Lost in translation

The big news at the World Cup on Tuesday was England lock Courtney Lawes’ two-match ban for his reckless play against Argentina, and an injury worry for All Blacks golden boy Dan Carter.

The IRB have set a marker for the competition with Lawes’s ban and over-enthusiastic players need to heed the warning that thuggery won’t be tolerated.

Carter is still feeling the effects of the bruising clash with Tonga from the opening day of the World Cup and is a doubt for the match against Japan this week, which could open the door for Colin Slade.

Meanwhile, the English were forced to defend the decision to let their players go bungee-jumping in a truly British ‘health & safety’-type knee-jerk reaction.

England manager Martin Johnson insisted that the team’s training sessions were far more dangerous.

“We need a balance. We’re in Queenstown, we’ve come for a reason, we’re preparing for a game against Georgia – not been skiing, it is too risky, bungee-jumping isn’t,” Johnson told reporters.

Saffas book hotel in wrong country:

Two South African rugby fans scoured the Wellington suburb of Eastbourne for their hotel, only to find it was half a world away in the British seaside town of the same name, a report said on Tuesday.

Michael and Sunette Adendorff travelled to the New Zealand capital to watch the Springboks play Wales in the Rugby World Cup believing they has secured accommodation at the Majestic Hotel, the Dominion Post reported.

But instead of enjoying the “splendid” beach views advertised on Majestic’s website, they found themselves wandering Wellington’s streets unable to locate the hotel on their GPS navigator, the newspaper said.

The penny finally dropped when the pair asked for directions at a local shop and pharmacist Linda Burke explained the hotel was actually some 19,000 kilometres (11,800 miles) away on the British south coast.

Burke said Michael Adendorff, who made the online booking, told her he had thought it was strange when the hotel charged him in pounds sterling not New Zealand dollars.

Rather than see the pair without a roof over their heads Burke took them into her own home for two nights, taking them to a pub to watch the tournament opening ceremony on Friday before the Springboks’s match Saturday.

While the Adendorffs lost about NZ$360 ($295) on the booking mix-up, Michael said the hospitality they received more than made up for it, even though they had to endure some good-natured ribbing from locals.

“The welcome and the way we were treated was much better than if we have booked into a hotel,” he told the newspaper.

“(Burke) took in two strangers and it all worked out well.”

The pair, who are following South Africa around New Zealand during the tournament, will be back in Wellington for next Saturday’s Springboks-Fiji match and said they had ensured their hotel was in the right country this time.

‘P Divvy’ of the Day:

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers was left lamenting the changeable nature of weather conditions in New Zealand’s capital after his side laboured to a hard-fought 17-16 win over Wales.

Wellington lived up to its billing as the “windy city” when Sunday’s match was played in a squall of driving rain and swirling wind. The change in climate followed a day of pleasantly warm temperatures and even sunshine.

“This is Wellington, with five seasons in one day,” De Villiers joked.

“In some places, like Cape Town, you get four but here it’s five.”

Like father, like son

Wallaby giant Radike Samo and scrum-half Will Genia have a ‘father and son’ relationship as room-mates at the World Cup.

Samo, 35, the 1.97m Fijian forward with distinctive shaggy hair, and Papua New Guinea-born, 1.82m Genia, 23, are the odd couple in the Australian team with wisecracks a-plenty.

“I try to look a little bit different (to him), I don’t want to grow my hair,” says shaven-headed Genia.

While the popular Samo rejoins: “He reminds me of my son. He sometimes calls me Dad. We have a laugh.

“My son is turning 10 next month and he’s about the same height at Willy. That’s why he has been shaving his head because he doesn’t want to get called my son. My (real) son is growing an Afro too.”

Just a Little birthday drink:

Veteran Fiji flyhalf Nicky Little, who admits in his country’s team media guidebook that in five years he would “probably be fat and quite drunk”, turned 35 on Tuesday and plans to celebrate in style.

“I’m going to get on the (booze)!” the 68-times capped player said before quickly adding: “Don’t tell team management.”

His day also got off to an early start with his Fiji teammates giving him a good ribbing over his age.

“It started at 6 o’clock in the morning with, ‘Happy 38th birthday,’ and all that stuff. I’m 35, not 38.”

Tough love from Hansen:

It would not be much fun to be Steve Hansen’s brother, judging by the definition of fraternal love held by the All Blacks’ forwards coach.

When discussing what it was like to oppose his close friend Mick Byrne, the All Blacks kicking coach currently on loan to Pool A rivals Japan, Hansen spoke of his respect for his pal-turned-rival.

“It’ll be a little bit like playing your brother – you want to beat the life out of him, but you still love him.”

Clip(s) of the Day:

The All Blacks show their mad skills:

The ‘Tahs are just taking the piss:

By Timmy Hancox (Follow on twitter)