By JOHNNY WATTERSON

Another one from school of hard Knox

THE LAID-back David Knox, who memorably left Leinster and launched a tirade against the players, the provinces and Declan Kidney, was less reclined at the recent Sydney World Masters Games.

The former Wallaby outhalf became involved in an altercation with members of the crowd at TG Milner Field after he was sent off in the over 35s match for abusing the referee. Knox was playing for the Marauders against the British Army in the gold medal match.

The former Leinster backs coach, who not so presciently declared that the appointment of Grand Slam winning coach Kidney, was a ‘big mistake’, was photographed grappling with spectators before officials intervened and escorted him away.

Players have heads examined

PLANET RUGBY uses the methodology of Brainiac (the program where they blow up microwaves and caravans) when conducting surveys and therefore attended the AIB Cup match between Blackrock and Lansdowne in the RDS on Friday to see how many players were wearing head protection.

This was done after an Australian study was published last week in an American medical journal and called for more use of protective head gear.

Researchers from Sydney University claimed that 10 per cent of players are left dazed and confused (Yes, just like the Led Zepplin track) at least once a season.

It added that players, who had suffered a mild traumatic brain injury were twice as likely to suffer a concussion subsequently.

For the record, three players in the AIB Cup match attended by the research team were wearing head gear.

Rocky on drums

NEW Australia captain Rocky Elsom will have more on his plate than usual this week as the Wallabies prepare to face Ireland in Croke Park on Sunday. During his season in Dublin last year, the flanker took an interest in many things around his temporary home in Ballsbridge, including music.

Planet rugby is reliably informed that Rocky will not only be practising lineouts this week but also the drums with none other than former Ireland frontrow and television pundit, Emmet Byrne.

Ravenhill has hosted 18 internationals

THE IRELAND A game against Tonga on Friday 13th in Ravenhill might not rank as an international match but the Belfast ground has been host to no less than 18 international games, including a pool match in both the 1991 and 1999 Rugby World Cups.

The most recent Ireland international to be played at the stadium was on August 24th, 2007 against Italy just prior to the ill-fated World Cup campaign.

Before that Scotland were the last visitors, in 1954, in what was then the Five Nations Championship.

Incidentally, the new stand in Ravenhill was officially opened last month by First Minister Peter Robinson.

Visiting Wallabies hope to spring tickets for big soccer play-off

THE Aussies arrived into their Burlington Hotel base yesterday afternoon and some of the players instantly put out the feelers for tickets for Ireland’s World Cup play-off match against France in Lansdowne Road at the weekend.

Given the IRFU and the FAI are now joined at the Lansdowne Road hip, the tourists are hopeful of a positive response. It would be the first time many of them will have experienced the stadium full of fans.

And to pump up the pressure, they informed us that when in London last week they were guests at West Ham’s match with Aston Villa and were spoiled by no less than the corporate box level.

NEW ZEALAND’S five Super rugby franchises could be sold under a plan being considered by the country’s governing body. The NZRU has begun discussing the possibility of using private investors to fund the teams currently based in Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago and Waikato.

Mapusua snap lands top award

A PHOTOGRAPH of Samoa international Seilala Mapusua scoring a try for London Irish against Leicester Tigers, taken by Action Images’ snapper Henry Browne, has won the IRB/Emirates Airline Rugby Photograph of the Year 2009 competition.

Both Browne and Mapusua attended the announcement made at Twickenham World Rugby Museum last week during the launch of the IRB World Rugby Yearbook 2010, which features the shortlisted photographs and the winning entry in a special section.

The winning image, entitled The Flying Samoan and taken at the Madejski Stadium on March 1st captures perfectly the sheer passion and enjoyment that can be found in scoring a try.

Hope his tongue survived the landing.