PlanetRugby: The opening weekend of the Heineken European Cup certainly produced some cracking fare, not least the 32-31 victory for the Edinburgh Gunners over Wasps.
There were several other excellent games, stellar individual performances and a cracking atmosphere at the RDS, Leinster's new home.
There is only one serious drawback and it threatens the very integrity of the competition: refereeing. It's not that the officials are getting things wrong. Everyone makes mistakes, from players to coaches to journalists, but what irks most is the inconsistency in interpretation.
Scottish referee Rob Dickson should have held his hand up when he clearly messed up in denying Connacht a victory in a recent Celtic League match.
Instead he thumbed the IRB rulebook to see if there was a way he could wriggle out. He lost face in not owning up to what most considered an error and then refusing to explain his decision in an interview.
This column's one wish prior to the start of the weekend's European Cup was that officials would not have an undue influence on the outcome of matches. The tournament is only days old and already that hope is dashed.
There were numerous examples of inconsistency from Nigel Whitehouse's erratic officiating of the Leinster-Bath clash to Tony Spreadbury's handling of the Ospreys-Stade Francais match. These are just two that this column has chosen.
Spreadbury came out with probably the most asinine comment heard since the introduction of referees' microphones.
An Ospreys player was guilty of deliberately killing a ball inches from his own line. He should have got the sin-bin. Instead, Spreadbury was moved to remark, "Lads, it's too early for yellow cards." The match was 21 minutes old. Sky analyst Stuart Barnes was incredulous. He's not the only one.
In fairness to Spreadbury, it should be said that he reacted swiftly and did very well in attending to Ospreys' Andy Lloyd following a sickening collision with Stephane Glas that knocked the Welshman unconscious.
Lions video a hoot
Just when you thought you'd seen it all - or perhaps didn't want to see any more of the Lions' summer tour to New Zealand - Irish supporters are going to be treated to a reprise of sorts, albeit a light-hearted examination of the stories that made the news - on and off the pitch - during the tour.
Television presenter Hector Ó hEochagáin and Apres Match star Risteárd Cooper have come together in a funny and original documentary about the tour. Undaunted by limited access, the pair cast an irreverent eye over proceedings. Ó hEochagáin's manic energy and willingness to do almost anything are entertaining but it is Cooper's comic creations that provoke most of the chuckles, not least from the Irish players he interviews. His impression of Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan is priceless.
Other memorable bits include the pub cabaret provided by the pair for Ireland's Lions, the Tana Umaga T-shirts and the look of apparently unbridled malevolence Ó hEochagáin provokes from the much lampooned Alastair Campbell.
A documentary of the pair's exploits will be shown on TV3 on November 7th. A DVD, which runs for two hours and includes extended contributions from Eddie Butler, Grant Fox, Phil Gifford, George Hook, Ian Jones, Colin Meads, Stu Wilson and our own Gerry Thornley, will be released on November 11th.
World Cup tickets
The IRB is set to announce tickets prices for the 2007 Rugby World Cup at a special conference in Paris on November 3rd. Full details of the ticketing programme, labelled "Allez au Contact" - including prices, package options and timelines for the staggered release of tickets - will be announced.
The first release of tickets will take place on November 5th to the rugby community in Europe. To qualify as members of the rugby community, players, administrators and supporters must be registered members of clubs affiliated to national unions in Europe.
Rugby community members will be able to buy packages (cities and teams) via the Internet from November 5th and all the essential details will be unveiled on that day.
Key dates for those outside the European rugby community are January 2006, for the international travel package ticket programme, and April 2006, when the global public will have access to tickets via the Internet.
Japan looking good
Delegations from South Africa, Japan and New Zealand, the three countries competing to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup, are due in Dublin this week. The IRFU will listen to all three presentations. New Zealand hosted the World Cup in 1987, South Africa in 1995.
There is a growing feeling, however, that Japan may pip the two heavyweights as the IRB is keen to spread the rugby gospel. The Japanese have gained the support of former England captain Martin Johnson.
The last man to lift the trophy, Johnson said: "The world of rugby needs to expand and broaden its horizons. Japan is a big rugby-playing nation and giving the country the World Cup would take the game to a new level globally. It would be a new venue for a lot of rugby supporters - a whole new experience for everyone connected with the tournament.
"Japan showed during the football World Cup that they can handle the occasion and I think they'd do it brilliantly in 2011.
"Japan is an amazing place and I'm sure thousands and thousands of fans would have a fantastic experience."
The bid has the full support of the Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, and parliament, where 85 per cent of MPs voted in favour of the bid - almost twice as many as backed the country's soccer World Cup bid.
Suitcase online
We have had several enquiries about where readers can buy a book we reviewed last week, Suitcase Number Seven, by Ursula Kane Cafferty.
It was published by Personal History Publishing and copies can be had through the author's website at www.ukcafferty.com.
