The News Review:
- Thomas relief at century of caps
- Brian Ashton gives Lewis Moody his head
- Recalled Murphy keen to aid Irish worries
Thomas relief at century of caps
BBC News – Sep 26, 2007
He made the summer Lions tour to New Zealand starting all three Tests and taking over the captaincy when Brian O’Driscoll was injured. But Thomas was embroiled in the turmoil of the “Ruddockgate” affair as Wales’ Grand Slam coach departed in 2006. Thomas made an infamous appearance on BBC Wales’ Scrum V rugby show to defend the squad in the Ruddock affair and later that night collapsed with a ruptured artery in his neck. He battled back for club and country regaining the Wales captaincy against England in this year’s Six Nations and claiming the armband for the World Cup.
Brian Ashton gives Lewis Moody his head
Telegraph.co.uk – Sep 26, 2007
Since the tournament started the back row has undergone change on a match-by-match basis with Lawrence Dallaglio losing out to Nick Easter at No 8 while Tom Rees and Joe Worsley have been tried at openside. The only permanent figure has been Martin Corry at blindside. Now a thigh injury to Rees and a slight neck strain for Worsley has given Moody who last started a match when Leicester lost to Wasps in May’s Heineken Cup final the opportunity after he replaced Worsley. Moody has become pretty phlegmatic at the fluctuating nature of professional rugby.
Recalled Murphy keen to aid Irish worries
Belfast Telegraph – Sep 26, 2007
"Just as well. For yesterday Murphy found himself back in Ireland’s starting line-up for Sunday’s do-or-die showdown with Argentina at full-back as a replacement for the injured Girvan Dempsey. Having scored 17 tries for Ireland 12 from full-back in his previous 52 caps the speculation has transformed into expectation that the double Heineken Cup winner with the Tigers can spearhead Ireland’s desperate mission to beat Los Pumas by four tries and prevent their opponents from getting a bonus point in defeat. Yet if rumours of premature departure from the squad had been false Murphy admitted his omission from the panel to face France had given way to fears that his chance with Ireland might have passed him by. "I think there was a little bit of that alright" added the 29-year-old. "I am back in the side this week because Girv is injured. While I am happy to be back in the side I am disappointed for him that he is injured.