The News Review:
- Young guns help Celtic League to come of age
- ‘We were screaming and just going crazy’
- Sale 45 Leicester 20: Sale’s date with history
- Pensions deficit time bomb ticks
- NZ coach wary of Bok strength
- Continuity people must stop harping on
- Premiership set to ban players from England
Young guns help Celtic League to come of age
Times nline – May 28, 2006
Crowds are up by 20 per cent though Ulster still have by far the most loyal support with an average home gate of more than 8000. Soon we will have official confirmation of Magners Cider’s three-year deal to become the league’s first title sponsor. Ulster meanwhile copper-fastened their slot as Ireland’s seeded team for next year’s Heineken Cup which they hope will mean a more sympathetic draw than has usually been the case. But winning the League is far more significant in other ways. In one sense this was bigger than winning the European Cup seven years ago. The 1999 victory was a one-off an adventure that ultimately led nowhere. This bunch under the guidance of 30-something coaches Mark McCall and Allen Clarke are all about building something permanent.
‘We were screaming and just going crazy’
Times nline – May 28, 2006
I contemplated going home at around 2. 30 to be right for the open-top bus the next day. But how could you go home?” Nobody minded that the trophy in their possession was not the original Heineken Cup. That is being engraved. The replica has been paraded around constantly for the past week — to city halls in Cork and Limerick to Pres Cork and St Munchin’s in Limerick to St Columba’s National School Douglas where Ronan ’Gara’s fiancée Jessica teaches to the Late Late Show on Friday night and to any number of pubs and clubs. Favourite moments? There are plenty. “We went into a lot of old pubs around town” says Flannery.
Sale 45 Leicester 20: Sale’s date with history
Times nline – May 28, 2006
The game was over well before Chris Mayor went streaking in on the interception in the final act of the match because the truth is Leicester had been played to a standstill. Predictably the celebrations were fitting for a team that had never been there before. It was also fitting that Philippe Saint-Andre took part in the lap of honour because it is his outstanding direction and that of his fellow coaches which has pulled Sale back after disappointment in the Heineken Cup. It was also good to see Robert Todd their centre battling cancer out there in the middle as delirious as anybody. The heart bled for Leicester. They are traditionally the club that people love to hate but that is simply down to jealously. They are a club with a past and a future and they are a club with a conscience as they proved in all sorts of ways… The pressure bit deep into Leicester hearts and souls. There were to be two more penalties by Hodgson both awarded as Leicester killed the ball in desperation and although James Hamilton batted his way over towards the end to score for Leicester this was only the precursor to Mayor’s devastating late burst. Robinson lifted the cup at the end. He has now won the Rugby World Cup the rugby league title with Wigan and now has led the English champions home in thundering style. STAR MAN: Richard Wigglesworth (Sale) Sale: J Robinson (capt); M Cueto M Taylor (C Mayor 68min) E Seveali’i (V Courrent 79min) Ripol; C Hodgson R Wigglesworth (B Foden 75min); L Faure A Titterrell (S Bruno 53min) S Turner (B Stewart 53min) C Jones (S Chabal 76min) I Fernandez Lobbe (D Schofield h-t) J White S Chabal (C Day 67min) M Lund. Tries: Cueto 8 Lund 17 Ripol 40 Mayor 80. Cons: Hodgson Courrent.
Pensions deficit time bomb ticks
Irish Independent – May 28, 2006
Their victory was greatly facilitated by the faith of their own supporters in the terraces and stands and who for 11 years had followed the fortunes of a team around Europe as they battled through match after match. To the victor go the spoils. To Munster the Heineken cup. To the team our congratulations and the nation’s gratitude for providing such a memorable sporting spectacle.
NZ coach wary of Bok strength
Independent nline – May 28, 2006
“But Ireland is another country that has changed its style. They have a good side on paper and improved during the Six Nations to win the Triple Crown. It’s great that Munster won the Heineken Cup too. Ireland are beginning to look the business and we’re thinking we’re going to get a big contest when they arrive next month. They will be hard fought Test matches. “I do think the team that will win the next World Cup will need to have an attacking philosophy.
Continuity people must stop harping on
Irish Independent – May 28, 2006
But of course Sky was bringing almost non-stop coverage of every wild and wintry scene every horrible downpour to its viewers worldwide – just the kind of viewers indeed who might have been contemplating a golfing holiday in Ireland up until last week. Limerick didn’t have the best of luck either did it? TV coverage of the Munster Homecoming parade was full of harrowing scenes of people drenched more the Limerick of Angela’s Ashes than the new thrusting Limerick. But at least they’ve got the Heineken Cup so they can bask in glory for the next 12 months like the team who won it last year – and I won’t even insult your intelligence by naming that team because obviously you all know who I mean. AT LEAST Brian Kennedy had a few days in sunny Greece. A few years ago his song would have won the Eurovision Song Contest by a mile when these things were decided by a jury of experts many of them men wearing cravats and Hush Puppies. But now they have made the catastrophic mistake of letting the people decide. And the people frankly are just taking the mick.
Premiership set to ban players from England
Independent – May 28, 2006
Club rugby is thriving and we have a great record of producing England players. A strong Premiership will deliver the best England side. “To mount a worthy defence of the World Cup the Red Rose brigade want more quality time with the players but the clubs are sceptical. “Nobody listens to the players” said De Vos. “They don’t want to spend weeks away from their clubs. Last August they were supposed to have a week at Bagshot but on the Monday they did nothing on the Tuesday there was a photo-call and by Thursday they were back up the motorway… It’s a bizarre concept. “Even so Premier Rugby are prepared to use the issue of access to players as a bargaining counter. Their Weston Plan will be debated with the RFU on Tuesday and they are prepared to concede extra training days in return for more compensation and more control of the Heineken and Anglo-Welsh Cups and the Lions and Barbarians. The RFU have said that as other unions are involved in such matters they are in no position to negotiate. They also said that over the next nine years the plan would cost them £40m above the current funding to Premier Rugby of £10m a year. The clubs say it would cost £18. 6m so not even the accountants can agree.