The News Review:
- Williams to miss cup semi-final
- spreys’ James Hook vows to lift his British Lions chance
- Davies defuses Wales-Ireland row
- Tindall fears Welsh backlash in spreys tie
- struggling italians must make most of celtic link-up
- Holden leaves Wasps to head home
Williams to miss cup semi-final
BBC News
Williams is a double Grand Slam champion twice a Lions tourist and set to break Wales’ cap record. But he has not played in a final and hopes to make amends this season. Williams has targeted appearing in the EDF Energy and Heineken Cup finals saying: "I’m sick and tired of sitting on the couch watching players in finals. I want to do experience that myself. " Welsh coach Warren Gatland has revealed the importance of the veteran openside flanker to his country. Gatland wants wants to wrap Wales’ magnificent number seven up in cotton wool so he can play in the 2011 World Cup at the age of 37. Williams was honoured as the Six Nations Player of the Tournament when Wales won the 2005 Grand Slam and then helped inspire the Welsh to a second clean sweep in 2008 after Gatland persuaded him to reverse his international retirement plans.
spreys’ James Hook vows to lift his British Lions chance
Walesnline
”n top of overcoming his own personal disappointments Hook is just one of several spreys looking to bounce back from Wales’ Triple Crown anguish last weekend. Hook agrees with skipper Ryan Jones that securing silverware for the spreys would be an ideal way to ease the pain. Starting with tomorrow’s EDF Cup semi against Gloucester and building up to their crunch Heineken Cup quarter-final with Munster the spreys are about to embark on what managing director Mike Cuddy has referred to as “possibly the biggest month yet” for the region. Knowing that momentum could be the key to success on all three fronts Hook believes it’s imperative the spreys get straight back into winning ways this weekend. With Gloucester firmly establishing themselves as one of the best teams the Guinness Premiership has to offer in recent years he knows it won’t be easy. But with points to prove and a trophy to defend Hook believes the spreys have the motivation they need to produce a top-drawer display and emerge victorious. “It’s a little difficult to put what happened against Ireland behind us” he said.
Davies defuses Wales-Ireland row
BBC News
"I can’t see that that is going to rear its head again. " Davies says Lions coaching boss Ian McGeechan and his fellow selectors are now whittling down their selection options ahead of the 21 April announcement of the tour party. He says players’ form in the weekend’s EDF Cup semi-finals and forthcoming Heineken Cup quarter-finals will be closely monitored with particular attention paid to Munster’s clash with the spreys on Sunday 12 April. "When you think of the Heineken Cup there is one game there that’s just a little bit more Wales v Ireland again – the spreys playing Munster" said Davies. "Well that’s going to be a big occasion where a lot of players who are in contention will be competing once more and we are looking forward to that as well. "But… it [Lions selection] stretches beyond the Six Nations.
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Tindall fears Welsh backlash in spreys tie
Walesnline
The England centre expects the Wales players in the spreys ranks to come out firing as they look to lay to rest the ghosts of last weekend’s painful defeat to Ireland. He’s also well aware that the Liberty Stadium outfit showed their ability to bounce back last season in their Heineken Cup encounters with Gloucester. So he’s anticipating a quality display from the Welsh galacticos as he returns from England duty to skipper the Cherry and Whites in the EDF Energy Cup semi-final at the home of Coventry City. “You have to expect they are going to come out and play as well as they can do with the players they have” he said. “We’ve got to make sure we get all our areas of the game right and get our precision right. “We beat them at home in the Heineken Cup last year and then lost to them away.
struggling italians must make most of celtic link-up
Irish Independent
Slowly but surely though it has evolved into a serious professional tournament. Ireland’s success in the Heineken Cup and Six Nations hasn’t just happened by chance as the Magners League continues to provide the most relevant springboard. Add to this the planned introduction of the ‘play-off system’ and the Magners League looks set to get even better in the future. There is the danger of course of it taking away from the Six Nations and Heineken Cup but adding the Italian clubs is a calculated risk worth taking provided certain key conditions as outlined by the existing Celtic Board are met. These naturally enough centre around finance facility and commercial considerations. My own practical problem would be with the make-up of the sides.
Holden leaves Wasps to head home
BBC Sport
Head coach Shaun Edwards told the club website: "Leon has been an integral part of Wasps’ success over the last four seasons and a great team member. " Before joining Wasps in 2005 Holden 38 coached in New Zealand and Japan. Edwards added: "ne of the things I think he will always be remembered for are those two set moves that helped us win the Heineken Cup in 2007 where he had obviously outfoxed the opposition.