So while Rudd and Rogen bantered banteringly in the background, all I could picture were Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) arguing over the money, meth, and chemistry.

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Taylor, Berlin was a consummate telly-don, always available for a word-perfect interview in grainy black-and-white with Bernard Levin or Bryan Magee on the meaning of life or the way of the world.

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From the mostly white, upper-class suburb of Sandton in Johannesburg to townships like Khayelitsha on the outskirts of Cape Town, all hailed the black winger, Bryan Habana, and the heroic kicking of the white full-back, Percy Montgomery, and as one they celebrated the victory.

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The country's President Thabo Mbeki wants there to be more than two black players in the Springboks' line-up by the time of the 2011 tournament in New Zealand - wingers Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen were the only non-whites to regularly feature in White's side in France.

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