The News Review:
- Ulster life to get harder in Europe
- Andy Robinson’s style of coaching will bring rewards for Scotland,…
- Sowden-Taylor out of Wales tour
- Pens: Warwick 2, O’Gara
Ulster life to get harder in Europe
Belfast Telegraph – Mar 28, 2008
Ulster have failed to qualify for the quarter-finals since winning the cup in 1999 and the new rules are set to benefit sides who have performed consistently in the competition over the last four years meaning the top teams will avoid each other in the pool stages. The 24 competing teams will continue to qualify through their domestic tournaments and will then, for the purposes of the pool draw, be awarded different points for their finishing positions in the two ERC organised competitions, the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup – over the previous four seasons. Teams can earn between one to 11 points each season in the Heineken Cup and up to five points in the European Challenge Cup to go towards their four season roll-over ERC European Ranking. The rankings will establish four tiers of six teams each with the reigning Heineken Cup champions automatically going into the top spot in Tier 1 along with Europe’s other, currently, most successful teams. Meanwhile, assistant coach Steve Williams believes tonight’s Magners League clash with the Ospreys in the Liberty Stadium will give Ulster the perfect opportunity to rectify last week’s defeat at Munster. Ulster travel to the defending champions having conceded six tries without reply in Cork and with the Ospreys on form Williams it admits it’s a tough job but feels despite the 42-6 score line at Musgrave Park there were enough positives to build on. "It’s a very difficult task to play against a side of that calibre at anytime but I think in many ways it’s what we need to seal our minds," stated Williams.
Andy Robinson’s style of coaching will bring rewards for Scotland,…
Times Online – Mar 28, 2008
“We believe that if we can maintain the fast tempo, we can cause any teamtrouble,” Southwell, who Robinson reckoned had produced his best performanceof the season last week in helping the side to defeat Connacht, says. “Whether we can score as many points as we did last week is a differentissue. Cardiff’s defence will be tighter, their fitness may be betterbecause they are one of the top teams in Europe and will be preparing forthe Heineken Cup the following weekend. They will be massively motivated toput right what went wrong against Llanelli last week and when we won downthere in January. “We showed last week that we have the attacking and offloading game to causeproblems. The first half was frustrating, we made quite a few errors but inthe second half there was a lot of cohesion and once we raised the tempothey were struggling. We aim to continue that against Cardiff and expect itto have the same effect.
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Sowden-Taylor out of Wales tour
BBC News – Mar 28, 2008
The 25-year-old faces reconstructive surgery next week on a shoulder injury from the 35-17 loss to the Scarlets. Scarlets prop Deacon Manu was suspended for two weeks for a tackle on Sowden-Taylor during the game. The five-cap flanker misses next week’s Heineken Cup quarter-final in Toulouse and Wales’ tour of South Africa.
Pens: Warwick 2, O’Gara
BBC News – Mar 28, 2008
Another Warwick penalty nudged Munster ahead and a penalty by Ronan O’Gara extended Munster’s lead to 9-5. Doug Howlett scored a late try to make the game safe and O’Gara converted. Munster sprang a surprise by drafting Ireland flanker Denis Leamy in at inside centre and leaving Rua Tipoki, who is recovering from a back injury, on the bench ahead of next week’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Gloucester. Warwick put Munster ahead with a simple seventh minute penalty but his second attempt later in the first half bounced back off a post. After a quick turnover, some excellent continuity involving Johnny O’Connor and Conor McPhillips led to Keith Matthews barging past Donncha O’Callaghan and the pacy Daniel Riordan pounced to score in the corner. Dunne’s missed conversion left Connacht 5-3 ahead at half-time but Munster reasserted themselves with a successful Warwick penalty two minutes into the second half. O’Gara kicked Munster into a 9-5 lead on the hour mark and three minutes from time, All Black winger Howlett intercepted a pass from Connacht fly-half Andy Dunne to race over for the clinching try.