PLANET RUGBY:THE MAGNERS League has come under unwanted scrutiny this season due to the inconsistency of the officiating but the recent €117,000 fine and four-point deduction imposed on the Ospreys for failing to field a team against Ulster on March 19th, citing a propping crisis, has also been widely panned.
The Ospreys beat Ulster 38-27 when the match was finally played in Ravenhill on April 13th.
According to Ospreys backer Robert Davies they intend to appeal “all the way to court, if necessary, to get it overturned because it’s an utter disgrace.” But the decision to deduct the points next season rewards them in the short term (unlike the English Premiership that deducted Portsmouth nine points for going into administration “with immediate effect.”).
If the Ospreys had been punished this season they would have lost home advantage against Glasgow in last Friday’s Magners League semi-final, which they won 20-5.
Not that the locals were too impressed with their season tickets being invalid for the fixture as only 7,079 showed up at a soulless Liberty Stadium.
Defending champions the Bulls will host the Crusaders, while the Waratahs will travel to Cape Town to play the Stormers in next weekend’s Super 14 semi-finals.
Blunt Leonard no fan of Woodward
FORMER HARLEQUINS team-mates Jason Leonard and Keith Wood combined for an entertaining QA session at the IRUPA awards dinner in the Burlington Hotel last Wednesday night.
Leonard didn’t hold back.
Clive Woodward?
“Twat. He didn’t coach. He didn’t manage.
“I always looked forward to his team talks to see what he would say.”
Before an All Blacks encounter Woodward produced a flip chart with the opposing starting XVs stating he would not want any New Zealander in his England team.
Leonard turned to Lawrence Dallaglio: “Jesus, Lol, I’d have that 6ft5in, 19 and half stone left winger in our team.”
Melrose's move
THE ARRIVAL of yet another Australian into the Irish provincial coaching system was announced last week as Brian Melrose will be working as a backs assistant under Eric Elwood in Connacht next season. Melrose has worked with the Wallabies under-20s and Tonga.
There has also been two new recruits from the All-Ireland league, with Blackrock winger Shane Monahan and inside centre Kyle Tonetti switching from the Leinster Academy to professional terms out west.
Walk in New Zealand for good cause
THE IRFU Charitable Trust are attempting to raise funds for paralysed rugby players with a 100km walk through New Zealand during next year’s Rugby World Cup.
The trip includes entry to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, third placed play-off and final in Auckland. There will also be a chance to rub shoulders with several ex-players and the current squad.
For more information email former Ireland international Mick Quinn at mickeyquinn10@yahoo.com or eleanorconnolly@eircom.net
ERC Dream Team
IT ALL seems a little too political and there are far too many judges but here is the ERC European Dream Team:
15 Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
14 Josh Lewsey (London Wasps)
13 Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster)
12 Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse)
11 Vincent Clerc (Toulouse)
10 Ronan O’Gara (Munster)
9 Rob Howley (London Wasps)
1 Christian Califano (Toulouse)
2 William Servat (Toulouse)
3 Sylvain Marconnet (S Français)
4 Martin Johnson (Leicester)
5 Fabien Pelous (Toulouse)
6 Rocky Elsom (Leinster)
7 David Wallace (Munster)
8 Anthony Foley (Munster)
Far-out calls try patience
NIGEL OWENS was drafted in for the Magners League semi-final between Leinster and Munster on Saturday night – a decision that was requested in advance by all the relevant parties. Common sense, however, still managed not to prevail.
On 48 minutes Marcus Horan understandably took umbrage with CJ van der Linde leaning his sizeable forearm on Munster captain Ronan O’Gara’s face at the bottom of a ruck. A little dust-up ensued.
The touch judge, James Jones, intervened to suggest a Munster penalty, for van der Linde’s actions, be reversed due to Horan’s supposed retaliation. Should he just stand there and admire an opposing prop laying into his outhalf?
The subsequent Jonathan Sexton penalty put Leinster 13-6 ahead.
Tomás O’Leary’s high belt on a try-line bound Cian Healy was the real head-scratcher though – Owens went upstairs to TMO Hugh Watkins to see if the high tackle was ‘too far out for a try?’ Watkins stated it was. What is too far out?
