AFTER one of the most amazing weekends in the history of the World Cup we are left with semi-final pairings that few would have predicted.

BEFORE a select group of Ireland players filed through the mixed zone of the Parc des Princes, their counterparts had sung and chanted loudly on their way to interviews with the huge South American media pack.

FORMER France captain and flanker Jean-Pierre Rives has described Argentina as “the last of the romantics” and is delighted at the Pumas’ success so far at the Rugby World Cup.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY called it a ‘Moveable Feast’ and how right he was: Paris is truly one of the world’s great cities.

GEORGIA head coach Malkhaz Cheishvili has made 11 changes to the side that bravely went down to Argentina for tomorrow’s Pool D game against Ireland at Stade Chaban-Delmas Stadium in Bordeaux.

Man of the moment, Shane Jennings, is returning to Leinster next season, but fans might not get a glimpse of him in blue until November if the open-side flanker makes it to the World Cup.

NIALL O’DONOVAN is expecting the Argentinean pack to up the ante in tomorrow’s second test in the Estadio Jose Amalfitani, Velez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires.

A GOOD start, maintain the tempo, control the football, be accurate and disciplined and don’t be intimidated by a partisan crowd – these will be some of Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan orders to his team as the first of two “trials” ahead of Rugby World Cup 2007 kicks off at the Estadio Brigadier Estanislao Lopez del Barrio Centenario in Santa Fe later today (kick off 8:10pm Irish time).

THE pin-up boy of Argentinian rugby alighted from the team bus outside the Pumas team hotel in central Santa Fe to be greeted by a scrum of fanatical teenagers mitching off school.

Stade Francais have added Los Pumas Agustin Pichot and Juan Martin Hernandez to their side for the return date with Ulster at Ravenhill on Saturday afternoon.

AGUSTIN PICHOT squirms slightly at the question. It’s only Monday evening in the Crown Plaza Hotel in Coogee Beach, Sydney, but perhaps he is already realising that, with six days to go before Argentina’s clash with Ireland, it’s a topic he is going to have to deal with far too many times for his liking.