Cup in need of overhaul at all levels

The All Blacks thrashed Portugal 108-13 in 2007. Photo / NZME

Once more but with some feeling. The Rugby World Cup needs an overhaul to eliminate the mismatches, the lopsided pools and the protracted itinerary.

Matches stretch across more than six weeks from England's start against Fiji to the tournament decider with mismatches like the All Blacks against Namibia are a waste of space.

The tournament is an avenue to enormous profit for World Rugby and a way for some of the minnows like Namibia, Uruguay and Portugal to get a gig on a global stage.

Don't mind that, indeed, it's encouraging to see the emergence of other nations. But I don't want to see them smashed.

Some of my worst experiences have been enduring games like that at World Cups. The All Blacks walloped Japan 145-17 in '95, Italy 101-3 in '99 and Portugal 108-13 in 2007. What a waste of time and guess what's going to happen to Namibia this time in pool play when they come up against the All Blacks.

England have got problems of their own this time as they consider the foolish draw which has them sectioned with the Wallabies, Wales and Fiji while they are also struggling with their wavering form.

Split the tournament into three levels with the top 12 sides playing for the Webb Ellis Cup, the next 12 teams slogging it out in their tournament and then the rest.

The history of the Rugby World Cup reveals anomalies in seedings, the draw and pools. In the seven tournaments so far, the All Blacks have played France six times, Scotland and Italy five times and Tonga for the fourth time this year.

They have played Ireland just once, have never played Samoa or Uruguay and will meet Georgia and Namibia for the first time this year.

Webb Ellis' antics were the stuff of myth and the tournament named in his memory is becoming more of an illusion, the longer they persist with the existing format.