All in the scrum

A rugby miscellany compiled by JOHNNY WATTERSON

Russian Saint: Former 'Rock boy joins Northampton

THE BLACKROCK College school team circa 2007, which won the Leinster Senior Cup that year, will be pleased to hear that one of their own has earned a contract with Northampton Saints.

Current international winger Vasili Artemiev, who can also play at fullback, will become the first Russian to play in the Premiership when he joins Saints after the World Cup.

Artemiev’s try-scoring pedigree goes back to his schooldays at Blackrock College, where playing alongside current Irish fullback Luke Fitzgerald he won schools junior and senior cup medals.

He scored two tries for Ireland Schools against England in 2005 and his age group form won him representative honours on the Ireland Under-19s and a place in the Leinster Academy.

He completed a Law degree at UCD and returned to his native Moscow to join VVA-Podmoskovie, where he has played since 2008. Artemiev also impressed during the 2010 Churchill Cup, where he scored tries in all three of his appearances, including against England Saxons.

"I hope to help some of the younger players in the Russian national team make their way to Europe. They're very keen and are capable of playing at that level, but they've never had the exposure or opportunity. Maybe my playing in England will help their career as well."– Vasili Artemiev, the former Leinster Academy and Blackrock player, who signed for Northampton yesterday.

Robinson's turn: To point finger at England scrum

AFTER MARC Lievremont and Warren Gatland, Andy Robinson yesterday joined the list of Six Nations coaches to take a shot at England, questioning the way Martin Johnson’s team behave at the scrum. Robinson, in charge of Scotland but not so long ago the England coach, pointed the finger at Dylan Hartley, accusing the hooker of attempting to “milk” penalties by popping up in the scrum.

It was a much milder attack than the one launched on the hooker’s perceived lack of discipline by Gatland before the Wales match which opened the Six Nations in Cardiff.

Robinson said he would have a word with the French referee, Romain Poite, before the game at Twickenham on Sunday, when Scotland will try to win in London for the first time in 28 years.

“Romain Poite is a good referee, technically good at scrum time,” said Robinson. “I think the England scrum is very good but what’s important for us is that the scrum doesn’t stand up. I have no issue with our scrum. If we go backwards, as against France, I’m happy to deal with that. What we don’t want to happen is that these scrums get stood up and I believe there are times when Hartley does that either to milk the penalty or to give the referee the impression the defending side is going backwards.”

SCOTLAND: (v England at Twickenham on Sunday, 3pm): C Paterson (Edinburgh); S Danielli (Ulster), J Ansbro (Northampton), S Lamont (Scarlets) M Evans; R Jackson (both Glasgow), R Lawson (Gloucester); A Jacobsen, R Ford (both Edinburgh), M Low, R Gray, A Kellock (all Glasgow; capt), N Hines (Leinster), J Barclay (Glasgow), K Brown (Saracens). Replacements: S Lawson (Gloucester), G Cross (Edinburgh), R Vernon (Glasgow), A Strokosch (Gloucester), M Blair (Edinburgh), D Parks (Cardiff Blues), N De Luca (Edinburgh).

Captain Cogan: leads Ireland club side with five new caps 

THE CLUB International team to play Scotland in Netherdale tomorrow has five new caps in the starting side and will be captained by Cork Constitution’s Frank Cogan. Dolphin’s Barry Keeshan will start at outhalf and is partnered by Matt D’Arcy of St Mary’s College, who wins his first cap at this level. Old Belvedere’s try-machine David Mongan also earns his first cap, while John O’Brien of Buccaneers is another debutant at fullback. Up front Richie Sweeney is rewarded for the first time at this level for his form for St Mary’s College as is UCC secondrow Philip Donnellan.

This is the fifth season of this encounter and as it stands both teams have two wins at home.

IRELAND: J O'Brien (Buccaneers); J Cleary (Galwegians), E Molony (Dolphin), E Ryan (Clontarf), D Mongan (Old Belvedere); B Keeshan (Dolphin), M D'Arcy (St Mary's College); J Ryan (UCC), R Sweeney (St Mary's College), C Condon (Dolphin), P Donnellan (UCC), S Crawford (Clontarf); Hugh Hogan (St Mary's College), B Mahony (Clontarf), F Cogan (Cork Constitution). Replacements: C Kavanagh (Clontarf), G Slattery (Young Munster), L Óg Murphy (Young Munster), D Hall (St Mary's College), G Hurley (Cork Constitution), A Kingsley (Young Munster), S Morrow (Ballynahinch).

Numbers game: O'Brien must try harder for bookies

WHATEVER happened to the belief in flanker Seán O’Brien’s ability to score for Ireland?

The Leinster try machine is barely ranked by Ladbrokes to touch down the first try of the match on Saturday against Wales.

O’Brien is 20 to 1 along with Gordon D’Arcy with Welsh wingers Leigh Halfpenny and Shane Williams top placed at 10 to 1.

Top of the Irish strike force is Irish wingers Tommy Bowe at 11 to 1 and Keith Earls at 12 to 1.

Doubtlessly the betting shop knows its numbers better than anyone but in the last round of matches tries were scored by number eight Jamie Heaslip (16 to 1), outhalf Ronan O’Gara and scrumhalf Eoin Reddan for Ireland; fullback Ben Foden for England, outside centre Gonzalo Canale and number eight Sergio Parisse for Italy; flanker Sam Warburton and winger Morgan Stoddart for Scotland.

That’s nine tries with one winger involved and that try was not the first of the match.