The News Review:
- Kidney names strong Munster squad
- Top 14 preview: Round 20
- Murphy to miss Llanelli clash
- Morris returns to Connacht frontrow
- Irish will bounce back – Geraghty
- Jenkins heads back to Llanelli after Davies is shown the door
Kidney names strong Munster squad
Irish Times – May 1, 2008
Fresh from their nail-biting Heineken Cup semi-final win over Saracens in Coventry last weekend, Kidney’s men are getting to spending time on the road. This will be the province’s third away game in the space of six days after they lost to Ulster at Ravenhill last night. Barry Murphy and Niall Ronan both picked up hand injuries in Belfast and are the only two excluded from the squad that traveled to the Ricoh Arena. Murphy has endured a run of bad luck when playing in Belfast. Last night’s injury is the third time has left the north injured… Should the Blues lose, Leinster will be crowned champions. At the other end of the table Ulster’s victory over Munster last night has pulled them eight points clear of bottom side Connacht. Three more points, or a reversal for Connacht, will secure Heineken Cup rugby at Ravenhill next season. The challenge for the Heineken Cup play-off spot appears to be between Connacht and Newport Gwent Dragons, the Welsh Region being five points clear of Michael Bradley’s team with a game in hand. Munster : D Hurley, S Payne, D Howlett, I Dowling, K Lewis, B Carney, A Horgan, R Tipoki, L Mafi, P Stringer, T O’Leary, P Warwick, R O’Gara, M Horan, F Pucciariello, J Hayes, T Buckley, F Sheahan, J Flannery, D O’Callaghan, M O’Driscoll, P O’Connell, D Ryan, A Quinlan, D Wallace, D Leamy, A Foley. © 2008 The Irish TimesADVERTISEMENT.
Top 14 preview: Round 20
Planet Rugby – May 1, 2008
Dax 26
14. Auch 14
Previews
Toulouse v Auch
Toulouse are victims of their own success. Thanks to their qualification for the Heineken Cup Final, they face an infernal schedule of nine games in the next seven weeks – no easy task considering their already lengthy injury list and the fact that many of their players have been at full tilt since the World Cup. Those players who don’t yet have broken legs or twisted knees must certainly have tired legs but the Toulousain fighting spirit is not on the wane. C?ic Heymans said it best mid-week, “We can’t afford to think about it. Ours heads aren’t tired yet, and that’s what counts. ”
While Toulouse are still on track for a European-French Championship double, Auch are assured of relegation.
Murphy to miss Llanelli clash
RTE.ie – May 1, 2008
Also excluded from the extended squad that travelled to Coventry for the Heineken Cup semi final win over Saracens is Niall Ronan who like Murphy sustained a thumb injury in the game last night in Ravenhill. It transpires that Murphy sustained a dislocated thumb that will rule him out of the 24 May final with a 4-6 week timescale been given before he can return to action. Ronan’s situation is worse in that he suffered a dislocation and a fracture (thumb) that rules him out for 6-8 weeksl while Keith Earls who was forced off the bench with a stomach complaint is recovering but is not included in the squad for Wales. Munster’s Llanelli squad trained today in Garryowen FC while those on duty last night had time-out althiough those who may be involved with their AIL League clubs at the weekend will train with their clubs this evening.
Morris returns to Connacht frontrow
Irish Times – May 1, 2008
Bradley has made just one change to his starting line-up from the side that narrowly overcame the Dragons last month, recalling the fit-again Robbie Morris to the frontrow. Samoan brothers Ofisa Treviranus and Ray Ofisa along with former England U21 international Michael McCarthy also return to the replacements bench. Speaking earlier in the week, Bradley spoke of the need to keep focused on a possible Heineken Cup berth. “Our approach to this game is that it’s an opportunity to still qualify for next seasons Heineken Cup,” he said. “We’ve been playing well enough and we’ll be trying to match the level of performance we’ve achieved in recent weeks. Hopefully we’ll be able to beat Cardiff and keep qualification alive until the final day of the season against the Ospreys. ” Connacht : G Duffy; M Mostyn, M Deane, K Matthews, D Riordan; T Nathan, C McPhillips; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Morris; D Gannon, A Farley; J Muldoon, J O’Connor, C Rigney.
Irish will bounce back – Geraghty
BBC News – May 1, 2008
The Exiles came within six points of causing an upset and Geraghty told BBC Radio Berkshire the defeat still hurts. He said: “It’s hard to watch it on the video. The opportunities we had were so clear cut. I’m still getting over it.
Jenkins heads back to Llanelli after Davies is shown the door
Guardian – May 1, 2008
Davies took over from Jenkins two years ago and guided the Scarlets to a Heineken Cup semi-final last season. He was seen as the leading national candidate when Jenkins was dismissed by Wales. But the club have endured a poor season, losing their six Heineken Cup group matches and struggling in the Magners League, forcing the region’s chief executive, Stuart Gallacher, to deny reports in January of player discontent over Davies. He was yesterday called in to see the region’s chairman, Huw Evans, and was told to serve out his notice period at home. Nigel Davies, the Welsh Rugby Union’s head of rugby development and Jenkins’ assistant with Wales, is one of the contenders for the job of Scarlets’ head coach. The New Zealand prop Greg Somerville is likely to join the club next season from Canterbury Crusaders. The Springboks’ World Cup-winning lock Victor Matfield is unlikely to take up promoted Northampton’s offer of a £375,000-a-year contract.