If you are an ex-player, if you follow it week in and week out, if you are a Kiwi, you get it. You understand all the nuances of Union and what is expected of the players. But if you are none of the above, Rugby Union is the most frustrating sport in the world to watch. ...

Sacre bleu! The French have lost their imagination.The country that brought the world Impressionist painting, blue vein cheese and the Eiffel Tower found themselves bereft of ideas on Saturday night.Despite playing 63 minutes with a one-man advantage, Les Tricolours failed to fire a shot against a Welsh side without skipper and openside flanker Sam Warburton. ...

Will Genia has maintained he is full of confidence ahead of this weekend's semi-final against New Zealand, the scrum-half claiming he is in doubt that his team can progress to the final. The 23-year old has continued his fine form so far in 2011 into this World Cup, and will be one of the Aussie's key main in this weekend's clash against the All Blacks.  ...

Wales are hopeful that they can make it to the Rugby World Cup final this year – the first time in their history.But it will be a tough ask, with the likes of holders South Africa, former champions Australia and rivals Ireland all standing in their way.Their first task, however, is to reach the quarter-final stage of the competition by qualifying from their tricky Pool D group. ...

It is a marquee quarter final. A game worthy of the semis, if not the grand final itself.  Unfortunately, on Sunday one of the powerhouses of world rugby will find themselves battered and bruised, their World Cup dream in tatters. Whether that team is Jake de Villiers’s Springboks or Robbie Deans’ Wallabies even they couldn’t tell you. These two sides are difficult to separate, simply because they are so different. ...

The other Northern Hemisphere quarter final features two teams who have inspired more newspaper inches for their off field dramas than for their performances on it. England coach, Martin Johnson has struggled to keep his charges in check, allegations of inappropriate behaviour having marred their time in New Zealand.  French mentor, Marc Lievremont also has his fair share of problems to deal with. ...

James O'Connor is the key to Australia's hopes in the upcoming World Cup, according to former Wallaby powerhouse Toutai Kefu. The former centre knows what it takes to win a World Cup, after playing a key role in the Aussies' 1999 World Cup triumph. ...

Uruguay have returned to their former status as a football superpower, downing Argentina in a penalty shoot-out to send Sergio Batista’s men crashing out of the Copa America. Uruguay will now play Peru for a place in the Copa America final, while Argentina’s international silverware drought will continue on to at least Brazil 2014. ...

The Reds and Blues today showed us - as they always do - how rugby is meant to be played. While semi-finals are quite wrongfully thought of as games that need to be played with a tight, kicking approach, the teams from Queensland and Auckland showed us that this attitude is totally outdated as the two teams put on one of the most entertaining games of the year. ...

With rugby's premier event bearing down hard and fast on us within just over two months and counting, and with both hemisphere's club competitions coming to their tail end - it seems fitting to have a w ...