The News Review:
- Laporte picks new halfback pairing for Six Nations opener against…
- Sparks set to fly in Cardiff
- Henson fit but Wales wait on their wingers
- Thomas hearing appeal refused
Laporte picks new halfback pairing for Six Nations opener against…
International Herald Tribune – Jan 30, 2007
” Raphael Ibanez of Wasps continues as captain in the absence of the injured Fabien Pelous. “We have selected a team to win in Rome and to make a good start in the defense of our title” France manager Jo Maso said. Poitrenaud leads the Heineken Cup try-scoring charts with seven in four games for Toulouse ? including four in one game against Cardiff. He has been given another chance by Laporte after failing to impress in last year’s 62-14 win over Romania in June. The 27-year-old Skrela meanwhile ends a long absence from the team ? his only showing was in 2001 ? while Mignoni wins his 18th cap. After missing November’s 27-26 win over Argentina lock Jerome Thion and flanker Sebastien Chabal come into the scrum. “I am happy” Chabal said… However that gives Laporte a chance to look at 21-year-old Stade Francais halfback Lionel Beauxis ? voted the Young Player of the Year by the IRB. His near faultless kicking under pressure has earned Beauxis early comparisons with England’s World Cup-winning kicker Jonny Wilkinson. In a recent Heineken Cup match away at spreys Beauxis sent over a 50-meter (yard) kick under intense pressure to earn the French team a draw. Bourgoin’s Julien Bonnaire was in the team despite concerns over an ankle injury but Damien Traille ? who can play either center or flyhalf ? is out after a knock with Biarritz. ___ France: Clement Poitrenaud Cedric Heymans Yannick Jauzion Florian Fritz Christophe Dominici David Skrela Pierre Mignoni; Sebastien Chabal Julien Bonnaire Serge Betsen Jerome Thion Lionel Nallet Pieter de Villiers Raphael Ibanez livier Milloud.
Sparks set to fly in Cardiff
Mayo News – Jan 30, 2007
Leuis Deacon and another Irishman Leo Cullen went toe to toe with their more lauded opponents in the second row while hooker George Chutter cemented his place in England’s Six Nations squad. In fact all five of the English members of that Leicester pack are named in Ashton’s squad to face Scotland this Saturday. There was much drama over the last weekend of Heineken Cup pool games before the last eight were ultimately finalised. From an Irish perspective it wasn’t a great weekend with all three provinces failing to record a W beside their name. Ulster who have now failed to progress past the pool stages for eight successive seasons had nothing but pride to play for. They took on Toulouse the other also-rans of Pool Five in the south of France and lost 28-13. That game grabbed many of the headlines after the weekend but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons due to an incident between Trevor Brennan who was warming up for Toulouse at the time and an Ulster fan.
Henson fit but Wales wait on their wingers
Telegraph.co.uk – Jan 30, 2007
Wales originally thought Williams and Jones would not recover in time from knee and ankle problems respectively but both trained yesterday. If either is ruled out Thomas the former captain would be in line to play on the wing if he does not receive a suspension for his part in the Trevor Brennan fracas that Heineken Cup officials will investigate on Thursday. Thomas who has said he will retire from international rugby after the World Cup next ctober was involved in the argument that saw Brennan allegedly assault an Ulster supporter during a match against Toulouse. The rivalry between Pierre Berbizier the former French scrum-half now coach of Italy and France’s Bernard Laporte has re-emerged in the build-up to Saturday’s meeting of the two countries in Rome. Berbizier a former French coach has questioned whether Laporte has the charisma and character to lead his country to World Cup glory in France. He compared the rugby team to the French football team that triumphed on home soil in the 1998 World Cup.
Thomas hearing appeal refused
Ireland nline – Jan 30, 2007
substring (2 11); document. The former Wales captain faces a misconduct charge after being accused of ?aggressive? and ?offensive? behaviour towards supporters during Toulouse?s controversial Heineken Cup game with Ulster on January 21. The European Rugby Cup disciplinary hearing is set for Thursday in Dublin three days before Wales open their Six Nations campaign at home to Ireland. Thomas? lawyers requested a delay to the hearing on legal grounds but their approach was rejected by ERC. A Welsh Rugby Union statement confirmed: ?Lawyers representing Gareth Thomas have formally asked the ERC to adjourn the disciplinary hearing scheduled for Thursday but this request has currently been refused. ?Gareth Thomas is still fully involved in the Wales rugby squad preparations for the Six Nations international against Ireland in Cardiff on Sunday.