The News Review:
- My Six Nations: John Murray
- Wales not scared of England in 6 Nations
- Ulster wait for more to follow Bowe
- Six Nations – Italy – Rugby News, Results, Fixtures and Features from…
- De Luca shaping up to be the missing spark for Scotland
My Six Nations: John Murray
RTE.ie – Jan 28, 2008
Have you recovered from RWC 2007 yet? Any last theories on what went wrong there?! Munster’s success in getting to a tenth consecutive Heineken Cup quarter-final has reminded us all what passionate, powerful rugby can achieve. Little of either was in evidence in France last September and Eddie O now has to prove he has what it takes to inspire a talented bunch of players… I look forward to seeing how their ‘new’ team performs. What makes the Six Nations special for you? Have watched it since I was six or seven and am captivated by the various contests, even those not involving Ireland. Slowly, though, the Heineken Cup is beginning to take over in my mind as the world’s premier rugby tournament. And finally, your personal favourite Six Nations memory? That was last March in Croke Park when we stuffed England. Seems a long way away now though. John Murray presents the award-winning.
Wales not scared of England in 6 Nations
News Wales – Jan 28, 2008
Wales are ranked tenth in the world, an all-time low, but Gatland is in optimistic mood following the impressive displays of the Ospreys and the Cardiff Blues who both qualified for the last eight of the Heineken Cup last weekend. Gatland takes charge of his first match at Twickenham, a venue the Three Feathers have not won at since 1988, and believes his players have the ability to get a result on the opening weekend of the championship. He said: “England’s squad doesn’t hold any fears for me. I know a lot of players well from my time at Wasps and we know their strengths and weaknesses. My players shouldn’t have any fear in believing they can get a result there and I’ve been in this situation before with Ireland.
Ulster wait for more to follow Bowe
Belfast Telegraph – Jan 28, 2008
While Bowe was undoubtedly offered more money to join the Ospreys than Ulster could muster, after a bidding war last week between the Welsh region and English giants Leicester, it seems that financial gain was not the primary factor in his motivation to leave Ravenhill. We might have to wait a while to hear Bowe’s explanation, as it seems the IRFU are not keen on him making a comment about his move while he remains on their books. But those close to him have suggested it was more about Bowe’s desire to join a club that have already proved themselves to be capable of reaching the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup and are already well advanced in building a side with quality options throughout. The flip side of that reasoning is the suggestion, which is backed up by results this season, that Ulster are not such a force, nor offer the same potential, despite the ambitions, vision and energy of new coach Matt Williams. While Bowe’s omission from the Ireland squad – which makes coach Eddie O’Sullivan’s claim to have picked on form ring rather hollow – would not have been a major factor, it will have at least underscored the fact that his international chances cannot be further damaged by playing overseas. And for that reason, if he had been included, and indeed picked in the starting XV for Saturday’s Six Nations opener against Italy, there might have been enough doubt in his mind to convince Bowe to sign a new deal with Ulster. As it is, the only message he can have drawn from Friday’s announcement is: what has he got to lose? Neil Best, who not only lost his place in the Ireland 22 but was omitted from the Ireland A side to face their English counterparts, is likely to draw the same conclusion when weighing up his options this week, with offers from England and France on the table.
Six Nations – Italy – Rugby News, Results, Fixtures and Features from…
Planet Rugby – Jan 28, 2008
He is still the most successful Bok coach of the modern era with a win ratio of 71 per cent. Mallett, who was born in England but then moved to South Africa at the age of seven, left the Springboks in 2000 and returned to Europe to coach Stade Fran?s. Under his guidance, they claimed back-to-back French domestic title wins in 2003 and 2004 as well as reaching the Heineken Cup Final. Despite his success, the 51-year-old Mallett will be faced with a somewhat different and possibly more daunting challenge while at the helm of Italian rugby. Learning a new language will merely be the starting point for the new Azzurri boss. However, he is fluent in French, and with a number of players plying their trade in France, at least his whistle won’t be doing all the talking. Captain: With a new coach comes a new captain and number eight Sergio Parisse is Mallett’s chosen one to lead the side into an exciting chapter of Italian rugby.
De Luca shaping up to be the missing spark for Scotland
The Herald – Jan 28, 2008
But it’s because of that little detail that we’ve been winning games by a few points. ”
De Luca has been at his most effective since switching to his best position at outside centre where he has been able to show his combination of dazzling footwork, deft handling skills and a genuine turn of pace. Rounding Toulouse’s Yannick Jauzion during their Heineken Cup tie was perhaps the individual highlight of his season, but he also looked very comfortable against Brian O’Driscoll and his Leinster colleagues. “If you play well against a nobody you still know you are playing well, but if you then step up to international level you could still have that fear factor,” he said. “Where there’s a benefit in having played against the Irish back-line at Leinster or what is perhaps the French back-line against Toulouse is that you know they are just rugby players. ”
There is normally an adjustment to be made when entering an international dressing room for the first time, but that was not as tough as it might have been either since he has played with most of the players at club or representative level. “It’s tough to keep the excitement down because being involved with my country’s what I’ve always wanted to do, so just being in the squad is a really good achievement.