One of the other great media beat-ups over recent years is that European rugby is stronger than ever, and that the 6N is great when you have the World Cup holders struggling to win. This is also trotted out when the latest All Black signs for some bleak part of the UK / Ireland that no-one’s really heard of.

So 2 days into the RWC, being played on their home soil, what have we got?

Perennial 6N champs getting beaten by a side that has no established test rugby.

The side that won 2 games last season getting flogged by 70-odd.

And then the RWC holders struggling to a 28-10 win over an amateur Ivy League outfit, resorting to yellow cards for professional fouls at the end.

So far 6N teams 54

Others (inc. USA) 103

A very real chance the semis will be all Southern Hemisphere jobs too.