Argentina’s Felipe Contepomi, the man who put the boot into France in the World Cup opener, has now done the same to the entire Six Nations.

With the Pumas hierarchy keen to join the party and make it a seven-nation tournament, Contepomi reckons they’d be better off joining the Southern Hemisphere giants in an extended Tri Nations competition (Western Mail).

Argentina have beaten all the Six Nations teams over the last four years in their rise to No.4 in the world, and have won four of their last five clashes with current European champions France.

"It's still got the silver fern on, that's the main part’’ - All Blacks prop Tony Woodcock on New Zealand's enforced colour switch


“I think the best rugby is played in the Southern Hemisphere so I would love to play in the Tri-Nations,’’ said fly-half Contepomi. ’’We are still quite behind Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in terms of power, but if they give us the chance to compete then maybe in a few years’ time we will close the gap.

“We proved against the Northern Hemisphere sides that perhaps we are closer. But my dream would be to play against the best ones and that’s the Southern Hemisphere. It would be a possibility to grow for the team and not play only two or three games every six or seven months.”

Rugby League convert Lesley Vainikolo is being tipped to break into the England team for the 2008 Six Nations championship after a stunning five-try debut for Gloucester (Daily Mirror). The 28-year-old Tongan winger, nicknamed The Volcano, has applied for British citizenship following his switch from Bradford Bulls and admitted: "I still have lots to learn, but in the future international rugby is something I'd like to consider."

Australia winger Drew Mitchell has escaped punishment for a spear tackle last weekend's win over Wales - much to the relief of the Wallabies camp (Couriermail.com). The Aussie management feared Mitchell would be cited for his reckless dumping of Wales hooker Matthew Rees - but the 48-hour post-match window expired with no action initiated.

Mitchell's availability for Sunday's Pool B match against Fiji in Montpellier was crucial as the Wallabies may be without three injured backs, Stephen Larkham, Stirling Mortlock and Adam Ashley-Cooper. Mortlock's injury should see the world’s most-capped player, scrum-half George Gregan, equal England’s Will Carling's record of 59 Tests as captain.

Meanwhile, Italy scrum-half Alessandro Troncon is set to become the seventh player to reach 100 Tests after being named in the team to play Portugal at Parc des Princes tomorrow (Wednesday). Troncon, 34, joins a ton-up club whose other members are Gregan (136 Tests), Fabien Pelous (115), Jason Leonard (114), Philippe Sella (111), Larkham (102) and David Campese (101).

New Zealand will not be wearing black shirts at a Rugby World Cup game for the first time in 12 years when they face Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday. As the home team, the Scots have chosen to wear their traditional dark-blue jerseys meaning the All Blacks will have to don their silver-grey second strip to avoid a colour clash.

Ironically the last time New Zealand wore a non-black jersey in the RWC was against Scotland in the 1995 quarter-finals - but they still won 48-30. All Blacks prop Tony Woodcock said of the jersey switch: "It's still got the silver fern on, that's the main part.’’

Finally, Wales skipper Gareth Thomas fears his rib-cartilage injury has ended his World Cup (Daily Mirror). Thomas, who needs just one cap to complete a century, will have a scan on the damage tomorrow but says: "I've had a similar injury before and my gut feeling is that I'm out for six weeks, which means the end of the World Cup for me."