Yes, the timetable for the whole thing stinks, and Syd Millar admitted that yesterday when he said that they have to present the best teams on prime time TV to make money.

Far worse, though, is the way the Pacific Islands countries in particular have been gutted since the advent of professionalism. From the islanders who play in NZ to make a living and have to declare their availability for NZ to get a contract, to the players who can't afford not to play for their European clubs and so can't come to the World Cup, it's little better than a crime.

I blame the people who negotiated the Tri-Nations agreement whch was the trigger for professionalism. There should have been a Pacific Islands country in the Super 12. That would change the whole structure of world rugby.

Don't even think about the hundreds of PI kids on rugby scholarships in Australia and NZ, who will probably go on to play for those countries instead of their home nations ...