Compiled by JOHNNY WATTERSON

Murphy's law: Castrogiovanni won't be dining out on Dunedin experience

GEORDAN MURPHY may not have played any role in yesterday’s final pool match against Italy but at some point soon he will sit down with his Leicester team-mate, Italy’s Martin Castrogiovanni, and have a chat about where it all went wrong for the Italian side after Castrogiovanni left the pitch in the 34th minute.

Murphy and the Italian prop co-own a restaurant in Leicester called Timo, where it is claimed, you can buy “delicious home made Italian dishes, in a stylish setting”.

It is a dining experience that “fuses contemporary with traditional and offers an experience to satisfy all appetites”.

Far from the tone of the occasionally fractious match in New Zealand, restaurant Timo offers “laid-back sophistication, whether you want an intimate meal or a group celebration”.

It was group celebration for one half of yesterday’s crew in Otago Stadium and would not have been too laid-back either. Still, the props ‘nuanced, classical touch’ was missed in the scrums.

VIVIAN PROBABLY isn’t a great middle name to have in rugby but it hasn’t deterred the former Oxford graduate, Nicholas Vivian Howard Mallett.

The erudite coach is reportedly now going to a team in Australia as yesterday’s match against Ireland was his last in charge of Italy.

Former France assistant Jacques Brunel is to step into Mallett’s coaching shoes.

While he brought a lot to Italian rugby Mallett still dines out on his record when he was the Springboks coach during the 1990s. Between August 1997 and December 1998, under his guidance, South Africa went on a record winning streak of 17 consecutive Test wins, before losing to England.

Pot, kettle, black: The wisdom of Gatland

WITH EIGHT names on the try scoring sheet for Wales in their demolition of Fiji, confidence and momentum should not be in short supply as Wales face Ireland later this week. That leaves Warren Gatland plenty of time for his mouth to misfire as it has done with regularity over the years.

In 2009 Gatland said: "Somebody told me after the Scotland game the Irish players were singing and celebrating, so they are fairly happy with where they are . . . We were completely the other way after beating Italy. The boys went back to the hotel, did not drink and were thinking about this week."

Perhaps that was as much about February of that year after Wales beat England and the Queens Vault Bar, Cardiff became the place to be. Gavin Henson had to issue an apology the following day "to any member of the public" he offended after he and five team mates – Andy Powell, Rhys Thomas, Jonathan Thomas, Mike Phillips and Lee Byrne – were cautioned for their behaviour. Lets hold our breath. The next Gatland missive isn't far off.

Replacing the irreplaceable: Step forward Aaron Cruden

HE MAY be very well known around the Manawatu Turbos team but right now much of the rest of the oval world is asking who on earth is Aaron Cruden. The man who is flying in to replace injured Kiwi outhalf, Dan Carter, was supposed to travel to the US with his partner next week but instead finds himself making arrangements to go to Auckland.

Several years ago the 22-year-old was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which is said to have cost him a Super 14 contract in 2009. The cancer has since gone into remission. But he has not come from nowhere and in 2009 captained New Zealand to the IRB Junior World Championship title in Japan, as well as picking up the prestigious IRB Junior Player of the Year award that season.

Irish fans may remember Cruden as a 53rd minute replacement for Carter in 2010, when he came on as a substitute against Ireland for his All Black debut in New Plymouth. A World Cup final for the young man against Ireland again would probably meet with much approval all round.

Try and try again

IT PROBABLY wasn't as Brian O'Driscoll said after the last balls-up against Wales "embarrassing and unforgivable". But when the Irish captain comes to review the video of Tommy Bowe's two try efforts yesterday, he may have some choice words for referee Jonathan Kaplan.

Bowes' first raid was harshly judged to have come from a forward pass from Sean O'Brien, while officials saw nothing wrong with the Irish winger apparently being tackled off the ball as he was about to touch down in the second half. Ireland were given an official apology by the International Rugby Board last March for Kaplan's error in Cardiff. The South African and touch judge Peter Allan failed to spot a second half incident where a ball-boy handed a ball to the Wales hooker, Matthew Rees, who was wrongly allowed to take a quick throw-in to Mike Phillips. The scrumhalf ran 45 metres and scored.