THE most dramatic moment of Australia's final group match? When a sniffer dog scoured the media conference room before the Canadians arrived, and instead of checking for bombs, was more interested in putting his nose deep into several scribe's groins.

The most skilful moment of the game? When spectators under cover at Stade Chaban-Delmas threw beautifully directed packages at those getting drenched out in the open. The recipients were ecstatic because the perfectly lobbed packages contained plastic raincoats.

The most spontaneous moment? When the crowd, totally bored by the match, began not just one, but four successive Mexican waves which sped around the ground.

And the happiest person? The losing coach, Canada's Ric Suggitt. He arrived at the media conference cradling a cup of beer and kept cracking gags, including how he was going to look after some of the players, who were bound to get on the drink that night because their World Cup was over. He had obviously been revved up by his assistant coach, Glen Ella, to make certain he entertained the Australian media.

All the side issues were entertaining. It's just a pity that the game was a waste of time. With Australia already guaranteed of finishing top of their group, they were never going to risk their main players, especially with a quarter-final looming in seven days.

Instead, it was a mish-mash team, with a fullback Julian Huxley at five-eighth, and the two wingers - Adam Ashley-Cooper and Lote Tuqiri - playing in the centres. It involved back-up players who had hardly been sighted previously.

So combinations were amiss, and the team had very much of a makeshift feel, especially out wide.

Constant rain didn't help, but the standard of play was generally abysmal and the handling at times abominable. There was hardly any flow, and for those on the fringes trying to make an impact, this wasn't the moment.

The only player who may have enhanced his claims was back-rower Hugh McMeniman, who provided some much-needed aggression up front. Several other hopefuls will probably have the pencil crossed through their names after failing to perform against vigorous, but far from organised, opposition.

In between the six tries, most made easy by the inadequacies of the opposition, were admittedly a few memorable moments. They mainly revolved around Al 'The Fuse' Baxter and his 50th Test appearance.

He was certainly fired up. Baxter took an immediate dislike to the Canadian captain and halfback Morgan Williams, at one stage tackling him close to the opposition tryline and, in a show of brute strength, driving him into the in-goal area.

Baxter wasn't too impressed when an opponent tried to pull his jersey over his head in one forward exchange, and a scuffle almost broke out. But it all came right in the 28th minute when in a classic moment of seagulling out wide, Baxter was perched on the wing and was the right man at the right time, to score his first Test try.

Later that night, Baxter appeared in public wearing a special cap, indicating that he had just achieved the milestone of 50 Tests. The cap may have made him look like an over-sized schoolboy, but Baxter wore it proudly.