3-D JERSIES WILL BE THE HEIGHT OF FASHION The All Blacks have it all, don't they? The best players, the best coaches, the best World Cup preparation and now it seems, the best jersey. Their brand new adidas-manufactured shirt is said to be "45% lighter" than the previous one, making it even easier for the players to move around in. "During a rugby game, " the adidas blurb tells us, "holding a ball, lifting, catching, passing, and setting up for a tackle, requires players to have their arms out in front of their body, rather than down by their sides, so the jersey has been designed to support that body position, it is a three dimensional garment." All of which is good news for Munster, who switch shirt manufacturers to the German company over the course of the summer. You might see a lot of tight-fitting red jerseys on the good folk of Limerick and Cork next season.

GREAT MOMENTS IN IRISH RUGBY NUMBER 28 . . . Ireland score their best ever try The date was 13 February, 1965 and Twickenham was the venue for what is now recognised, by general consensus, as Ireland's greatest ever try. With Ireland ahead of England heading into the last 15 minutes, Mike Gibson started the move that stunned those present at RFU headquarters. The Ulsterman made a clean break from just inside his own '25', as it was then, and transferred the ball inside to Jerry Walsh on a diagonal run, just inside the English half. With a couple of home defenders closing in on him, Walsh switched the direction of the attack for a second time and released Pat Casey on his inside.

With England's chasers now completely "ummoxed, the winger had the relatively simple task of dotting the ball down underneath the posts to give Ireland an 18-5 victory, their first win at Twickenham since the Grand Slam of 1948.

THE LAW LIBRARY James Haskell's second-half try for Wasps against Northampton last weekend brought up the vexed question of "double movement" once again. There are many rugby watchers out there who scream the above words anytime somebody reaches over the line from close range but the part of the law book regarding this, Law 15.5 (g), is clear and simple. It reads: "If players are tackled near to the goal-line, these players may immediately reach out and ground the ball on or over the goal-line to score a try and make a touch-down." The key word here is "immediately", any delay and the referee is fully entitled to blow for not releasing the ball on the ground.

RUGBY BY NUMBERS . . . 1 The number of red cards issued in the Magners League so far this season (before last night's games).

Cardiff's Martyn Williams is the guilty party, the Welsh "anker getting his marching orders against the Ospreys on 23 December.

RUGBY POSER How many times have Cork Constitution won the AIB League?

MOUTHING OFF. . .

For Llanelli to be focusing on a Heineken Cup game in three weeks' time when you've got two Magners League games before then. . . the thought of us doing that at Wasps would be ridiculous. That was the biggest thing about coming here . . . the way the Heineken Cup just arrives on you Eoin Reddan explains the differences, as he sees them, between playing in the Magners League and the Guinness Premiership It's not as if the clubs are demanding more money. They simply want to be allowed to sit in on the decision-making process. . . I simply don't understand what the RFU's motivation is Martin Johnson (right) gives his full backing to the English clubs in their ongoing battle of wills with the RFU