Planet Six Nations

Compiled by GAVIN CUMMISKEY

England state their case

THE CURRENT English team has earned itself a reputation among referees. Eight yellow cards in their last three matches has them operating much like they did when coach/manager Martin Johnson was captain.

Former Irish outhalf, now English attack coach, Brian Smith went on the offensive ahead of Saturday’s match, taking a swipe at Jonathan Kaplan, the South African who refereed the defeat to Wales.

“What we are really trying to say to the refs is: ‘please judge us the same way you judge other teams and do not come into the game with a preconceived idea’. But we can’t just back off at the breakdown. If we don’t contest for the ball we could be blown away in the first half. We want the referee to make sure they keep Ireland honest in that area because we want to play rugby.”

Captain Steve Borthwick added to the English line. “There was a run of six penalties against us in the early part of the game,” he said. “At that point I asked the referee: ‘What’s going on here? There are things you’re seeing that I’m not seeing’.”

Saturday's referee is another South African, Craig Joubert, who told BBC rugby anchor and Telegraphcolumnist John Inverdale last month. "The referee is a facilitator. The players do the entertaining, and I allow them to entertain. The ultimate accolade that any of us can have is to meet a guy in the bar after a match and for him not to have realised that you were the ref."

Declan Kidney wouldn’t be drawn on the issue saying : “My own father was a member of the referee’s association so . . . I have no comment to make really.”

Hayes's heroics earn plaudits

TOMMY BOWE on life with the Ospreys in Wales: “Over there the wing is not the traditional type of wing. You have the likes of Shane Williams who is given a free role to pop up anywhere on the pitch. That’s what they encourage all their wingers to do. It’s helped my game.

“You have props throwing skip passes and people coming in, no matter what number is on their backs, clearing ball away from rucks. But that is also evident in the Ireland set-up now. There is nobody in the Ireland team at the moment who can’t . . .

What about the tighthead prop?

“Ah well, John (Hayes) scored the training try of the week down in Cork last week. An intercept. He ran up out of the line. He got a round of applause from everyone . . . It must have been half the pitch. The whole coaching staff nearly fainted. They didn’t know what was going on. The players clapped him off the pitch. Man-of-the-match style.”

Red carpet row left red faces

THERE ARE seven survivors on the Irish squad but just one, Mike Tindall, from the English one that took part in the infamous red carpet fiasco in the March 2003 Grand Slam decider at Lansdowne Road which England won 42-6.

Martin Johnson led England out at Lansdowne Road taking up Ireland’s position on the south side of the red carpet. Now stadium director of Lansdowne Martin Murphy attempted to shift them but was sent packing by Johnson.

Not willing to accept the north side, O’Driscoll led his team on to the grass thus forcing President Mary McAleese to dig her heals into the turf when shaking hands. The issue wasn’t raised at the after-match function but President McAleese received a letter of apology from the IRFU. The English RFU also received a letter of “concern” from their counterparts.

IRELAND: G Murphy; J Bishop, B O’Driscoll, K Maggs, D Hickie; D Humphreys, P Stringer; M Horan, S Byrne, J Hayes; G Longwell, M O’Kelly; V Costello, A Foley, K Gleeson,. Replacements: P O’Connell for Longwell , R O’Gara for Humphreys, A Quinlan for Costello, J Fitpatrick for Horan, G Dempsey for O’Driscoll.

ENGLAND: J Lewsey; J Robinson), M Tindall, W Greenwood, B Cohen, J Wilkinson, M Dawson; G Rowntree, S Thompson, J Leonard, M Johnson, B Kay, R Hill, N Back,, L Dallaglio. Replacements: D Luger for Tindall, T Woodman for Rowntree.