The system by which the Man of the Match is chosen during Rugby World Cup games has to be scrapped immediately.

Joe Launchbury … Man of the Match for the England and Australia game?

Are you for real?

What game were these people watching this morning?

It sure as heck wasn’t the one that saw Bernard Foley score 28 of Australia’s 33 points, including two tries in a cool, calm and controlling performance at first five.

And there’s no way on this here green earth that it was the same game in which David Pocock was his irrepressible self around the field in all aspects of play, as is his ominous want.

The man of the match is not and should not be a popularity contest.

It should recognise the player who had the most influence and/or impact on the outcome of the game by playing at a higher level than the other 29 men on the field for the same period he is.

But no, World Rugby have to have World Audio Team commentators select three players with a full twenty minutes still to be played in the match so people can vote during a thirteen minute period from the 62nd to the 75th minute of the game via various social media portals.

Why?

They will probably have us believe that it’s all about fan engagement and making them feel part of the tournament.

One suspects it’s more about an obscenely large sponsorship deal and marketing campaign.

If I was MasterCard’s publicity people, I’d be having serious reservations about being associated with a process that can deliver such an embarrassing result.

However the likelihood of those folk A) having a clue about rugby B) having morals to understand the disservice being done to the true man of the match and C) actually giving a toss about any of the afore mentioned is most probably non-existent.

Yesterday in Cardiff was only marginally better.

Now I like me some Mamuka Gorgodze, but he wasn’t the best player on Millennium Stadium.

Big fella wasn’t even the best player in his own team for starters.

The midfield combination of Tamaz Mtchedlidze and Davit Katcharava made some wonderful defensive plays; making key decisions to help negate and stifle the All Blacks backline presented a far more compelling case than Georgian captain, while there was a bloke in Georgia’s opposition who scored three tries, which was a pretty good effort too.

However that example pales in comparison to the travesty that took place at the home of English rugby today.

I repeat for the final time my earlier statement though in shorter form - the best player on the field should be recognised with the Man of the Match award.
This morning at Twickenham that did not happen in a staggeringly stupefying way.