The News Review:
- Phil Vickery: “I’m Queen and country – I don’t give as**t what …
- Getting back to basics puts Sexton in his comfort zone
- Munster face tricky trip to Wales
- Campbell ready to face Ravenhill Roar
- Cipriani will bounce back says former coach
Phil Vickery: “I’m Queen and country – I don’t give as**t what …
Independentnbsp;UKnbsp;
Yet at the age of 32 the England and London Wasps prop is not even beginning to contemplate a life away from the sport he so dearly loves. Far from it in fact – he still has a burning ambition to pick up more silverware on the domestic and international scene. World Cup Six Nations Grand Slam Heineken Cup Guinness Premiership – you name it and Vickery has won it during an illustrious career. After 11 years at Gloucester Vickery has enjoyed a golden two-year period at Wasps and his spell at the club has been made all the sweeter by the fact it comes following a fightback from career-threatening injuries. After helping England lift the World Cup in 2003 Vickery suffered a smashed eye socket that required surgery a broken arm that needed plates and screws inserted into it and underwent three operations on a recurring back problem. The third of those back operations – to repair a flaking disc – took place in February 2006 and left Vickery genuinely concerned that a life away from rugby was just around the corner. quot;I can honestly say I am genuinely enjoying my rugby more than I ever havequot; insists Vickery.
Getting back to basics puts Sexton in his comfort zone
Irish Timesnbsp;Irelandnbsp;
But nor should it be forgotten that he was selected onto the Six Nations Championship squad earlier this year. That opportunity passed him when he fractured his thumb playing with Leinster shortly before the competition began. This season he has started a handful of Magners League games but was benched for the two Heineken Cup matches coming on cold against Wasps and doing well. “Yeh I was delighted with that” he says. “That’s what I hope to continue to do for the remainder of the season. Obviously the week after against Glasgow wasn’t great. Conditions were tough.
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Munster face tricky trip to Wales
Limerick Leadernbsp;Irelandnbsp;
The importance of this forthcoming clash with the Scarlets will be dwarfed by the significance of the game against Clermont Auvergne at the Stade Marcel Michelin on December 7 in the Heineken Cup but with the Munster coaching staff determined to make a big impression on this season’s Magners League they will be eager to get something out of the trip to Wales. Munster will not commit themselves to Magners League action again until they face Connacht at the Sportsground on December 28 with another game against Clermont at Thomond Park occupying the Munster men on December 13. Since the inauguration of the Magners League and the Heineken Cup Munster have faced the Scarlets on 16 occasions winning ten times and losing six. And while that winning record appears impressive Munster’s record against Llanelli in Wales is not. The province has only managed to win there three times. Prior to this weekend Munster and Llanelli have clashed on eight occasions at Stradey Park with the Welsh side winning five times and most impressively in the 2007 Heineken Cup quarter-final 24-15. Munster redressed that balance last season however beating Llanelli 29-16 in the Heineken Cup and 24-23 in the Magners League at the 129-year-old Stradey Park.
Campbell ready to face Ravenhill Roar
Belfast Telegraphnbsp;United Kingdomnbsp;
Both teams have won twice but Ulster are eighth and Connacht are bottom of the table because Ulster have more bonus points. Campbell spent seven years with Ulster before moving west in the summer and returns for the first time with his new province. ldquo;This is an important game for both sides at this stage in the season every game is important for the league table. This will be a tight game there isn’t much separating both sides in terms of pointsrdquo; said Campbell. ldquo;With it being an inter-pro and the local derby it will definitely be much more intense than other games. I certainly won’t be predicting a scoreline.
Cipriani will bounce back says former coach
Your Local Guardiannbsp;UKnbsp;
He recognises when he makes mistakes and works hard to put them right. You often learn more from making mistakes and this experience will make him stronger? he said. ?International rugby is a lot faster and the margins for error are a lot smaller than in the Premiership and Heineken Cup. ?I remember Jonny Wilkinson having a particularly difficult start to his England career but look at what he went on to achieve. ?The flipside of that is what happened to Tait and the length of time it took him to recover. That is the danger. ?Danny has been hyped up as a world class performer and after a while you start believing what you read.