RWC: Who do Kiwis despise more?

Clashes between England and Australia are always tough tests of Kiwi loyalties. Photo / Getty

Steve Deane scours global media for an offbeat look at rugby's biggest show.

DIVIDED LOYALTY
Wales coach Warren Gatland will be doing it tough when it comes to barracking for the right result for his adoptive nation when England take on Australia in a match that could well decide who survives the Pool of Death.

"If we are being entirely selfish about this, Australia can do us a big favour by winning as we then go through to the quarter-finals," Gatland said, following his side's victory over Fiji. "It is a bit hard for a Kiwi to get up and cheer for Aussies though," he admitted.

Pretty sure you will be forgiven given the circumstances mate. It does beg the question, though, who do we despise more - our Anzac brothers or our colonial parent?

TOUGH DRAW
Match scheduling is always a hot topic at World Cups. Somehow the All Blacks always seem to go a month without playing anyone while the likes of poor old Fiji get to play hosts England followed by Australia and Wales in the space of just 13 days.

"It is very frustrating to be at this point with no points on the table," Fiji coach John McKee admits. "We had high expectations and a talented group of players. We worked really hard - but...

NATIONAL HERO
From the 'tenuous connection to RWC2015 file'. Dubai's The National is carrying a nice story about a 'local' player who just missed out of his dream of playing at the Big Show.

Dubai Exiles first-five DuRandt Gerber came within a whisker of making the - you will have guessed it from the name - Italian squad. Gerber played three games for Italy A and was a member of the country's 43-man RWC training squad.

"Just before the World Cup I went home and got married, so it was all right."

Mrs Gerber will doubtless be delighted to hear she was a consolation prize for missing out on playing in a sports tournament.

Rugby, reports The National, is booming in the Middle East with 30 men's teams scheduled to play competitive matches this weekend - although a few of the teams are struggling for numbers.

Latest figures suggest the population of the 17 countries that make up the region is around 370,000,000.

IRISH EYES NOT SMILING
Feedback to The World's Cup over our description of hard-hitting Irish Times columnist and less hard-hitting former rugby international Gordan D'Arcy as being best known not for "not being as good as Brian O'Driscoll" has not been overwhelmingly positive.

D'Arcy is "one of the most successful centres in World Rugby", wrote one correspondent.

"He was voted player of the Six Nations tournament in 2004, nominated for IRB Player Of The Year in 2004, nominated for Six Nations Player Of The Tournament in 2007. Darcy has won the Six Nations grand slam in 2009, Six Nations title in 2014. He has won with Leinster the Heineken Cup in 2009, 2011, 2012 and has been at three World Cups and on two Lions tours."

Or, as another put it: "Ahh so you're one of those anonymous talentless journalists that makes up for it by writing sensationalist garbage."

Anonymous? That hurts.

GEORGIA AWAITS

It wasn't easy but we've unearthed some genuine RWC coverage from the mainstream(ish) Georgian media. This post on the sportall.ge website says something about Richie McCaw and another bloke but, honestly, who knows what.