Wilkinson drawing the crowds

PLANET RUGBY:IN THIS year's Christmas stocking you may find books on Ronan O'Gara and Anthony Foley but their respective authors, Denis Walsh and Peter O'Reilly, may only envy the attention Jonny Wilkinson received for his book Tackling Life, writes JOHNNY WATTERSON

The England and Newcastle Falcons outhalf completed a six -hour signing session at the Twickenham Stadium Rugby Store last week.

The enthusiastic first fans arrived a full four and a half hours before the scheduled signing started at 6.30pm.

Just under 550 fans then waited for up to four hours to get their books signed with the session eventually finishing at 12.45am, nearly five hours after the original scheduled finish.

Andy Ward, head of retail for the Rugby Football Union said that "it was an unprecedented event for the rugby store." Indeed.

Kidney keeps them guessing

IRELAND COACH Declan Kidney was asked last week what the secret was to making the mighty men of Munster click and at what point did it happen for the Heineken Cup champions in their march to glory last season.

"What had happened was the Leinster match stirred things up a bit but before the Clermont match we played Llanelli on the double before we went into an Irish camp week," explained Kidney.

"I then decided to give some of the lads a break but then we went up to play Ulster and it was snowed off," he said.

"Some of the lads hadn't played a match in four weeks coming into the Clermont game and we turned the ball over a bit in the first 25 minutes.

"But then Denis Leamy got the ball and said to hell with it - and that's your moment."

So that was the defining moment? No, he doesn't give much away, does he?

Muliaina tempted by move to Europe

ALL BLACK flyer, Mils Muliaina, says he has received positive vibes from fellow Kiwis who have made the move to Europe. The fullback has hinted that a move to this side of the world is in his thinking with just a year to run on his contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union.

"I spoke to Doug Howlett when we were over in Munster recently," revealed Muliaina. "I asked him how things were, what the differences were and whether it was harder than Super 14.

"I've spoken to Luke McAllister - who is at Sale - as well and he is loving it. There are different reasons why players have gone over,but from what I've heard from them they are really enjoying it."

Muliaina is, apparently, on top of Cardiff's shopping list.

Humphries looking the part

ULSTER HAVE bowed out of the Heineken Cup but they do so still seeming to be on the up. Stephen Jones salvaged Llanelli's draw with a kick two minutes from the end but Ulster coach, Matt Williams, is sure to accentuate the positives following the 16-16 stalemate. The Aussie will also be pleased that outhalf, Ian Humphries, came out of the match as many people's man-of-the-match. Could this be a turning point for Humphries, who has struggled to cement a starting place on the Ulster side?

Sad Passing

ON A more sombre note, All Black front row and rugby commentator, John Drake, died aged 49 on Saturday at his home in New Zealand.

Drake was a prop in the World Cup-winning New Zealand team of 1987 and played his last test against Australia in Sydney a month after the All Blacks had beaten France to claim the first World Cup.

After retiring from the game he became a respected television commentator and a newspaper columnist as well as becoming a successful businessman.

Reputation costly for Cudmore

WHAT IS the difference between one punch or another?

This week Clermont Auvergne's Jamie Cudmore, was shown the red card for punching Munster skipper Paul O'Connell during Saturday's match in Thomond Park, while last week Cardiff flanker Maama Miolitka was only sin-binned for landing a punch on Biarritz captain Jerome Thion.

Could it have been that Cudmore was known to have some form in that department and was suspended before for punching, a part of the game commentators on Sky Sports believe is part and parcel of playing rugby in France?

All about timing

IT IS generally accepted that Ronan O'Gara has impeccable timing. Perhaps that is why he left it until 17 seconds from the end of Munster's match against Clermont Auvergne on Saturday to crack the 1,000 Heineken points mark.

O'Gara became the first player to break the barrier at 79 minutes and 43 seconds into the game.