Today's other stories in brief
Hill back with dead leg
The resolute, seemingly indestructible Richard Hill - who suffered a horrendous knee injury about 17 minutes after Brian O'Driscoll was the victim of Speargate in that first Lions Test in New Zealand - is due to make his latest comeback for Saracens' second XV after undergoing a second reconstruction of his left knee, this time with a ligament from a corpse.
This will be shortly after the publication this month of his autobiography, which is bound to feature one self-deprecating tale that somehow sums up this underrated players' player.
Outside a night club in his native Salisbury shortly after the 2001 Lions tour, a couple of rugby-playing mates - Marcus "The Rat" Olsen and Don "Pigman" Parsons - implored Hill to use his "fame" to jump the queue. He declined, so Olsen bypassed the line by claiming to be Rob Howley, and was admitted; ditto Parsons, impersonating Martin Johnson. You can guess the rest. Hill shuffled up as, well, Hill.
"Sorry, mate," replied the doorman, "I've never heard of you. But if you're with Rob and Martin I guess you'd better come in."
Hill has won 71 caps been on three Lions tours and is a World Cup winner.
Cup duo flex muscles
Leicester and Gloucester, opposition for Munster and Leinster in mouth-watering Anglo-Irish affairs next weekend, maintained their positions near the summit of the Guinness Premiership. Andy Goode kicked five penalties in the Tigers' 15-10 away win over Northampton on Saturday to stay fifth, after Gloucester had maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 33-24 over Worcester on Friday night.
Harlequins, Connacht's opening-night opponents in the European Challenge Cup next Friday in the Sportsground, recalled Gavin Duffy to centre in their 33-20 defeat away to surprise pacesetters Bristol yesterday.
Ulster's opening opponents at Ravenhill next Saturday, Toulouse, returned to winning ways, beating Bayonne 20-9 to stay third, 12 points adrift of Stade Français, who beat Biarritz 22-16 in front of 80,000 at Stade de France.
Seventh-placed Bourgoin, Munster's opponents in Thomond Park on Saturday week, beat Narbonne 23-20, while Agen, Leinster's opponents in December, were booed off the pitch when losing a desultory match by 13-6 at home to Perpignan on Friday night.
World Cup takes shape
Ireland's remaining two opponents in next year's World Cup are becoming clearer after Russia emulated Italy by topping their European qualifying pool courtesy of Saturday's 43-20 win over Spain in Madrid. Along with France and Argentina, Ireland will face the winners of the African qualifying section and the third European qualifier, which is now likely to be between Russia and Georgia, presuming they win their ties at home to Portugal and Spain.
The African picture has become clearer too. Namibia, whom Ireland beat four years ago, will host Morocco in Windhoek on October 28th in the first of a two-leg qualifier, the return fixture to be played in Casablanca on November 11th, after the Namibians held off a determined Tunisia 23-15 in Windhoek, and Morocco defeated Ivory Coast 23-7.
Meantime, Italy and Romania go into Pool C with New Zealand and Scotland, the group to be completed by the repechage qualifier - a route Uruguay will be obliged to take against yet-to-be-determined opposition from Africa and Europe after their 33-7 defeat to the US Eagles.
But one can only admire the attitude of their captain, Rodrigo Capo: "We are going to go to the World Cup; it will only have to be through a longer route."
Gatland one step away
In the Air New Zealand Cup, Warren Gatland's Waikato will host Wellington in next weekend's final after they thrashed Otago 44-15 in Saturday's second semi-final, two of their six tries emanating from Gatland's trademark blitz defence.
They thus avenged their only defeat of the round-robin series, which they topped. It should be one of the games of the year.
That description assuredly applies to Saturday's Currie Cup final at a throbbing Vocadom Park in Bloemfontein, where the Cup was ultimately shared for only the sixth time in 107 years after a 28-28 draw in the first final to go to extra time.
Quotes of the week
"They're low-key, they're not sexy and they don't get the respect they deserve."
- Setanta rugby presenter Daire O'Brien, having eulogised Ulster after their 32-12 win over the Cardiff Blues.
"Cardiff - you could almost compare them to Leinster. They're sexy . . . but they punch far below their weight."
- Still on Setanta, Neil Francis's verdict on the Blues moments later. Maybe it was the Saturday evening feeling, but there's a theme developing here.
"I don't play rugby for financial gain or fame, I play because I love it. I remember something Scott Johnson said to me one day when we were talking about life. He said, 'Alf, if you paid to go on a rollercoaster at a fairground and it went in a straight line, you'd want your money back, wouldn't you? Now, take a look at your life. It's money well spent, you've had a pretty god ride."
- The Welsh captain Gareth Thomas, who is back playing this season after his much-documented collapse on television with a perforated artery, which curtailed his campaign last season.
