Planet Rugby: Trust France to look sartorially elegent when they donned commemorative jerseys for the second Test against New Zealand at the Stade de France on Saturday night. It may have been a throwback but the white strip was still impossibly elegant and definitely haute couture compared to current rugby jerseys.

They wore the new jerseys as a once off to commemorate their first ever game against the All Blacks. That match was played in the Parc des Princes in Paris, on New Year's Day 1906. The All Blacks team was to become known as the Originals and they triumphed 38-8.

The French team's supplier Nike made a special jersey to mark the occasion, a white cotton jersey with a collar and four buttons in the vee of the neck.

In 1906 the French jersey bore the badge of the Olympic rings. At this stage the Olympics had just been revived and were the brainchild of a Frenchman and ardent rugby fan, Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

Bernard Lapasset pointed out that de Coubertin's successors in the IOC would not allow the French to use the Olympic rings as a symbol. Instead, the jersey bore the French cockerel and the ancient symbol of Vercingetorix.

It made the traditional French exhortation of "Allez les Bleus", seem slightly surreal.

Japan bid for World Cup

Japan have confirmed they will bid for the 2015 Rugby World Cup having lost out for the 2011 version to New Zealand. The outcome of the bidding process for the 2011 tournament left a sour taste for many rugby supporters around the world: neutrals were hoping that the Japanese would prevail.

However, their despair didn't dissuade them from declaring their intent to bid for the next available tournament, in 2015. The 2007 version will be held In France, New Zealand host it in 2011 and the expectation is it will return to the Northern Hemisphere and Europe in 2015.

If they follow the precedent set by the International Olympic Council (IOC) who didn't give the centenary Olympics to Athens but to Atlanta, there could be a ray of hope for Japan. When the IOC realised their error, they duly set about redressing the oversight.

Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) president Yoshiro Mori says it "is necessary to stage it in Asia to make rugby a truly worldwide sport. We have formally decided to bid to host the 2015 World Cup. We decided because of the enthusiastic support at home and overseas . . . I am sure it will be a wonderful promotion for World Cup rugby to stage it in Asia," added the former prime minister.

Japan were reputed to have lost out to New Zealand by a single vote for the 2011 version with South Africa eliminated first. The latter might fancy a crack at 2015 but Japan's candidacy should receive popular support.

Best man goes missing

Neil Best has enjoyed an excellent week despite it having not exactly starting as planned. Fulfilling his media commitments, he chatted away to the print boys and than was collared for television interviews on the Tuesday.

Unknown to him his team-mates were assembling outside for a squad photograph in the carpark of the Killiney Castle Hotel and as the Ulster flanker chatted away the group picture was taken.

It was only as the players trotted back in that Best realised he had missed the photo. A solution came in the form of an individual picture that will be married to the team picture courtesy of Photoshop or some other magic.

Still the week ended well for Best as he earned the man of the match accolade with a towering performance against the Australians at Lansdowne Road yesterday.

Aussies forget trophy

There was no sign of the Lansdowne trophy awarded to the winners of Test matches between Ireland and Australia. There was no presentation after the Irish victory at Lansdowne Road yesterday and the whisper is the trophy is in the Australian Rugby Union offices and they forget to pack it when leaving Oz.

In fairness having won 15 of the last 16 meetings between the teams - Ireland's only success in that run prior to yesterday was at Lansdowne Road in 2002 - it was an understandable oversight.

Ireland hold the Millennium Trophy (for games against England), the Quaich (for games against Scotland), will have the Lansdowne Trophy at some stage and also the Triple Crown.

Perhaps there's a new trophy cabinet on its way to IRFU headquarters.