The News Review:
- Hadden brings in new faces
- Gloucester secure Forrester
- Jarvis stokes fires at Stoop hotbed
- Stoddart is back for Scarlets
Hadden brings in new faces
Telegraph.co.uk – Nov 1, 2007
Forwards: John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors) Johnnie Beattie (Glasgow Warriors) Kelly Brown (Border Reivers) David Callam (Edinburgh Rugby) Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby) Bruce Douglas (Border Reivers) Ross Ford (Border Reivers) Dougie Hall (Edinburgh Rugby) James Hamilton (Leicester) Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh Rugby) Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors) Gavin Kerr (Border Reivers) Scott MacLeod (Llanelli Scarlets) Donnie Macfadyen (Glasgow Warriors) Scott Murray (Edinburgh Rugby) Euan Murray (Glasgow Warriors) Alasdair Strokosch (Edinburgh Rugby) Simon Taylor (Edinburgh Rugby) Injured but invited to attend: Mike Blair (Edinburgh – shoulder) Chris Cusiter (Border Reivers – shoulder) Nathan Hines (Perpignan – foot) Allister Hogg (Edinburgh – knee) Scott Lawson (Glasgow – foot) Ben MacDougall (Border Reivers – cheekbone) Simon Webster (Edinburgh – lower leg) Jason White (Sale Sharks – knee). Munster have had an appeal against flanker Alan Quinlan’s six-week ban dismissed. Quinlan will miss the reigning champions’ final two Heineken Cup pool games against Bourgoin and Leicester this month before he can resume playing again on Jan 31. The Ireland international was cited following a stamping incident during the Heineken Cup against Cardiff Blues in Limerick last month. A three-man disciplinary panel subsequently banned 32-year-old Quinlan whose appeal was heard by Rod McKenzie (Scotland) and Robert Horner (England) yesterday. Newcastle have suspended former England prop Robbie Morris for two weeks after he was sent off in a development team game. Morris will sit out the European Challenge Cup games against Brive and Petrarca this month following a Falcons disciplinary hearing.
Gloucester secure Forrester
Telegraph.co.uk – Nov 1, 2007
The three-year extension to his current contract will keep the 25-year-old at Kingsholm until 2010. The signing represents the latest piece of the jigsaw being put together by the director of rugby Dean Ryan who has a wealth of promising talent available to him. Forrester is among a clutch of young players to commit to the club. Ryan has already tied down the likes of centre Anthony Allen who made his England debut in November prop Jack Forster centre Jack Adams and second-row Jonathan Pendlebury.
Jarvis stokes fires at Stoop hotbed
Telegraph.co.uk – Nov 1, 2007
” The most encouraging sign though was the deafening roar and punched arms of delight that greeted victory from 10000 utterly drenched and frozen supporters – it matched anything you might hear at the traditional hotbeds like Gloucester and Leicester. Harlequins are clearly a club where the fires are burning brightly again a proper rugby club with the previous flakey image long gone. Harlequins’ swift re-emergence as a solid mid-table outfit with an excellent shout of earning a shot at Heineken Cup rugby is a massive argument in favour of promotion and relegation as the debate rages. Two years ago they were down and nearly out as they plunged into League One but actually relegation was the best thing that ever happened to Harlequins a fresh start if you like albeit enforced. Those players who were really committed stayed. Genuine supporters stuck with it. The team started winning regularly against very tough but not necessarily skilful opposition – in fact they lost only one game in the league en route to the League One title and there were plenty of smiles about.
Stoddart is back for Scarlets
News Wales – Nov 1, 2007
The 22-year-old has bounced back brilliantly from an early pre-season injury setback when he broke a leg in Devon. He has been in stunning form with the Llanelli semi-pro side and stood out when coming on for a cameo role against Edinburgh on Friday night in the Magners League. Stoddart comes in for Garan Evans while Mark Jones replacing Darren Daniel on the wing is the only other change in the backs. “Morgan deserves his chance with the Scarlets” said Director of Rugby Phil Davies.