NO NUDITY PLEASE, WE'RE ALL BLACKS Anton Oliver (right) has always been an interesting interview for anybody who's had the pleasure of his company for "ve minutes, if only for the fact that he's more than keen to talk about matters other than rugby.

He might have a few more non-rugby questions to deal with in the coming weeks after it was revealed that the All Black hooker has posed nude for a painting.

According to Simon Richardson, the artist who has sketched Oliver's nether regions, the hooker was calm and relaxed about the whole thing but All Blacks legend Colin Meads was anything but.

"We [All Blacks] are meant to be salt of the earth, down to earth, grass roots, bloody good guys, " said the former second row.

"You don't pose bloody nude, or get a painting of yourself in the nude. Hell's teeth, he must think he's pretty good."

Go on Pinetree, you tell him.

CONFESSIONS OF AN ULSTER NUMBER EIGHT Bad week for Roger Wilson. Last weekend's expose by the Sunday World . . . in which the Ulster number eight's fairly explicit postings on an adult website were brought to the nation's attention . . . can only mean that the Ireland A international will be at the centre of all mickey taking in the province's dressing room for the next decade or so.

"We have a very good group of people here and people who support each other in good times and bad times, " said Mark McCall when he spoke about the article this week.

"They don't let anyone feel lonely or down for too long but there has certainly been some good-natured banter about it as well."

All of which makes us wonder what Pinetree would make of it?

Maybe we should forward him a copy of the article.

GREAT MOMENTS IN IRISH RUGBY NUMBER 2 . . . Ireland play their first international against England Monday, 15 February 1875 was the date, the Kennington Oval in London the venue. Ireland travelled to face England in their "rst international "xture but there were some complications. With two Unions in the country, the Irish Football Union (IFU) and the Northern Football Union (NFU), the team was selected on a representative basis. There were 20 players on a team back then, with seven from the north, seven from the south and six others chosen by a team of selectors. The IFU eventually ended up with 12 players on the pitch, nine of them Trinity, but the home side won the game by two goals and a try to nil.

Ireland, playing in a green and white hooped jersey, were a good deal off the pace but at least there were in business.

THE LAW LIBRARY Interesting little scenario posed by a dedicated Tribune reader to The Law Library during the week. Team A is awarded a free-kick on the opposition 22 and opt to take a scrum, as they're perfectly entitled to do. Directly from the scrum, the scrum-half passes to his number 10 who slots a drop-goal between the sticks. But is the score legitimate?

Thankfully, our clever reader also provided us with an answer. The drop-goal doesn't stand because, as Law 21.6 states: "The team awarded a free-kick cannot score a dropped goal until after the ball next becomes dead, or until after an opponent has played or touched it, or has tackled the ball-carrier. This restriction applies also to a scrum taken instead of a free-kick". Now you know.

YOUR 30 WORDS' WORTH "Did you see that Leinster plan to keep the East Terrace for themselves for the Leinster-Munster match on 6 October?" Cork's Sean Murphy notes. "How are they going to "ll it?"

Not going to even go there, John, but Patrick Kennedy brings up a point that's been frustrating TV viewers for years.

"Why do RTE always cut to a camera behind the goal when kicks are being taken, when often the main stand camera gives a better view?"

If you have any thoughts on that matter, or indeed any other rugby issue, email ccronin@tribune with your 30-word contribution.

RUGBY POSER Who was the Irish player named on the Women's World Cup team of the tournament?

MOUTHING OFF. . .

'We were disappointed with the choice and extent of Mark Robinson's verbal outburst which seems to have given rise to the whole episode. Mark has been reminded that although rugby is an intense, emotional game, Saints are fortunate to have a large following of ladies and children who do not wish to hear expletives' Northampton chief executive, Allan Robson, completely misjudges what his club's young supporters are in to 'He [David Humphreys] said if we're stuck, if we're in a bad place and his form is good, then he'll give us a dig-out. I haven't spoken to him in ages but I would hope that is still the situation now' Eddie O'Sullivan, quoted in Rugby World magazine, puts his complete faith in Ronan O'Gara's current understudies