KEY POINTS:
Anyone who stands over grave number 957 at Menton's Cimetiere du Vieux Chateau might become adamant they heard the occupant turning.
For the occupant of that particular grave is one William Webb Ellis, the man accredited as the founding father of Rugby Union.
As legend has it, Ellis
took a game of football at Rugby School in Warwickshire on a never-to-be-forgotten tangent when he picked the ball up and ran with it in 1823.
From there the game of football as the boys at Rugby School knew it evolved into a different code, one which had an entire set of written rules by 1845.
As the years rolled on, the story of rugby's birth became a clear-cut tale of one man's rule-breaking heroics, and everyone from Rugby to Invercargill knows the name William Webb Ellis and what he did.
But there is doubt whether Ellis ever knew he had been awarded such an esteemed entry to the history books.
Although he was a keen cricketer and promising athlete, the big focus of Ellis's life was the church, and after graduating from Oxford's Brasenose College in 1831, he became a priest at St Clements Danes Church in London before moving to Magdalen Laver Church in Essex.
If he knew about the role he supposedly played in establishing Rugby Union, he didn't spend much time letting people know. There is no documented evidence to show Ellis had even an inkling of his fame.
So we can only wonder what Ellis would make of the fact that there are - not so very far from his quite splendid final resting place tucked into the cliffs of the French Riviera overlooking the sapphire waters of the Cote D'Azure - currently 20 teams from around the globe prepared to shed blood and lose limbs to win a trophy posthumously named after him.
In a sport now obsessed with making money and cashing in on its heritage, it is ironic that the man who had the greatest sellable legacy died without making a farthing from the game.
Less ironic, more sad, is the fact that the rugby world had no idea that Ellis was lying in a south-east corner of France until his tomb was discovered in 1958.
Since then the grave has become a pilgrimage for rugby followers and is now easily the most impressive in the cemetery that sits atop dramatically steep terraces.
Ellis is no longer the forgotten man. The people of Menton now fund upkeep of the grave and the town has been promoting the site as a tourist attraction during the World Cup.
The walk to his grave is accompanied by 25 billboard-style signs that offer rugby-history lessons, and throughout the town are banners, posters and reminders that the World Cup is in full swing.
Menton is not traditional rugby country, but Jean-Baptiste Martini, local estate agent and rugby club chairman, remains hopeful he can change all that.
An exhibition match against the Tana Umaga-coached Toulon is in the pipeline, and the sight of Andrew Mehrtens, George Gregan, and Anton Oliver should generate interest with the locals.
As did the arrival yesterday morning of New Zealand Rugby Union president Andy Leslie, who was in Menton to lay a plaque on Ellis' tomb.
"I understand a number of national unions have laid plaques at the grave over the years, and the IRB has also worked closely with town of Menton to highlight the town's link with rugby union," said Mr Leslie.
"So it is timely and appropriate to take the opportunity to recognise William Webb Ellis while the All Blacks are here playing for the cup which bears his name."
Ellis is thought to have suffered from poor health, which is why he headed to Menton. In 1861 a book was published by a Dr Bennett, who claimed to have recovered from tuberculosis while staying there. Europe's wealthy came flocking to Menton, Ellis included, after Bennett claimed the town was a miracle cure.
Sadly for Ellis and all the others, there was nothing but a mild climate and sea air at Menton. He died on February 25, 1872.
