As Namibia lock PJ Van Lill rose to claim the lineout he began to topple over. He lurched to a 40 degree angle and was only saved by the strength of the two props holding him airborne.

Rob Kearney has revealed how the Ireland squad faced up to the ghosts of Ireland’s World Cup past to remind them of the dangers of underestimating so-called minnows.

THE jellyfish has no brain, no bones and no teeth.

Ireland cricketers’ hopes of making the ICC World Twenty20 tournament suffered an early blow with defeat to Namibia in Dubai.

THE Samoan with the unpronounceable double-barreled name called it ‘slavery’ and duly gave the World Cup organisers both barrels.

A century from Niall O’Brien sealed a third successive victory for Ireland against Namibia on day four of the ICC Intercontinental Cup final at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth in South Africa today.

Sebastien Chabal is adamant his iconic status off the pitch will not affect his performance on it when he lines up for France in the make-or-break World Cup clash against Ireland in Paris.

THE TEXTS and e-mails are landing thick and fast. They demand to know why the Irish team has so under-performed. Is there trouble in the camp? Are the players over trained? Has Eddie O’Sullivan picked the wrong teams? Has he grown stale in the job and what were the IRFU thinking when they extended his contract by four years just before the World Cup?

Namibia coach Hakkies Husselman has accused Sebastien Chabal of play-acting during the red card incident in Sunday’s 87-10 defeat by France.

Argentina trio Juan Martin Hernandez, Marcos Ayerza and Federico Todeschini have been ruled out of Saturday’s World Cup Group D game against Namibia.

WORLD Cup hosts France took out nine days of pent-up frustration on Namibia with a resounding victory that will have drawn nervous glances from Ireland last night.

Ireland 14 Georgia 10

GEORGIA captain Ilia Zedginidze has warned Ireland his side enter today’s Bordeaux showdown driven by the need to preserve their World Cup future.

Eddie O’Sullivan has demanded an end to the post mortem into Ireland’s abysmal World Cup opener on the eve of another potentially hazardous contest.

Geordan Murphy has warned his fellow first-team fringe players they must be ready to grab their chance if Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan comes calling.

THOUGH the Ireland squad had a scheduled weights session on Tuesday evening, David Wallace managed to snatch portions of the Argentina and Georgia match.

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL equals an Irish record of which he had little knowledge when he leads his country in Saturday’s World Cup game against Georgia in the Stade Chaban Delmas.

THERE can be no equivocating or refusal to face facts after this near horror for Irish rugby at the Stade Chaban Delmas last night. Ireland were awful, and deeply embarrassed by a Namibian side ranked 24th in the world and who were in no way flattered by running their vaunted opponents to a margin of 15 points when many good judges believed it would be three or four times that amount.

THERE have been times when Eddie O’Sullivan has been too protective and supportive of his Irish players but not last night. He actually looked diminished in himself; pale and shell shocked as he took on board just how poorly his side had played in beating the unrated Namibians.

Eddie O’Sullivan believes France succumbed to the pressure of being World Cup hosts in last night’s stunning 17-12 defeat to Argentina.

THE specially erected bars and tents are in situ for the Irish invasion at the Bordeaux Rugby Village on the banks of the Garonne — but all was quiet yesterday afternoon.

The Ireland squad flies out to France today ahead of the start of the World Cup.

Malcolm O’Kelly reckons Namibia and Georgia will try to put the heat on Ireland up front when they take on Eddie O’Sullivan’s side in Bordeaux over the next two weekends.

Namibian authorities are clamping down on journalists trying to follow Brad Pitt, heavily pregnant Angelina Jolie and her two adoptive children, according to a newspaper report.

Prosecutors in Zimbabwe today dropped firearms charges against three of 70 suspected mercenaries who are accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea.

The alleged leader of 70 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea has pleaded guilty to attempting to buy weapons in Zimbabwe, but denied they were for use in the takeover attempt.

A former captain in the SAS, accused by Zimbabwe of leading 70 suspected mercenaries in a coup plot against Equatorial Guinea today admitted attempting to possess dangerous weapons and faces ten years in prison.

The head of the defence team for 70 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea has withdrawn from the case.

Sixty-seven suspected mercenaries detained in Zimbabwe along with their three-man flight crew face additional charges of plotting to kill the president of the oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, their lawyer said today.

Sixty-four suspected mercenaries detained in Zimbabwe this week were hired to help overthrow the government in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea with the assistance of British, American, and Spanish intelligence agencies, the Zimbabwe government claimed.

Romania 37 Namibia 7

AUSTRALIA aren’t just setting their sights on beating Ireland in Melbourne this weekend, they’re hoping to do it with an attacking verve rarely seen in a game between two of rugby’s better teams on the biggest stage.

Romania coach Bernard Charryere expects a tough challenge from Namibia when they clash in Launceston on Thursday with both still in search of their first points at the Rugby World Cup.

MUNSTER’S “nearly man” Chris Latham put himself in line for a place in Australia’s starting line-up against Ireland in Melbourne on Saturday by scoring a record five tries in the 142-0 demolition of hapless Namibia at the Adelaide Oval.

AUSTRALIA coach Eddie Jones is hopeful lock David Giffin will be fit enough to play a significant role in the Wallabies’ Pool A clash with Namibia this weekend.

NAMIBIA have drastically altered their team and tactics for the game against Ireland tomorrow after the harsh lesson knocked into them by Argentina in Gosford this week.

Ireland prop Reggie Corrigan is a major doubt for Sunday’s Pool A encounter with Namibia in Sydney.

The game of rugby has changed drastically since the door of professionalism was swung open in 1995. But some traditions still remain and Namibian coach Dave Waterstone was observing one as he came to terms with his side’s 67-14 World Cup hammering by Argentina in Gosford.

BETWEEN head-butting lions, fending off Tunisian prostitutes and beating criminal charges of cruelty in his native Namibia, Schalk van der Merwe prepared for the World Cup.

GIVEN our penchant for horse racing, coach Eddie O’Sullivan’s warning yesterday that Ireland has four major hurdles to jump if they still want to be in Australia for Melbourne Cup week was a fitting analogy to begin a World Cup adventure.