With the All Blacks able to set themselves no more of a target than to just keep their structure throughout Saturday night's opposed training against Portugal, the two tastiest games of the weekend look to be the Wallabies vs Wales, and the clash between the Boks and England tomorrow morning.
In all probability, the northern sides will both go down, valiantly or otherwise, but Jonah's tipping Wales and some South African media are speculating that Australia could throw the game in order to avoid meeting the All Blacks in the semi-finals. Frankly, given our history, we should be more scared of them than they are of us.
The Wallabies, who enjoyed home advantage for the duration of the last tournament have, quite rightly, been accused of whingeing after coach Conolly complained about having to play the pool match against Wales at Millennium Stadium.
Meanwhile, England, with Jonny Wilkinson and that other guy both crocked, are reduced to playing a former rugby league prop at first five. Hell, it might be what they need …
Over at Haka, Tracey Nelson is struggling to find bars that show the rugby and internet cafes that are ever open in Marseilles and Paul Waite considers the RWC clampdown on foul play and concludes:
If it isn't some bloody silly new ball that a sponsor has bent the IRB's arms behind their backs with loads of cash to foist on all the teams who have been playing with decent ones for the past four years, it's "new" definitions of foul play, and appropriate levels of punishment thereof.
It's absolutely ludicrous.
If there is a perceived problem with foul play in the game, then clean it up in the four years in-between World Cups, NOT AT THE WORLD CUP ITSELF!
Morgan Nicol has detected a disturbance in the force at the Rugby World Cup. This is huge!
And the first Whisky Galore comment prize goes to … simon g. Get in touch with your details, Simon.