At the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Hong Kong in March, a group of eminent rugby journalists were talking about Japan's bid to host Rugby World Cup 2011.

After discussing -- and agreeing -- how the government-backed proposal by the Japan Rugby Football Union to host the tournament in this country would help the global development of the game by putting Asia squarely on the world rugby map, the journalists' talk turned to tournaments past.

"Whatever happened to that fellow with the mustache who used to play fly-half?" asked one well-known New Zealander. "He really was a class apart.''