KEY POINTS:
It really was tough work trying not to laugh in the face of the IRB's top brass who were in Auckland last week.
First IRB chief executive Mike Miller said with a straight face that Eden Park was on its way to becoming a "magnificent venue for the
World Cup final".
No one knows what the stadium will look like, how much it will cost, who is going to pay for it and when on earth work might even start on it. Then, of course, there is the fact that no one knows how fans are going to get there - one hopelessly inadequate quasi-train station is not going to fit the bill.
When they get there what are they going to do? Buy a hot-dog and then swim in the grease? Or maybe they should just drink the grease in preference to the over-priced beer they could buy if they have the stamina for the queue.
Then Mr Miller went on to give himself a massive pat on the back for deciding to use the IRB's own rankings to determine seedings at the 2011 World Cup.
That sounded like a good idea, preferable certainly to seeding teams in 2011 based on how they went at the 2007 World Cup (the old formula).
Good idea until the small print was read and we learned that seedings will be based on how the rankings stand on December 1 this year.
So rather than seed teams four years out from the next tournament they will now be seeded three years out. That's progress IRB-style.
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Now that Daniel Carter has dropped another hint that he might be tempted overseas when he comes off contract at the end of this year, every club in Europe will be looking deep into their coffers to see if they can muster enough to make a serious bid for the 25-year-old.
Supposedly, Toulouse were prepared to offer Carter €1 million a year to join them after the World Cup and compensate the New Zealand Rugby Union for taking him out of the last year of his contract.
One UK agent said last year: "If Carter decides to play overseas, he will be the best-paid player in professional history. I know of a few clubs who would find the money to pay him what he wants."
The NZRU have been given fair warning. Every major European club knows Carter is off contract at the end of this year and they know he will give serious thought to serious offers.
Those serious offers will look to tie him into at least a 2 1/2-year contract that will mean he won't be eligible for the All Blacks at the 2011 World Cup.
The NZRU constantly plead poverty but this is one player most certainly worth breaking the bank for.
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New Zealand's conditioning coaches ended up being not so popular round about October last year. The nation was a little perplexed about what they actually did.
But the evidence from Super 14 so far suggests that conditioning coaches here have done a thorough job preparing sides to deal with the new rules.
The likes of Richie McCaw, Keven Mealamu, Dan Carter, Jerome Kaino and Joe Rokocoko are in stunning shape - clearly having got through some relevant and hard training over the summer.
Compared with the South Africans and Australians, it seems New Zealand has got a handle on just how fit players will need to be to cope with the ELVs.
If anyone likes a punt, here is some sure money - bet on Isa Nacewa leaving New Zealand this year.
And who can blame him? The IRB won't overturn his eligibility and the NZRU won't budge on their remuneration policy around players who are not able to represent the All Blacks.
It feels unnecessarily cruel for this talented player to be punished his entire career for making one mistake.
Auckland-born and bred, he agreed to play for Fiji at the 2003 World Cup not fully realising the eligibility consequences. He played for one minute and now he can't earn what some with half his talent earn in New Zealand despite being a senior player at the Blues.
Toulon and other clubs have tabled big offers in recent weeks and the Blues will almost certainly lose a critical player simply because of a bad choice made five years ago.
