Rugby news in brief

Team of all the skills

The Portuguese coach, Tomas Morais, is a university lecturer by profession. He has an accountant and a dentist in the scrum. He has teachers and engineers in the back line. The captain is a law student. The vice-captain is a vet. One member of the squad, Gonçalo Uva, is a professional player for Montpellier.

Phew, lucky they're not in our group!

Georgian architecture

Like most of the Argentina team, the Georgians are exiles from their own country, almost all of their squad playing their club rugby in France.

A crucial difference between them and the Pumas, however, is that the Georgians are mostly in the lower divisions of the French leagues, whereas the French-based Pumas, half their squad, are in the elite Top 14 championship.

Pumas make leap

Argentina's 17-12 victory over France has seen them leap to fourth in the latest IRB world rankings, released yesterday, their highest position ever.

The Pumas jump two places, overtaking France, who fall from third place to fifth.

South Africa rise to third, while the only other movers are Ireland, who fall to sixth - one place ahead of England. New Zealand remain in first place ahead of Australia. Wales gained points for their defeat of Canada but remain in eighth, just ahead of Italy.

Sightings aplenty

Following the Pool A match between England and the USA in Lens, two players have been cited - ie, accused of pitch thuggery.

The USA centre Paul Emerick is in the dock over a dangerous tackle on the England outhalf Olly Barkley, while the English prop and captain, Phil Vickery, has been called to account for kicking an opponent.

Without wishing to prejudice the case, it's fair to say there are a number of photographs incriminating Vickery. They show his outstretched left leg tripping up the very man accused of fouling against Barkley.

Weather watch . ..

In Marseille the All Black coach Graham Henry used the weather as a reason for his side bringing down the tempo towards the end of their opening match, albeit after they had torn Italy to shreds. At that point the temperature in the stadium on the shore of the Mediterranean was 30 degrees.

The temperature in Bordeaux was not far behind for Ireland's opener on Sunday, but Eddie O'Sullivan declined to introduce the heat as a factor in his players' decidedly lukewarm play.

Player making waves

Team Portugal. All of them. They scored their first World Cup try against Scotland and cannot wait to meet the All Blacks.

The question hanging on everyone's lips is whether they have enough drips and morphine in the camp.

Graham Henry was oozing compassion.

"There will be some sympathy around, not a huge amount," said the All Blacks coach.

Gourmet corner . . .

La Pomme. In the business centre of Meriadeck, a rat run of high-rise units. Half a litre of coke, an apricot slice, a smoked salmon and tuna salad and an apple, all served up on a terrace with uninterrupted views of people smoking on their functional balconies.

But hey, it's all for 6.20.

Quote of the day

I must say that I played in the previous Rugby World Cup. Ireland were a bit tougher that day. - The Namibian captain, Kees Lensing, innocently putting what we are told is the best prepared Irish team ever in its place.