The News Review:
- Cardiff Blues 11-5 Northampton Saints
- Ireland’s Slam: Those who also served
- spreys’ James Hook vows to lift his British Lions chance
- Tindall fears Welsh backlash in spreys tie
- Davies defuses Wales-Ireland row
Cardiff Blues 11-5 Northampton Saints
guardian.co.uk
Whatever the result it will be a bittersweet moment for the Welsh region’s outside-half Nicky Robinson. The 27-year-old is leaving the Blues for Gloucester in the summer with the Wales scrum-half Gareth Cooper who was on the bench for the semi-final victory over the spreys moving the other way. Having been with the Blues from the region’s inception in 2003 which followed the decline of Cardiff from inaugural Heineken Cup finalists to a club that made up the numbers in Europe Robinson acknowledges that he is leaving at a time when the side has finally made it to the threshold of success. “Leaving the Blues was a difficult decision to make” said Robinson who has helped the region defeat Gloucester twice this season in the Heineken Cup. “I knew the team was moving forward but it was simply that I fancied a different experience. Playing in the final against Gloucester would not be a problem for me: winning a trophy would be the best way to mark the end of my time in Cardiff and playing well would show Dean Ryan (the Gloucester director of rugby) why he had signed me. “The former Wales forward Steve Williams played for London Irish in the 2002 Powergen Cup final against Northampton shortly after announcing he had signed for the Saints and he played a full part in the Exiles’ emphatic victory.
Related from Asportforumblog: Louisiana Sports: New rleans Saints Detroit Lions Vilma Free …
Ireland’s Slam: Those who also served
Times nline
There was a time roughly four years ago when Iwould have felt a lot more like strangling him. He was coaching Leinster at the time and I was his team captain. We’re in theweek leading up to a Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leicester atLansdowne Road a massive match when he tells me he’s leaving us at the endof the season – to go back to Munster! Not only that he wants to tell theplayers before the Leicester game because he’s afraid the news is going toget out anyway. While I could understand his reasons for leaving at thetime I was absolutely fuming. But last week I could have hugged him. Not just for the way he managed to getthe absolute best out of a talented group of players but for hisgraciousness in victory. Typically when the fireworks were going off andthe players were jumping up and down Deccie was making a point ofcourteously thanking the match officials.
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.
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.
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.