There are many philosophies that guide rugby; there is the French approach, a game played with a certain joie de vivre, the rather more pragmatic approach of the English game, the free-flowing Welsh game with the tough edge, the hard-nosed South Africans, and the efficiently brutal All Black approach.

As with any sport people associated with the game, have, from time to time, tried to explain the reasoning, the mentality behind what drives a team.

Here we've taken a selection from some of the countries involved in next week's tournament.

"You've got to get your first tackle in early, even if it's late." Welsh hardman the late, great, ¿ Ray Gravell explains his rugby philosophy.

Wales legend Phill Bennett summed up his feelings on England in 1977: "Look what these bastards have done to Wales. They've taken our coal, our water, our steel. They buy our houses and they only live in them for a fortnight every 12 months. What have they given us? Absolutely nothing. We've been exploited, r***d, controlled and punished by the English - and that's who you are playing this afternoon."

The English take on matters was slightly more muted.

"The relationship between the Welsh and the English is based on trust and understanding. They don't trust us and we don't understand them." ¿ Former RFU supremo Dudley Wood.

Mutal dislike among the Welsh and English is nothing new, and neither is the slightly schizophrenic approach of the French.

"If you can't take a punch, you should play table tennis." ¿ Former French skipper and coach Pierre Berbizier illustrates his nation's attitude to on-pitch violence.

However according to former French flanker Jean-Pierre Rives: "The whole point of rugby is that it is, first and foremost, a state of mind, a spirit," although he fails to point out what that spirit is.

The ruthless efficiency of New Zealand rugby was never more obvious than in the form of Jonah Lomu.

"Remember that rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Jonah." ¿ Anonymous fax to the All Blacks before the 1995 World Cup semi-final.

But it is the belief that they are, always, the best side in the world that drives the Kiwis.

"You can go to the end of time, the last World Cup in the history of mankind, and the All-Blacks will be favourites for it," ¿ said former Australian captain, Phil Kearns.

Some of the best comments on rugby are made on the field though. And in recent times former Leicester and England man Austin Healey has been responsible for more than a few, including this exchange with debutant Dan Hipkiss.

Healey: "Are you nervous Danny?"

Hipkiss: "Well, I am a bit, Austin"

Healey: "Well, you should be. Because you're s**t."

You have to go quite a long way to beat the Australians when it comes to sledging, and number 8 Gordon Falcon carried on this proud tradition after South Africa's Ollie le Roux dropped a try scoring pass. "You wouldn't have dropped it if it was a doughnut, you fat p***k," ¿ is the alleged remark.