From the Touchline

A lighter look at Rugby World Cup 2011.

Numbers

23 - Canada and Japan drew 23-23 in John Kirwan's 23rd Rugby World Cup match as a player or coach. The draw was just the third in 263 RWC matches, with Canada and Japan having played the previous draw at RWC 2007. Kirwan's 23 matches is a record, surpassing Jason Leonard's 22 matches as a player.

18 - Japan extended their record Rugby World Cup winless streak to 18 matches.

He said it

"I'm thinking about leaving some baskets of chips in the corners of the pitch. That should distract him."
- Ireland's Geordan Murphy suggests a novel way of tackling the scrummaging threat of Italy prop Martin Castrogiovanni, his Leicester teammate and Pool C opponent on Sunday.

Stars and stripes

While the Rugby World Cup brings together the world's biggest stars, it also provides an opportunity for lesser-known players such as USA number 8 Nic Johnson to get up close and personal with their idols.

"I can't help but get starstruck sometimes," he said. "When I see the other players like Sergio (Parisse) in the locker room I want to go up and ask for a photo or an autograph."

And on the eve of his departure from New Zealand, what is his most treasured memento from Rugby World Cup 2011? A sneaky post-match photo taken with one of his heroes, Ireland second row Donncha O'Callaghan.

Scenic drive 

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll took cash off two teammates after smacking the longest drive at Lake Taupo’s hole-in-one challenge.

O’Driscoll, who plays off scratch, hit a ball 238m into New Zealand’s largest lake. The drives are measured using a laser machine, which takes into account the clubhead speed, launch angle and the flight of the ball.

O’Driscoll’s efforts pale in comparison to the performance of All Blacks scrum half Piri Weepu, who smashed the ball a whopping 273m in December to set a record for that month. Remarkably, he did so with a broken leg.

Bad luck of the Irish

The Irish are getting plenty of opportunity to test their luck, as the team’s hotel in Dunedin is attached to a casino.

One player who hasn’t had any good fortune so far is flanker Donnacha Ryan. “I’ve had a go at the slot machines, but the only machine I’m winning on is the ATM,” he said.

Asked if he had tried card counting as a way of beating the house, he replied: “I gave it a go and my understanding is that there are 52 of them.”

Auld enemy

Journalists at a Scotland team press conference on Wednesday seemed determined to goad players into some unguarded anti-English sentiment ahead of their crucial Pool B clash at the weekend.

Are they upset they have had to turn out on "paddy fields" in torrential rain when England have played all three pool matches in a stadium with a roof?  Do they feel any sympathy that Jonny Wilkinson is apparently "unhappy with the dimples" on the Gilbert ball? Is the prospect of knocking the auld enemy out of the tournament an added incentive?

Eventually, one Kiwi reporter decided to cut to the chase.

"Tell us, do you loathe England?" he asked scrum half Chris Cusiter, who diplomatically dead-batted the question away.

Murphy's law

Ireland full back Geordan Murphy was resigned to playing the gooseberry as journalists in Dunedin focused their attention on backs coach Les Kiss and back row Denis Leamy during a press conference on Wednesday.

The Leicester back was amusing himself by indulging photographers with various facial expressions when he was startled by a journalist’s ongoing question, which had apparently started with the word “Geordan”.

“I thought I was going to get through the whole thing without a question,” said Murphy, bolting upright from his slouched position.