The News Review:
- Lions coach mcgeechan quits Wasps role
- Kearney to start on the wing for Leinster
- Heineken Cup Final – Did You Know?
- End of an era at Arms Park
- Fuga’s farewell to Quins prop star Ross
- Vesty finally finds his feet
- Skipper Murphy still a key man for the Tigers
Lions coach mcgeechan quits Wasps role
guardian.co.uk
The 62-year-old Scot enjoyed four successful years with theLondon club winning the 2007 Heineken Cup and the Premiershiplast season. “He (McGeechan) has been someone who has ensured greatsuccess for Wasps and for that I am extremely grateful” ownerSteve Hayes said in a news release. (Reporting by Patrick Johnston editing by Tony Jimenez. Toquery or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.
Related from Marcbryant: Lion coach McGeechan quits Wasps role
Kearney to start on the wing for Leinster
Irish Times
Kearney out of action since coming down with the mumps last month returns to the starting line-up at Rodney Parade needing to impress coach Michael Cheika if he hopes to dislodge Isa Nacewa or Shane Horgan for next weekend’s showpiece in Edinburgh. Starting on the wing he could be joined at some stage by younger brother David who has been named among the replacements. Kearney aside Cheika has decided to wrap his Heineken Cup finalists in cotton wool and afforded a raft of fringe players an end of season run out. Kyle Tonetti and Ian McKinley make their Magners League bows in an unfamiliar backline while four further academy players could be sprung from the bench.
Heineken Cup Final – Did You Know?
European Rugby Cup
Leinster are the 14th team to contest a Heineken Cup final – in the 14th season of the tournament. The other Heineken Cup finalists are Toulouse (5) Leicester Tigers and Munster (4) London Wasps Stade Francais Paris Brive (2) Cardiff RFC Bath Rugby Ulster Rugby Colomiers Northampton Saints Perpignan Biarritz lympique (1 each). The all-Ireland semi-final between Munster and Leinster at Croke Park earlier this month was watched by a world record crowd for a club rugby match of 82208. Leicester Tigers have now matched Toulouse in qualifying for five tournament finals and also have the opportunity of joining Toulouse as triple title winners.
End of an era at Arms Park
BBC Sport
Then there are those memories that Cardiff would like to leave at the old place. Such as when they were the victim of one of the most famous Swalec Cup giant-killings against city rivals St Peter’s in 1993 when the minnows reigned 16-14. Memorable for all the wrong reasons was Cardiff’s 31-22 defeat to Swansea in December 1997 as it was the day that the then-Wales captain Gwyn Jones’ career was ended prematurely. The Cardiff flanker and medical student then aged just 25 damaged his spinal cord when a 13th-minute ruck went wrong.
Fuga’s farewell to Quins prop star Ross
Staines Guardian
Ross is set to join Quins? Heineken Cup conquerors Leinster next season to further his international aspirations after bringing the curtain down on his Stoop career with Saturday?s 17-0 play-off defeat to London Irish. The 29-year-old who joined the club three seasons ago on a month?s trial from Irish side Cork Constitution will spend the summer on tour after being called up to the full Ireland squad bound for North America. Fuga who has a home in Auckland for the off-season has a year left on his Quins career and expects to be back in New Zealand when the World Cup returns to the southern hemisphere in two years time. And the popular 35-year-old reckons Ross who could come up against his former club in the Heineken Cup next year has what it takes to be involved at the highest level. ?Mike has been key to us this season and will be hard to replace.
Vesty finally finds his feet
BBC Sport
Fly-half Vesty has been instrumental in Leicester’s drive to the Premiership and Heineken Cup finals. But the versatile back 27 told BBC Radio Leicester he tried to quit the club he loves earlier in the season. "I didn’t want to leave but it was a forced decision. I wasn’t playing and felt like a gym monkey" Vesty said. "I was in the gym every day and that was about it.
Skipper Murphy still a key man for the Tigers
Irish Times
In what is assuredly a first from that or any other county in Ireland next Saturday’s finalists in the Guinness Premiership decider at Twickenham will be captained by Geordan Murphy from Naas and Bob Casey from Maynooth. C’mon the Lilywhites as these two keen GAA football fans would put it themselves. Curiously the following week when Murphy captains Leicester against his native Leinster in the Heineken Cup final there will be four products of Newbridge College; the Tigers skipper and his team-mate Johne Murphy as well as Leinster’s Jamie Heaslip and Bernard Jackman. Brian ’Driscoll isn’t the only one having a vintage year. The silken-skilled Geordan Murphy is having quite a testimonial year in his 12th campaign with the Tigers. While his role off the bench in Ireland’s Grand Slam campaign would probably have frustrated him a little he will be forever immortalised for having the honour of applying the finishing catch and kick into the stands when Stephen Jones’ penalty fell short. And he now stands on the threshold of what would be his sixth Premiership medal with the serial Leicester big-trophy hunters as well as his third Heineken Cup winners medal – thereby eclipsing the several Munstermen and Trevor Brennan as the only Irish three-time winner in the competition.