The News Review:
- Jones given World Cup incentive
- O’Sullivan wants more of the same
- England mock Test rugby
- Evans and Skinner keep places in Saxons line-up for final
- Quins lock delighted to pay price of Saxons call
Jones given World Cup incentive
BBC News – May 31, 2007
“It’s not only a scrummaging role it’s a lineout role and he’s been a part of the game-plan we’ve worked on out here” said Jenkins. Jones spent most of the 2004-05 season playing at tight-head facing the renowned scrumming powers of Munster and Castres in the Heineken Cup. He said he has no qualms about taking up the role again on Saturday against an Australian pack which he said showed signs of weakness last weekend. “It’s a huge opportunity for me and I want to show people what I can do” said Jones. “I feel for the boys who have gone down injured but it’s fantastic for me and an opportunity I thought might have passed me by. Such is the depth of Wales’s front-row injury problems Chris Horsman has been summoned from Wales to join the squad in Brisbane for the final Test of the short tour.
O’Sullivan wants more of the same
Ireland Online – May 30, 2007
And I want to win this weekend so I hopefully will. ?Jeremy Staunton has arrived in Buenos Aires as a replacement for knee injury victim Paddy Wallace while Andrew Trimble and Tommy Bowe have also been ruled out. Eoin Reddan a Heineken Cup winner with Wasps will win his second cap and take the scrum-half place filled by Isaac Boss in Santa Fe. O?Sullivan added: ?A scrum-half has to be like a boss on the pitch. ?He needs to manage the pack and give a good service and kick well? and Eoin does all this very well. ?He is like a complete pack for Saturday?s game because he is a good passer he kicks well. He played very well for Wasps and we hope he can show his potential with Ireland as well.
England mock Test rugby
iafrica.com – May 30, 2007
The ‘real’ England will meet the Boks in France in September which poses the question: Why is England not touring with their strongest team now? Injuries have taken their toll of course but the decision to rest 30-odd players because they were contesting the Heineken Cup two weeks ago leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. 28 Springboks were contesting the Super 14 final at the same time yet they are all included in the national set-up a week laterIt is a cop out by England and it is not hard to understand why Bloemfontein had such a poor turnout last week and it’s the same reason Loftus is offering discounted tickets in an effort to fill the stands. For the past six years the Springboks have been travelling with close to their best to Twickenham and you would expect the English to return the favour but they have fallen well short of the mark and the fans are talking with their feet. Who can blame them?I would call for the IRB to step in and put a stop to this mess but why waste my breath? We all know the sports governing body it toothless in most matters worth governing. So Wales Ireland and France have all followed England’s example by touring the southern hemisphere with under-strength squads and the game is the lesser for it.
Evans and Skinner keep places in Saxons line-up for final
Richmond and Twickenham Times – May 31, 2007
Mallinder said: “To help us build on Monday’s performance we have tried to minimise the disruption to the backline. “Danny has been playing full-back for his club since December. “He’s very at home there as his performance in the Heineken Cup final showed. “Olly is a very experienced player and will comfortably slot in at 10. Barkley’s inside centre position will be taken by Nils Mordt (London Irish) who has already made two appearances there from the bench with Wasps’ Ayoola Erinle called up on to the bench. Forwards coach West has stuck with the same pack that outmuscled the more experienced Scottish forwards in Monday’s 18-3 win. England Saxons team to play New Zealand Maori: 15 Danny Cipriani (London Wasps) 14 Paul Sackey (London Wasps) 13 Kevin Sorrell (Saracens) 12 Nils Mordt (London Irish) 11 Tom Voyce (London Wasps)10 Olly Barkley (Bath Rugby) 9 Richard Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks) 1 Neal Hatley (London Irish captain) 2 David Paice (London Irish) 3 John Brooks (Northampton Saints) 4 Richard Blaze (WorcesterWarriors) 5 Jim Evans (NEC Harlequins) 6 James Haskell (London Wasps) 7 Will Skinner (NEC Harlequins) 8 Phil Dowson (Newcastle Falcons) Replacements: 16 Matt Thompson (Newcastle Falcons) 17 JackForster (Gloucester Rugby) 18 Tom Mercey (Saracens) 19 Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers) 20 Jordan Crane (Leicester Tigers) 21 Lee Dickson (Newcastle Falcons) 22 Ayoola Erinle (London Wasps) The BarclaysChurchill Cup finals day Saturday June 2 at Twickenham kicks off at 11.
Quins lock delighted to pay price of Saxons call
Richmond and Twickenham Times – May 30, 2007
But representative honours for Evans and Mike Ross – coupled with a full international cap for prop Ceri Jones who made his bow for Wales against Australia at the weekend – tells a differentstory. Evans who cancelled a holiday to Egypt to join up with the Saxons made a try-scoring debut against the US last week and followed that with a part in Monday’s 18-3 victory over Scotland A atTwickenham. And the 6ft 7in second row believes the hardwork which earned Quins a seventh-place Premiership finish and Heineken Cup qualification has finally paid off. “We let ourselves down as a front five in the opening Premiership games and the criticism hurt at the time” he said. “Mike and Ollie have made a massive difference. “They have added more than enough weight to the pack. “I’m not the heaviest second row in the world but alongside Ollie we are a good combination.