Digest: SOS FOR MINNOWS: The International Rugby Board (IRB) has come under renewed attack after the ever-widening gulf at international level was cruelly exposed over the weekend.
The Pacific Islanders of Fiji and Samoa suffered record defeats to New Zealand and Australia while Uruguay shipped 134 points against South Africa.
The results sparked fresh calls for the IRB to help narrow the gap between the haves and have-nots, echoing complaints made at the 2003 World Cup, the opening rounds of which were marred by a series of lopsided results as the poorer countries were unable to field their best players because of problems with their European paymasters.
Despite the obvious success of that tournament, even the draw was unfairly stacked against the minnows, prompting the Tongan coach Jim Love to say his team, which had to play four pool matches in just 14 days, felt like "second-class citizens".
Samoa provided one of the few highlights when they gave England ta fright in the pool stages, but Saturday's 74-7 loss to Australia at the Olympic stadium highlighted how far they have slipped since.
"We need help," Samoan coach Michael Jones said in Sydney.
"Pride and passion will only take you so far, and I hope this match turns out to be a blessing in disguise because it will make . . . the powers-that-be sit up and take notice that something needs to be done."
FRENCH TOUR: Stade Français winger Christophe Dominici and Biarritz flanker Thierry Dusautoir have pulled out of the France squad to tour South Africa and Australia, manager Jo Maso said yesterday.
Dominici sustained a groin injury in his side's 37-34 loss to Biarritz in the French championship final on Saturday.
Toulouse winger Vincent Clerc replaces him in the squad.
The uncapped Dusautoir, who could not play in the final because of stomach pain, will be replaced by Stade Français flanker Remy Martin.
France play South Africa on June 18th and 25th and Australia on July 2nd.
SQUAD: Backs: Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, Dimitri Yachvili, Frederic Michalak, Yann Delaigue, Yannick Jauzion, Florian Fritz, Benoit Baby, Damien Traille, Vincent Clerc, Julien Candelon, Cedric Heymans, Nicolas Brusque, Julien Laharrague. Forwards: Sylvain Marconnet, Pieter De Villiers, Olivier Milloud, Denis Avril, William Servat, Sebastien Bruno, Dimitri Szarzewski, Jerome Thion, Pascal Pape, Romain Millo-Chluski, Gregory Lamboley, Julien Bonnaire, Yannick Nyanga, Remy Martin, Olivier Magne.
PUMAS TEST:Argentina will be looking for a marked improvement in their performance in the second test against Italy in Cordoba on Friday. The Pumas took another winning step in their quest to be granted a place in a top international tournament when they won the first test 35-21 in Salta on Saturday but they were unhappy with how they had played.
They want a repeat of the impressive performance that earned a 25-25 draw with the British and Irish Lions in Cardiff last month.
"We find it hard to play well when we're favourites," Leinster centre Felipe Contepomi said after the first test in which flyhalf Federico Todeschini scored 30 points, one short of the Pumas record, including a try and centre Lisandro Arbizu also went over.
Italy's South African-born fullback Gert Peens kicked six penalties. Their New Zealand-born scrumhalf Paul Griffen opened the scoring with a drop goal after 22 seconds.
Argentina will be strengthened for the second test by the arrival of captain Agustin Pichot and his Stade Francais team mates, prop Rodrigo Roncero and fullback Juan Hernandez, and Biarritz centre Federico Martin Aramburu.
The four players were unavailable for Saturday's test because their clubs were playing in the French championship final in Paris.
WINNING FORM: Wales captain Mark Taylor believes the Grand Slam winners can face next season with genuine optimism after maintaining their winning form with 60-3 victory over Canada in Toronto.
Taylor scored the first of nine tries at a sell-out York Stadium, where temperatures hit 90 degrees, an eighth consecutive victory for the Welsh.
Wales are now unbeaten since losing by a single point to New Zealand last November.
Canada held them to 15-3 at half-time but would have been closer had fullback Dave Daypuck slotted two penalties. But Canada ran out of puff, as the Welsh got on top to set up a second-half rout that featured 45 unanswered points.
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