The News Review:
- D-Day looms for Shane over Six Nations fitness
- Blues v spreys (Wed)
- Return of the gouge
- Harlequins 26 Leicester 26
- Cheika hits back at critics as Elsom inspires Leinster
- Heineken Cup Round Four
D-Day looms for Shane over Six Nations fitness
Walesnline United Kingdom
The world player of the year has been ruled out for at least two weeks casting a doubt on his fitness for the start of Wales’ Six Nations defence in Scotland on February 8. Williams who suffered the injury in the Heineken Cup defeat of Treviso has been ruled out of the spreys’ Christmas and New Year Welsh derbies programme. Now after having an initial injection the spreys medical staff will monitor his progress. And spreys coach Sean Holley has revealed the region will determine next week whether he is fit for the Heineken Cup campaign in January which will have a major bearing on his international hopes. “At the moment we have given him an injection and we are hoping he will be available for our European games” said Holley. “ur physio is even telling me at the moment he could be available for the Magners League match against Munster on January 9.
Blues v spreys (Wed)
BBC News UK
“And I’m sure the Blues would say exactly the same thing. “But there is a huge amount of expectation on this region and as a region you have to learn to live with that expectation and it would be wrong of us if we did not think we are not in with a very good shout of winning this game. But at the same time Humphreys is full of respect for what the Blues have achieved this year especially their unbeaten record in the Heineken Cup which saw them get back-to-back wins against Biarritz.
Return of the gouge
Times nline UK
“It was very rare tohave this kind of thing happen” says Corrigan “I would be surprised ifthese attacks are more prevalent now than then. ”The evidence suggests otherwise. n December 13 a Harlequins player complainedto teammates that he had been eye-gouged in the Heineken Cup match againstStade Francais at The Stoop. The next day Saracens director of rugby Eddie Jones complained his playershad been victims of eye-gouging in their European Challenge Cup victory overBayonne. “That is the way they play” said Jones of the French. “It isobviously allowed in their domestic competition but we really don’t want tostart seeing these sort of things in rugby. ”It is not exclusively a French problem.
Harlequins 26 Leicester 26
The Sun UK
Fly-half Nick Evans kicked the Londoners out of jail for the second time in two weeks with a superb last-minute conversion from the touchline to earn his side a share of the points. The All Blacks No 10 had already put the boot into Stade Francais this month with a late drop goal in the Heineken Cup. And he was the hero again in front of a Premiership record crowd of 50000 at Twickenham as he converted Monye’s try with 23 seconds left on the clock. England winger Monye said: “There wouldn’t have been many takers for a kick like that but it just proves what a class act he is. “He did it in the pouring rain against Stade and did it again today with the last kick. “He must love these last-ditch finishes but I certainly don’t.
Related from Marcbryant: Bath show their class to go top of rugby Premiership
Cheika hits back at critics as Elsom inspires Leinster
Irish Independent Ireland
ie Web Search Monday December 29 2008 LEINSTER showed their Magners League champions credentials with a hard-earned victory over Ulster at Ravenhill on Saturday to move them into third place and keep the pressure on leaders Munster. Having taken much criticism following previous defeats in the Magners League and a loss away to Castres in the Heineken Cup Leinster coach Michael Cheika and man of the match Rocky Elsom refused to do television interviews with. Setanta Sports confirmed that Cheika had refused to speak to them due to an article published by pundit Neil Francis about Leinster’s performance against Castres in the Heineken Cup. However they did speak to the press and Cheika remarked that in spite of the win he was certain the team would cop flak again.
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.