All times are Bahamian.

The World Cup reaches its climax at Stade de France next Saturday evening.

The winners will dine out for the rest of their lives on the memories, the losers forever curse that night in Paris when their dreams turned to ashes.


But who have been the real stars of this 2007 Rugby World Cup?
What have been the best moments, the funniest and saddest of times, the biggest upsets?

Here is my World Cup collection that covers (almost) the lot...


Best game: Wales 34 Fiji 38.


Biggest upset: New Zealand 18 France 20.


Best minnows performance: Georgia, in losing by a squeak, 14-10, to Ireland. They had them on the ropes for the last 20 minutes


Best atmosphere: Shared between Bordeaux, for the Ireland v Georgia game and the Parc des Princes, Paris, for the Argentina v Ireland match. The sound reverberated around the bowl-like stadium in Paris and was absolutely deafening when the two teams came out.


Bravest performance of the tournament: Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan laying the blame for his team's defeat to France firmly on his players.


Most embarrassing moment: Springbok wing Bryan Habana getting scorched by the USA's Zimbabwean-born wing Takudzwa Ngwenya for a sensational try. South Africa won 64-15 at Montpellier but Ngwenya scored the try of the tournament and completed it by skinning Habana, one of the world's fastest players, on the outside.


Most emotional moment: Portugal's players roaring out their national anthem before the match against New Zealand in Group C, tears streaming down their faces.


Biggest achievement by a minnow: Portugal scoring a try against the All Blacks.


Biggest disappointment: The much-hyped Ireland.

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Argentina has been gripped by Pumamania with rugby pushing soccer, the national game, off the front pages and into second place in the sporting calendar.


Players and coaching staff at the World Cup, where the Pumas have beaten heavyweights France and Ireland on their way to the quarterfinals, are elated by the reaction at home.
The biggest soccer game in the country between Boca Juniors and River Plate was brought forward to an earlier kickoff on Monday (NZ time) so as not to clash with Argentina's quarterfinal against Scotland at the Stade de France.

"This is getting very good coverage," coach Marcelo Loffreda said of the team's results and performances in France where they have won their four matches so far. "So, it also gets more people (interested), more kids playing rugby, who approach (the game), who start to like it, who begin to be attracted by what the Argentina players feel when they see them sing the anthem,"

Loffreda, a former Puma, told reporters.

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World Cup quarter-finalists Argentina will continue to thrive on adversity, Pumas coach Marcelo Loffreda said on Tuesday.


Argentina upset traditional rugby powers France and Ireland to finish top of the toughest group and qualify for a quarter-final against Scotland at the Stade de France on Sunday.


"We love adversity, we love adversity," Loffreda told reporters repeatedly, emphatically and with a grin.


Most observers believe Argentina will beat the Scots and reach the semi-finals for the first time after their emphatic 30-15 win over Ireland last Sunday. Loffreda said, however, that Argentina would go into the match against Scotland with the same attitude as all their games, with respect for their opponents and never believing themselves to be superior.

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