NEWS ROUND-UP:NEW FRANCE coach Phillipe Saint Andre will communicate his coaching team to the FFR on December 9th and according to reports in France his preference is for former internationals Yannick Bru and Patrice Lagisquet.

He may not get his way though as Lagisquet, currently director of rugby at Biarritz Olympique, has denied there has been any inquiry while Bru, forwards’ coach at Toulouse, won’t be released from his current contract.

Toulouse president Rene Bouscatel pointed out: “Yannick is under contract at our club and will remain until at least the end of the season. This means he will remain until June.”

Cardiff Blues centre Jamie Roberts will miss Friday’s Heineken Cup clash against London Irish with a twisted knee, coach Justin Burnell has confirmed.

Roberts was forced to limp off in the early stages of the Blues’ impressive 26-20 victory over Racing Metro in Paris last Friday.

England’s drunken night out in Queenstown during the Rugby World Cup, which may have cost Mike Tindall his international career, was part-funded by the Rugby Football Union.

It is understood the England management set up a tab at Queenstown’s Pub On The Wharf, where a group of players began the now-infamous evening.

From there, a smaller group moved on to the Altitude Bar, a backpackers’ nightspot which was hosting a “Mad Midget Weekend”.

It was there that Tindall was captured on CCTV in conversation with a blonde woman.

Tindall, who later apologised for misleading the England management over his movements that night, was fined €29,240 and dropped from the England squad following an RFU investigation.

It is understood the size of the fine takes into account the legal costs incurred by the RFU as they tried to manage the fall-out from the incident. Tindall intends to appeal the decision.