From the Touchline | infonews.co.nz New Zealand News

A look at the lighter side of Rugby World Cup 2011. Numbers 1 - Going into the match against France, New Zealand are the only team at RWC 2011 who have not trailed at any point so far. 21 - Going into the match against France, the All Blacks have collected 21 wins from as many attempts at Eden Park in the professional era (1996-2011). 100 - Against France, Richie McCaw becomes the 19th player to have featured in at least 100 Test matches and the first centurion among the All Blacks. He said it "It's like going on a flight. You know where you want to be but everything up in the air causes you to go off your course. But the main thing is to land safely at the airport and we're on our way to the airport." - South Africa coach Peter de Villiers is hoping there is no turbulence on the way to the knock stages. Bunny boys England stars Tom Palmer, Tom Wood and Manu Tuilagi went on the hunt this week for more than a third victory in Pool B. Before putting Romania firmly in their sights at Otago Stadium on Saturday, the trio rode roughshod on the back of a truck for a night shoot near Omarama in inland North Otago. They bagged 50 rabbits, a few stoats and a prized deer. The shoot was arranged by Wood's ex-teammates from when he played for North Otago several years ago. Don't let the cookie crumble Lunch time sees a parade of people at The Baker's Cottage, a long lineout throw from Eden Park. Top of the temptations there are the speciality 'All Blacks cookies'. Karen Vo, who owns the restaurant along with her husband Richie, the chief baker, said producing the All Blacks cookie was their way of showing support. "Everyone just wants the All Blacks to win,'' said Karen. "We were talking about how to show our support. I also did some World Cup cookies because I love the sport." Rugby World Cup is the water-cooler talk for their staff. "All the boys in the back are serious," said Karen. "If the All Blacks don't get the title, I might have to close for a few days." But what happens if the All Black cookie crumbles? "After the All Blacks, I want France to win,'' said Richie. Fern 'fun' theft South Africa captain John Smit fronted the media in Taupo on Saturday to explain allegations of Springbok players trying to steal a silver fern sign from outside a bar. Smit was part of a group of nine players who took a leisurely road trip from Auckland, where they played Namibia on Thursday, to their base in Taupo. A New Zealand newspaper reported on Saturday that bar owner Gail Bailey had chased the players to retrieve the sign from her business in Matamata, Waikato. “There was nothing sinister about it,” a sheepish Smit said. “It was just good-hearted fun. I think she (Mrs Bailey) realised what we were up to once it all settled down.” Smit said the group of players were later stopped by police at a roadblock. “There was some good fun when they realised who we were,” he said. “They said if we were Australian they would’ve locked us up.” Dr Johnson England manager Martin Johnson enjoyed tearing into a hapless reporter at the captain’s run press conference in Dunedin on Friday. Johnson was fielding questions about the injury to number 8 Nick Easter’s back when the journo began a question with, “You’ve often said you’ve got limited medical knowledge...” Johnson leapt on the reporter’s choice of phrase and refused to let go, leaving the usually sombre English press corps in bouts of laughter. "I don't think I have often said that, actually. 'Hello, I'm Martin Johnson, I've got limited medical knowledge'.” He then delivered a hammed-up assessment of Easter’s prospects, with the words “in my limited medical knowledge” dropped in on multiple occasions. Fiji out of fashion Caroline Autagavaia and her sister Shemaiah were doing brisk business at their stall at Otara Market selling Samoa Rugby World Cup T-shirts. "Do you have a double extra-large for my husband,'' inquired a woman. Caroline dug deep into a pile and pulled one out. When it was mentioned that a shirt supporting Fiji was nowhere in sight, Caroline reached under the counter and produced two of them. "Not big sellers,'' she said. Yanks join Quade hunt Quade Cooper's status as public enemy No.1 in New Zealand does not seem like abating judging by the boos he received during Friday's match between the USA and Australia in Wellington. While it is highly likely a few locals locals led the cat calls, there were professionally produced posters of the stars and stripes overlaid with 'Time to neuter Cooper' and 'Cooper needs a tackling tutor' suggesting his notoriety may have spread to the States. The latter message was a touch unfair given he produced two try-saving tackles in the first half, including a copybook head-on effort on rampaging second row Scott LaValla. However, there was some local support for the boy from Tokoroa: a roughly painted sign reading 'I'm the one Kiwi who loves you Quade'. Sirocco can't make up mind Parrots just don't know their rugby, or do they? Sirocco the kakapo, one of the world's most endangered birds, could not make up his mind when a British television crew tried to get him to pick between and All Black and French tricolore flags at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary near Dunedin. Sirocco knew there was a major game in the wind but could not be enticed to select the All Blacks, let alone a half-hearted attempt to turn to the France flag by the Kiwi handler. A member of the world's heaviest parrot species, Sirocco, who is the only one of 129 kakapo to live on the mainland, weighed in at 2.75kg. But the prop-shaped bird just could not engage a flag. The nocturnal Sirocco earned his notoriety by engaging in an amorous fashion with English comedian Stephen Fry during an interview some years ago.