THE seventh rugby World Cup began in New Zealand this morning.

Ireland may have endured a troubled build-up the World Cup but forwards coach Gert Smal remains convinced they possess “something special”.

ROD KAFER and Doug Howlett are the only members of the elite north-south double winners club — but now Pedrie Wannenburg, Scott Hamilton, George Smith and Campbell Johnstone are in with the chance of adding their names to that shortest of short honours boards.

IT’S not every week you get a chance to see Australia and New Zealand in the flesh, even if the experiences in Thomond Park and the Aviva Stadium were poles apart.

SATURDAY’S Munster Senior Cup semi-final at Clifford Park had all the hallmarks of a Super 14 affair - a feast of open running rugby, two willing teams and tries galore - and the sun even shone brightly.

Brian O’Driscoll is relishing pulling on a green jersey and leading his country against the Springboks on Saturday.

SOUTH AFRICA captain Victor Matfield will take comfort in familiarity if not experience when he leads the world champions out to take on Ireland at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow (5.30pm).

Prop Gurthro Steenkamp has been named the South African Player of the Year for 2010.

JOE VAN NIEKERK thought he had just about experienced everything in rugby – until he led Toulon onto the pitch at Thomond Park on Saturday.

ERNST JOUBERT shouldn’t be a rugby player. He should be an accountant, or a full-time traveller. And it is as much to his surprise as anyone else’s that he will be lining up for Saracens against Leinster at Wembley this afternoon.

Jason Holland’s years of service with Munster give him a broad perspective when it comes to the Heineken Cup. The province’s backs coach spoke to Michael Moynihan about bitterness, losing to Leinster – and the future for the men in red.

JONATHAN SEXTON faces another 24 hours of uncertainty before being confirmed in Leinster’s starting line-up for the Heineken Cup opener against French league leaders Racing Metro at the RDS tomorrow (1.30pm).

Australia selectors have named 12 uncapped players in an extended 40-man training squad ahead of the upcoming spring tour of Hong Kong and Europe.

Heinrich Brussow will miss South Africa’s year-end tour to Europe after it was discovered the flanker needs further surgery to rectify a long-term knee problem.

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry concedes that Johannesburg’s altitude factor could be a major stumbling block for his side ahead of their Tri-Nations showdown with South Africa on Saturday.

SOUTH AFRICA’S conditioning coach Neels Liebel claimed yesterday he had proof to show northern hemisphere rugby was slower than the game played in the southern hemisphere.

A split looks to be quickly brewing in southern hemisphere rugby after South Africa conceded it was exploring the possibility of breaking away from SANZAR.

SARACENS have confirmed plans to stage their Heineken Cup clash with Leinster at Wembley this season.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has rung the changes ahead of Saturday’s Tri Nations clash with Australia at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

SOUTH AFRICA lock Victor Matfield was yesterday despairing at the way Irish referees Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland have policed the breakdown, following his side’s second successive Tri Nations defeat to New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday.

SOUTH AFRICA out-half Morne Steyn insists there will be no knee-jerk reaction to last week’s Tri Nations destruction at the hands of the All Blacks when the sides meet again in Wellington tomorrow (8.35am).

CONNACHT look set to complete their biggest coup of the season by signing Queensland Reds back-row player Ezra Taylor.

IRELAND’S hopes of a first win in Australia since 1967 grew significantly yesterday when two of the Wallabies most potent offensive weapons were ruled out of Saturday’s clash in Brisbane.

Australia centre Matt Giteau has been ruled out of tomorrow's Cook Cup clash with England after failing to overcome a hip injury.

NEW ZEALAND playmaker Dan Carter believes putting the All Black jersey back on will bring the best out of him ahead of the season-opening Test against Ireland tomorrow.

MUNSTER have bolstered their front-row options with the signing of Crusaders prop Peter Borlase.

New Zealand playmaker Dan Carter believes putting the All Black jersey back on will bring the best out of him ahead of the season-opening Test against Ireland on Saturday.

Daniel Carter’s self-proclaimed “patchy” form in the Super 14 has not lulled Ireland into a false sense of security heading into Saturday’s one-off Test against New Zealand.

Gert Smal is confident the Ireland pack have the power to match New Zealand in Saturday’s Test in New Plymouth.

IRELAND coach Declan Kidney has called on referees to ensure the contest at the breakdown remains under the new global law interpretations.

JEAN DE VILLIERS last night rubbished claims he was unhappy at Munster by describing his time with the province as “an incredible experience”.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney has called on referees to ensure the contest at the breakdown remains under the new global law interpretations.

INJURIES and rich Super 14 form have prodded All Blacks coach Graham Henry into picking three new caps for the starting team for the Irish Test on Saturday, along with three more on the reserves bench.

IT’S THE same question every year. As sure as Cork and Kerry will produce a draw in the Munster football championship, we speculate as to who from the home nations is capable of producing any kind of a win on the annual summer sojourns to the southern hemisphere.

Israel Dagg, Benson Stanley and Ben Franks will make their New Zealand Test debuts against Ireland on Saturday after being named in a new-look starting line-up for the one-off match in New Plymouth.

Ireland management says the decision not to spend the entire build-up to Saturday’s Test against New Zealand in New Plymouth was primarily based on player welfare.

NEW ZEALAND are almost certain to be without three of their first-choice players for the one-off Test against Ireland next week, assistant coach Wayne Smith has said.

Bath back Butch James has been formally withdrawn from South Africa’s line-up for their clash against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.

Australia coach Robbie Deans admits Kurtley Beale’s pending court appearance influenced the selectors’ decision to hand the talented utility his first Test start against Fiji in Canberra on Saturday.

New Zealand fly-half Stephen Donald is facing up to four months on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a torn chest muscle.

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry clearly has one eye on the future when naming rising stars Aaron Cruden, Israel Dagg and Victor Vito in his squad for Tests against Ireland and Wales next month.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry had one eye on the future when he named rising stars Aaron Cruden, Israel Dagg and Victor Vito in his squad for Tests against Ireland and Wales next month.

Bulls 25 Stormers 17

ULSTER have confirmed that South African fly half Ruan Pienaar will move to Belfast on a two-year contract from his province, the Sharks.