The News Review:
- Morrison eyes Scots bragging rights
- Rugby’s Challenge Cup to follow Uefa Cup
- Wing woes mount for Hadden as injury rules Walker out of Six Nations
- Heineken Cup has refreshed the world of rugby
- Heineken Cup Round Four
- spreys v Scarlets (Sat)
Morrison eyes Scots bragging rights
BBC Sport UK
“It might not have been the prettiest rugby to watch but the final result was definitely worth it. My parents had flown over from Hong Kong for the weekend so that made it all the more special for me. A good run in the Magners League culminating in a 21-18 victory over Heineken Cup winners Munster saw Glasgow end the season in fifth place – their best-ever position. But for Morrison that was not an unexpected outcome. “We surprised a few people but I don’t think that included ourselves. In fact we were a little disappointed not to be higher than that. “There were a couple of results that didn’t go our way and we lost out by a very narrow margin.
Related from Mommie-care: 2008 Newsmaker: Scotts Valley volunteer behind the scenes of bama win
Rugby’s Challenge Cup to follow Uefa Cup
Telegraph.co.uk United Kingdom
By Mick Cleary Last Updated: 7:56PM GMT 22 Dec 2008 Rugby has adopted football’s Uefa Cup approach in proposing that the three runners-up in the Heineken Cup pool stages behind the two best second-placed teams who have gone through to the knockout stages will go into the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals. In effect this means that the teams ranked ninth 10th and 11th after the Heineken Cup pool stages will still see European action. The Heineken Cup quarter-finals are made up of the six pool winners plus the two best-placed runners-up. That format will still stand. However the Challenge Cup which has become increasingly an Anglo-Saxon affair ought now to contain some European heavyweights as it goes to its knockout phase.
Wing woes mount for Hadden as injury rules Walker out of Six Nations
Scotsman United Kingdom
Lamont is out for around three to four months with an ankle injury. Walker the former Hawick and Borders wing suffered a hamstring injury in the spreys’ first Heineken Cup win over Treviso earlier this month and his club have now confirmed thADVERTISEMENTat the muscle was torn and required an operation. The spreys stated: “Nikki has undergone surgery to repair a partial tear of the hamstring muscle on his left leg suffered during the home game against Treviso. He will require a lengthy period of rehabilitation before returning to action and faces a lay-off in the region of five to six months. ” The news will come as a major blow to the 26-year-old as well as Scotland as he had finally persuaded Frank Hadden the national team coach over the past year of his worth in the international arena scoring two tries in Scotland’s most recent international against Canada. He had missed the summer tour to Argentina after suffering a leg fracture.
Heineken Cup has refreshed the world of rugby
Walesnline United Kingdom
sprey fans meanwhile were similarly impressed when a lone voice continued with the second verse. Who could possibly know the words to that? Max Boyce of course who got a rousing ovation for his efforts. We asked double Heineken Cup winner Fraser Waters why he’d swapped Wasps for one of the furthest outposts of the European game. He smiled as he described the excellent quality of life the beautiful summers and the close family atmosphere of the club. “In a way it’s got the best of what rugby used to be” he said. We could see what he meant. And as we said goodbye to our Italian hosts there was a certain irony that we had come so far for an experience that in Gwyn Thomas’ day was once so close to home.
Heineken Cup Round Four
SkySports
Munster and Sale in Pool ne Leinster and London Wasps (two) Leicester and spreys (three) Toulouse and Bath (five) and Cardiff and Gloucester (six) are all right in the hunt to top their respective pools. Harlequins will feel they have one foot in the knockout stage after back-to-back wins over Stade Francais but even the Londoners could slip up over the final two weeks. In fact a total of 15 teams all still have legitimate hopes of reaching the last eight in what is turning into the most open of Heineken Cups. Who do you think will be making up the quarter-final line-up? And which team has impressed you as potential champions?Share your thoughts using the feedback coupon below.
spreys v Scarlets (Sat)
BBC News UK
We ground out the win and we’ve got to go to the spreys looking forward and hopefully – we won there last year – we can do it this year. After failing to beat Ulster in back-to-back Heineken Cup games Easterby said beating Welsh rivals the Blues in the league was a boost. “[It was] a bit of a relief – third game here [Parc y Scarlets] first win and it was important that we got the result tonight. We had very good field position.