world of service provision and entertainment, you would expect that feedback might be one of the most important day-to-day functions.

Earlier this week I was striding past a very large group of kids enjoying the Reds Fan Banner at a Queensland Rugby coaching clinic and I was approached by a well-meaning father who offered his best wishes for the weekend.
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I could have nodded and kept striding but I chose to stop and extend the discussion around how the clinic was going. Despite not my exact department or my area of responsibility, sometimes it's worth soliciting information and passing it back to help others.

The conversation was interesting on a couple of levels."

Writing in The Sydney Morning Herald, Marc Hinton looks at the Twitter banter between Stephen Brett and his opposite number Quade Cooper ahead of the Reds v Blues showdown this weekend.

"As is the way these days, Stephen Brett has already engaged his opposite number in Saturday's Super Rugby semi-final via Twitter. Nothing like a bit of verbal jousting ahead of the main event, even if you are restricted to 140 characters or less.

But the Blues five-eighth is well aware the real statements will be made at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane when he goes head-to-head against Reds playmaker Quade Cooper in what shapes as the pivotal matchup of the night.

Brett will be a crucial figure for the Blues in what is likely to be much more user-friendly conditions than they've become used to. As the Blues look to unleash their backline, decision-making and execution in the playmaker role will be vital."

Martyn Thomas has been acting CEO of the RFU and may put his name forward for the post © Getty Images

Paul Rees, writing inThe Guardian, believes the RFU will appoint a temporary CEO following the sacking of John Steele and will re-evaluate the situation after the World Cup.

"Twickenham will on Wednesday start the search for a chief executive to replace John Steele, who was sacked at the start of the month. But with the position unlikely to be filled until the new year, an interim appointment will be made to cover the next six to nine months.

The hunt will take priority over the appointment of a rugby performance director. Steele lost his job after little more than nine months primarily because of the way he handled the interview process for the director's position and it is unlikely that a shortlist will be drawn up until after the end of the World Cup in October.

Martyn Thomas, the chairman of the Rugby Football Union's board of directors, has been the acting chief executive for the past three weeks and he will be one of the candidates to fill the role on an interim basis when the board meets on Wednesday."

Murray Mexted, talking to Duncan Johnstone, believes the Stormers need to go gung-ho if they are to overturn the Crusaders in The Dominion Post

"Former All Black Murray Mexted says the Stormers must release the shackles in their quest to topple the Crusaders in this weekend's Super Rugby semifinal in Cape Town.

Mexted, who is in South Africa on a coaching contract, believes the Stormers will need to lose their defensive mindset to beat the Crusaders."

Toby Robson looks at the growing trend in New Zealand of people staying away from the stadium's in favour of watching the game on the TV The Dominion Post

"Kiwi rugby fans are glued to their couches despite the efforts of New Zealand rugby's Super Rugby franchises to entice them through the gates.

New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew has described crowds this season as "disappointing" across the country's five franchises and admits administrators are scratching for answers to fan apathy.

Though television viewership is expected to be up on last year, Super Rugby's inaugural top-six playoff matches in Nelson (12,000) and Auckland (16,000) failed to get close to sellouts last weekend, continuing a general malaise. "

Cape Town is one of the world's most intense rugby cauldrons, but the rivalry between the Stormers and the Western Province may lead some South African's to support the Crusaders this weekend. Richard Knowler looks at the unique situation inThe Dominion Post.

"Hardcore Cape Town rugby fans are being urged to switch allegiances this weekend - to the Stormers.

Newlands should be a hostile cauldron for the Crusaders in Sunday morning's Super semi-final but there are genuine concerns in the Western Cape they will be greeted like conquering heroes instead of invaders on Sunday morning.

Despite the Stormers representing the Western Province region, a large number of coloured fans refuse to cheer for the team and instead elect to barrack for the Crusaders whenever they arrive in Cape Town."

Mark Reason, inThe Dominion Post argues that it's time for supporters to get off the referee's backs

"Ah, the silence of the lambs. All across New Zealand there was scarcely a bleat all weekend.

Even commentator Tony Johnson, a man whose giant one eye is seen as a delicacy in some countries, didn't stick his fork into the refs too often. Could this possibly be because the Blues and the Crusaders got the best of nearly every decision?

And yet just a few weeks earlier referee Stu Dickinson had been the subject of national phone-ins. The poor man was vilified. Sure, he made one big mistake early on in the game between the Crusaders and the Reds, but was that reason enough to serve an extradition order?

The Aussies and Kiwis call me and my countrymen 'whingeing Poms' and with good reason. But I am starting to think that the Brits are second division compared to the average Kiwi rugby fan. Even the 30 million sheep were drowned out by the sounds of the supporters' bleating after the last World Cup. "

Following Dan Vickerman's inclusion in the Waratahs' 22, there is a growing demand for the Aussie lock to be recalled to the national set-up © Getty Images

Greg Gowden looks at the growing demand for Dan Vickerman to be included in Robbie Deans' Wallaby World Cup squad in The Sydney Morning Herald

"The drive to get Dan Vickerman back in the green and gold is rapidly gaining momentum.

Just two weeks after returning from a three-year stint studying at Cambridge University, Vickerman has already played for the Waratahs and Sydney University - and, yesterday, was an integral part of the Wallabies' scrummaging camp.

Although Vickerman, 32, has not appeared for the Wallabies since 2008, many senior officials want him to be part of the Australian pack for the Tri Nations and World Cup."

Ed Smith looks at the multitude of options available to the TV watching public during the Rugby World Cup in The New Zealand Herald

"Can't stand the verbal tics or catchphrases of a certain rugby commentator?

Rest easy in the knowledge viewers will be able to choose between five different commentary teams during the Rugby World Cup.

Fans will be spoilt for choice with TVNZ, TV3, Sky TV, Maori TV and its Te Reo channel all broadcasting Rugby World Cup matches called by separate commentary teams. "

Peter Bills writes in The Independent of the enormity of the task facing anyone who is hoping to overturn the All Blacks on their home patch.

"It didn’t work long enough to be crucial in terms of the outcome of the game. After all, you can’t really suggest a whole lot went right when you have lost 36-8.

Nevertheless, I suspect we glimpsed the tactic many sides will try to employ to muzzle New Zealand in the World Cup, in last weekend’s Super 15 game between the Crusaders and the Sharks.

The fact that the Sharks still led, albeit only by 5 points to 3, until just nine minutes before half time will, I’m quite sure, be studied closely by future opponents of the All Blacks in this year’s Rugby World Cup which begins in just over eight weeks’ time. "

New Chiefs assistant Wayne Smith, talking to Duncan Johnstone, vows not to bring all the out-of-contract Hurricanes players over to the Waikato franchise in The Dominion Post

"Hurricanes fans can relax – All Blacks coach Wayne Smith says he will not be recruiting their stars to come with him to the Chiefs next year.

Smith confirmed yesterday that he will step down from the All Blacks' setup after the World Cup and return to Super Rugby with a two-year stint at the Chiefs as Dave Rennie's backline assistant. Tom Coventry will look after the forwards.

That raised the prospect of Smith, with his influence and connections, helping lure major talent to the Chiefs, especially with Stephen Donald, Mike Delany, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Mils Muliaina and Dwayne Sweeney all heading overseas and Tana Umaga's future at Super Rugby level in question. "

Is Dan Carter facing an alarming loss of form ahead of the Rugby World Cup? © Getty Images

Chris Rattue asks the aliens to bring back the Dan Carter the New Zealand public know and love, in the The New Zealand Herald

"A message to those nasty aliens from outer space - take us to your leader immediately so we can demand the return of the real Dan Carter.

There's a big tournament this year and while the Carter clone you left down here almost had us fooled, the game is up and we need the real one back pronto. The Crusaders could also do with him this week, when they take on the Stormers - and the travel factor - at Newlands. "

John Eales, in The Sydney Morning Herald, looks at the game's losses on and off the field in recent times.

"A cursory scan of the crowd at David Brockhoff's memorial service at St Andrew's College, Sydney University, on Friday revealed why the Waratahs were always going to struggle against the Blues.

"Berrick Barnes, Al Baxter, Daniel Halangahu, Wycliff Palu, Dan Vickermann, et al. A full list of this casualty ward would represent a handy Super Rugby team.

"Watching their makeshift team hold their own later, however, demonstrated why the Waratahs have been Australia's most consistent team for most of the last decade – they play on the potent combination of guts and pride."

Following the Blues victory in the Super Rugby play-off, Jamie Pandaram looks at their unique brand of 'ugly rugby' in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"How ironic.

Two sides in this year's Super Rugby tournament were roundly berated for their conservative attack, yet the team that survived the first round of the finals was the one crowing about the merits of ''winning ugly''.

The Blues, particularly playmakers Stephen Brett and Luke McAlister, suppressed their urges to create 80-metre tries by kicking long and loud in the second half against the Waratahs - who continued with short chips that confined them in dangerous territory.
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The teams scored two tries each, and penalty goals proved to be the difference. Penalties accrued through possession in NSW's end, with the Blues pressuring their defence."

Isaac Davidson, writing in The New Zealand Herald, looks at the problem stadium of Eden Park.

"Eden Park is defending its lack of protection for spectators from bad weather and the hotch-potch appearance of the stadium ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

"Supporters of Super rugby have criticised the stadium's poor coverage from winter conditions, which they feel dampens the atmosphere for Auckland Blues matches.

"World Cup spectators paying up to $358 a seat will be exposed to the worst of Auckland's changeable September and October weather."

Following the appointment of Wayne Smith at the Chiefs, Duncan Johnstone, writing in The Dominion Post, believes it could herald a new era for the Waikato side with the arrival of some well known nameswho will draw the fans to the Waratahs' stadium next season due to their lack of a marquee player.

"Wayne Smith's arrival at the Chiefs could be the catalyst to snaring some major talent - Ma'a Nonu, Sonny Bill Williams and Aaron Cruden are certainly contenders.

Smith joins the Chiefs as Dave Rennie's backline maestro. It's a major coup for the franchise, bringing a world-class coach into the mix and returning him to his homeland.

There will surely be a spin-off for the Chiefs as they look to rebuild a backline that has been decimated by an exodus of talent.

Mils Muliaina, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Mike Delany, Dwayne Sweeny have all confirmed they are leaving to take up lucrative deals overseas. Stephen Donald looks certain to join the offshore drift and Tana Umaga's place in the squad must be tenuous at best given his age and increasing injuries. "

Greg Gowden asks in The Sydney Morning Herald who will draw the fans to the Waratahs' stadium next season due to their lack of a marquee player.

"When Wendell Sailor crossed codes and walked through the Ballymore turnstiles for the first time as a Queensland Reds player, he quipped: ''When Dell sells, watch these babies spin.'' Dell was half-joking, but spin they did. The same thing happened when Sailor joined the Waratahs. Home crowds grew.

And it also happened when other big drawcards, such as Lote Tuqiri and Mat Rogers, wore the Waratahs' colours. People came just to see them play. So, too, when Mark Ella, David Campese, Willie Ofahengaue and even the current Wallabies team manager Rob Egerton turned out for NSW. It's because they were different, exciting, unpredictable. Most importantly, they were entertaining. Even Matt Dunning, when he was going through his field-goal kicking phase, sucked them in because he appealed to those on the terraces. He was one of them."

Should Ma'a Nonu still be eligible for the All Blacks if he moves overseas to another Super Rugby club? © Getty Images

Taine Randall writes in The Dominion Post that he believes it is time for the All Blacks to select those who have decided to pursue their careers in the other SANZAR countries.

"The All Blacks should be able to select New Zealand players involved in Super Rugby franchises in Australia and South Africa.

I see this as a possible solution to Ma'a Nonu's dilemma and maybe Andrew Hore's as well.

It was interesting to hear the Western Force raise interest in Nonu and Cory Jane as they look to replace golden boy James O'Connor. It was even more interesting to hear Nonu's old Wellington coach John Plumtree say he'd be delighted to have the blockbusting midfielder in the Sharks team he now coaches.

It got me thinking. Why shouldn't we have Kiwi players involved in a competition New Zealand teams participate in made eligible for selection for the All Blacks, even if they are playing for our opponents? "

Gregor Paul slates Eden Park inThe New Zealand Herald ahead of the stadium's role in the forthcoming Rugby World Cup.

"World Cup boss Martin Snedden is confident the world will be surprised by Eden Park. He's right, they will be; surprised at just how awful it is; surprised that even some who have forked out $460 run the risk of being drenched.

Eden Park will be the worst stadium to host a World Cup final since ... Eden Park hosted the 1987 final.

All that bickering in 2006 whether to build at the waterfront or Eden Park was shameful enough back then. But it is only now that the true horror of that failure is becoming apparent.

At the cost of $240 million, New Zealand has built an utter dog of a stadium and one that will taint the World Cup. "

Iain Morrison writes inThe Scotsman about where the SRU has to go next following the departure of their CEO.

"This was a bit like Hamlet without the prince or, depending upon your allegiance, Dracula without the Count but, even in the absence of the deposed chief executive Gordon McKie, and all the controversy that came with him, this AGM was still a towsy affair. McKie's interim successor, Jock Millican, paid tribute to the former boss and painted a rosy picture of the game in Scotland. Playing numbers have grown to 43,400 (of which 14,000 are adult) which is a big jump from the 24,000 low of six years ago.

It doesn't feel like playing numbers have almost doubled but, since much of the growth comes at age-grade level and the numbers are audited, presumably they are correct. How to keep the youngsters playing the game as adults is the next big test."

Neil Francis writes inThe Irish Independent about his concerns over the long-term effects of the brutality of the sport.

"Last Monday, we learned through various forms of the media that Paul Darbyshire 'had lost his battle' with Motor Neuron Disease (MND). The use of the word 'battle' evokes the notion that there was some form of contest going on. There would indeed be winners and losers as there are in every contest but these are pre-determined.

There are no betting arena barkers shouting out the book in these cases -- there are no odds when it comes to this ghastly disease. It is galling too when a popular and productive member of society is taken, particularly when they leave with their life contribution unfulfilled. I wish him well in his next life."

Israel Dagg talks to Michael Brown inThe New Zealand Herald about living in fear after the February Christchurch earthquake.

"Israel Dagg often tells himself to harden up after an earthquake rocks Christchurch.

It's not easy. There have, after all, been thousands since September's 7.1 magnitude earthquake and the mind can leave even deeper scars than those which have disfigured the Canterbury landscape.

There have been many times when Dagg and team-mate and close friend Zac Guildford have wanted to flee. Just last week, they packed their bags and were thinking about escaping to Kaikoura before coach Todd Blackadder convinced them to stay. "

Robbie Deans talks to Josh Rakic in The Sydney Morning Herald about his plans for the Tri-Nations.

"SH: The Wallabies scrum was heavily scrutinised last year. Have you seen signs of improvement and are you confident we can be competitive in that area come the World Cup?

RD: We believe so, particularly once everyone returns to full fitness. We'll be holding a couple of scrum camps because it's going to be an area of emphasis for us. We're much better placed than we were a while back. But to have everyone back and fit would be a good start."

Daniel Lane writes in The Sydney Morning Herald of his experiences watching the growth of Fijian rugby.

"It's true, for I saw it with my own eyes. Rugby is the game they play in heaven … on earth.

On Yasawa Island, a Fijian paradise where palms sway in the hula breeze and life is good, rugby is as much a cornerstone of the tight-knit community as religion and family.

And while the Bukama Village church choir is blessed with voices so beautiful they could stop wars, their team, the mighty Bluestones - named after the stones that dot the island - play like demons.
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"There's no other way, is there?" asked Millitoni Tauvoli, the driving force of the Bluestones."

Will Butch James be handed the Springboks' No.10 jersey for the Tri-Nations and World Cup? © Getty Images

Butch James tells Independent Online's Jacques van der Westhuyzen that he has set his sights on the Springboks' No.10 shirt.

"James, widely regarded as the best bet and favourite for many to be the Bok No 10 – this despite Steyn being the first choice for the last two years – readily admits he’s in the same boat as in 2007.

“There’s even more competition now for that jersey than there was four years ago. There’s Morné, Pat is up there and even Peter Grant still has a chance ... he’s been playing great rugby. And Elton Jantjies, too, has been in the picture, even though he may still be a bit young,” says James.

“The situation as it stands now is very similar to 2007; the only difference is then there were two guys competing, now there are three,” he says, referring to himself, Steyn and Lambie.

"But with James having featured four years ago, and for many observers the Springboks’ player of the tournament in France, surely he has the edge over Steyn and Lambie? He does, after all, have all the experience and he’s regularly featured in coach Peter de Villiers’ squads over the last few years and this in spite of him playing in England for Bath."

The New Zealand Herald's Wynne Gray ponders a new-look All Blacks squad for the Tri-Nations and Rugby World Cup.

"In his initial coaching days with Auckland, Henry made a number of strong selection and playing decisions. Culling great players was necessary but galling.

"Job done, Henry preferred to delegate the next stage of telling the players - it was almost too personal for him. His sentiments may have changed now, he may have hardened, but it's unlikely.

"Squeezing players into a World Cup squad will provide him with some serious torment, although injury will determine some of the choices. "Fresh is best" might be a handy mantra as the selectors look at optimum methods to rekindle some snap, crackle and pop into some jaded senior players."

Forty years ago, the British Lions achieved rugby’s greatest triumph... their one and only win in New Zealand. The Western Mail's Simon Roberts catches up with their captain John Dawes.

"The Welsh influence on that team was enormous. John Dawes was the captain, Carwyn James the coach, Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Gerald Davies, JPR Williams, John Bevan, Mervyn Davies, Derek Quinnell and John Taylor pivotal players on the field.

"They had just helped Wales win the Grand Slam and took their scintillating form with them to New Zealand. England, Ireland and Scotland contributed David Duckham, John Pullin and Peter Dixon, Mike Gibson, Willie John McBride, Fergus Slattery, Ian McLauchlan and Gordon Brown to the cause. Each and every one of them would become Hall of Fame players in their own right.

“Doug Smith, our team manager, had said before the tour that we would win the Tests 2-1, with one Test drawn,” said Dawes. “That was a bit frightening to hear, but we were more embarrassed by Doug’s remarks because the Lions had never won in New Zealand and we were aware of the enormity of the task ahead of us. I would say we were confident but not expectant.”

The Sydney Morning Herald's Jamie Pandaram reflects on the Waratahs gutsy display in defeat to the Blues on Friday night.

"Waugh fired up the troops in a huddle, watched young Blues winger Lachie Munro slot a sideline conversion that put them beyond reach of the Waratahs, and lumbered off after 64 minutes at Eden Park. His time had come.

"The broad nugget filling the Waratah-patched jersey sat on the bench for the last time, watching the future fight to ensure the 23-8 scoreline did not blow out to spoil what was a valiant effort. They showed the spirit Waugh has become legendary for, crossing for a late try before the Blues advanced to the semi-final by 26-13.

"The Blues were more capable with ball in hand and relished the fast pace of an absorbing spectacle featuring some brutal hits, long-range breaks and continual recycling that often defied the slippery conditions."

Club rugby in Scotland will take centre stage at Murrayfield today when the Scottish Rugby Union opens up a debate at its AGM on league reconstruction, the Scotsman's David Ferguson reports.

"The SRU leaders will arrive at the national stadium this morning with 250 club delegates keen to move out of the shadows left by the dark cloud of a fortnight ago created by boardroom dissent and the departure of chief executive Gordon McKie. One new face will be present, that of Sir Moir Lockhead, the former FirstGroup chief executive, who will take over the reins from Allan Munro as the new board chairman.

"A new vice-president will also be elected, with Alan Lawson (Heriot's), Gordon Cairns (West of Scotland) and former council and board member Archie Ferguson (Lenzie) all vying for the post.

"Despite McKie's exit, it is expected that his efforts in establishing a firmer financial base for the organisation, along with finance director Eamon Hegarty, will be applauded."

Greg Somerville has been one of the most consistent Rebels in their debut year © Getty Images

Adam Freier writes for The Sydney Morning Herald and tells of the impact the three Kiwi's have had at the Rebels.

"A sausage dog, dairy farmer and Jedi sit at a bar. Yesterday, I looked over our three Kiwi brothers following our after-awards lunch and tried not to laugh!

They share many things in common - country of birth, the search for a better value feed, and the imprint they have left on our young Rebels club."

Despite him still chomping at the bit, Matt Burke writes in The Sydney Morning Herald why he was not holding his breath for a last minute call-up to the Waratahs side.

"'Hey, Chris, I am ready to go if you need me.'' Those are the words that I have often said to Waratahs coach Chris Hickey this year during a season that seems to be going from bad to worse in the injuries department.

Each time I say those words, I hear Chris laugh. If he did ask, the response would be an emphatic ''No'', and I'd remind him that he has some great talent coming through.

I heard someone mention that had the Waratahs been bundled out last weekend against the Brumbies, it their season would have been forgiveable considering the injuries they have had this year. I disagreed. Never would a player be content with mediocrity. It wouldn't be in the make-up of a professional rugby player to throw in the towel."

Marc Hinton is not surprised by the omission of Stephen Donald and tells stuff.co.nz why

"When Stephen Donald fluffed his lines badly in his 20-minute cameo off the bench in Hong Kong last October, his All Blacks career was for all intents and purposes at an end.

"That's why it's hard to work out why there was so much surprise around the confirmation this week that Donald is not part of Graham Henry's plans for 2011. If you didn't see that coming -- Henry's Donald duck, as it were -- then you haven't been following the All Blacks coach's career closely enough.

"Donald was effectively on his "last chance" when he was included on the 2010 tour north. He'd played erratically for the All Blacks in 2009 when they lost three tests in a row against South Africa and the Waikato stalwart was the fill-in pivot while Dan Carter got over his Achilles problem. "

The Reds have gone from Super Rugby whipping boys to title favourites © Getty Images

Phil Lutton charts the remarkable rise of the Queensland Reds over the past four years in The Sydney Morning Herald

"When the Reds met the imposing Bulls in the final round of the 2007 season at Loftus Versfeld, the home side faced the unlikely prospect of needing a 72-point victory to secure a home final. But they did it with change to spare, destroying the Reds in a record 92-3 romp that sent the Ballymore franchise to perhaps the lowest point in its history. The Reds won just two games that season and, for the first time, the wooden spoon. Coach Eddie Jones left soon after and the mountain to recovery would start being climbed."

Wynne Gray takes a look at the All Blacks' fly-half conundrum in The New Zealand Herald.

"The All Blacks five-eighths carousel whirls on with Aaron Cruden and Colin Slade back in favour and Stephen Donald flung off into the unwanted pile.

The pair are among a group of 25 players from the Chiefs, Hurricanes and Highlanders invited to two national training camps in Wellington in the next fortnight as part of the assessments before the first All Black squad is revealed on July 10. "

Chris Hickey talks to Jamie Pandaram in The Sydney Morning Herald and argues that the ARU must expand the number of contracted players allowed in a Super Rugby squad.

"The Australian Rugby Union must expand the contracted squad limit of each province due to the worst injury crisis in the competition's history, believes Waratahs coach Chris Hickey.

The longer Super Rugby season, which this year expanded from 14 to 18 weeks plus finals, has seen a number of high-profile stars fall victim to injuries, including Wallabies Tatafu Polota-Nau, Sekope Kepu, Luke Burgess, Al Baxter, Ryan Cross, Digby Ioane, James Slipper, Beau Robinson, Nathan Sharpe, and All Blacks Richie McCaw, Sonny Bill Williams and Rene Ranger."

Peter Billis argues in The Independent that Martin Johnson was right to select a multi-national England squad.

"So England select some overseas players available to them and certain critics, including from the players’ ranks, moan. How predictable. England for the little Englanders, eh?

Luke Narraway’s thinly disguised attempt at a complaint at seeing an England squad that contains the likes of Kiwi Thomas Waldrom, South African Mouritz Botha, South African Matt Stevens and Samoan born Manu Tuilagi should be answered with a frank point.

‘Son, if you were really good enough, you’d be in there no matter who else was or wasn’t.'

I liked the cut of England boss Martin Johnson’s jib when he was questioned about the presence of the overseas born players in the 45 strong preliminary group. "No one has said anything to me so I'll report back if they do," he replied. "I've not had that feedback from anyone. "

It took some determined efforts to get the Rugby World Cup off the ground © Getty Images

When Dan Carter kicks off towards the Tongan forwards in the first match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, an 80-year-old from Whakatane will be watching from a special VIP seat in the stand, Paloma Migone reports for stuff.co.nz

"Dick Littlejohn is a retired rugby player, a former All Blacks manager, and most notably, the Kiwi co-founder of the Rugby World Cup.

"A man who 2011 organiser Martin Snedden sought out as soon as he took up the job.

"His leadership and that of his Australian counterpart [Sir Nicholas Shehadie] is what ultimately in the end made sure that the thing happened," Snedden said.

"It's a story that hasn't really been told much in the public domain, and it was really good to sit down [with him] and hear that."

"Littlejohn, alongside Aussie Sir Nicholas, convinced sceptical European rugby bosses a world cup was a starter in 1985.

"After a deciding vote in Paris to establish the tournament, they sealed the deal that led to the famous All Blacks triumph at Eden Park two years later."

The omission of Peter Grant from the 50-man Springbok World Cup preliminary squad announced on Monday has narrowed the debate over who will be filling the role of pivot in New Zealand in August and September, according to Supersport's Gavin Rich.

"Grant, the DHL Stormers flyhalf, was a favourite of many critics when he was starring for the Cape side in their winning run at the start of the competition. At the end of March, several Springbok barometres included the name of the Maritzburg College old boy.

"However, the solid form displayed by another former Maritzburg College star, Butch James, since his arrival back from the United Kingdom, coupled with the resurgence of the other Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjes, and the X-factor offered by Patrick Lambie as a utility back, have now pushed Grant out of the equation."

Ireland's rumoured decision to withdraw from the Junior World Championship could have a ripple effect as other countries, among them Scotland and Wales, also consider their positions.The Scotsman's Alan Lorimer reports.

"Player welfare and finance appear to be the reasons behind Ireland's unconfirmed decision to pull out of next year's championship, the welfare issue being about the intensity of the competition - five matches in 17 days - at a time of year which should be about rest and recovery.

"There is also the matter that students, who form the bulk of the squads, are having to make career-affecting sacrifices to prepare for and participate in the tournament. "I don't know how 19-year-old youngsters manage it," said former Edinburgh coach, Rob Moffat, who is in Italy for the event. He added: "If you consider the time away for the Six Nations and the World Championship it's considerable. Okay if you're full time . . ."

"Yesterday the IRB issued the following statement: "We do not comment on speculation. The JWC continues to raise the bar in terms of standard and international exposure as well as playing a key player development role for participating unions. You only need to look at the 100 players who have graduated from the championship in the last three years to play Test rugby to see how successful it has been."

South Africa's rugby bosses are set for two tough decisions: The future structure of the Currie Cup, and how will the Kings be accommodated? Sport24's Stephen Nell reports.

"Rugby administrators from all 14 provinces will search for answers in a workshop at Newlands on Wednesday.

"Next year the Super Rugby tournament stretches until the first weekend of August. There will be a break during June for the Test window against the Northern Hemisphere sides, with England coming to South Africa.

"The upshot of it all is that competition time for the Currie Cup will be reduced and that is why there is apparently a proposal for a more streamlined structure from 2012 - six teams in the Premier League and eight in the First Division.

"This year there is still a Premier League with eight teams and a First Division with six sides. However, it's unlikely that smaller unions will be keen to move towards a more streamlined structure."

Samoan born Manu Tuilagi will make an impact in the red rose of England © Getty Images

Chris Hewett runs his eye over the 45-man training squad in The Independent.

"There was plenty of fuss about the number of "foreigners" in the World Cup training squad named by the England manager, Martin Johnson, yesterday: indeed, some critics were so desperate to play the John Bull card that they bracketed the veteran Wasps lock Simon Shaw, who has been serving the red-rose cause since the time of Noah, with the many recent imports from New Zealand and South Africa on the grounds that he was born and raised in Kenya. Even by recent standards, this was too ludicrous for words."

Wynne Gray picks an All Blacks XV based on Super Rugby form in the New Zealand Herald.

"A host of borderline All Blacks have earned repeat chances to assert their test claims through the Blues and Crusaders in this weekend's start to the extended Super 15 playoffs.

The Blues have two cast-iron All Blacks - captain Keven Mealamu and Jerome Kaino - still playing while 12 others are grouped in the fringe prospects pool. Usual national squad certainties Tony Woodcock and Isaia Toeava remain in the casualty ward, and as with Rene Ranger have little or no chance of being available even if the Blues make the final.

Top New Zealand qualifier the Crusaders have eight All Black certainties and another seven players on the fringes who are pushing to make the Tri-Nations and World Cup groups."

Munster flanker David Wallace was full of praise for team-mate Felix Jones when he spoke to the Irish Independent's Ruaidhri O'Connor.

"David Wallace yesterday paid tribute to the character of Munster team-mate Felix Jones, who has battled his way back from injury hell to make Ireland's World Cup training squad.

The full-back suffered a bad neck injury that kept him out for most of his first season at Thomond Park. Then, after he had regained fitness, the former Leinster man damaged knee ligaments against the Ospreys last September.

Undeterred, Jones bounced back to make the Munster No 15 jersey his own with a string of impressive performances at the end of the season."

John Afoa chats to Wynne Gray in the New Zealand Herald as the Blues get ready for their 'mini-World Cup.'

"Timing counts for much in rugby and the Blues and tighthead prop John Afoa have got their schedules in sync for their upcoming mini-World Cup.

They are heading into the sudden-death section of the Super 15, three games away from a rare title shot or one match from an exit this Friday against the Waratahs at Eden Park.

The Blues have staunched their losing streak as they focus on a game which doubles as Afoa's 100th for the franchise.

His Hall of Fame entry completes the front row set as captain Keven Mealamu and loosehead prop Tony Woodcock are the only other members of the special club."

John Fallon in the The Irish Independent suggests Ireland will withdraw from next year's Junior World Championship.

"The IRFU is poised to withdraw the Ireland U-20 team from the Junior World Championship from next year because of issues over player welfare and finance.

The shock development comes as Ireland bids to achieve their best finish in the fledgling competition, which has been won in each of its three years by New Zealand.

The Baby Blacks have again reached the semi-finals, while Ireland face South Africa tomorrow in Padua in the semi-finals of the mini-competition to decide fifth to eighth places."

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw and head coach Graham Henry reflect on their exit from the 2007 Rugby World Cup © Getty Images

Reluctant to touch it in 2007, the All Blacks of 2011 will push what they call the 'emotional button' in the final stages of the World Cup according to the New Zealand Herald's Gregor Paul.

"If Graham Henry has an overriding regret from the last campaign, it was the failure to predict the emotional intensity of their quarter-final clash against France.

"The All Blacks, as captain Richie McCaw revealed two weeks ago, had thoughts about the semifinal leading into the Cardiff encounter.

"The French, meanwhile, never entertained the notion there was anything else to worry about than the game that lay ahead.

"They famously lined up to face the haka in an array of training and tracksuit tops and match jerseys to form the colours of the French flag.

"They played on emotion all game - drawing on their passion, their sense of nationality and desire to honour their nation to make more than 300 tackles."

The Sydney Morning Herald's Greg Growden is not getting carried away by the Reds and the Waratahs qualifying for the Super Rugby Finals.

"Having three teams in the bottom four is not a great advertisement for Australian rugby, nor is the fact that a province that was once the powerhouse of the local game has lost its way. Of the also-rans, the Brumbies are the most worrying. The Brumbies are the only Australian team to have won a Super title, being victorious in 2001 and 2004, in the process nurturing and cultivating numerous important Wallabies. But they are an embarrassing shell of their former selves.

"Former Brumbies must have cringed at what occurred at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night, having to endure what was close to the province's most inept Super Rugby performance. The Brumbies were once renowned for their systems, purpose and exceptional ensemble play. On Saturday night, they were clueless, played one-out football, lacked a genuine game plan, and missed so many first-up tackles you had to wonder if they were actually interested in the contest.

"The Waratahs played well and deserved their 34-point win. But you knew that a province at the top of their game - such as the Crusaders a few years ago - would have crucified the Brumbies. Maybe not as bad as the 96-19 belting the Waratahs suffered in 2002 in Christchurch but it would have been close."

The Crusaders are ready to step things up a gear in the Super Rugby Finals according to Marc Hinton from stuff.co.nz.

"Having survived what they've survived and come through what they've come through, the Crusaders are clearly up for anything their coach can throw at them.

"So when Todd Blackadder walks into the tunnel in Wellington on Saturday night and talks about his team being ready to "unleash" in Super Rugby's finals arena and his players being "fresh, fit and determined" you couldn't help but marvel at the audacity of the man.

"His troops had just concluded the most gruelling, sapping, emotional round-robin campaign in the history of a pretty tough competition, and there was Blackadder lifting the bar even higher. Not so much patting his players on the back, as smacking them upside their heads.

"Never mind that his men had just completed their 11th win, to go with a draw and just four defeats, in a season that's seen them play not one single match in their home town. The neverending tour was about to hit playoff territory, and Blackadder had a message to deliver."

Manu Tuilagi’s presence in England’s World Cup training squad, to be announced on Monday, adds necessary spice to the extended build-up for the tournament according to the Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary.

"The focus on the Leicester centre has little to do with the lenient five-week ban recently served by the Samoan-born 20 year-old for the flurry of punches thrown at his new England team-mate, Northampton wing Chris Ashton, but more because of the intrigue his presence brings to selection.

"The consistency England have shown over the past 12 months has yielded home-and-away victories over Australia as well as a first Six Nations title for eight years. Yet the feeling persists that if they are to reach a World Cup final for the third time in succession they need greater competition for places.

"Those who wear the shirt need to be put on their toes. Tuilagi fits the bill in that regard for England’s midfield has been functional.

Following his latest suspension, the Independent Online's Peter Bills asks whether the Boks should gamble on Butch James.

"The point must deeply trouble Springbok coach Peter de Villiers. In a single match last weekend, James emphasised his credentials for a place in the national squad but also the liability factor he would invariably represent.

"James played a key contributing role in helping the Lions to that astonishing 30-9 lead over the Sharks. But when John Plumtree’s men lit the blue touch paper of their comeback, where was James?

"At the most critical moments, idly kicking his heels in the sin bin because of another example of his indiscipline, his high tackle on Sharks flanker Keegan Daniel.

"By the time James returned, the die was cast. Without him, the Lions lost their game management skills. Even with 20 minutes left and that 21-point lead still intact, you could tell they didn’t know what to do – hunt for another try, which would have killed off the Sharks once and for all, or try to shut up shop and hang on. It was a classic “stick or twist” dilemma, which they never looked like solving in James’s absence."

Chief executive Gordon McKie parted company with Scottish Rugby earlier this week © Getty Images

The Scotland on Sunday's Iain Morrison reflects on a turbulent time for Scottish Rugby.

"McKie [Former chief executive, Gordon McKie] tried to build from the top down, probably because he believed he had no choice. With a shortage of financial and player resources every effort was made to keep the Scotland national team competitive, including the withdrawal of key players from Edinburgh and Glasgow from the Magners League run-in. He reasoned, as an accountant would, that since the Scotland team generated something like 90 per cent of the SRU's income they should get priority over and above all others. He was wrong.

"Scotland have won just one match in each of the last two Six Nations championships while the pro-teams are little better than a joke; unloved, under-resourced, poorly managed and expensive to run. Moreover we have just wasted the last six years while nothing has been done about it. It was Albert Einstein who defined madness as repeating the same action while expecting different results. The pro-teams need to try doing something different if they are to get different results and they almost certainly will when the new man arrives."

Writing in the New Zealand Herald, Richard Loe believes the All Blacks should not be concerned by those departing their shores in big-money moves.

"So more than 180 former Super rugby players from this country are earning a living overseas. That's 12 complete teams of senior players lost to New Zealand. Twelve ... !

"It's enough to make you start demanding that the All Blacks select overseas-based players. Or is it?

"Certainly, finding Dan Carter's back-up is a troublesome enough task and might tempt you to turn to Nick Evans. But I still believe that the NZRU should stick to its guns and keep trusting in the quality coming through.

"Look at the Carl Hayman example. A year or two ago, we would all have sold our grandmothers to get him back. Now he can't even get a start for his French club; ousted by a prop from Georgia."

Writing in the New Zealand Herald, Gregor Paul reflects on the Super Rugby season and highlights those players who have played their way into World cup contention - and those who haven't.

"1. Ali Williams (Blues) - A hamstring tear in the middle of the campaign left everyone, even Williams, wondering whether he would be able to haul his way back to All Black form. It has been a slog but he's getting there. The last few weeks have seen Williams become a significant factor at the lineout, kickoffs and around the fringes. He is back to making tackles that hurt defenders and his confidence has returned to encourage him to venture into space. He is timing his return to form superbly and if he can deliver at least one big performance in the playoffs, he'll be almost certain of a recall.

"...1. Rene Ranger (Blues) He was the hottest property in Super Rugby last year with his incredible ability to turn nothing into something. That ability has rarely been seen this year - the odd flash at the start of the season and then a neat try against the Crusaders in Timaru before he blew his hamstring. He hasn't looked as confident or as certain, as if he is playing with conscious thoughts rather than running on instinct. With so many others in the back three in form, Ranger is a fair way down the pecking order now."

Australian rugby will not be the same following the death of one of its most loved and brilliant characters, David Brockhoff, according to the Sydney Morning Herald's Greg Growden.

"There is so much more to Brockhoff than dry rugby statistics. Probably no other person in Australian rugby can boast being at the core of so many hilarious stories, and can rightfully claim as many friends from the game.

"Hailing from a high-profile Sydney flour-milling family he became a master of biscuit making and was flamboyant, as a player and a teacher. His boundless energy won him Test selection, and his extroverted behaviour put him immediately alongside Bill Cerutti and Aub Hodgson as unforgettable Wallabies. In New Zealand, he was known as ''Offside Brockhoff'' because he could always be found on the advantage line, causing trouble.

"But it was as a coach that ''Brock'' really made his mark. He was a winner, initially with Sydney University where his unusual, often bombastic methods brought success. With a bath towel around his neck, or even a tartan scarf, he would stride around the training paddock, explaining his concise philosophy, inspired primarily by New Zealand provincial coach Vic Cavanagh - get a fierce, dominant pack, make them brutal at the ruck and scrum, ensure they were intimate with something called the ''famous Vickers machine-gun tripod defence'', and make certain you had a kicking five-eighth."

Mike Phillips will meet with members of the Wales management team and senior players on Tuesday, in an attempt to keep alive his hopes of playing in the World Cup. John Richards reports for the Independent on Sunday.

"The Independent on Sunday understands that the 52-times capped half-back, who toured South Africa with the Lions in 2009, will be told that unless his behaviour improves he will put in jeopardy his chance of playing in the World Cup, in New Zealand in September. It is also understood that after Phillips' suspension, the Welsh World Cup training squad were addressed by the management and reminded of their responsibilities on and off the field.

"...Phillips, who was one of six players warned about his conduct in 2009, after a night out in Cardiff, has been replaced in the squad by the uncapped Cardiff Blues scrum-half Lloyd Williams. However, although a final warning will be dished out by the national coach, Warren Gatland, this week, Phillips could be invited back into the squad as early as next week, providing he shows a significant level of remorse. Such a decision would allow the former Llanelli, Blues and Ospreys' half-back to take his place in the squad for a trip to Poland, on 30 June, for the first of two World Cup training camps."

Cueto started every game of the 2011 Six Nations for England © Getty Images

Mark Cueto, talking to Gavin Mairs, tells The Daily Telegraphof the moment he thought his World Cup dream was over.

"Cueto will be part of an extended 42-man squad that assembles at Twickenham, the first step on the long road to New Zealand, where England will open their World Cup campaign against Argentina in Dunedin on Sept 10.

Yet if the general mood in the camp is likely to be one of heightened expectation, Cueto’s over-riding emotion will be relief that neither a latent knee injury that required surgery or the Rugby Football Union’s disciplinary process have prevented him from appearing in his second successive World Cup.

The Sale Sharks winger admits he feared the worst when he was cited for “making contact with the eye or eye area” of Northampton lock Christian Day following his side’s Aviva Premiership defeat on Apr 2."

Writing in the The New Zealand Herald, Wynne Gray speaks to John Mayhew about putting together a strategy to alleviate injuries.

"Rugby needs a global season if officials are serious about player welfare, sports medicine expert John Mayhew believes.

"If administrators were genuinely concerned about players' health their decisions were contradicting those aims.

"A global season has to come in rugby, it is the answer but it is more difficult because it is much more an international code than rugby league," he said.

"The complexities of holding different competitions in a non-global season made it extremely difficult for rugby teams to be correctly conditioned."

Wynne Gray of The New Zealand Herald hedges his bets and believes Stephen Donald will be the back-up fly-half to Dan Carter come September.

"Lend me a fiver Ted and I'll plonk that on Stephen Donald being the backup All Black five-eighths at the World Cup.

Punting is not my thing as anyone would understand and advise after looking at my Super 15 tips.

But if asked for a selection hunch, a feeling in my bones, an inkling about the All Black selection intentions, my tip is they are pointing towards Waiuku's finest ahead of Aaron Cruden."

Former Wallabies player and coach Dave Brockhoff has died aged 83 © Getty Images

Australian Rugby is today mourning the death of one of the greats of the game former Wallaby and Test coach David Brockhoff. The Australian's Peter Kogoy reports.

"Brockhoff, 83, was elected a life member of the Australian Rugby Union in 2004, and remained enthusiastically involved in the game almost up until the time of his death, being a regular at both Wallabies and NSW Waratahs training sessions, as well as a familiar face at the airport when either side was either departing for, or returning from, an overseas tour. His contribution to the game was again recognised last year when he was anointed as one of the game's statesmen.

"Geoff Shaw, who took over as captain from an injured John Hipwell on the Wallabies' 1975-76 tour of the British Isles, said Brockhoff would be remembered as one of the truly great coaches. "As a kid from the bush he became a great mentor in my time as as a player and captain and it helped forge a lifetime relationship," Shaw said.

"Former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer said Brock would be remembered as one of the great men of rugby. "The thing that will stay with me forever is Brock's feeling, knowledge and especially affinity for rugby," Dwyer said. "He never lost the fundamental enjoyment of the game and that rubbed off on everyone who had the pleasure to meet him and to get to know him."

The New Zealand Herald's Dylan Clever believes that rugby could learn a thing or two from the 13-man code's State of Origin series.

"All Black trials became farcical once the panel manipulated them beyond recognition, so make the Island of Origin an independent entity with separate coaching staffs.

"If the All Black panel doesn't like that, too bad. It could be a commercial sensation and it's not as if the NZRU couldn't do with the cash.

"Sell the broadcasting rights outside the existing Sanzar bundle. Why not ESPN? It's on the Sky platform and could be used as a vehicle to push the game into new markets."

The boys in blue need some arrogance, and to watch their language, too - according to Matt Burke in the Sydney Morning Herald.

"The Waratahs need to walk into ANZ Stadium with great self-belief. A team that says, ''I am a top-six team.'' They should take some arrogance into this encounter - balanced with respect. Take the lead from Phil Waugh, and follow Kurtley Beale as he advances up the field.

"In a game like this a team pressing for a place in the finals can play a little tight knowing what the outcome brings. You can play flashy by having a skill level. That's when the 50-50 passes stick, they might even become 60-40 when confidence is high.

"But the Waratahs have too much to play for to let this game slide. They will want to work for this victory because it will justify their position in the top six."

Former Scotland coach Jim Telfer believes that the chief executive discarded by the SRU seven years ago is the type of character that Scottish rugby should look for now in an effort to move the game forward.The Scotsman's David Ferguson reports.

"Bill Watson, the former Boroughmuir and Scotland back row, took up the office in 1997 and remained there until early 2004. He was credited with being the first businessman to take a grip of professional rugby at Murrayfield and lead it.

"As director of rugby at the SRU, Telfer was at the heart of those early days of the pro game, working closely with Watson to draw up a map for the direction of the game.

"Telfer acknowledges that he made mistakes, although he insists that a district format remains the only way for Scotland to compete in the pro game. He also believes that Watson was an under-rated figure."

If Matt Stevens is to be named in England's World Cup training squad it will mark a remarkable turn around for the Saracens prop © Getty Images

In The Daily Telegraph, Mick Cleary believes Matt Stevens will be included in England's World Cup training squad alongside Manu Tuilagi.

"Stevens’ suspension only finished in January since when he has played 15 games for Saracens and England Saxons, winning them all. That vein of form has been enough to persuade the England management that he should be given the chance to tilt for a place in the 30-man squad that will head to New Zealand on Aug 29. That party will be named seven days before departure.

Stevens, 28, who won the last of his 34 caps in November 2008, is currently with the Saxons as they prepare for the Churchill Cup final against Canada on Saturday at Worcester. Stevens did not confirm that he had made the squad but Telegraph Sport understands that he will be summoned as will two others who have found themselves in bother recently incurring bans for foul play and abuse respectively, Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi and London Irish full-back Delon Armitage."

In the The Sydney Morning Herald, Greg Gowden eagerly anticipates the match up between Wallaby props Benn Robinson and Ben Alexander.

"Benn Robinson and Ben Alexander were ''kings of the kids'' yesterday, but their close relationship will dramatically change this weekend when they try some one-upmanship on each other.

The Test front-rowers returned to their old schools as part of the Wallabies Town promotion. The first stop was Alexander's primary school, Dural Public, where some of his junior teachers were at the assembly. Alexander, the Brumbies' tight-head prop, and Robinson, the Waratahs' loose-head prop, fielded questions, with the former pupil having to explain the logic behind a Sydneysider now playing for the ACT. '"

On Wales Online, the case of Toby Faletau is being cited in an eligibility row between Ireland and Wales over U20 stars.

"Toby Faletau is unwittingly at the centre of an eligibility row between Wales and Ireland.

The Wales No 8, who made his debut against the Barbarians a fortnight ago, finds himself embroiled in an eligibility dispute which the International Rugby Board has been asked to rule on.

Two of Faletau’s Wales Under-20s team-mates, Matthew Jarvis and James Loxton are dual-qualified for Wales and Ireland.

Former Ospreys back Jarvis and Blues rookie Loxton agreed contracts with Irish province, Connacht, earlier this year only on the understanding they were eligible to play for Ireland."

Speaking to Wales Online, Joe Lydon gives a damming verdict on the regional set-up in Wales following the U20's hammering by the Baby Blacks.

"WALES' rugby development chief Joe Lydon has blamed the lack of regional rugby being played by Welsh youngsters for the humiliating 92-0 defeat suffered by Wales under 20s against New Zealand under 20s last night.

The WRU has already begun the inquest into the worst result of any Welsh side in history as Richard Webster's team were left battered and embarrassed at the Junior World Championship.

Lydon, who has been head of rugby performance and development since November 2008, insisted the calibre and intensity of rugby being played by the Baby Blacks on a regular basis was a key factor in the gulf between the sides.

And he claimed the Welsh regions were still not giving enough young Welsh players the chance to prove themselves, citing the number of foreign players at regional level as an ongoing issue.'"

Berrick Barnes is to take an extended break from the game because of ongoing fears over his health © Getty Images

Speaking to The Australian, former Wallaby Elton Flatley offers Berrick Barnes some advice on a difficult situation that he is all too familiar with.

"Elton Flatley believes Berrick Barnes will know deep down whether he should retire because of constant headaches which have plagued him this year.

"Flatley, the former Queensland Reds and Australia inside back who retired prematurely in 2006 because of concussion, understands more than anyone what Barnes is going through. While Barnes is receiving the best possible medical treatment, only he will know whether he can continue to put his body on the line in such a physical game.

"'You've got to be careful,' Flatley said. 'I'm glad to see they are taking it seriously with Berrick. Deep down Berrick will know how he is feeling. He will be guided by doctors, but he is the only one who will know what's happening.

"'He will be receiving excellent medical advice and he will be guided by their opinions, but deep down Berrick will know his own health and he has to be true to that. Berrick is a smart boy. He'll know what to do.'"

In his regular column in the New Zealand Herald, Chris Rattue offers a pessimistic view on the state the All Blacks find themselves with the World Cup just around the corner.

"The All Blacks and New Zealand rugby have hit the ground crawling in World Cup year.

"Sonny Bill Williams' latest injury only adds to the staggering number of question marks over the leading lights for the World Cup squad, from the Blues fading and missing front row veteran Tony Woodcock to Mils Muliaina's insipid form for the Chiefs. Even the injury-prone Richard Kahui managed to get injured again last weekend.

"For a team with an undisputed world No 1 ranking, and a brilliant post-2007 World Cup record, there is a strange air of uncertainty around this impending All Black campaign. With so many doubts around Richie McCaw's fitness and preparation, the All Blacks actually look like a heavyweight ripe for knocking down. They should have dropped to only very slight World Cup favourites for now."

David Ferguson of The Scotsman looks at the reasons behind Gordon McKie's decision to step down as chief executive of the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU).

"Like a coach who has stayed at the helm of a team for too long, Gordon McKie yesterday quit as chief executive of the Scottish Rugby Union after accepting that his presence was no longer required at Murrayfield.

"The sound of his voice no longer had the desired response and those moving against him in the dressing room and the boardroom were now heading into the majority.

"After The Scotsman lifted the lid last Thursday on the simmering tensions within Murrayfield, which had led to a request from a board member for the suspension of McKie, the SRU board chairman Allan Munro attempted to play it down by insisting that there were no issues and the extra meeting 'simply demonstrates that the governance model of our game in Scotland is absolutely sound and is rightly held in high regard by other governing bodies'.

"It was a strange statement, one that strived to underline backing for the executives and pour oil on 'unhelpful media speculation', but only led to further questioning of why the meeting had been called if all was well."

The 2005 Lions Tour was not one of Sir Clive's crowning achievements © Getty Images

Writing in the The Guardian, Richard Williams casts a shadow over the wealth of optimism surrounding Sir Clive's triumphant Twickenham return

"It is worth remembering that when Woodward left Twickenham seven years ago, he was not exactly bathed in a golden glow. In the aftermath of the World Cup, a noisy row with the RFU over access to players did not obscure his failure to refresh a team that could finish no better than third in the next Six Nations, took a pasting from New Zealand and Australia on tour that summer and represented something of a poisoned chalice to his successor, Andy Robinson.

"Woodward's resignation left him free to plan the 2005 Lions trip to New Zealand, on which he let his imagination and a large budget run wild. From the specially commissioned theme song through the appointment of Alastair Campbell to team selection and results, it was a catastrophe. What became clear was how badly he needed someone smart and strong enough to identify his good ideas and jettison the majority."

Writing in the The Daily Mail, Charles Sale lifts the lid on who the RFU have lined up to replace Investec.

"The beleaguered rugby organisation have an immediate need for any semblance of positive publicity after the John Steele fiasco. But in tune with all the other shambolic goings on at Twickenham over the last month, the plan was not to reveal the blue-chip support from QBE for three months although RFU councillors were chasing the information at last week's meeting.

QBE are understood to be paying around £1.5million a year - a 50 per cent rise on the backing from Investec, whose 12-year support ends with the World Cup warm-up match against Wales at Twickenham in August - the reason for delaying the sponsorship announcement."

Writing in the The New Zealand Herald, John Mitchell issues Peter Bills with a note of caution.

"Eighty-seven days to go to the Rugby World Cup, and John Mitchell issues a blunt warning.

"The World Cup may be a try-fest in some of the pool matches," he says. "But after that it will be back to normal. In some senses, we are going to get a different World Cup.

"But it is still going to come down to some crucial issues - who handles the breakdown best in attack and defence, who kicks most successfully for territory, who kicks most often and best between the poles.

"The tighter breakdown area will certainly allow for other aspects to become crucial. Like accuracy of goal kicking, accuracy at the restarts, accuracy of the kick out of hand and for territory, accuracy in terms of placement of the kick." "

Writing in the The Sydney Morning Herald, Justin Harrison tells David Polkinghorne that the Brumbies will not go easy on the Waratahs.

"The Brumbies aren't motivated by the chance to wreck the Waratahs' finals hopes, but they certainly won't be helping to ease their rivals' passage into the top six.

Brumbies forwards coach Justin Harrison yesterday rejected any notion Australian solidarity might play a role in Saturday's clash at ANZ Stadium. While the Brumbies are playing only for pride, the Waratahs' finals hopes rest on the outcome of the match."

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Stuart Barnes applauds Kurtley Beale

"Had Kurtley Beale not been quite so brilliant, had the Highlanders not been quite as naive to the point of being remedial in their rugby thinking, the scoreboard could have relayed a startlingly different scoreline to the suggested rout of 33-7.

Beale took it upon himself to answer all the questions regarding the Waratahs' attacking game. He didn't so much have a hand in three tries; he conceived, created and handed them to his grateful teammates on a platter. Nineteen points were effectively the sole property of the wondrous Wallaby. As losing coach, Jamie Joseph, stated matter of factly post-match, "Beale was pretty much responsible for the game."

Sir Clive has always been the RFU's golden boy © Getty Images

Writing in the The Daily Mail, Chris Foy believes Sir Clive could be interested in the vacated chief executive position at the RFU.

"There are increasingly positive signs that the RFU can emerge from the wreckage of Thursday’s night of the long knives with Sir Clive Woodward back at Twickenham at the heart of an enhanced administration.

The World Cup-winning coach is thought to be open to another approach from the union now John Steele has been removed from office and the governing body are ready to re-open talks with him.

Providing the performance director position includes a background say in the running of the England team — as per the original job description — then Sir Clive would be interested in taking it."

With just one week left for some New Zealand hopefuls to impress Graham Henry, Wynne Jones in the New Zealand Herald looks to who may benefit from injuries elsewhere.

"A mass of All Black hopefuls have one game to convince the selectors as the Crusaders and Blues swapped places in the run to the Super 15 playoffs.

This week will be a series wrap for 13 players from the Chiefs, Hurricanes and Highlanders who went on last season's end-of-year tour.

They will miss the extended finals format, while captain Richie McCaw, Isaia Toeava, Daniel Braid and Tony Woodcock are uncertain starters after lengthy injuries.

More than half a prospective test squad could be game-rusty for a month before they are called to meet Fiji in Dunedin on July 22."

In the New Zealand Herald, Peter Bills asks whether the All Blacks should perhaps go easier on each other ahead of the World Cup.

"In the cafes of Toulouse, the pubs of Gloucester and the Indian restaurants of Leicester, they watched with increasing amazement. The rugby men of the Northern Hemisphere have one question in their minds.

Are New Zealand's top rugby players bashing each other to pulp just in time for the World Cup?

It is normally the British and French players who arrive at a World Cup in pieces. They play so much rugby in the Northern Hemisphere we're used to seeing guys who can hardly raise a gallop failing to measure up come World Cup time."

In the Sydney Morning Herald, Rod Macqueen is tipped to step down from the Rebels

"Rod Macqueen is expected to confirm he will stand down next week as Melbourne Rebels head coach.

Macqueen was saying little on Monday on what his Super Rugby future held.

But he confirmed there would be an announcement on his future next week - just days after he coaches the Rebels in their final match this season against the Western Force on Friday night in Melbourne."

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, Duncan Johnstone looks toward this weekend's titanic clash between the two contenders for the All Blacks 12 spot - Sonny Bill and Nonu.

"Let's hope Sonny Bill Williams' hip injury doesn't prevent him from finally matching up against Ma'a Nonu this weekend - a personal clash that has had plenty of spice added to it over the past week and one that the All Blacks selectors will take huge interest in.

Both players look All Blacks certainties for the Tri-Nations and World Cup.

But who starts at No 12 is far less certain."

New Zeland's Jonah Lomu runs over England's Mike Catt during a memorable encounter at the 1995 Rugby World Cup © Getty Images

Writing in the New Zealand Herald, Gregor Paul reflects on a major day in the history of the sport.

"Ian Jones, all 2m of him, fell into his business class seat and suddenly the scale of achievement hit him. Happily ensconced at the front of the plane, Jones and his All Black team-mates could only smile as the English team they had crushed the day before trooped past.

"Seeing the enormous Martins - Bayfield and Johnson - squeeze down the aisle to the cheap seats was the highlight of the 1995 World Cup for the All Blacks. Both teams had been booked on the same flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg after the semifinal. The winners flew business; the losers didn't. The All Blacks had won in a performance that was not only one of the best in World Cup history but one that changed the landscape of test rugby.

"It was the game that Jonah Lomu became a household name; the game that Zinzan Brooke dropped the most outrageous goal; the game that pushed rugby into the arms of broadcast moguls and professionalism; the game that has served as a blueprint for All Black teams ever since and the game that saw the All Blacks take revenge on a team that had hurt them two years previously."

A new program is placing the Wallabies' future in the hands of graduates such as Quade Cooper and James O'Connor, writes the Sydney Morning Herald's Josh Rakic.

"Quade Cooper playing for the Brisbane Broncos and James O'Connor running around for the Parramatta Eels? If the ARU had not intervened, two of the Wallabies' best young stars could have been lost to the game before they became household names.

"As Australian rugby prepares to wave goodbye to the likes of Al Baxter, Luke Burgess and Matt Giteau, the future of the Wallabies is being secured by Ben Whitaker and the national development program.

"Since its inception in 2004, the Gold Squad program has helped to shape 14 Wallabies, including O'Connor, Cooper, Kurtley Beale, Will Genia and David Pocock.

"National development manager Whitaker said the future looked just as bright, with more than 750 junior footballers between 14 and 18 taking part in a range of daily, weekly and programs to prepare them for Super Rugby and international duty.

"It's a construction line of our next-generation Wallabies."

A budding Springbok, his model girlfriend, her mother, two hitmen and doctored ''death photos'' have combined for an out-of-this-world scandal playing out in the South African courts. The Sydney Morning Herald's Jamie Pandaram reports.

"Deon Helberg, who represented South Africa in Sevens rugby, has gone into hiding since revelations that his girlfriend's mother plotted to have him killed late last year - the culmination of a sordid love triangle.

"The saga began when Helberg moved in with his girlfriend Jalien and her mother Manda Reyneke last year. A secret affair between Manda Reyneke, 47, and Helberg, 21, reached such intensity that Mrs Reyneke allegedly hired two hitmen to take out Helberg when he told her that he had had enough.

"Police allege Mrs Reyneke met two Nigerian men at a pub and asked them to kill Helberg. Some media reported her offer was $16,000 plus a house for each man. After some protracted dealings, a frustrated Mrs Reyneke sent the men text messages: ''Be scared, be very afraid. You have done me in and wrong with lies. You never shot anybody the other night. That was revealed by the candle of truth'', and ''My friend confirmed her problem is still walking around. If this is your way of doing business, to threaten your client with ratting her out and cheating her of her money, then today you have lost my R80,000 [South African rand].''

Sir Clive Woodward has always caused a storm, even during success, according to The Observer's Eddie Butler.

"Now is a time of darkness in the rugby of old England. Votes of confidence have been issued, rescinded and a head has rolled. There was never anything but faith in John Steele, chief executive officer of the Rugby Football Union, and now he is gone.

"Well, it's no darker, no more embarrassing than on many other occasions. There was, for example, a time of shadow when Clive Woodward was a commoner with a weak hold on his job as coach of England. His team had won three games in 12 matches and he was firmly planted in the camp of Cliff Brittle, whose spell in office will go down as one of Twickenham's zaniest. Given the events of the past two weeks, you will appreciate that we are talking genuinely world-class wacky here. An age of enlightenment it was perhaps not.

"Thirteen years on, Brittle is rarely mentioned, but it is striking how other names from that swampy age continue to rise to the surface. Woodward's, complete with noble prefix, is the most obvious, the man who will be the RFU's performance director or even chief executive officer, now that the post is vacant. Otherwise, all his backers will have toiled on the heap of ridicule for nothing."

A City expert will is set to join the Rugby Football Union board as independent director as part of a radical shake-up, according to Paul Rees in The Observer.

"Twickenham agreed earlier this year to appoint a non-executive director to act as a buffer between the elected members and the executives who run the world's richest union. Steele – who left on Friday for failing to deliver a long-term vision for the game in the build-up to the 2015 World Cup, hosted by England – wanted to appoint someone with a sporting background, preferably with Olympics experience. But the RFU chairman, Martyn Thomas, disagreed, wanting a figure from the City.

"One of the reasons the board acted swiftly to remove Steele was the knowledge that an independent board member would provide executives with an extra layer of protection. It is of no comfort to Steele, whose tenure as CEO lasted little more than nine months, that his recommendation will now be put in place but it will reassure his successor. Steele took over from Francis Baron, who survived a board putsch to remove him in 2004.

"The RFU's council backed the board's decision to remove Steele on Friday. Thomas convinced members that it was not only the directors who had lost confidence in the chief executive but some staff and, crucially, sponsors."

Sir Clive Woodward has indicated he would return to Twickenham immediately, despite the turmoil which has engulfed English rugby in recent weeks. The Sunday Telegraph's Paul Ackford reports.

"Woodward has told friends that a role heading up the elite performance side of the Rugby Football Union is one he still covets and that he would not need to wait for the appointment of a new chief executive following John Steele’s dismissal.

"Woodward’s way back into rugby will not be blocked by the British Olympic Association where he is currently employed as deputy chef de mission of the British team for the London Olympics. It is believed that Lord Moynihan and Andy Hunt, the BOA chairman and chief executive, would not seek to enforce a contract and prohibit Woodward from making the move.

"Woodward has told friends that he remains passionate about rugby and elite performance and believes he can get the skill-sets of English players to match those of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, the three leading rugby nations.

"If someone from the RFU came to Clive and offered him a massive job tomorrow, he would consider it," a source close to Woodward said."

After weeks of turmoil the hour has come for World Cup-winning coach to put up or shut up once and for all, according to the Independent on Sunday's Hugh Godwin.

"The sooner Sir Clive Woodward gets a job at Twickenham – in addition to a performance director, the Rugby Football Union is now looking for a chief executive, and the former England manager is believed to be interested – the better. This is not to make any claim or campaign on Woodward's behalf. It is simply to identify the shortest and most straightforward method of ending seven years of tedious and divisive speculation over whether he has an indispensable vision for the RFU and English rugby. If Woody is the man, his hour has come. Let him put up or shut up, once and for all.

"Rarely has a month passed in the seven years since Woodward walked out on the RFU when the idea of him returning has not been mooted.There was a close run thing in the summer of 2006 when Woodward and Rob Andrew went for the job of elite rugby director; Andrew got it."

Rugby Football Union chairman Martyn Thomas has dismissed the notion that Sir Clive Woodward could return to Twickenham as the new chief executive. The Daily Express reports.

"In doing so, Thomas painted the picture of Woodward riding back into the union as the new performance director seven years after he stormed out. John Steele's decision on March 17 to cancel Woodward's interview for that role, and to then water down the job description, was the start of his downfall as chief executive as he was ousted after just nine months in charge on Friday.

"My gut feeling is that Clive would not like to be stuck behind a desk. When we advertised the (chief executive) job originally, and John got it, Clive did not apply," said Thomas. "I suspect Clive still sees himself as a man with an outstanding talent for developing performance athletes, particularly in rugby."

He added: "I am not happy about the way Clive was treated. He is the only guy to have won a World Cup for England. I have lot of respect for the man.

"I believe a proper course of action is to interview an individual of that calibre, to listen to what he has got to say and then make a decision as to whether he is the right man or the wrong man."

Will we soon witness Clive Woodward's return to the Rugby Football Union? © Getty Images

The return of Sir Clive Woodward to Twickenham is a scenario now back on the cards according to the Daily Telegraph's Mick Cleary.

"Even though Woodward has committed himself to the British Olympic Association through to the 2012 Games, Telegraph Sport understands that the rupture with rugby is not absolute. Steele’s dithering was an obstacle, his presence a block to anything happening.

"If nothing else, a job-share scheme for Woodward at some point over the next 12 months, the union working hand-in-hand with the BOA, was a notion floated by one source yesterday. After all, rugby is now an Olympic sport.

"There is still a desire among senior figures at the union to bring Woodward back. They will now have to act positively and with open minds to make it happen.

"On Friday night they took the first steps to moving forward, setting up a five-man panel comprised entirely of former England internationals to consider the nature of the Performance Director role: Jason Leonard, Richard Hill, Bill Beaumont, Rob Andrew and John Spencer. They will report back to a Board meeting on June 29."

The New Zealand Rugby Union's general manager of community rugby, Brent Anderson, explains why officials try to level the playing field. Read his thoughts in the New Zealand Herald.

"Among the things we tell our coaches is that they should ensure every child gets at least half a game. We also tell them that where a score blowout looks likely (such as more than 35 points), the coaches must get together at halftime to look at ways to create a more even contest.

"Some suggestions on how they can do this are changing players around, swapping forwards and backs, replacing or swapping a player who might be dominating the game, doing some in-game coaching or setting some challenges for one or other of the teams and - for the very brave - swapping the coaches.

"The aim is to try to ensure the rugby experience is fun for both teams because it's no big leap to work out that if a team is getting beaten by big scores every week, the children in that team will start to lose interest in the game, as will the players in a team that wins big week-in, week-out.

"Capping scores is not something the NZRU has imposed or requires. It was an initiative from the Auckland junior rugby committee, which was finding that some coaches in the under-12 and under-13 club competitions were not endeavouring to manage score blowouts at halftime, therefore ignoring the guidelines of the Small Blacks development model."

Writing in the Irish Independent, Peter Bills draws a line under the northern hemisphere season.

"Trouble is the countries of the Northern Hemisphere face their day of judgment in three months' time when the seventh World Cup begins in New Zealand.

"So, what state are the Six Nations sides really in? It depends which day and which mood you wish to discuss.

"Did we see the real Ireland in the demolition job on England which debunked the myth of a Red Rose Grand Slam at the end of the Six Nations in March?

"Commanding up front and at half-back, where Jonny Sexton has surely now nailed down the starting role at No 10, devastating in the back-row, where Jamie Heaslip and the rapidly emerging Sean O'Brien have made themselves indispensable to the cause, they squashed England's ambitions.

"It was the performance of champions, except that they weren't champions, because they had performed as dozily in their opening two games as a student who'd overslept, doing badly at a job interview.

"Italy should have beaten them in Rome, then an ordinary French team did beat them in Dublin. Scotland could have done so in Edinburgh. Rank indiscipline was the trouble in each case.

"Yet, the performance against England was of another team."

The Scotsman's Bill Lothian looks into the latest political moves north of the border at the Scottish Rugby Union.

"Ian McLauchlan never had the reputation of shirking confrontation on the pitch and as the latest political contretemps in Scottish rugby plays out, it looks increasingly as if the ex-Scotland and Lions front row forward will have a major role in using the second - and final - year of his presidency to shape a better future for the game.

"Whether executive figures currently running the game come on board remains to be seen, for it is the view of some that McLauchlan is embroiled in trying to rein in power so as to give clubs a greater say once again.

"But what is certain is that ex-team mates who know McLauchlan portray a figure with a firm grasp of what direction he wishes to move in as well as being a thoroughly straight shooter."

Writing in The Independent, Chris Hewett offers his thoughts on John Steele's downfall at the RFU.

"If Steele made the mistake of appearing indecisive in framing and re-framing the terms of reference for the job of performance director, his more serious error was to get on the wrong side of Martyn Thomas, the long-serving RFU chairman. Thomas has always been good company over a bottle of red – a "clubbable" sort, you might say – but as a rugby powerbroker, he has a ruthless streak the width of the Old Cabbage Patch itself. Not for nothing has he earned himself the nickname "Putin".

"...So what did Steele do to make the board turn on him with such ferocity? Thomas insisted that the severance deal between employer and employee prevented him going into detail. "My hands are tied, I have no choice," he commented, before adding: "I don't want to criticise John, other than to say he was unable to deliver what we sought."

"But the whole of rugby knows that one of the things Thomas and his allies were seeking was Woodward's name on a new contract of employment at Twickenham. More than once in recent months, the chairman voiced his impatience at the failure to recruit the World Cup-winning coach, and after Steele diluted the remit of the performance directorship in readvertising the post – a move that might well have make the job unattractive to Woodward – the solids hit the air-conditioning. When Woodward duly ruled himself out of contention, the RFU board made sure it was Steele who was showered with you-know-what."

The Guardian's Owen Gibson and Paul Rees pick through the pieces of John Steele's departure from Rugby Football Union.

"John Steele walked into the late-night meeting that would seal his fate still thinking that, despite a series of press briefings against him, he would be able persuade the Rugby Football Union board that his agenda of reform and modernisation was the right one. It was only a few minutes into the tense discussions that he realised he was wrong.

"Armed with an inch-thick dossier on the behind-the-scenes campaign waged by some on the board to install Sir Clive Woodward as performance director, the chief executive laid a series of challenges at the door of the men who, at 1.30am, would dismiss him and plunge Twickenham into renewed civil war.

"Steele's last stand was futile. Outside, the 82,000-seat stadium that played host to England's first Six Nations title-winning campaign in eight years was dark and the bars that had attracted record takings at the recent World Sevens event were silent. According to RFU insiders , Steele put his case forcefully, raising questions over financial forecasts signed off by the board before he joined and questioning their professionalism. But it did not take him long to realise he had reached the end. It was made clear that a majority of the board had lost confidence in him. A vote of no confidence in a paid official could not be taken, but when Steele did not receive the verbal support of the doves on the board, he knew he was beaten."

Out of the ashes of the RFU it is again possible a phoenix will rise in the form of Sir Clive Woodward after yesterday’s stunning removal of John Steele as chief executive. The Daily Express' Steve Bale reports.

"Former England coach Woodward has publicly excluded himself from the role of performance director which Steele found it necessary to create at the expense of former elite performance director Rob Andrew. But the field is now open.

"RFU chairman Martyn Thomas denied that the union’s failure already to have brought back Woodward lay behind Steele’s departure. But the job description – until it started changing – could have been drawn up with Woodward in mind.

"The choreography would now work in Woodward’s favour, in that the RFU have no pressing need to fill the vacancy. They could safely wait until after next year’s London Olympics and leave Andrew to get on with it.

"Woodward’s commitment as elite performance director at the British Olympic Association could then come to its natural conclusion, though whether he or anyone else would ever want to be involved in the Twickenham snake pit is another question."

England fly-half Toby Flood has brushed off concerns about his kicking form © Getty Images

England fly-half Toby Flood reveals he has some varied interests but his main aim is to lead his side to the last four of the World Cup (at least) – if he can keep Jonny's spot. The Independent's Brian Viner reports.

"Toby Flood, the England fly-half whose domestic rugby season with Leicester ended a fortnight ago with the crushing disappointment not only of defeat by Saracens in the Aviva Premiership final but also the indignity of bring overshadowed in the half-back arts by a teenager, Owen Farrell, seems eager for me to know that, as he prepares to join up with his international teammates next weekend, everything in his garden is rosy. He is not, however, speaking metaphorically.

"I find gardening really therapeutic," he says. "And it's not just that I like to collect stuff to put on the bonfire... the people who owned my house before put in a lot of time in the garden, so if I just left it I'd feel guilty. There's peonies, foxgloves, rhododendron, hydrangea, and I monitor it, because I'm worried they might come round the corner one day and not like what they see. I come back from training and water the plants, tidy things up..."

"I like this image of a rugby union star lovingly tending his peonies, but somehow it would seem more improbable if Flood were an ugly front-row bruiser, or even a squish-nosed, shaven-headed back of the Mike Tindall variety. Instead, he is male-model pretty, with a complexion that looks as if has never known a blemish, let alone a bruise. As an interviewee, Flood is smoother than smooth; friendly, chatty and eloquent without ever straying off-message, either in terms of Leicester or England."

The New Zealand Herald's Wynne Gray casts an eye over the penultimate round of Super Rugby action.

"The Waratahs and Highlanders are chasing the leading group of six and meet in Sydney tomorrow. It's possible both could miss the finals if they win one and lose their other remaining match.

"If pushed to consult the crystal ball, gaze at the tea leaves and spin the dice, the best bet might be that both will miss the finals, leaving the Reds, Stormers, Blues, Crusaders, Sharks and Bulls to juggle their order and shoot for the inaugural Super 15 title.

"Of those, the Bulls are perhaps the most vulnerable. They have twin local derbies to finish against the Stormers and the Sharks who lie ahead of them in the points table.

"While all six leading teams at the moment are scrambling to remain in that group, the prize for consistent performance is being the top team in each conference. The best teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa automatically qualify for the playoffs, those conference winners assured of a finals match at home."

The decision by the ERC to bridge a 10-year gap by staging the 2013 Heineken Cup final in the Aviva Stadium is likely to generate around €25 million for the local economy. The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley reports.

"This estimate is based in large part on economic impact studies of the biennial Six Nations games between Ireland and England in Dublin, which the IRFU have been tracking since 1997: last March the figure for the economic impact, primarily in Dublin, was over €51 million.

"The IRFU estimates that the big international and provincial matches generate more than €200 million for the economy, which is almost certainly a conservative figure. Indeed, union chief executive Philip Browne reckons the 2013 final may generate “significantly more” than €25 million.

“At least 40 per cent of the tickets are sold in advance of knowing who the finalists are and a significant proportion of those tickets are sold in the UK, with a lesser proportion sold in France and Ireland. It could well be that you could have more people travelling to Dublin for a Heineken Cup final, depending on the teams, than you’d have for a Six Nations game."

Ireland U20 coach Mike Ruddock faces a daunting opening assignment against England at the World Cup but the Grand Slam-winner is energised by the talented youth around him. The Irish Independent's Hugh Farrelly reports.

"When it comes to kicking off tournaments as underdogs against England, Ireland U-20 coach Mike Ruddock has decent form.

"Back in February 2005, Ruddock was in charge of a Wales team that went into their opening Six Nations clash against then world champions England as an unproven force, but, on a memorable day at the Millennium Stadium, eked out an unexpected 11-9 victory that would serve as a launchpad for their first Grand Slam in 27 years.

"History does not reflect too kindly on that England side, which was without a clutch of World Cup-winners and contained the likes of Andy Hazell, Chris Jones, Charlie Hodgson and an 18-year-old Mathew Tait, and the challenge facing Ruddock's Irish side tomorrow in Treviso could be said to be more daunting.

"As usual, England's U-20s are physically enormous and go into the tournament as one of the favourites, having scorched to this year's Six Nations title, rounded off with a six-try 46-10 hammering of Ireland in Athlone. The fact Ruddock must then steel his men for the challenge of South Africa four days later, adds to the size of the task, but the Welshman's solitary focus is on upsetting the English."

Scottish Rugby's power struggle may have returned behind firmly closed doors at Murrayfield yesterday, with the protagonists emerging tight-lipped, but one man who will be watching on with a keen interest is Sir Moir Lockhead. The Scotsman's David Ferguson reports.

"The 66-year-old who lives on a 300-acre cattle farm in Aberdeenshire has dipped into various aspects of Scottish rugby since being announced in February as the new man to take over from Allan Munro as SRU board chairman at the agm on 25 June. Having retired in March as chief executive of FirstGroup after 21 years, he has been turning up at rugby events across the country from the Melrose Sevens to presenting awards at Lathallan Schools' inaugural sevens tournament, and speaking to figures at various levels in the game.

"...Clearly, Lockhead will merely be one non-executive member of the SRU board when he joins, and the day-to-day operation of Scottish rugby will remain in the hands of Gordon McKie, the chief executive. However, there have been questions asked of the effectiveness of the current board and, while McKie has attracted criticism, the board must also come under scrutiny for supporting unpopular decisions, or failing to challenge them.

"The position of chairman remains a key one, and a close working relationship and understanding between a chair and chief executive is regularly cited as the route to success. But it also brings with it the responsibility to challenge."

Sport24 offers five one-on-one duels that could have a bearing on the outcome of the Stormers v Bulls humdinger on Saturday.

"1. Andries Bekker (Stormers) v Victor Matfield (Bulls) - Should these quite outstanding No 5 locks be fighting for only one slot in the Springbok team this year? If that is the case, then rightly or wrongly Matfield must be favoured to start because of his deep-rooted role within the “leadership core”. But the cat might be among the pigeons if Bekker gets the better of the more seasoned international again: he did so in overall terms during the first-round encounter at Loftus. Still, more and more critics are just beginning to fancy that you could play the Stormers man at No 4 for the Boks, considering his much better ability and willingness these days to “mix it” and do unglamorous coalface chores. Matfield is back much nearer his lineout A-game at present ... it only spices this particular clash of minds and bodies even more.

"...5. Jean de Villiers (Stormers) v Wynand Olivier (Bulls) - The Bulls’ awakening in recent weeks has coincided influentially, I believe, with Olivier rediscovering some lost lustre at inside centre. Like most players in his midfield role, he is in his element when his team is going forward ... he has started probing gaps once more, and also taken the ball into contact with commendable gusto as the Bulls have found strong “second wind” mojo at Loftus of late. But this is Newlands, where another blond, wily bomber lurks in the form of De Villiers. This Bok favourite was pretty close to his lethal best in the destruction of the Rebels last weekend, which he may feel bodes well for his clash with Olivier. No disrespect to Jaco Pretorius, but he is advantaged, too, by having the ever-classy, great-communicating Jaque Fourie as his “13” on Saturday ..."

The campaign to remove John Steele as the chief executive of the Rugby Football Union has gathered momentum this week, according to The Guardian's Paul Rees.

"Steele and Martyn Thomas, the chairman of the board of directors, were yesterday discussing arrangements for Thursday night's meeting of the board. It had been billed as an emergency meeting, but was scheduled two weeks ago to prepare the ground for the gathering of the council and how the fiasco over the non-appointment of a performance director would be explained away.

"Thomas and other directors have come under pressure from supporters of Sir Clive Woodward, the favourite to become the performance director until he withdrew from the contest last month after various disputes about the job's portfolio, to call for Steele's resignation. They believe that would pave the way for Woodward to allow his name to go forward again.

"Selective media leaks have suggested Steele is the obstacle to the return of Woodward, England's World Cup winning coach in 2003, but ever since the position was proposed there has been a marked difference between those who saw it as a vehicle for Woodward to get back on the payroll and Steele, who in a briefing to the media last January said he saw the successful candidate as spending the bulk of his time concentrating on the development of players – providing support and advice for the England team manager Martin Johnson when needed."

Jamie Gibson is living proof that it is possible to combine a ­burgeoning professional ­career with even the most exalted academic discipline. The Daily Express' Steve Bale writes.

"Flanker Gibson, 20, from Wiltshire, somehow combines Premiership rugby for London Irish with studying Classics at Oxford University, his reading list including Homer, Virgil, Euripides and Aristophanes.

"Then he become an England Saxon. Appearances off the bench against the Barbarians and the United States confirmed the quality Gibson had already shown as a Marlborough schoolboy who represented all of England’s age-group sides.

"...Gibson will take the field against Tonga at Gloucester on Sunday with a place in the Churchill Cup final against Canada England’s to lose. It is a heartening story of the rich benefit to be gained from having something beyond rugby in a player’s life.

“My supervisor at Oxford says God gives us eight hours for sleeping, eight hours for fun and playing rugby and eight hours for working,” said Gibson. “I’m not sure it’s quite like that but, if that’s his viewpoint, I’m happy to give it a go."

Boy-wonder James O'Connor is hot property © Getty Images

After news of James O'Connor rebuffing the Reds came to light, Simon White ponders how much the wonderkid is worth in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"If James O'Connor re-signs with the Western Force for another season - as is widely expected - the 20-year-old will reportedly cost the Perth Super 15 franchise, Australian Rugby Union and assorted third parties up to $1 million.

But what is O'Connor really worth?

The answers vary from "plenty" to "not as much as some people reckon", depending on who you speak to and how you ask the question."

After Ma'a Nonu's imminent departure from the Hurricanes was announced, it has emerged that he and Andrew Hore refused to accept the coach, according to Toby Robson, inThe Dominion Post.

"Those who think coach Mark Hammett arrived with an agenda to drive out the senior Hurricanes players this season are wrong.

"But in week 16, Nonu's was an act of petulance that may have rubber-stamped his belief there were certain players who would not, and could not, change.

"Similarly, captain Andrew Hore's continued penchant for a midweek pint suggested he too either could not, or did not, want to get with the programme.

"Hammett has tried to put stakes in the ground about the standards he expects.

"Nonu has pulled them out from the moment he was yellow-carded twice in the opening match against the Highlanders."

Mick Cleary looks at the facts behind the RFU power struggle between Sir Clive Woodward and John Steele in The Daily Telegraph.

"The former England World Cup-winning coach assumed nothing but knew that he could mount a strong case at interview on March 17. Seven days earlier he had even subjected himself to psychometric testing as part of that process.

"It is believed also that RFU chief executive John Steele had made favourable comments on Woodward’s possible return when he himself was interviewed for the chief executive role last year.

"Yet only last week, Steele declared that he now saw the role as more ‘behind the scenes’. "

A bloodied Kevin Mealamu looks on © Getty Images

Chris Rattue, the eternal Blues pessimist, believes only Kevin Mealamu can halt the slide in The New Zealand Herald.

"He's the last great standing and Keven Mealamu is the Blues' best hope for turning their free-falling season around.

This is a forlorn hope, of course, as anyone who watched them stumble around Eden Park last Saturday night would attest.

And they've got virtually no chance of winning in Timaru, where Pat Lam's troops will face a Crusaders outfit whose desperation levels will be raised by Richie McCaw's absence."

The architect of this year's Rugby World Cup says he would rather see the All Blacks lose the tournament than New Zealand botch its hosting role in the The Sydney Morning Herald.

"In comments likely to puzzle a small country painfully aware of its under performance in World Cups past, Martin Snedden said most of the 85,000 people expected to visit New Zealand in September and October "don't give a toss" if the Kiwis win.

"I talk to New Zealand audiences all the time about this and half the audience shakes their heads and think I'm an idiot," Snedden, a former international cricketer and past New Zealand Cricket chief executive, said."

Eoin Reddan training in the Ireland camp © Getty Images

Eoin Reddan argues to Ruaidhri O'Connor that Ireland will not flop like 2007 and after experiencing domestic success, they will be a force to be reckoned with come the World cup, in The Irish Independent.

"As a reference point, it's hard to see how Ireland can do much worse than they did in France as the 'best prepared Irish squad in history' from the 'golden generation' failed to deliver in a mad world of rumour, boredom and disbelief.

"Looking back, Eoin Reddan can now see that some of the portents were there for the doom which followed, but after this season's provincial success and the revised build-up, he reckons things have moved on.

"The scrum-half was one of the few shining lights from that tournament, rising from a bit-part player to claiming a starting spot for the key clashes with France and Argentina in an era when changes to the team were almost unheard of."

Chris Rattue argues that Auckland rugby needs restructuring despite the Blues finding themselves top of the New Zealand conference, in The New Zealand Herald.

"Auckland rugby needs a giant shake-up and having the Blues perched near the top of the Super 15 tables presents an illusion about the city's rugby strength.

"The Blues were awful against the Chiefs on Saturday night in a very poor game. Judging by the grandstand scenes, a lot of people were put off by a combination of bad weather and Auckland's poorly sited and outdated stadium. Considering Auckland is the country's largest city, the Blues are challenging for the title and the Chiefs represent a local derby, this was a sadly vacant scene."

Scott Higginbotham makes some yards against the Blues © Getty Images

Wayne Smith proposes something radical for the Reds, namely switching back-rower Scott Higginbotham to midfield for their meeting with the Force, in The Australian.

"The Reds lost half their backline in their brutal 22-14 loss to the Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night, with strike winger Digby Ioane, defensive linchpin Anthony Faingaa and rising fullback Ben Lucas all badly injured.

"A stunned hush fell over the stadium when Ioane was knocked out cold by a head-high tackle by Ita Vaea in the 49th minute -- a moment of carelessness that earned the Brumbies number eight a one-week suspension yesterday -- but for all the drama surrounding the incident it appears he will spend less time on the sidelines that his two other injured teammates."

Phil Gifford runs the rule over All Black hopeful Luke McAlister in The Sunday Star Times.

"An easy way to start an argument among Auckland rugby fans is to suggest that Luke McAlister is either (a) a dead cert for World Cup selection or (b) over-rated and likely to fold under pressure.

"Last night, playing at first five-eighths was a great chance for him to make a claim for for a world cup spot, given that he faces substantial roadblocks at second five-eighths in the shape of a revitalised Ma'a Nonu and, if he can regain early season form, Sonny Bill Williams.

"How did it work out? The amateur judges on both sides won't be short of ammunition. There were a couple of sensational strikes with the wind for penalty goals, but also a string of misses. He tackled Liam Messam head-on, not a task for a player without courage and technique, then slipped off a tackle of Stephen Donald."

Greg Growden calls for players to be allowed to refer contentious refereeing decisions in The Sydney Morning Herald.

"Tennis players do it. Cricketers do it. Now it's high time to let rugby players do it. Let's all do it. Let's fall in love with the idea of giving rugby teams a chance to dispute dreadful refereeing decisions.

"At the top level, tennis stars can query line calls. International cricketers have taken to calling on the third umpire to adjudicate on contentious lbw decisions and other forms of dismissal.

"And after this year observing a long line of mind-boggling decisions from Super Rugby referees or their supposed back-ups - touch judges who now go under the glorified name of assistant referees - it's time that team captains who feel hard done by can go to the chief whistleblower and call for a second ruling on contentious calls."

Stephen Donald is currently battling for a spot in the All Blacks squad © Getty Images

Michael Brown draws a line under the international career of Stephen Donald following a poor showing by the Chiefs playmaker against the Blues in The Herald on Sunday.

"There's little pleasure in watching any player disintegrate, and even less when he happens to be an All Black.

"If Stephen Donald had any chance of making the World Cup squad before last night - and it's unlikely he did - it disappeared in his opening 20 minutes against the Blues.

"It started when he overcooked the kickoff and continued as he missed two easy penalty kicks from in front of goal, kicked a chip well over the intended target as well as the touch judge, threw two forward passes (one dreadfully so) and heaved another over the sideline with the Chiefs in a promising position. It was horrible and left many thanking the rugby gods for Dan Carter."

Eamonn Sweeney charts the rehabilitation of Irish rugby since their Six Nations win over England in The Sunday Independent.

"Irish rugby seems to have been sucked into some kind of strange science fiction-style time warp. Because while in normal life March 12 is less than three months ago, in rugby it seems to belong to a different age altogether.

"March 12 was the day when referee Jonathan Kaplan and touch judge Peter Allan's failure to do their job properly enabled Welsh scrum-half Mike Phillips to score a blatantly illegal match-winning try against Ireland at the Millennium Stadium. Messrs Kaplan and Allan had combined to produce an all-time classic of awful officiating.

"The media consensus held that the illegality of the winning score was largely irrelevant. Ireland's loss was seen as incontrovertible evidence that Declan Kidney had lost the plot, that the team was in decline, that we had fallen far behind an England team motoring inexorably towards the Grand Slam, that our own Grand Slam of 2009 was the glorious finale of a golden era which might not come again for some time."

Hugh Godwin reflects on Wales' loss to the Barbarians in The Independent on Sunday.

"A bits-and-pieces fixture that did not even come close to meriting the full-cap status accorded it, nonsensically, by the Welsh Rugby Union was saved from petering into nothingness by the gloriously gifted Barbarian captain, Sergio Parisse, and a cameo show by the gargantuanToulon centre Willie Mason.

"Having beaten even more of a shadow England side 38-32 the previous Sunday, the Baa-Baas prepared in time-honoured fashion: the bare minimum in tactical run-arounds and plenty of rounds at the bar. "I'll need a toxicology report on Monday to make sure I'm OK," joked their assistant coach, Scott Johnson – in his day job with the Ospreys the Australian has relations with his Wales counterpart, Warren Gatland, that are nothing like as jovial."

Paul Ackford runs the rule over Gavin Henson's return to the Wales team in The Daily Telegraph.

"He didn’t do enough for me, but that’s not to say that he won’t get his chance. You see, the problem with Henson, the allegation that has followed him throughout his time with Wales, the Lions, Ospreys, Saracens and Toulon, is that for all his undoubted talent, the lad doesn’t appear to give a damn.

"His performance against the Barbarians simply added to the mystery. Henson divides opinion everywhere but especially in Wales. In a half-empty Millennium stadium, the announcement of his name was greeted with a mixture of jeers and cheers. There’s no doubt he’s box office."

Stephen Jones takes charge at training © Getty Images

The Western Mail's David Williams meets Wales fly-half Stephen Jones on the eve of his 100th cap for his country.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same.

"A well-known saying but one that sums up Stephen Jones’ Wales career in a nutshell.
Over the last 13 years, outside-halves have come and gone in the red of Wales – but Jones has always been there.

"From making his debut during the Loftus Versfeld nightmare of 1998, through two Grand Slam triumphs and World Cup heartache, Jones has been a constant in Welsh rugby’s ups and downs of the last decade and more.

"Today, the Scarlets star makes his 100th appearance for Wales against the Barbarians in Cardiff, drawing level with fellow centurion Gareth Thomas as his country’s most capped international."

Writing in the Daily Mail, Chris Foy looks forward to a mouth-watering clash between Welsh master Martin Williams and young heir to his throne Sam Warbuton as the Barbarians face Wales in Cardiff.

"Sam Warburton will renew a familiar rivalry at the Millennium Stadium, while finding himself in the unfamiliar position as the youngest captain of Wales for some 43 years.

"The 22-year-old Cardiff Blues flanker will be the youngest skipper since Gareth Edwards in 1968 when he leads his country out against the Barbarians for a match granted full cap status.Edwards was 20 in 1968.

"Warburton will be busy trying to contain regional team-mate Martyn Williams. More experienced players make the Wales side, including former skippers, so the openside was taken aback to be given the job."

Gavin Mairs talks with Mouritz Botha ahead of his England Saxons debut and charts the South African's rise through the English game in the Daily Telegraph.

“I arrived in England in October 2004, having just signed for Bedford Athletic to play in National Three North,” recalled Botha, who, as a useful club player in Cape Town at the time, had speculatively sent his CV to clubs in England.

“The clocks had just gone back, the weather wasn’t great and that season we were relegated to Midlands One. It was a tough baptism. My first job was as an office assistant but at the end of the season I was made redundant.

“During my second season, I sorted myself out with a flat and got a temp job working in a carpet washing factory. The carpets came out of a tumble dryer and then you had to roll and fold them. You had to do six tonnes of carpets each day. Then I got a job stripping asbestos out of houses in Bedford.”

All Blacks legend Andrew Mehrtens tells Wynne Gray in the New Zealand Herald that injured Highlanders fly-half Colin Slade is the man to act as back-up to Dan Carter for New Zealand's World Cup campaign.

"I judge 10s on the feel you get for them," said Mehrtens, a 70-test All Black. "I really think it is an advantage for Slade that he has played in other positions like fullback and wing, because you can use your energy and read the game with a bit less pressure from those areas.

"The games from 10 and 15 go a wee bit hand in hand. He has played fullback and played well there.

"He has got gas, he is courageous, he has a good feel about him. He will be back soon."

In the Irish Independent Tony Ward picks his 30-man Ireland squad for the World Cup.

"Conor Murray has been a revelation at scrum-half for Munster, but this World Cup has come a tad too early for him. On the assumption that Tomas O'Leary is back firing on all cylinders for August, it will be three from O'Leary, Eoin Reddan, Isaac Boss and Peter Stringer.

"Cian Healy, Tom Court and Mike Ross are clearly the three leading props, with 'the Bull' Hayes up for one more World Cup as back-up to Ross.

"Tony Buckley has fallen down the pecking order. And good though it was to see Marcus Horan back, I am not a fan of his on-field antics. Assuming Flannery is out, Rory Best, Sean Cronin and Damien Varley make up the hooking triumvirate, with Mike Sherry next in line."

Eddie O'Sullivan's former side Ireland failed to deliver in the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France © Getty Images

USA head coach Eddie O'Sullivan talks to the Daily Telegraph ahead of his side's Churchill Cup campaign.

"It’s four years ago now that Ireland players and management were talking confidently of a best ever World Cup performance in France and didn’t bat an eyelid when some critics suggest an appearance in the final might not be beyond them.

"And why not? The way they put England to the sword that year at Croke Park and hammered South Africa and Australia the previous autumn as Lansdowne Road suggested that an outstanding generation were ready to deliver on the very biggest stage. This was their moment.

"Everything seemed set fair but what transpired was a pretty dismal performance in the pool stages where they struggled horribly to defeat lowly Georgia and Namibia in Bordeaux and never remotely got to grips with Argentina and France at the Stade de France. Yes, it was the so-called Pool of Death but nobody expected Ireland to corpse like that."

With the 2011 Rugby World Cup now less than 100 days away, Dylan Cleaver, Jared Savage and Winston Aldworth of the New Zealand Herald tell us what we can expect from this year's tournament.

"Quade Cooper will single-handedly knock out a major nation - and then get thumped by the majors. The Tokoroa Kid clearly has the goods to tear apart even the best defences in a one-off knockout match.

But can his kitbag of no-look passes and high-stepping breaks deliver against top opponents three times on the trot? Wishful thinking perhaps, but we think not....."

Writing on Rugby Heaven, Adam Freier talks about the way in which his attitude towards the game has changed over the course of his career.

"On a typical training day in Carlton, I sit in the eating area with my teammates loading up on packed lunches and sandwiches. We are not far away from our field session and each player leaves to get strapped or begin their warm-up. Like most days this year I know I will be watching from the sidelines. I find myself alone, head down in a bowl of chow.

"Enter Robbie Deans. New Zealander by name and Aussie by trade. There is much to like about our national coach. With a half crooked smile and the tight handshake that starts from far out wide, his mannerisms would suggest he has spent a lifetime as a fair dinkum Australian.

"Robbie is known among the players for his long, delayed silences while in deep conversation. In the movie world this would be articulated as "dramatic effect", but in Robbie's world it is more often a way of delivering the right message. A message that has played a part in my recent rugby reincarnation - it's time to start living in the 80-minute moment."

Reds playmaker Quade Cooper © Getty Images

In his regular column in the Sydney Morning Herald, Ewen McKenzie salutes the no-frills players in every team who receive little recognition for all of the good work they do.

"The media hype last week surrounding Quade Cooper and Sonny Bill Williams resembled that of a boxing match rather than a rugby contest. But the reality was that the supporting casts from both teams were going to play just as influential of a role to the outcome of the game.

"I actually made the offer at one press conference to discuss the merits of a Kieran Read or Owen Franks but to no avail. Every day, I seemed to answer the same questions about the same players. Even Richie McCaw and Dan Carter seemed to get pushed into the background.

"We can all get caught up in the key messages, topics and individuals pushed by those in the media. We only really know what we are told and we can only talk about what we know so it becomes self-generating.

"Rugby for me is the ultimate team sport for all body shapes and sizes. The contribution of the entire team is just as critical to the end result."

Paul Rees of The Guardian argues that proposals to start the 2015 Rugby World Cup later and maximise income from tours show how short-sighted rugby is when it chases a buck.

"Another season comes to an end, except for those players required by England Saxons for the Churchill Cup this month and those who have interrupted their holidays to thrill a small crowd at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, when the Barbarians come calling. Anyone involved in the Churchill Cup who impresses enough to be named in England's larger World Cup squad will not get much of a break.

"The International Rugby Board recently hosted a Tier One-nation conference on the game's finances. Countries such as Australia pointed out how much they lost in World Cup years, because of a lack of incoming tours. The Australian Rugby Union wants World Cups to be pushed back a month, so they start in October. If that happens in 2015, when England will be the host, half the tournament will be staged after the clocks have gone back.

"Clubs in Britain, Ireland, France and Italy will then be without their leading players for three months, rather than two, making it more likely they will exert pressure on players below Tier One level to make themselves unavailable for the World Cup - devaluing the tournament.

"What do Australia care, just as there is never any mention of player welfare when means are explored to squeeze more money out of broadcasters, sponsors and spectators?"

Sonny Bill Williams in action during the Crusaders' loss to the Reds © Getty Images

Mark Reason fires a shot at Sonny Bill Williams as the Crusaders centre returns to the boxing ring in The Dominion Post.

"Roll up, roll up, see the giant tattooed man and his amazing offloads. Sonny Bill Williams is a freak show.

"His manager Khoder Nasser has swapped the old Victorian leopard skin for a pair of boxing gloves, but the message is the same: "It's showbiz, baby, SBW tops the Bill, he's the biggest draw in town."

"And there ain't a thing wrong with any of that. Professional sport is about entertainment and people pay to watch Sonny Bill. Kevin Kiwi may be bonkers to part with a cent to watch Williams box, but they probably said the same thing about those Victorians who queued up to see the bearded lady."

Wynne Gray analyses the lie of the land with 100 days to go before the Rugby World Cup in The New Zealand Herald.

"There is still some way to go before the All Blacks start their quest to repeat the deeds of their predecessors at the first global tournament 24 years ago.

"The Super 15 has three weeks of pool play left followed by three weeks of finals footy. In coaching parlance, that is the time when the national selectors really sharpen their pencils.

"As the series moves into late qualifying, local derbies and sudden-death rugby, players' skills and calibre are being marked more harshly. Injury charts have been collated and amended, form lists have been compiled and altered, and there is still time for players to demand selection or exclusion by the All Blacks panel."

Peter Bills writes of his concern at dwindling attendances in the southern hemisphere in The Independent.

"It is a comment on the realities of trying to get spectators out to rugby union Test matches in Australia, where rival sports such as rugby league and AFL continue to take a huge chunk of the sporting market. This is a problem of long standing in Australia and it has got worse for the union authorities in recent times.

"Admittedly, the venue, Stadium ANZ way out in Sydney’s western suburbs and the site of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, does not help. It is not popular, is a long way from the city and has no local identity or character even when you get there.

"Even so, rugby union bosses in northern hemisphere countries like England, Ireland, Wales etc. would be horrified at the idea of offering so heavily discounted tickets for any international matches. The authorities at places like Twickenham rarely do it for any major game, yet the crowds continue to pour in."