The News Review:
- ‘Callaghan backs ailing Ireland to pack a wallop
- Date set for Brennan hearing
- Thomas out of Six Nations start
- Thomas found guilty of misconduct charge and banned for four weeks
- Berbizier drops Pez and Lo Cicero
- Quinlan prepares for appeal against six-week suspension
- Perugini starts for Italy
‘Callaghan backs ailing Ireland to pack a wallop
Times nline – Feb 1, 2007
This has been done so that correct url isgenerated if we are coming from a section or topic –>Mark Sousterdiv#related-article-links p a div#related-article-links p a:visited {color:#06c;} Donncha ’Callaghan has insisted that Ireland’s pack is ready for the challenge of the RBS Six Nations Championship and that critics who have suggested their scrum could be a weak link will be proved wrong. The manner of Leicester’s resounding Heineken Cup win last month over Munster who provide six of Ireland’s eight forwards against Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday has once again focused attention on an area that opposition coaches will be keen to exploit. While admitting that the manner of Munster’s defeat “hurt like mad” ’Callaghan said that the game would have no bearing on Ireland’s performances over the next seven weeks in a tournament that they are favourites to win for only the second time since 1985. “Being with Ireland is a totally different mindset” ’Callaghan who wins his 31st cap in Cardiff where he made his debut in 2003 said. “[Against Leicester] we got beaten by a better team on the day. They beat us in every facet of play.
Date set for Brennan hearing
RTE.ie – Feb 1, 2007
The Toulouse forward who is alleged to have entered a seating area during a match against Ulster and punched the supporter was due to attend an independent hearing today. Legal teams for the player yesterday won a 24-hour injunction against the disciplinary hearing at the High Court on the grounds its outcome could prejudice any criminal proceedings in France and affect Brennan’s right to silence. Today lawyers for both Brennan and the European Rugby Cup (ERC) agreed that a hearing would go ahead next Friday. The Toulouse star is accused of entering the seating area during the game in France on Sunday 21 January and punching Patrick Bamford leaving the 25-year-old accountant requiring medical treatment at the ground and on his return home to London.
Thomas out of Six Nations start
BBC News – Feb 1, 2007
Wales have chosen a powerful pack props Gethin Jenkins and Chris Horsman picked ahead of Duncan and Adam Jones. Locks Ian Gough and Alun Wyn Jones have behind them a back row of Alix Popham Martyn Williams and Ryan Jones. Coach Gareth Jenkins is thought to have turned to a muscular pack having seen Leicester overwhelm Munster in the Heineken Cup six forwards from the Irish province being selected in the Ireland eight. Thomas received his suspension from a European Rugby Cup panel in Dublin for engaging in “aggressive entry of the seating areas” and “making offensive hand gestures” after an incident in a match between his side Toulouse and Ulster. "We always had a contingency in place which is robust and we’ll now deal with the Irish challenge on that basis" Wales coach Gareth Jenkins That means that the ex-Wales and Lions captain – taking part in his final Six Nations – will not be available until 1 March and misses games with Ireland Scotland and France. Wales could yet appeal against the ban although ERC say that they could have excluded the utility back for up to 12 weeks. “We are obviously all hugely disappointed but we always had a contingency in place which is robust and we’ll now deal with the Irish challenge on that basis” said Jenkins.
Thomas found guilty of misconduct charge and banned for four weeks
Belfast Telegraph – Feb 1, 2007
Thomas was charged with engaging in “aggressive” and “obscene” behaviourtowards Ulster supporters in the match on January 21. The Toulouse man has been banned by the ERC for four weeks meaning he’ll miss Wales’ first three Six Nations matches – including Sunday’s clash with Ireland at the Millennium Stadium. Wales head coach Gareth Jenkins has confirmed – after hearing news today of Thomas’ ban – that Cardiff Blues centre Jamie Robinson will play in the centre and Hal Luscombe will move from centre to wing. Post a comment Limit: 500 charactersView all comments that have been posted about this article.
Berbizier drops Pez and Lo Cicero
Irish Times – Feb 1, 2007
Lo Cicero had impressed in the autumn Tests while Toulouse starPerugini served a five-week ban for a headbutting incident in aHeineken Cup game against Ulster last ctober. Login or subscribe for more » Choose a Subscription type – required.
Quinlan prepares for appeal against six-week suspension
Ireland nline – Feb 1, 2007
substring (2 11); document. The player was handed the ban after the Heineken Cup match against Cardiff Blues at Thomond Park on December 16. Quinlan admitted stamping on Cardiff’s Mark Lewis but Munster have appealed the severity of his punishment which would rule him out of their last two pool games against Bourgoin and Leicester.
Perugini starts for Italy
RTE.ie – Feb 1, 2007
Listen to all of Ireland’s matches live on RT?Radio 1 FM MW and LW 252. Italy coach Pierre Berbizier will start Salvatore Perugini at prop instead of Andrea Lo Cicero for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against France. Lo Cicero had impressed in the autumn Tests while Toulouse star Perugini served a five-week ban for a headbutting incident in a Heineken Cup game against Ulster last ctober. But Berbizier has preferred the experience of the 28-year-old who shone in the pack for the Azzurri in last year’s Six Nations campaign. Berbizier has also named Ramiro Pez as a replacement and opted to pair 33-year-old Andrea Scanavacca at half-back with Paul Griffen. Former captain Alessandro Troncon had a surprise recall to the party after two years not playing for the national team and has been named as a replacement. Italy team to face France on Saturday in Rome: R De Marigny (Calvisano); D Dallan (Stade Francais) G Canale (Clermont-Auvergne) M Bergamasco (Stade Francais) A Masi (Biarritz); A Scanavacca (Calvisano) P Griffen (Calvisano); S Perugini (Toulouse) F ngaro (Saracens) C Nieto (Gloucester) S Dellape (Biarritz) M Bortolami (captain Gloucester) J Sole (Viadana) M Bergamasco (Stade Francais) S Parisse (Stade Francais).