The News Review:
- Rugby Ireland
- Blues accept defeat in Thomas bid
- Win tickets
- Sports letters
- Humbled Hawks left ruffled by referee
- Frankie goes back to work
Rugby Ireland
Times nline – Oct 1, 2006
8m 90kg inside centre who played for Taranaki against the Lions last year. ‘There is some substance in the link being made between Mafi and Munster’ said the spokesman. ‘He’s not in the Heineken Cup squad that was submitted during the week but there is scope for a wild-card selection. We won’t release anything until he’s signed sealed and delivered. ’ Meanwhile James Downey has definitely left for Calvisano after a short trial with the province. Lansdowne showdown stirs the memories… Echoes of April’s Heineken Cup semi-final and all that. And very distant echoes of a remarkable game played 10 years ago this week in Donnybrook that ended Leinster 40 Munster 45. It was the first game between the teams in the professional era. The IRFU may not have deemed it worthy of match-fees — sorry only for Heineken Cup games lads — but the players clearly felt the need to entertain the paying public. As memory serves Leinster deserved their win if only for the decisive try finished off brilliantly by Eddie Halvey.
Blues accept defeat in Thomas bid
BBC News – Oct 1, 2006
Their latest attempt is thought to have come much closer with Thomas – out of contract next summer – keen to move for family reasons and the Wales management wanting him back. Toulouse coach Guy Noves is believed to have been prepared to let the player go but the directors of the French super-club could not be convinced. The Blues remain keen to reach a deal as a new rule this season allows Heineken Cup teams to add one extra player to their rota after the 28 September registration deadline. GARETH THMAS Born: 25. 74 gwr WalesPosition: Centre wing full-backClubs: Bridgend (twice) Cardiff Celtic Warriors ToulouseWales debut: v Japan 27.
Win tickets
Times nline – Oct 1, 2006
See two of the Premiership’s most colourful managers Stuart Pearce and Neil Warnock go head to head. For rugby fans courtesy of Heineken we have two tickets to any first-round game in the Heineken Cup played on ctober 20-22. For your chance to win visit www.
Sports letters
Times nline – Oct 1, 2006
More importantly in league it is virtually unheard of for anybody to suffer a serious injury in a scrum. html”–>Barry Wood Bradford Isn’t it time the Rugby Football Union looked at the need for restricting the number of non-British players permitted in Guinness Premiership and Heineken Cup teams? With one team recently fielding a non-British front row it is clear that the owners are thinking only of the clubs not the needs of the England team. S Chalmers via e-mail Nick Pitt did his bit for the motivation of the European Ryder Cup team with his piece on the merits of the two captains (last week). While Ian Woosnam doesn’t have the oratory skills of Tom Lehman his passion and determination to win were evident throughout. The fact that Europe won all five sessions doesn’t support the claim that Woosnam “made several questionable selections in his pairings”. Phil Edge Langport Somerset Nick Pitt delivered a misguided arrow at the leadership qualities of Ian Woosnam.
Humbled Hawks left ruffled by referee
Times nline – Oct 1, 2006
The visitors were flattened in the second half as Melrose took advantage of Rob Currie’s sin-binning to touch down twice moments after the restart and went on to claim victory thanks to tries from Jon Bradburn Craig Edwards Stuart Johnston Andy Thomson and Calum Anderson. THREE second-half penalties from Ronan ’Gara helped Munster beat Ulster 21-13 in last night’s battle of Ireland’s champion sides. The Heineken Cup holders were 10-0 down inside seven minutes but recovered to gain only their second Magners League win of the season. David Wallace and Anthony Horgan scored their first-half tries.
Frankie goes back to work
Times nline – Oct 1, 2006
” Also in March Steele accompanied Sheahan to Luton to meet Don Gatherer formerly physiotherapist to the England rugby team and now a specialist in neck injury rehabilitation. After doing specially devised strength tests on the hooker’s neck Gatherer also gave the green light. People raised eyebrows when Sheahan talked of returning for a Heineken Cup final but Sheahan was determined. So were his employers however. At one meeting towards the end of April he sat down with McCarthy the director of rugby Eddie Wigglesworth and the human resources director Maurice Dowling. They went through his options which included a substantial six-figure payout if he retired through injury. The IRFU’s chief executive Philip Browne emphasises however that under no circumstances was the union trying to buy him off.