PLANET RUGBY:THE DISCIPLINARY Committee of the Six Nations Championship last week suspended the Italian fullback, Andrea Masi, for three weeks for his dangerously high tackle on Irish fullback Rob Kearney.

That keeps the Italian out of the away game against Scotland. But as pointed out by the former hockey international, Mark Cullen, the suspension actually works against Ireland, the very team against whom the dangerous act was committed.

Masi misses matches thus weakening Italy against one of the teams Ireland are competing against. It is all very well and good having a disciplinary committee but Ireland would have been better served if Masi had been given an early shower.

All set for pivotal clash

* NEXT WEEK’S meeting with England in the under-20s competition could well be a pivotal clash in this year’s championship. While England are strongly tipped to retain the crown they won last season, Ireland are at a distinct advantage when the teams meet in Athlone. Ireland have lost just once at the Dubarry Park venue in four seasons. Ireland have already defeated Italy and France and are chasing another Grand Slam, having done it two seasons ago.

* All of a sudden Ireland have become quite interested in Sevens Rugby. There was a time when a Sevens tournament in Hong Kong was quite a nice jolly for those in the 15-man game who were mobile and fit. Now we are getting emails about team announcements and panel sessions and competitions next month in Dubai. This ramping up of the Sevens format couldn’t surely have anything to do with the Olympics and rugby’s hoped for participation in future Games.

Pyke for Swans

FORMER CANADA rugby international Mike Pyke has been picked to play in the Australian Football League for the Sydney Swans.

Pyke, who scored a runaway try against New Zealand at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, has made a strong impression with the Swans since joining them as a rookie this season and is expected to play a full trial match this weekend.

To kick or not to kick

AN OLD stats lecturer once said: “Statistics are like a lamp post. They are there to illuminate and not to lean upon.”

And so. Last year against Italy, Ireland kicked the ball away 30 times. This year they kicked it 18 times.

As a result Italy, this year, were forced to make 114 tackles and of those missed 19. Last year the Italians missed just five of 91 tackles made.

Would it be too great and simple a deduction to say, against Italy at least, that Ireland do better if they play a more conservative kicking game and invest greater faith in the ability of the players.

And those old ELVs? Were they not supposed to make teams kick more often?

Alternative travel plans

SPONSORSHIP IS always welcome in these financially stressed times and how heartening it was to see a Bus Eireann advertisement in the international programme for Ireland’s first match against France in the Six Nations Championship at Croke Park.

Part of the sales patter is “if you are making travel plans, your first stop is www.buseireann.ie.” They may well get more hits next Saturday than they expect as their bus driving colleagues in CIE plan to kick off the first phases of their industrial action the very day over 80,000 people are trying to make their way to Croke Park.

But a jesting Des Cahill pointed out last week on RTÉ (before asking rhetorically whether he was digging a hole for himself) that they all take the DART anyway.

Indeed.

And, oh, the heartbreak as it whizzes past Lansdowne Road . . . er Aviva Stadium, Arena, Park, Field, Road.

Lipman to see neurosurgeon

ENGLAND FLANKER Michael Lipman will see a neurosurgeon tomorrow amid fears about his immediate playing prospects.

Lipman has been sidelined since he was concussed during Bath’s Heineken Cup clash against Toulouse a month ago.

And the Bath captain admits he is “very concerned”.

Lipman’s plight comes just days after former France skipper Raphael Ibanez retired from playing with Guinness Premiership champions Wasps.

“I will be seeing a neurosurgeon in Bath on Tuesday,” said Lipman, who won the last of his 10 England caps against New Zealand in November. “You can’t put a time limit on it, but you cannot play when you are not 100 per cent.”