The News Review:
- Scott Johnson show overshadows lackluster spreys
- Cueto tipped for England return
- My wish for 2009 would be to see Leo Cullen accept the Heineken …
- Fogarty’s ban raises serious rulebook issues
Scott Johnson show overshadows lackluster spreys
Walesnline United Kingdom
but it’s clear the spreys would be taking a huge gamble if they employed him. The eight-month caretaker reign of Sean Holley and former Wales captain Jonathan Humphreys has been highly successful. Top of the Magners League before last night’s defeat to Munster semi-finalists in the Anglo-Welsh EDF and contenders for the Heineken Cup knockout but still it seems spreys elite performance director Andrew Hore wants to bring in his own man. f course he was Wales fitness coach when players’ pal Johnson was on the staff. But Hore or the spreys board of directors for that matter don’t seem to have taken into account Johnson’s win record as a coach at professional level. Apart from the Ruddock-orchestrated – the Welshman improved the set-pieces and forward play tenfold – Six Nations Championship Grand Slam of 2005 Johnson has had little success. Super 14 side New South Wales Waratahs were poor while he was their assistant and his three-match spell in caretaker charge of Wales after Ruddock contentiously departed in February 2006 amid allegations of player-power was telling.
Cueto tipped for England return
The Press Association
“He’ll beat people one on one and when you’re on the wing you want this. He finished well for his try. “It was a big win it keeps us in position to finish in the top four and it sets up nicely for Munster away in the Heineken Cup next week. All rights reserved.
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My wish for 2009 would be to see Leo Cullen accept the Heineken …
Irish Independent Ireland
f much more relevance from a rugby perspective is the interest and loyalty the professional game now engenders. The fan base is growing by the season and professional rugby is now up there alongside Gaelic Games and Premier League soccer in terms of interest and support. And this looks set to grow appreciably in the coming months as the schools cup competitions start followed by Magners League Heineken Cup and Six Nations action and culminating in the Lions tour in South Africa. But this weekend represents the calm before the storm with a ‘mere’ Magners League and AIB All-Ireland Cup last 16 down for decision. Just around the corner Europe is coming into view with only Ulster of the four Irish sides realistically (though not mathematically) beyond redemption. But Matt Williams’ re-invented side are by some way the form team of Irish rugby as we saw in their impressive win over Munster at Thomond Park. But the real pressure comes in repeating that level of performance regularly.
Fogarty’s ban raises serious rulebook issues
Herald.ie Ireland
It wouldn’t just be what the video showed on the night. There may or may not be mitigating circumstances”. In the Magners League should the home union of the club province or region where the player is registered be allowed to determine the guilt or innocence of a citing? How would The spreys for instance have felt if Fogarty got one week for his transgression ahead of a vital Heineken Cup showdown with Leinster? This is given full backing by Karl Richardson the IRFU Communications Manager: “The IRFU is content with the procedures in place as regards the governing of the Magners League for disciplinary issues”. In the end Jennings was taken out of the equation for the last two rounds of the Heineken Cup and Fogarty was allowed to contest a starting position at hooker where first-choice Bernard Jackman is by no means guaranteed to make it back from a knee ligament injury. There is a school of thought that Leinster could afford to lose Ireland international Jennings more than they could the improving Fogarty who has jumped ahead of Brian Blaney in the queue behind Jackman. Given Irish rugby’s limited resources Academy players Richie Sweeney and Jason Harris-Wright two solid prospects would have been next in line for what is sure to be a crackerjack atmosphere when Leinster play London Wasps on a do-or-die day for both clubs in the Heineken Cup on Saturday week. There is every possibility that coach Michael Cheika would have had to go with his third-choice hooker Blaney in the line-up and one of his Academy players on the wood.