THE things rugby players do in their spare time during the World Cup down here.

Italian centre Manuel Dallan was spotted reading a book in his team's hotel which contrasted vividly with a Welsh forward, who had better remain nameless, who looked staggered when a journalist asked him last week if he had brought a book to read.

'No, I don't read books,' he replied pretty dumbly. A comic perhaps? Then yesterday Wales captain Colin Charvis set a pretty good example when he had a couple of hours to spare.

What did he do? He had his hair cut in a nice, braided style. I'll leave you draw your own conclusions on that one, but I can only imagine what someone like Bobby Windsor would make of it all.

Maybe the Welsh players are nearer the Aussie newspaper reader who said of George Bush's visit to Canberra yesterday: 'I wish he'd bugger off. He's been holding up all he traffic in the city.' Oh dear, there's a pity.

* Panic in the ranks last night when the increasingly ghost-like one among us - you know, the one who eats one meal a day and goes on a five mile run before the breakfast he doesn't eat - left his mobile phone in the taxi which took us to the Wales team announcement at Kingston.

Frantic calls on colleagues' mobiles discovered that the instrument was, in fact, in the taxi, but it still took a lot of hassle and a few hours to get it back.

The only problem was that when it was eventually returned to the owner it meant his sports editor could get back in touch with him and phone him at 1am Aussie time - yes 1am - with questions like: 'Do you think you've spelt Polynesian right?'

Just the sort of call you want at 1am! With sports editors like that who needs enemies? Fortunately, mine is much more considerate and spends his time coming up with headline gems like 'Sweeney Nod' or 'Alix in Wonderland.'

That should mean my expenses going through OK when I get home!