ROB Egerton's international career must be one of the most short-lived

and successful. He played eight matches on Australia's left wing in 1991

and won seven times including his last match, the World Cup final v

England at Twickenham.

ONLY four players have played in the maximum possible 12 World Cup

finals matches; David Campese and Michael Lynagh of Australia and Sean

Fitzpatrick and Gary Whetton of New Zealand. With the first three all

again selected, what price their joint-record being extended to 18?

GAVIN Hastings' world record 27 points v Romania on June 2, 1987 was

the source of much frustration for many journalists. After faithfully

recording the great man's words in the written, audio and visual forms,

Didier Camberabero popped up a couple of hours later with a new record

rendering much painstaking work useless.

FRANCK Mesnel, who has played nine World Cup matches for France,

enjoys the lighter side of the sprot particularly with his team Racing

Club de Paris. It was Franck who started 'Showbiz,' a club within a

club, dedicated dto bringing a smile to everyones lips. Indeed, in the

French showpiece Club Final, he encouraged several team mates to wear

berets, bow ties and outlandish baggy shorts.

ABDELATIF Benazzi played in three Wrold Cup matches for Frnace in 1991

but his iinternational career got off to a dmost inauspicious start in

1990 when he was sent off after 14 minute sof his debut match against

Australia.

THE 1987 tournament saw the most prolific scoring with 1621 points and

224 tries at an average of seven per match. The finalists, New Zealand

and France, were responsible for 77 tries and 513 points.

IN 1958 the International Rugby Board was so fearful of the prospect

of a rugby union World Cup that they actually forbade member nations

meeting to discuss such a possibility.

EWAN MacMillan's first cap for Zimbabwe v Scotland at Murrayfield was

a very special moment for the MacMillan household. Ewan's parents had

emigrated to Zimbabwe from Perth in the 1960s.

DIEGO Dominguez (Italy) may not have scored the most points (29) in

1991, but he was the most accurate kicker landing seven out of seven

conversions and five out of six penalties for an impressive 92% return.

DAVID Milne, the self-confessed 'black sheep' of the family, joined

the flock when he won his only Scotland cap v Japan as a replacement for

David Sole alongside younger brother Kenny. If older brother Iain had

been fit all three 'Bears' would have packed down together.

FOUR players have incurred the wrath of referees in the first two

World Cups and have been ordered off. Huw Richards (Wales) has the

dubious distinction of being first in the early bath, followed by David

Codey (Australia) also in 1987 and Matt Keenan (Western Samoa) and Pedro

Sporleder (Argentina) walked together at Pontypridd in 1991.

IN the two World Cups to date a grand total of 2818 points have been

scored in 64 matches, including 361 tries.

Fact file extra

MICHAEL Jones' firm religious convictions prevented him from playing

against Wales on a Sunday in the 1987 Cup, and caused him to miss three

matches in 1991, including the crucial semi-final. It is rumoured that

the dynamic flanker's exclusion from this year's All Black squad is

partly due to his devotion to God.

'ENTHUSIASTIC' beginners? Ivory Coast's qualifying match for the 1991

competition against Morocco in Harare was so violent that the match was

abandoned 10 minutes from time because of fighting.

SEEING double double? It was unusual enough when twins Gary and Alan

Whetton played together throughout the victorious All Black's 1987

campaign. However, when the Whetton's lined up against Italy in 1991

they faced the Cuttita twins --Marcello and Massimo.

GRAEME Bachop has been a stalwart member of the All Black set up since

1989. However, his brother Steve opted to represent Western Samoa in the

1991 tournament. It is just as well the two countries did not meet as

their friends and realtions loyalties would have ben sorely tested.

THE 16 nations who played in the first competition were chosen by the

IRB with the established rugby playing nations (excepting South Africa)

being joined by representatives from North America, South America,

Europe, Asia, the Pacific and Africa.

BRIAN Smith won six caps for Australia as a scrum half and scored two

tries against Ireland in the 1987 World Cup. Two years later, Smith had

not only changed position -- to stand off -- but he had changed

nationality after discovering an Irish granny, winning nine caps for the

Emerald Isle before defecting to rugby league.

SCOTTISH referee Jim Fleming has a habit of being involved in the big

occasion. He was a touch judge in the first-ever match in the World Cup

between New Zealand and Italy and refereed the first match of 1991

between England and New Zealand. What next? The final?