A round-up of today's other Rugby stories in brief...

Dunne turns to McGurn 

SEVERAL members of the Irish rugby team are known boxing aficionados and were regular attendees at Bernard Dunne's Dublin fights in the Point and National Stadium over the years. While they won't be able to make this Saturday's bout in Castlebar, due to a certain appointment with New Zealand in Croke Park, they do share some common background with the fighter.

Mike McGurn, who used to be the physical trainer with the Irish team in the days of Eddie O'Sullivan, has been working with Dunne over the past few months. The Dubliner has been concentrating on his strength and conditioning for the weekend's meeting with Cristian 'El Terrible' Faccio.

"That's an area that we sat down as a team and decided we needed to work on," said Dunne. "Mike has great experience from working with the Irish rugby team over the last few years and Fergus (Connolly) is currently working with the Welsh rugby team so they bring a lot to the table in terms of know how and experience." McGurn also works with Welsh Heineken Cup side, Ospreys.

An Irish twist to All Blacks anthem

'God defend New Zealand' has been the official national anthem of the All Blacks since 1977.

Previously 'God save the Queen' served as the sole ditty and is still occasionally used, principally when there is a royal presence.

The words of 'God Defend New Zealand' however, were written by an Irish poet, Thomas Bracken, who had emigrated to Otago and is said to have written the music in a single sitting.

The song made its debut in Dunedin's, Queens Theatre, on Christmas day in 1896.

The song has five verses, the first of which is the gently worded, 'God of Nations at Thy Feet.' This is quite a contrast to the Haka, written by the famous chief Te Rauparaha, which begins 'It is death. It is death.' You can see why some teams turn their backs.

Coincidence gambling

THERE is a win theory going around that could look attractive to the chronic gambler, although, it is based on nothing but coincidence. Two of Ireland's iconic teams are the 1948 Grand Slam winning side and the 1978 Munster team that famously beat the All Blacks in Thomond Park. Relying heavily on the 30 years that separates each Irish triumph, it seems that money should go on Ireland to beat the All Blacks on Saturday. The year 2008 fits rather promisingly into that mould, although, Paddy Power are offering odds of 4 to 6 on New Zealand winning the match. They give odds of 45 to 1 for both Ireland and Munster to beat the All Blacks and Ireland at 4-1 to win.

Wingers, Joe Rokocoko and Sitiveni Sivivatu, are both at 8 to 1 to score the first try. Oddly, Keith Earls at 14-1 is rated the most likely Irish player to score the first try, although, he's starting on the bench.

Only two under-21 players remain

IRISH SCRUM-HALF, Tomas O'Leary and number eight, Jamie Heaslip, are the only two Irish players involved this weekend who also played in the IRB Under-21 World Cup final in Scotland in June 2004.

The Cork Constitution player was at nine for the Irish team that finally went down 47-19 to New Zealand, while the then Trinity player, Heaslip, was at number eight.

New Zealand, however, currently have three players in their senior squad that took part in the Under-21 victory. Jerome Kaino is again in the All Black back row, where he was four years ago, while prop, John Afoa and outhalf Stephen Donald, who both played in the under age final, find themselves in the New Zealand replacements for Croke Park.

"The pace of the game against the All Blacks was the fastest I've played in," said Scottish captain, Mike Blair, on what sort of pace Ireland can expect on Saturday.