The News Review:
- Payne ready for hostile reception
- My Sport: Ryan Lamb
- Kelleher ready for Rush job
- Sky falls in on Munster
- Ireland running out of options for Eddie’s successor
Payne ready for hostile reception
Planet Rugby – Apr 1, 2008
There is not a single team in Europe who can match Munster’s daunting record, with only three-times winners Toulouse challenging them – nine quarter-finals in thirteen seasons. And now on Saturday they travel to Kingsholm for what is set to be another classic game in their rich history, and Gloucester will be waiting with a less than friendly welcome. Munster are used to their home fans giving sides a rousing reception at Thomond Park, so they will know what to expect from the Kingsholm faithful. Whilst their knock-out record is impressive full-back Shaun Payne is aware they have been a touch fortunate down the years, none more so than against Gloucester themselves… “Our record in qualifying for the quarter-finals for the 10th season on the trot is great but we know that down the years there have been what some would call fortunate occasions,,” said Payne, who has made 55 Heineken Cup appearances. “I guess you could say the so-called ‘Miracle Match’ in 2003 against Gloucester is one of those, when, after losing 35-16 at Kingsholm, Munster had to win at Thomond Park by 27 points along with a try bonus point – and did just that. That one will certainly go down in both Munster and Heineken Cup folklore. “That was the season before I joined Munster and in my first year with them in 2003 we lost 22-11 at Kingsholm and then won the home match 35-14 so there has certainly been some memorable matches between us. On top of that great rivalry on the field, there are great similarities between the teams off the pitch. ”
Knowing both clubs have equally passionate support Payne expects a hostile reception from a sold-out Kingsholm crowd. “Both of us are particularly well supported and Gloucester’s hugely passionate crowd means we fully expect we will get much the same sort of welcome at Kingsholm as teams running out at Thomond Park get when they play us,” Payne explained.
My Sport: Ryan Lamb
Telegraph.co.uk – Apr 1, 2008
We do want to play under pressure. Looking forward to the Heineken Cup this weekend? Of course. I’ve played in it the last two years [12 matches] and it’s so demanding. You have the best players in the northern hemisphere, and the kind of games you want to play in and test yourself. Munster [on Saturday] will be one of the biggest I’ve played in, and the build-up is there already – posters are everywhere, and nerves are jangling. But these are the games you want to play in.
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Kelleher ready for Rush job
Planet Rugby – Apr 1, 2008
Kelleher’s Toulouse clash with Cardiff Blues in Sunday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final, with a semi-final against either London Irish or Perpignan up for grabs. And Kelleher, the former All Black, is relishing the chance to lock horns with Rush again. “I’m looking forward to meeting Xavier Rush again on the pitch – he is such a strong player,” said Kelleher. “Teams need leaders and Xavier’s a leader but one person doesn’t make a team and it will be the team performance which will make Cardiff tough opposition. “Obviously we know that Gareth Thomas will be looking to take the victory for Cardiff and he will make sure they are well aware of our strengths and weaknesses… It was good to play together again,” Kelleher said. “Obviously we have a lot of experience between us and were able to both be on the look-out for possibilities for gaining ground or scoring while JB is very good with his boot so having him at fly-half gives us an extra point of attack. Yet Kelleher is well aware that the Heineken cup is no a case of ‘do-or-die’ and believes the team are more than ready for Sunday’s game. “However, it’s a step up for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals,” he said. “The Top 14 is more of a marathon and not a sprint so we will take the win against Biarritz and move on towards the game against the Blues. “Because the knockout phases are a totally different ball-game – everyone knows it’s an all or nothing game – and now it is down to the really serious stuff. We’ve re-grouped for one week and now we have to prepare for one of the most important games of the season.
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Sky falls in on Munster
Mayo News – Apr 1, 2008
In one of the most bizarre broadcasting issues ever seen in live television history, a new bye-law issued last January for the city of Gloucester by Gloucester City Council requires a temporary planning application for the cameras, cranes and all other necessary equipment required to broadcast a live event. It transpires that the Federation for Organising and Operating Live Events (FOOLE), missed out on the notification which is apparently completely unique to Gloucestershire. It now means that there will be NO television coverage, either live or deferred, of Munster’s vital Heineken Cup quarter-final clash with many people’s favourites, Gloucester. It is potentially one of Munster’s biggest tests yet. Gloucester’s home ground, Kingsholm, is no easy place to travel to and the cherry and whites owe Munster one after the famous ‘Miracle Match’ in Thomond Park which saw Munster upset all the odds and advance to the play-offs at Gloucester’s expense. Munster have obviously a huge following from all over the country, so it now looks like only a handful of people who were lucky enough to get tickets will get to see the match. It’s a disaster for Sky Television also, who are left with quite a portion of egg on their faces after such an unprecedented slip-up.
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Ireland running out of options for Eddie’s successor
Belfast Telegraph – Apr 1, 2008
I am committed to New Zealand. " The Irish, licking some deep wounds after a miserable 2007 World Cup and a less than impressive performance in the recent Six Nations Championship, have already seen three heavy hitters – White, who guided the Springboks to the Webb Ellis Trophy last October; Mike Ruddock, who won a Grand Slam with Wales in 2005; and Pat Howard, the Australian who finished a successful tour of duty as Leicester’s head coach 10 months ago – declare themselves unavailable for discussion. Declan Kidney, who takes his Munster side to Gloucester for a sell-out Heineken Cup quarter-final this weekend, is a candidate, but there is some resistance to his candidacy from within the national union. When Ireland fly to New Zealand and Australia this summer, they may do so with a caretaker coach on board. Meanwhile, Ashton continues to bend his formidable rugby mind towards England’s meetings with the All Blacks, despite being undermined by those members of the RFU’s management board who believe Johnson, the 2003 World Cup-winning captain, should take over the running of the entire operation. Rob Andrew, the director of elite rugby, was reported in some quarters to have been meeting with the folk hero from Leicester yesterday, but those who work alongside Andrew at Twickenham said he was ill and away from work. Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice would have put it.