Planet Rugby

Other rugby news in brief

Dusautoir looks sure to face Leinster

TOULOUSE PREPARED for Saturday’s Heineken Cup semi-final when they will face Leinster with a 25-17 victory over Castres at Stade Earnest Wallon. Thierry Dusautoir, who had been struggling with a thigh injury, played and seems sure to lead the French side this weekend.

Toulouse’s win guaranteed them a home quarter-final in the French Top 14, ironically against Saturday’s opponents, Castres.

Munster coach Tony McGahan might take a long look at the video of Biarritz’s home defeat by Clermont Auvergne (19-26) at the weekend ahead of his side’s trip to San Sebastian, next Sunday, for the second Heineken Cup semi-final. The victory for Clermont means that they will have home advantage in their quarter-final against Racing Metro 92.

Connacht’s opponents in the Challenge Cup semi-final on Friday night, Toulon travelled to Brive and won 26-23.

Silver lining

IT WAS a tough afternoon for Connacht at Parc y Scarlets yesterday, but one silver lining was the cutting edge demonstrated by two players from the Ireland Under-20 Six Nations winning team. Eoin Griffin, playing in the centre and Tiernan O’Halloran (right wing) combined to score.

In trying circumstances Griffin and O’Halloran gave a good account of themselves.

French Top 14 alive with transfers

THE FRENCH Top 14 may be reaching a conclusion, but some of the clubs have already confirmed several transfers for the 2010-1011 campaign. Toulon have secured former All Blacks prop Carl Hayman (Newcastle) as well as England internationals Paul Sackey and Dean Schofield, from London Wasps and Sale Sharks respectively.

Clermont Auvergne’s Sérémaia Bai is going to Castres, while Brive have announced that English outhalf Andy Goode has been loaned out to Natal Sharks (he then moves to the Worcester Warriors), while fellow England international Riki Flutey is heading back to Wasps.

Racing-Métro 92 have announced the arrival of Bayonne speedster Benjamin Fall, and are believed to have captured the signature of Argentine Juan Martin Hernandez. Shane Williams, Steve Borthwick and Leicester Tiger Ben Kay could yet be heading to France.

Walsh hits the headlines again 

NEW ZEALAND-born referee Steve Walsh can’t keep his name out of the headlines, the latest one involving Brumbies captain Stephen Hoiles during a Super 14 defeat to the Waratahs. The pair clashed first on 16 minutes when the Hoiles articulated what he thought of the official’s decision to penalise him for continuing to play the ball while deemed to have been tackled and held. Hoiles was correct in his assertion that he had not been held, if not the manner in which he expressed it.

The Australian was penalised a further 10 metres for his comments and the pair reignited a verbal exchange before the restart. Walsh’s biggest faux pas was not awarding a try to Adam Ashley Cooper, ruling instead the Brumbies player had made a double movement in the act of scoring.

It should have been a try, but Walsh didn’t even go to the TMO.

Referee needs to be held to account

CRITICISING WELSH referee James Jones for his erratic performance in officiating in the Magners League match between Glasgow and Leinster at Firhill last Friday night is probably akin to shooting ducks in a bath. Perhaps he will have a reasonable explanation for the four yellow cards he brandished to Leinster players, but it is difficult to escape the suspicion that he might not be called to account for his performance on the night and that would be wrong.

It would also be wrong if Glasgow and Scotland flanker John Barclay gets away with a deliberate and potentially dangerous stamp on the ankle on young Leinster flanker Rhys Ruddock.