The News Review:
- ‘Sullivan eager to continue winning run
- Gregan to ensure England encounter dangerous terrain
- Surprise Wales call delights Brew
- wner(s): Christopher (Chris) Wright
- Sharks secure Premiership glory
- Round ball games
‘Sullivan eager to continue winning run
RTE.ie – May 30, 2006
Ireland have yet to post a win against the All Blacks in 18 meetings – a 10-10 draw at Lansdowne Road in 1973 was the closest they have come to a prized victory. Their record against Australia offers more encouragement with seven wins in 24 clashes – three of those were on Australian soil with the most recent success back in 2002 at Lansdowne Road. But Irish rugby’s best season since the dawning of the professional era – with the Triple Crown Heineken Cup and Celtic League trophies all safely in the vault – has ‘Sullivan and his players brimming with optimism. ‘Sullivan said: ‘This tour is coming off the back of a long season – what was for most players a very successful one – but everyone is very much switched on to the task at hand. ‘Playing New Zealand and Australia in their own backyards certainly sharpens the mind. The guys from Munster and Ulster (after their efforts in the Heineken Cup and Celtic League) have come into camp very much on a high and it’s a great boost for everyone involved. ‘In turn we had a very good Six Nations campaign and we’ve sort of helped each other on the way – the provinces feeding the national side and vice versa.
Gregan to ensure England encounter dangerous terrain
Independent – May 30, 2006
James Forrester the Gloucester No 8 who must have felt thoroughly cheesed off at failing to make the cut for the senior trip is suffering from shoulder problems. Kai Horstmann of Worcester travels in his stead. Meanwhile the last of the seven French places in next season’s Heineken Cup has gone to Castres who won at Pau in the final round of championship matches thereby holding off Clermont Auvergne who enter the European Challenge Cup. Newport-Gwent Dragons will claim the one remaining Heineken spot if they beat vermach Parma at Rodney Parade on Friday. England and Australia squads for the two-Test tour* ENGLANDBacks: I Balshaw (Gloucester) M Van Gisbergen (Wasps) J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester) T Varndell (Leicester) T Voyce (Wasps) J Noon (Newcastle) M Tait (Newcastle) S Abbott (Wasps) M Catt (London Irish) Barkley (Bath) A Goode (Leicester) S Bemand (Leicester) P Richards (Gloucester) N Walshe (Bath). Forwards: G Chuter (Leicester) L Mears (Bath) A Titterrell (Sale) T Payne (Wasps) G Rowntree (Leicester) D Bell (Bath) J White (Leicester) A Brown (Gloucester) L Deacon (Leicester) C Jones (Sale) B Kay (Leicester) M Lipman (Bath) M Lund (Sale) L Moody (Leicester) P Sanderson (Worcester capt) J Worsley (Wasps). * AUSTRALIABacks: A Ashley-Cooper (ACT Brumbies) S Cordingley (Queensland Reds) G Fairbanks (Brumbies) Mark Gerrard (Brumbies) G Gregan (Brumbies capt) S Larkham (Brumbies) C Latham (Queensland Reds) S Mortlock (Brumbies) S Norton-Knight (NSW Waratahs) C Rathbone (Brumbies) M Rogers (Waratahs) C Shepherd (Western Force) S Staniforth (Western Force) L Tuqiri (Waratahs) J Valentine (Queensland Reds).
Surprise Wales call delights Brew
BBC News – May 30, 2006
Surgery on a recurring groin injury has seen the Newport Gwent Dragons utility back miss most of the season. Wales leave on Thursday without Brew and four Dragons team-mates needed for Friday’s Heineken Cup qualification play-off with Italians vermach Parma. “To get the Wales call-up I was amazed to be honest but very pleased all the same” said the 23-year-old. “I’ve been out for almost 12 months injured and I think this Friday will be just my 12th game of the season. “At the moment my mind is on the play-off on Friday it’s a big game a must-win game. Brew and fellow Wales tourists Luke Charteris Ian Gough Hal Luscombe and Rhys Thomas will be backing themselves to secure a place in next season’s European top table at Parma’s expense.
wner(s): Christopher (Chris) Wright
National Thoroughbred Racing Association – May 30, 2006
London Wasps won both the Heineken (European) Cup and the English Premiership in 2004. They won another Heineken Cup in 2007 and then added the Premiership in the 2007-08 seasonRacing Background: First involvement in horse racing was when he purchased Crime of Passion (GB) as a yearling in 1981… They won another Heineken Cup in 2007 and then added the Premiership in the 2007-08 seasonRacing Background: First involvement in horse racing was when he purchased Crime of Passion (GB) as a yearling in 1981. She won the Cherry Hinton Stakes (Gr. 2) and became the foundation mare at Stratford Place only being retired in 2001Racing Career: The best horses he has owned are Culture Vulture winner of three Group ne races the Fillies? Mile and Prix Marcel Boussac in 1991 and the Poule d?Essai des Pouliches in 1992; Crimson Tide dual Group 2 winner and is now a successful stallion in Brazil; Dark Angel owned in partnership with Mrs.
Sharks secure Premiership glory
Daily Mail – May 30, 2006
Tigers’England flanker Lewis Moody claimed an opportunist score andsubstitute James Hamilton also powered over but the Sharks easedhome through a 23-point contribution from fly-half Charlie Hodgsonand substitute Chris Mayor’s injury-time breakaway. England ace Hodgson booted six penalties a drop-goal andconversion giving once unfashionable Sale Guinness Premiershiptitle glory and extending Leicester’s barren sequence. The Tigers have now gone four seasons without a major trophy -they secured a league and Heineken Cup double in 2002 – and for aclub of their calibre it represents a miserable return. It was their second successive play-off final defeat yet Salecould not care less as they became only the fifth different team tobecome champions of England since leagues were introduced almost 20years ago. Sale skipper Jason Robinson – the former rugby league star -became the first player to win Grand Finals in both rugby codesbut the mercurial Hodgson apart Sale’s star man was unsungscrum-half Richard Wigglesworth who outplayed England number nineHarry Ellis and repeatedly threatened Leicester’s defence. Leicester ultimately had no answers when Sale asked seriousquestions and the Premiership trophy will be now be shown off tothe Sharks faithful at Edgeley Park in Stockport on Sunday. It was Sharks rugby director Philippe Saint-Andre’s firstTwickenham triumph as a player or coach – he won more than 60 capsfor France – and Sale supporters shed plenty of tears when Robinsonheld aloft the gleaming silver prize.
Round ball games
Sydney Morning Herald – May 30, 2006
- Frank ZappaWhat the late musician Zappa neglected to mention was that acountry’s reputations for beer and football are usuallydiametrically opposite. This thought has been exercising my mindgreatly in the lead-up to the football World Cup and it helpsexplain why say Belgium didn’t even make it to the final 32 teamsplaying off in Germany next week. And what about Brazil? It seems to have a mortgage on the cupbut produces largely forgettable beers. Just look at Brahma newlyarrived on these shores and packaged in a clear glasskinky-waisted bottle that should set off alarm bells for seriousbeer fanciers. It’s all show and no substance (unlike Brazil’sfabulous world-conquering footballers). In beer terms the finest World Cup final was the 1966 clashbetween the ale-drinking Poms and the lager-loving Germans. The alemob prevailed on the day only to develop an alarming thirst forlagers (including our own Foster’s) at the expense of thelongstanding pint of cask ale… Having abandoned their beer rootsis it any wonder they haven’t got remotely close to regaining thetrophy in the past 40 years?I’m no great fan of football (or soccer as we used to beallowed to call it) but the World Cup is always worth staying upfor and the perfect excuse to lay in some imported beer supplies. Ifondly recall the 1974 final between Germany and the Netherlandsas a university student when we filled the fridge with beers fromboth nations then invented a drinking game where you had to drinkevery time someone kicked the ball or something (it’s all a bitfuzzy now). Conveniently Heineken has just rolled out five-litre mini-kegs(imported from the Netherlands) which hold the equivalent of 15stubbies and fit neatly on a fridge shelf. Several German lagersincluding Lowenbrau Warsteiner and Beck’s are available in asimilar set-up. Should the two teams meet again (it’s possible bythe quarter-finals and beyond) it could be a lager frenzy allaround. Group F – Australia’s first-round competitionBrahma (Brazil)Exciting footballers boring beers says it all. Squeaky cleanand slightly watery low hop bitterness.