THERE was a nasty undertone to Ireland’s victory over the Wallabies last Saturday, if reports in the Antipodean media are to be believed.

IRELAND scrum coach Greg Feek was set to turn full circle today when the Ireland squad pitches up at New Plymouth Boys’ High School for their final training session before Sunday’s World Cup opener against the USA.

AUSTRALIA coach Robbie Deans has signed a new two-year contract and will remain in charge of the Wallabies until the end of the 2013 international season.

Australia coach Robbie Deans has signed a new two-year contract and will remain in charge of the Wallabies until the end of the 2013 international season.

A cat travelled 3,500km from New Zealand to Australia across the Tasman sea.

George Michael has splashed out a reported $6m on an Australian holiday home.

IT hasn’t been the best of fortnights for Les Kiss.

WITH another former Cork minor star making some serious waves across the Tasman Sea, Tomás O’Leary is out to strike another blow for the Rebel alumni in New Zealand this weekend.

A MASSIVE 7.8-magnitude earthquake last week has moved the south of New Zealand closer to Australia, scientists said.

NEW ZEALAND and Australia temporarily issued tsunami warnings yesterday after an earthquake struck the south of New Zealand, causing minor damage but no injuries.

THE crowd is happy, the music is swirling, and two men jump up, pints of Guinness in hand, for a quick jig.

IT HASN’T been easy keeping track of Brad Thorn’s unique and fascinating career but the man himself can rattle off his bewildering array of career stats like most of us can our mobile phone numbers.

TWO young adventurers completed an epic paddle of more than 3,200km on Sunday to become the first people to travel from Australia to New Zealand by kayak.

The New Zealand woman who caught Nicole Kidman's wedding bouquet had to leave the coveted flowers at the airport when she discovered she wasn't allowed to fly out of Australia carrying plants.

PREPARE for lift-off when flight NZ1 touches down at Heathrow Airport today — the All Blacks will be in town.

Greenpeace said fishermen fired potatoes at the group’s activists today when they used inflatable boats to disrupt a trawling ship near New Zealand in a protest timed to coincide with UN talks on managing the world’s oceans.

CONTROVERSY is something Christian Cullen has managed to avoid for much of his illustrious All Black career.

IN the current lull that marks the final countdown before the frenzy of the Rugby World Cup kick off, the media has been scraping the story barrel, scrounging around for stories of the off-the-ball — or off-the-wall — variety.

The All Blacks have begun their final World Cup warm-up at a snow-bound training camp in the south island of New Zealand.

CLIVE WOODWARD yesterday declared himself unconcerned about what “myths” the New Zealanders may have of English rugby and instead promised his side would go all-out to succeed on their three-match tour Down Under in the most effective style possible.

Australia coach Eddie Jones today admitted rugby’s traditional southern hemisphere giants could learn a lot from England.

GREENPEACE protesters leapt into the sea in front of two ships carrying nuclear waste off the Australian mainland yesterday after an overnight game of maritime cat-and-mouse.

Anti-nuclear activists set sail on two boats from Sydney today to join a flotilla that was planning to intercept a ship carrying nuclear material from Japan to Britain.

Searing temperatures have dropped, but with erratic winds blowing and no rain in sight, Australia's fire crisis has entered its 12th day.

New Zealand will lodge formal protests with Britain, Japan and France over a shipment of nuclear fuel.