Load of Bulls: Twisted logic

ALL IN THE SCRUM:A rugby miscellany

SPRINGBOKS coach Peter de Villiers and controversy make constant bedfellows but a recent pronouncement is going to take some topping. He was asked to comment on an incident that led to Bulls prop Bees Roux being charged with murdering a policeman after the rugby player was stopped for drink driving.

Roux, who claims he acted in self-defence when he thought he was being robbed, has pleaded not guilty to beating the officer to death and has been granted bail. De Villiers claimed his team (Springboks) "supports Bees Roux 100 per cent".

"Nothing must stand in our way between now and the World Cup and the players have to be strong enough to deal with all kinds of psychological issues and domestic circumstances.

"For instance, how will the Bees Roux tragedy affect those who know him well?

"We must deal with everything that comes our way. We feel for all South Africans, especially rugby players, and while we do not defend the act (of Roux), we sympathise with the tragedy. It is an unfortunate reality that these things can happen to anybody. The team supports Bees 100 per cent, not on the deed, but rather on the circumstances that led to the situation developing."

De Villiers' past statements have raised eyebrows, an example coming in the wake of the Schalk Burger incident in which he gouged Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald at Loftus Versfeld in 2009.

"If we want to eye-gouge any Lions we will go down to the bushveld like we do and eye-gouge them there," before adding "if we are going on like this, why don't we go to the nearest ballet shop, get some tutus and get a dancing shop going?

"There will be no eye-gouging, no tackling, no nothing and we will enjoy it."

THE WILD GEESE

EACH week we’ll keep tabs on how Irish players are faring in the English Premiership. There are several well-known names, such as London Irish’s Bob Casey, Geordan Murphy at Leicester and Roger Wilson, who plays for the Northampton Saints, but the biggest single Irish representation (six players) is at the newly-promoted Exeter Chiefs, who are led by Tom Hayes, a brother of Munster and Ireland prop John. There are a number of Ireland qualified players who have played underage rugby in a green jersey, like the American-born prop,Callum Black and hooker Louis Padian, both of Worcester Warriors.

THE IRISH IN ENGLAND

Newcastle Falcons: Jeremy Manning (outhalf), Tim Ryan (prop).

London Irish: Bob Casey (secondrow), Brian Blaney (hooker).

Sale Sharks: Kyle Tonetti (centre).

Harlequins: David Moore (scrumhalf), Lewis Stevenson (secondrow), John Andress (prop)

Northampton Saints: Roger Wilson (number eight), James Downey (centre).

Leicester Tigers: Geordan Murphy (fullback), Jeremy Staunton (outhalf/centre)

Exeter Chiefs: Eoghan Grace (flanker), Tom Hayes (number eight), Gareth Steenson (outhalf), Dave Gannon (secondrow), Paul McKenzie (wing), Ruaidhri Murphy (prop).

Worcester Warriors: Neil Best (flanker), Callum Black (prop), Louis Padian (hooker).

FANCY THAT

THE Australian-born former Ulster centre Ryan Constable – he currently divides his time between radio rugby punditry and acting as an agent on behalf of a host of players – still holds the record for most tries in a single Aviva English Premiership match. He crossed for six tries (three in each half) while playing for Saracens against Bedford in April 2000. His reaction to the feat was modestly expressed: "I was just on the end of some good lead-up work," he told his local newspaper.

Yesterday marked the opening weekend of fixtures in the 2010-2011 season, a decade after Constable's feat.

HE SAID WHAT?

“The next time he (Jordan) does that, I’ll break both his ankles.” Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has banned his players, including number eight Jordan Crane who revealed an ankle injury on Twitter, from using social networking to talk about on-pitch matters. Cockerill added: “None of our players will be tweeting or Facebooking anything about Leicester rugby club ever again.”

No show: again from Caucau

FIJIAN winger Rupeni Caucaunibuca could claim to be one of the most naturally-gifted players of all time in rugby but his legacy away from the pitch will be different. Once again he has failed to show up for early-season duty and as of this week hadn’t returned to newly-promoted Agen. His team-mates are no longer willing to forgive. Flanker Jean Monribot admitted: “He is not mentioned. To me he is no longer part of the squad. It is built without him.”

“Caucau” was the top try-scorer in the French ProD2 last season, but he’ll need to be less evasive if he is to mollify his team-mates now, especially given his record.

CAUCAUNIBUCA RAP SHEET

October 2003: Incurs two-match ban at the World Cup for punching France flanker Olivier Magne.

November 2003: States that he is quitting Fiji to become an All Black because they can pay him more. The IRB points out he is not eligible to play for New Zealand

June 2005: Fails to play for Fiji against New Zealand Maori, saying he was showing his recently-born daughter to family members in his home village

August 2005: Suspended for a year by the Fijian union for boycotting a World Cup qualifying game against Samoa. He refused to board the team plane, saying he had to return home to look after his wife, who had toothache.

October 2006: Misses Agen's first 10 games of the season after returning late from Fiji, which was attributed to a bout of typhoid and the birth of his second son.

November 2006: Misses Pacific Islands' match with Wales in Cardiff. Claims to have lost his passport

March 2007: Tests positive for cannabis after a French championship match for Agen and is banned for three months.

PERSONAL INSIGHT

IN her IRFU diary, Ireland’s Claire Molloy offers a personal insight into life at the Women’s Rugby World Cup and one line in particular caught the attention of this columnn which she noted, “later that night we presented Joy (Neville), our woman of the match, with a charm bracelet to celebrate her 50th cap.”

It’s probably safe to suggest that her male counterparts in Declan Kidney’s Ireland squad won’t be tearing down to a jewellers to purchase a little something for Ronan O’Gara when he wins his 100th cap in November. Any “kindness” shown should come with a government health warning.