PLANET SIX NATIONS

A round-up of Six Nations stories compiled by JOHN O'SULLIVAN

Press slam Italian coach Mallett's 'suicide' pick of Bergamasco

IT won't come as much of a surprise to learn that Italy coach Nick Mallett was castigated roundly in the media with regard to that decision to play Mauro Bergamasco at scrumhalf, instead of his normal position at flanker.

The Gazetta dello Sportobserved: "Mauro Bergamasco didn't deserve that. For what he represents for Italian rugby, for what he has always given for the Azzurra cause, for what he has on his shoulders. Nick Mallett subjected him to a humiliation from which he should have saved him.

"With the same courage he showed in trying him out at scrumhalf - and which he showed in testing [Andrea] Masi at outhalf last season - the coach should have intervened sooner, not at half-time.

"Even if that meant substituting him after only a few minutes and in front of 80,000 people at Twickenham, a stadium that has not been good to the Padovani [ Bergamasco] given that his only previous Six Nations appearance there resulted in an 80-23 defeat for Italy."

The Corriere dello Sportwas equally scathing of the Italy coach, highlighting the three Bergamsco mistakes that led to England tries.

"Playing Mauro Bergamasco at scrumhalf at Twickenham would be like selecting Alessandro Del Piero at centre back at Wembley: suicide.

"A failed experiment after just half an hour.

"Three tries conceded by the Azzurri and Andrea Marcato lost [ to injury] because the predictable mistakes of a "Bergamauro" playing out of his normal role resulted in an increase in pressure on the outhalf. Marcato ended up in hospital after a knock on the head. What a disaster."

ON the match itself, L'Equipecolumnist and former French international Alain Penaud said: "The attitude of the teams contributed to a great game of rugby. We saw a commitment on behalf of both teams to keep the ball away from the other by using it well. There was a greater maturity to the Irish team based on the fact that half of it comes from Munster."

French must plan without Lecouls

FRANCE will be without prop Benoit Lecouls for the upcoming Six Nations Championship clash against Scotland at the Stade de France. Lecouls, started against Ireland but was replaced by Perpignan's Nicolas Mas, after the former picked up a collar bone injury. It is severe enough to rule him out of the Scottish game.

He is replaced in the French squad by Renaud Boyoud. The twice capped Dax forward Boyoud is added, along with Biarritz's Fabien Barcella.

FRANCE:Morgan Parra (Bourgoin), Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Castres), Lionel Beauxis (Stade Francais), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Benoit Baby (Clermont), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Julien Malzieu (Clermont), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse), Clement Poitrenaud (Toulouse), Maxime Medard (Toulouse), Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Lionel Faure (Sale), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), Benjamin Kayser (Leicester), Renaud Boyoud (Dax), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Lionel Nallet (Castres, capt), Romain Millo-Chluski (Toulouse), Sebastien Chabal (Sale), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse).

Refund on 'ref link radios'

THE IRFU have announced that supporters who purchased malfunctioning "ref link radios" at Ireland's victory over France at Croke Park on Saturday will either get a full refund or can exchange their radios for new ones at the England match on February 28th.

The units, which cost €10 each, allow spectators to hear the referee and linesmen via an ear-piece during matches, largely didn't work, with some of the units apparently missing components and others having low battery lifespans. A different model radio compared to previous years was being sold prior to the match.

An IRFU statement read: "Radio units at Saturday's Ireland v France RBS 6 Nations Championship game in Croke Park may have experienced broadcast difficulties which did not allow the units to function properly. The broadcast difficulties were outside of the control of the IRFU and Croke Park stadium and are currently being investigated by the company who provides the ref radio units, Redstone Radios."

Italy call up scrumhalf Griffen

ITALY coach Nick Mallett has shelved the option of playing flanker Mauro Bergamasco at scrumhalf after it backfired calamitously against England at Twickenham on Saturday. The South African has called up veteran Calvisano scrumhalf Paul Griffen for Sunday's clash with Ireland.

Bergamasco had an unwitting hand in England's three first-half tries from Andy Goode, Harry Ellis and Riki Flutey and Mallett has taken the decision to restore Griffen to the squad for the first time since the World Cup in 2007. Griffen, born in Dunedin, New Zealand, comes in as Italy are nursing injuries to regulars Simon Piccone, Pietro Travagli and Pablo Cannavosio, although Giulio Toniolatti performed very capably when introduced for Bergamasco at half-time. "I said before the game the responsibility was mine," said Mallett. "I thought of replacing him [ Mauro Bergamasco] after 25 minutes, but out of respect I left him on the field.

"No-one likes to concede tries but I would like to say that Mauro has the support of all the team." The Italian's coach has also called Ulster lock Carlo Antonio del Fava into his squad for the Ireland game.

Test status

IRELAND were the first of the home unions to confer test status in test matches against Italy. The countries have met 16 times, with Ireland leading the head-to-head 13-3. The Italians' three victories came between 1995 and 1997, including a 37-29 victory at Lansdowne Road (1997) and another in Bologna (37-22, which represents their biggest winning margin over Ireland) also in the same year.