The News Review:
- Leicester load side to subdue Sale
- Jim Fleming: Scottish refereeing on way back
- Clermont bars Smit from Springboks
- Phil Godman of Edinburgh is tackled by Mark Bartholomeusz
- England boosted by foreign legion
- Salter: This fixture’madness’ must stop
Leicester load side to subdue Sale
Telegraph.co.uk – Nov 30, 2007
Victory will see the Tigers safely through to the semi-finals before the biggest challenge of their season so far next week when they entertain in-form Toulouse in a must-win game if they are to remain in contention in the Heineken Cup. Martin Corry captains and has his England World Cup colleagues Lewis Moody and Ben Kay alongside him in the pack. For Sale All Black Luke McAlister makes his second appearance for the club at centre and Magnus Lund returns from a knee injury. Curiously after all the furore earlier in the week when he was named in the Barbarians squad Andrew Sheridan is not required by Sale – not even on the bench – and gets a complete weekend off. Mark Cueto meanwhile is selected at full-back the position England were keen to see him occupy in the World Cup before thinking better of it although in fairness an untimely injury to Cueto did not help.
Jim Fleming: Scottish refereeing on way back
Telegraph.co.uk – Nov 30, 2007
Ireland v Australia at the 1991 World Cup? Check. England’s dramatic 26-26 draw against the All Blacks in 1997? Check. The magnificent Heineken Cup final of 1998 when Bath edged out Brive 19-18 in the Stade Lescure in Bordeaux? Check. The 1999 World Cup semi-final at Twickenham when France sensationally derailed New Zealand 43-31 the game which is regularly voted the greatest of all time? Check again. So often was Fleming the man in the middle at rugby’s most memorable occasions it seems a staggering oversight on the part of the game’s authorities that he was never invited to referee a World Cup final. His encyclopaedic knowledge of the laws of rugby was perhaps the least significant of his attributes; far more important were his empathy with players and his intuitive feel for the nuances and patterns of a game. Who better to talk to then at a time when Scottish referees are under fire as never before? Earlier this week these pages revealed that four top club coaches have been threatened with disciplinary action by the SRU for remarks they made about referees after games.
Clermont bars Smit from Springboks
The Australian – Nov 30, 2007
Second-rower Johann Muller will take over the captaincy in Smit’s absence. Clermont have a match at Bourgoin-Jallieu. England hooker Mark Regan however was confirmed on Wednesday as captain of the Barbarians despite being told by his club Bristol to rest for their Heineken Cup match on December 8. Jake White taking charge of the world champions for the last time before stepping down after four years as coach named his team on Thursday with three changes from the one that beat Wales 34-12 in Cardiff last weekend. Second row Johan Ackermann replaces Bakkies Botha who injured his ankle at the Millennium Stadium while winger JP Pietersen makes way for Akona Ndungane. South Africa: Ruan Pienaar; Akona Ndungane Jaque Fourie Francois Steyn Bryan Habana; Andre Pretorius Enrico Januarie; Ryan Kankowski Juan Smith Schalk Burger Johan Ackermann Johann Muller Jannie Du Plessis Bismarck Du Plessis CJ Van der Linde. Reserves: Tiaan Liebenberg Heinke Van Der Merwe Albert Van Den Berg Barend Pieterse Wynand Olivier Wayne Julies Conrad Jantjes Reuters.
Phil Godman of Edinburgh is tackled by Mark Bartholomeusz
BBC News – Nov 30, 2007
Ulster had spells of pressure in the second half but Edinburgh completed back-to-back victories for the first time in more than a year. To make matters worse for Ulster they lost back row Roger Wilson with a fractured thumb. Wilson is likely to be out for six weeks which would mean missing three Heineken Cup matches. Ulster did secure a losing bonus point which means they are not alone in the basement as it brought them level with Connacht who beat Glasgow in Galway. The province certainly made an impressive start and scored when Mark Bartholomeusz put Bowe in at the right corner. Dey opened the scoring for the visitors when Bartholomeusz failed to deal with a Phil Godman chip and then four minutes later full back Ben Cairns rounded the Ulster cover to run in from the right-wing channel. Both scores were converted by Godman to put the visitors 14-5 in front.
England boosted by foreign legion
dailymail.co.uk – Nov 30, 2007
They say they takea dim viewof Mark Regan ignoring their refusal to release him forthe match as per the Premiership’s blanket ban. They say theirveteran hooker will have to ‘face the consequences’ and that thematter will be taken seriously. Regan might be fined or suspended in which event his unilateralaction would be punishing his club’s prospects of advancing inEurope with a Heineken Cup tie looming against Harlequins nextweek. Do not be surprised therefore should Bristol decide that goodold ‘Ronnie’ disobeying a club instruction was not such a seriousmatter after all. An investigation is being carried out into allegationsthat a number of Australian players employed by the Western Forcefranchise in Perth mistreated quokkas ? a species of small kangaroo? during a trip to Rottnest Island. It ought not to be confused with a separateinvestigation into another open-and-shut case of cruelty to amarsupial ? that inflicted by Andrew Sheridan on the Wallaby frontrow at the World Cup. Is it not high time that rugby’s obsession with pre-matchfireworks went to blazes? What bright spark for example decidedto unleash a few big bangers at the Millennium Stadium before theWales-South Africa match last Saturday?With the roof closed and nowhere for the smoke to escape itcreated the effect of a November mist ? no doubt at considerableexpense.
Salter: This fixture’madness’ must stop
highbeam.com – Nov 30, 2007
Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)Matt Salter wants something to be done about the “madness” of therugby calendar as Bristol prepare to play in their third differentcompetition in as many weekends. The flanker will return from a neck injury to captain Bristolagainst his former club Leeds in the EDF Energy Cup on Sundayhaving missed their Heineken Cup win over Stade Franais and GuinnessPremiership defeat at Bath. And the club skipper would like to see changes made to the waythe season is structured with Bristol and their Premiership rivalsplaying more than two consecutive fixtures in the same competitionbetween October and January. “It’s madness” said Salter. “In any job you have targets whether it’s for the.