A round-up of other Rugby news
No fishing for words
MORE from Lawrie Fisher please. Already highly decorated before arriving as Munster forwards coach this season after eight years with the ACT Brumbies (2000-08), Planet Rugby first spotted the distinctive Billy Connolly lookalike at the under-21 World Cup in 2004.
We quickly realised the man doesn't mince his words. It makes for refreshing copy and when he appeared at the post-match media conference in Thomond Park he hadn't lost his touch.
Mick O'Driscoll was asked why David Wallace didn't replace the injured Denis Leamy for the last three minutes against Connacht, especially considering Munster were chasing a bonus point. "I don't actually know," said O'Driscoll (understandable as he was on the field). Turns out the management were not willing to risk any more frontline players, as Fisher explained: "We just thought with two minutes to go at the back end of a game it was a risk not worth taking when you are leading by (15 points)." Did it cost the bonus point when Connacht turned over that late scrum? "No. We had other opportunities to score that we didn't take. We didn't get shoved on that scrum. I don't know what happened. The ball seemed to get kicked out of Stringer's hand and ended up in their second row."
Depressing week for Leinster fans
IF you are a Leinster fan it has been a fairly depressing week. First, you only get back from London, after the momentous 6-5 victory over Harlequins at The Stoop last Sunday, on Monday afternoon and duly miss the chance to purchase six tickets for the Heineken Cup semi-final at Croke Park against some team called Munster.
Not to worry, as a season ticket holder you have a code that allows you purchase tickets. You realise the code works more than once. You buy 12 tickets. A day later you are forever branded one of the "Leinster 266" and your 12 tickets are made void.
Tickets go back on sale at noon today. Only problem is, as of last night, the €600 you shelled out for the initial 12 tickets has been taken from your credit card – which is now maxed – and yet to be refunded.
So you go through your rugby club and by some miracle win the clubhouse lotto for the 20-odd tickets your club manages to get from the Leinster Branch. Only problem is your Dad is from Cork and, according to a ridiculous e-mail sent out by the Leinster Branch last Wednesday, anyone seen wearing red in Leinster seats come May 2nd will result "in loss of International tickets for the club allocated that seat". Now ostracised by your club and unable to re-purchase with your season ticket code, you turn to the black market.
Final straw at Tullamore
THE All-Ireland under-20s final passed without much notice last week. For the record a powerful UL-Bohemians pack eventually found a way past Blackrock College, 16-13, who surprisingly beat Lansdowne in the semi-final a week previous.
On arrival in Tullamore for the match there were 30 programmes in each dressing room stating: "UL-Bohemians versus Lansdowne". This error occurred despite both clubs submitting squads (which were also incorrect) and club logos four days in advance.
The explanation? "Oops, eh, sorry about that."
Three die from injuries in SA
SOUTH African rugby comes under the microscope in the coming weeks and they are currently under-going a period of crisis with Lihle Ntsepe of the Ikwezi Rugby Club becoming the third player to die from rugby related injury in the past month.
Planet-rugby.com reported: “Ntsepe (24) sustained a catastrophic neck injury on April 13th while playing in an Easter tournament match in King William’s Town. He died three days later as a result of complications arising from his quadriplegia.
“Ntsepe’s death follows closely on the heels of schoolboys Uhuru Joyi and Adriaan Naudé. Joyi, a 17-year-old pupil at Allen Glen High School in Roodepoort, previously sustained a head injury (unconfirmed concussion) at a practice session on March 16th.
“Joyi, died in his sleep on the Saturday evening, March 21st, after participating in a match on that day. Naudé (17) of President Steyn High School in Bloemfontein, died from a heart-related incident at a practice session on April 14th.” Three other players have suffered “catastrophic head and neck injuries” in the past three weeks.
SA Rugby officially launch the BokSmart programme in July with the aim of reducing the amount of serious and catastrophic injuries in South African rugby.
O'Connell tipped to lead Lions
REPORTS over the weekend strongly indicate that Paul O’Connell will lead the British and Irish Lions to South Africa with the initial favourite for the role, Welsh captain Ryan Jones, set to miss the 35/36-man cut entirely. England captain Steve Borthwick is another unlikely tourist as is Danny Cipriani. Paddy Power have priced the Wasps outhalf at 10 to 1 to start the first Test.
44– The number of tourists Clive Woodward selected for the failed 2005 Lions tour of New Zealand. This went up to 45 when Jonny Wilkinson was passed fit.
26– The number of management and administration staff Woodward brought.
