The News Review:
- Heineken Cup final returns to France
- Planet Rugby
- Black bids farewell as Dragons finish season on a high
- Munster Confirm Appeal f Quinlan’s Ban
- Lions will not replace Shanklin
- Saints block Murray from joining Lions
Heineken Cup final returns to France
RTE.ie
The Paris 2010 Heineken Cup final will be the third final staged in France and the first since Leicester Tigers beat Stade Fran?s Paris at Parc des Princes in 2001. The first final played in France saw Bath beat Brive at Stade Lescure Bordeaux in 1998. ‘We are delighted that the Paris 2010 Heineken Cup final will be played at the magnificent Stade de France the venue of the 2007 Rugby World Cup final’ said ERC Chairman Jean-Pierre Lux as the stadium was revealed as the 2010 venue at a special press conference in Paris. ‘The 80000 all-seater stadium close to the heart of Paris will provide the perfect arena for the highlight of the European club season and we look forward to working closely with the F?ration Fran?se de Rugby Stade de France and the LNR over the next 12 months to build another fantastic European rugby weekend.
Planet Rugby
Irish Times
Quarter going for Heineken treble LEICESTER PLAYERS Martin Corry Ben Kay Lewis Moody and Geordan Murphy have all appeared in the club’s three previous Heineken Cup finals in 2001 2002 and 2007. If selected for Saturday’s final against Leinster they will join a group of elite players who have played in four finals. That set includes Munster’s Ronan ’Gara John Hayes and David Wallace and Yannick Jauzion William Servat Jean Baptiste Poux Fabien Pelous and Jean Bouilhou from Toulouse. Leicester have now matched Toulouse in qualifying for five tournament finals and will also have the opportunity this week of joining Toulouse as three-time winners of the title. Four to the fore DENIS LEAMY is heading to Canada with Ireland while David Wallace travelled to London today to join up with the Lions tour.
Black bids farewell as Dragons finish season on a high
Walesnline
Now as the bottom Welsh region they face a play-off for the 24th and final place in next season’s Heineken Cup. They will face either Viadana Calvisano Benetton Treviso or Rovigo in Italy on May 29. But although several players will be out of contract with the Dragons two days after the play-off game Black is adamant they’ll be giving it 100 per cent. “No region wants to go to Italy and take part in a play-off but that’s what we are paid for” said the 33-year-old Black. It’s our job and we are determined to go there and win.
Munster Confirm Appeal f Quinlan’s Ban
irish Rugby News
ieLast week Alan Quinlan was found guilty of foul play in contravention of Law 10. 4 (k) having made contact with the eye area of Leinster captain Leo Cullen during Munster’s Heineken Cup semi-final defeat to their arch rivals. Although the independent disciplinary committee determined that the offence was at the low range of the level of seriousness for an offence of this type they imposed a 12-week ban starting from May 13 and running up to and including September 9 2009. The 12-week suspension is for 12 playing weeks with the off-season not included in the period of ineligibility. As things stand Quinlan will miss the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa and the first game of next season. Details of when the appeal will be heard are not yet known but it is expected to be sometime this week.
Lions will not replace Shanklin
BBC Sport
Shanklin dislocated a shoulder two weeks ago playing for Cardiff Blues and was ruled out of the six-week tour. But the failure of Lions-heavy Munster and the Blues to reach next Saturday’s Heineken Cup final has eased the pressure on the touring squad. The news will be a disappointment for potential replacements Delon Armitage Mike Tindall and Gordon D’Arcy. But coach Ian McGeechan is keen to give as many of his 36-strong squad game-time when the tour starts from 30 May. "When we selected the extra player back in April we were really trying to cover all our bases regarding the Heineken Cup final where we could have been without 16 players" McGeechan told a news conference to mark the squad’s first day together. "As it’s transpired for the first two tour games we can cover the squad and really we want to give the opportunity and the responsibility to the players who are there to try to fill that role.
Saints block Murray from joining Lions
The Press Association
The full squad including five players from Heineken Cup finalists Leicester and Leinster were due at the gathering at Pennyhill Park. But the Lions were only informed on Monday morning that Northampton who tackle Bourgoin in Friday’s European Challenge Cup final would not be releasing the Scotland prop. “We are very disappointed and the Lions are talking to the RFU on this matter” said manager Gerald Davies. “We informed each union back in the autumn what our plans were for this week. At that stage no-one responded to say they disagreed with it.
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