Henson has his say

Planet Rugby: It seems Gavin Henson is looking to drum up some publicity for his forthcoming autobiography My Grand Slam Year by claiming Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll gouged him, pulled his hair and subjected him to a verbal barrage during last season's Six Nations Championship game between Wales and Ireland at the Millennium Stadium.

Henson suggests: "Maggs tackled me and I lost the ball in contact. As I was on the ground O'Driscoll came in and tried to "jackal me" - a tern we use to mean stealing the ball from your opponent on the ground. But instead of just trying to rip the ball clear of my grasp, he also decided to pull my hair and tried to gouge my eye for good measure. 'How do you like that you cocky little f***er'. There was a real flash of anger is his eyes."

The Welshman goes on to recount another clash following a try scored by Ireland fullback Geordan Murphy. Henson caught Murphy late but the latter didn't make anything of it according to the Welshman.

Henson elaborated: "But O'Driscoll came running over and started shouting abuse again. 'You're just a f***ing w***er'. The latest revelations come in the wake of what one could only consider a minor difference of opinion when O'Driscoll suggested Henson was wrong to criticise some of his Lions team-mates in his book. Henson's claim could be viewed as a cynical exercise to guarantee sales on the strength of the two-week serialisation in the Mail on Sunday and Ireland on Sunday newspapers. Either way I'm not sure there will be much talking done next time they meet on the pitch.

Telfer looks back

It seems no-nonsense former Lions and Scotland coach Jim Telfer is as gruff and hard-hitting off the pitch as he was on the training paddock. Infamous for the gruelling sessions he put the forwards through, he proves just as hard-hitting in his autobiography Jim Telfer, Looking Back...For Once.

He's not that complimentary to several high-profile Irish players, past and present, and a coach. Telfer was coach to the 1983 Lions that toured New Zealand. Willie John McBride managed the touring party and fellow Irishman Ciarán Fitzgerald was captain.

Sections of the British media at the time called for Fitzgerald to be replaced as hooker and captain. Telfer ventured: "Similarly Ciarán was not playing well in 1983; despite a poor first Test, he wouldn't take the same course of action (a reference to a former Lions captain Mike Campbell-Lamerton standing down). "I voted for Colin (Deans, Scottish hooker) to replace Ciarán after the first Test and was outvoted by Ciarán and Willie John. I accepted the decision but it was difficult to have to bite my lip as Willie John stuck by Ciarán through all four Tests."

Brian O'Driscoll and Eddie O'Sullivan did not meet with Telfer's approval in a Lions context. Of O'Driscoll's captaincy the Scot observed: "Lawrence (Dallaglio) would have made a huge difference, had he not been injured because they didn't have any real leaders. I couldn't understand people saying Brian O'Driscoll was an automatic captain. You don't pick a captain because of his good looks or because he's good with the media. You pick him because he is a hard-nosed bloke who will do the business: a winner. I'd have picked Dallaglio."

O'Sullivan is dismissed thus in the book: "Andy Robinson was not as experienced and Eddie O'Sullivan had, to my knowledge, no real experience of Lions rugby and had not really endured difficult times as Ireland coach, times when you learn a great deal."

A bit harsh in all cases.

Women's World Cup

Ireland have been seeded 10th for the 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup. The seedings, pools and match schedule have been announced with the New Zealand Black Ferns, as the distaff side of the All Blacks are known, topping the bill.

The Black Ferns travel to Edmonton as defending champions, having beaten England in Barcelona in 2002. France overcame Canada to finish third.

The event will take place between August 31st, 2006 and September 17th, across six match days. The final is due to be played at the Commonwealth Stadium.

The first three match days will see a cross-pool league system in operation, with Pool A playing Pool D and Pool B playing Pool C, with points going towards one single division table for all four pools.

New Zealand, Spain and Kazakhstan from Pool A will therefore play Pool D sides Canada, Scotland and Samoa, while the teams in Pool B - second seeds England, Australia and Ireland - will play Pool C's third seeds France, USA and South Africa.

With each team having played three pool matches, positional semi-finals will be played, and all other sides playing matches in the final two rounds to determine final tournament rankings.

WORLD CUP SEEDINGS - 1 New Zealand (champions, 2002 WRWC); 2 England (runners-up, 2002 WRWC); 3 France (third, 2002 WRWC); 4 Canada (fourth, 2002 WRWC); 5 Scotland; 6 USA; 7 Australia; 8 Spain; 9 Kazakhstan; 10 Ireland; 11 South Africa; 12 Samoa

Wild geese watch

Geordan Murphy and Shane Jennings started for Leicester in their bad-tempered 16-16 draw with Newcastle at Welford Road on Saturday. Leo Cullen was on the bench. London Irish were denied a victory by Bruce Reihana's touchline conversion for Northampton in the ninth minute of stoppage time at Franklin's Gardens. David Quinlan played in the centre for the Saints while Adrian Flavin, Bob Casey and Ben Willis started for Irish with Gavin Hickie on the bench.

Johnny O'Connor started for Wasps but they were turned over by Sale Sharks 18-10. Eoin Reddan and Peter Bracken started on the bench for the London side. Aidan McCullen and Trevor Brennan started for Toulouse but they went down to Stade Francais 29-15 before a record 79,454 at the Stade de France in a French championship match.

European Cup watch

The Irish provinces' European Cup opponents.

Leinster: Bath beat Gloucester 18-16 to give them a confidence boost ahead of their trip to Dublin. Bourgoin were involved in disgraceful brawl scenes in a French Championship match at home to Agen which could have far-reaching ramifications and were then beaten 29-10 at the weekend by Biarritz. Llanelli Scarlets beat 24 Glasgow 24-20.

Munster: Castres hammered Clermont Auvergne 41-8 at the weekend. Sale Sharks beat Wasps 18-10 and the Newport Gwent Dragons lost 17-15 away to Edinburgh.

Ulster: Biarritz beat Bourgoin 29-10, while Saracens were defeated 23-11 by Bristol.

Connacht: were the victims of daylight robbery in losing 18-17 away to the Ospreys at the weekend. Scottish referee Rob Dickson appears to have exceeded his authority in giving the Welsh side an 82nd-minute penalty, penalising Connacht for alleged time wasting. The Irish province led 17-15 at the time. This column tried to check the rule book and as far as we can discern time wasting is penalised by a free-kick. We'd like any referee out there to confirm or deny this interpretation.

Cleary's story

Given we started with a book story we'll conclude with one. It's called Suitcase Number Seven - a rugby story with a difference, written by Ursula McCafferty and it represents a fictional memoir on the life of her late uncle Tom Cleary (1930-1997). She describes him as "arguably the best scrumhalf NEVER to have been capped for Ireland". Born in Carrick-on-Suir, Cleary attended Castleknock College, played for Bohemian RFC and was Munster scrumhalf and captain from the mid 1940s to the early 1960s. He played in several final Irish trials and was a reserve for Ireland on numerous occasions (including the May 1961 tour of South Africa and Rhodesia) without gaining the distinction of an Irish cap. He died in Mullingar.

It's a moving, funny tale of life and sport, about natural ability hampered by poor self-esteem, the latter a legacy of a succession of blows endured off the rugby pitch.

The story is written as a fictional memoir. It's an excellent debut from McCafferty, one that ought to appeal to a broad spectrum of readers.