McKenzie denies claims linking him with Australia post

QUEENSLAND REDS coach Ewen McKenzie has denied claims he has begun talks to take over as Australia boss. The 46-year-old has been forced to fend off such claims after this week’s announcement he would give up the Reds reins to move into a director of coaching role next year.

McKenzie has denied he has been speaking to the Australian Rugby Union and yesterday claimed his move was in the best interests of the club. “I don’t have any thoughts exterior to what’s going on at Queensland Rugby,” said McKenzie. “I’ve had no discussions with the ARU about anything.”

Closer to home, Bryan Redpath has resigned as Gloucester’s head coach with immediate effect. The 40-year-old, a former Scotland international, has been linked with a move to Sale Sharks. A statement read: “It is with regret that Gloucester can confirm that head coach Bryan Redpath has offered his resignation . . . Redpath will leave Kingsholm with immediate effect after a recent poor run of results which have seen the club slip to seventh place in the table.”

The Scottish Rugby Union have confirmed the national team’s schedule for a summer tour taking in matches against Australia, Fiji and Samoa.

Scotland kick off their tour against Australia in Newcastle, New South Wales, on June 5th. They then face Fiji in Lautoka on June 16th and Samoa in Apia seven days later.

England’s three-Test summer tour of South Africa will now include midweek matches in Kimblerley and Potchefstroom against SA Barbarians teams. Stuart Lancaster’s squad will tackle the Springboks in their first ever three-test series in June, with the matches to be played in Durban, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.

Wayne Barnes will take charge of Leinster’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Clermont Auvergne at the Stade Chaban-Delmas on Sunday, April 29th.

French referee Romain Poite will take charge of Ulster’s clash with Edinburgh at the Aviva stadium 24 hours earlier.

The much-anticipated Bordeaux game between defending champions Leinster and Clermont, which has already generated ticket sales of 22,000, looks set to be a sell-out while over 37,000 tickets have already been sold for the game in Dublin.

Irish referees Alain Rolland and George Clancy will preside over the respective Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finals.

Rolland takes charge of the clash between Toulon and Stade Francais at the Stade Felix Mayol on Friday, April 27th (7.55, Irish time) while Clancy will be in charge when Biarritz Olympique take on Brive in the Parc des Sports Aguilera on Saturday, April 28th (3.0, Irish time).