Sporting year in quotes: The Rugby World Cup

"You've got a lot of fleas in the system. They write s***. They've got no idea of what they're talking about. We can't be sidelined or swayed by fleas."

- The media get a wee insect in their ear from All Black selector Mark Shaw as the World Cup kicks off. Thanks to a semifinal crash, the media got a chance to bite back.

"I don't know if she was watching the game. She probably died about fulltime. There's always an irony in life. She's been my biggest supporter, along with my wife."

- Namibian rugby coach Dave Waterston is hit by the news of his mother's death in Dunedin, moments after his side's 142-0 hammering by Australia.

"The tragedy is if you're a ref - and I feel sorry for the refs too - and you want the big appointments, you've got to lick the backsides of some of the top nations."

- A classic Waterston press conference moment. God bless the man.

"I'm not going to go to him as a dentist if he gives an exhibition like that as a referee."

- More from Dangerous Dave, this time on Aussie ref Andrew Cole. It was unclear if he was referring to the above mentioned currying of favour.

"The English have always been an arrogant race."

- Now there's a surprise. Wallaby Toutai Kefu calls for cup officials to throw the book at England over the 16th-man substitution controversy in their match against Samoa. Those Aussies are always so humble.

"We've won a lot of hearts on and off the field with the way we've played."

- Can these really be the words of a South African rugby coach after a cup quarter-final thrashing? (Answer: yes folks, it is Rudolf Straeuli)

"The players were ordered naked into a freezing lake to pump up rugby balls underwater. Players who tried to get out, among them captain Corne Krige, were allegedly pointed back at gunpoint."

- South Africa's Sunday Times describes the Springboks' bizarre pre-tournament bush camp, which also included players having to crawl naked across gravel, and spending the night in the bush on their own with half a match, an egg, and instructions on how to cook it.

"It was trial and error. You go through certain things and decide these are good and maybe these aren't so good."

- Krige, on Camp Springboks, although we're still waiting to find out how his egg turned out.

"I don't know if I can explain it or if anyone would understand. They're shattered, they've put a huge amount into this and they're very disappointed.

"I can't fault the preparation that's gone into this campaign, the effort of the coaches, the players and the rugby union.

"Everyone's put a huge amount into it and to come all this way and be heartbroken is tough."

- Yes, Reuben Thorne, we do understand.

"There possibly were things that we would probably do differently."

- Hang on, Reuben. Maybe we don't understand.

"There is a lot of pressure on him and he gets built up to a degree where people expect superhuman stuff from him and most of the stuff he does is verging on that."

- English captain Martin Johnson, after his magnificent performance in the final triumph over Australia, talks about dropkick hero Jonny Wilkinson.

"He is a lot more famous than me. I think he will probably captain England one day if he wants to, if he chooses to."

- More humility from Jonno on Wilko. No wonder the Poms follow their captain so wholeheartedly into the trenches.

"It made for a great spectacle and I think if the conditions were a bit better we would have won easier."

- Who else - Clive Woodward, after the final, of course. The English coach dispenses his humility with an eye-dropper. Mind you, the Aussie media had been winding him up for a couple of months. Fair cop, Clive.

"I think there are a number of areas of improvement that are required and certainly we need to lift the bar in a number of areas.

"I think all of you would raise some concerns around the areas of the media, probably the interface with the rugby union and possibly some sponsor activity as well."

- The All Blacks were in mid-air as NZRFU chief executive Chris Moller, talking at a now infamous Sydney press conference immediately after the Word Cup, ensured a bumpy landing for coach John Mitchell.

"I used to very much try to be a cup-winning coach, now I think I'm much more a people coach."

- New All Black coach Graham Henry. You can bet he's still pretty keen on the cup-winning part though.

"I expected more support from my head office ... I have been given no reasons why I haven't got the job."

- Mitchell struggles to get some info. John, we know how you feel.

"From a selfish perspective, it offers me at least some hope to regain All Black honours for myself next year."

- Anton Oliver reflects on Mitchell's demise and decides it's not such a bad thing.

"I still feel like I've got a soldering iron in the heart."

- Mitchell reveals his All Black heartache.



Herald Feature: 2003: Year in review