ALL IN THE SIX NATIONS:A rugby miscellany
WHO'D BE a tighthead prop these days? The scrum was very much in focus on the first weekend of the Six Nations Championship - or rather the interpretations of the referees. The teams are going to have to just grin and bear it by the looks of things as the match official seems destined to remain centre stage when it comes to this tedious contest.
As Ireland face into a very tough examination for the second week, spare a thought for Mike Ross. Having acquitted himself very capably against Salvatore Perugini - despite Romain Poite's indication to the contrary at times - Ross now finds himself up against the might of a French frontrow, and Tomas Domingo in particular who gave the Scots a torrid time in the scrum.
Ross might like to make his team-mates aware of the words of Scottish captain Alastair Kellock who preferred to focus on the shortcomings of the pack as a whole in the scrum rather than laying the blame on tighthead and noted scrummager, Euan Murray.
"Euan can only play as well as the rest of the pack. They're going to put pressure through the tighthead; every team will try to. We've got to make sure we're helping him out. It (penalty try) wasn't on Euan; it was on all of us. We were all very upset with the way the scrum went."
It's time for collective bargaining at the Aviva stadium on Sunday.
ON THIS DAY IN RUGBY
February 10th, 1962:Willie John McBride made his Ireland debut among nine new caps in a side that was thumped 16-0 by England at Twickenham.
The great Ballymena secondrow went on to win 63 caps for the national side as well as becoming a legendary figure in the red of the British and Irish Lions.
He played 17 Tests for the tourists between 1962 and 1974 and was the skipper of the legendary 1974 "Invincibles", who toured South Africa and were unbeaten in 22 games.
STRENGTH IN DEPTH AT TOULOUSE
IRELAND Under-20 coach Mike Ruddock will be without Leinster duo Andrew Conway and Brendan Macken - they play for Leinster tonight in a Magners League game against Aironi - and Craig Gilroy and Luke Marshall, who are included in an extended Ulster squad for Friday night's clash with France at Dubarry Park. The provinces have primacy of selection over the national underage side.
The FFR (French Rugby Union) has taken a different stance though as 19-year-old outhalf and playmaker Jean-Marc Doussain will be in Athlone rather than playing for a heavily-depleted Toulouse side in their Top 14 clash with La Rochelle tomorrow night.
Toulouse must do without Clément Poitrenaud, Maxime Médard, Thierry Dusautoir, William Servat, Vincent Clerc and Yannick Jauzion, who are on international duty while Byron Kelleher, Yves Donguy, Yann David, Romain Millo-Chluski and David Skrela are all injured. Florian Fritz is suspended after picking up a three-week ban from the ERC for his recent red card in the club's Heineken Cup defeat at London Wasps.
Still the depth of quality in the French club's ranks can be gleaned from the fact their half-back combination will be Argentine international Nicolas Vergallo at scrumhalf and former French pivot Frédéric Michalak. Twenty-year-old Rémi Lamerat is set to partner Fijian Rupeni Caucaunibuca in the centre, with the experienced Cédric Heymans on one wing and 24-year-old Pierre-Gilles Lakafia on the other.
Centre stage: Hape chase
LONDON IRISH and Wasps are leading the chase to sign England centre Shontayne Hape from Bath.
The 29-year-old New Zealand-born former rugby league player is out of contract in the summer and talks on a new deal have stalled, alerting the Exiles.
Bath recently signed Dan Hipkiss from Leicester, while they are reputed to be negotiating with All Black Luke McAllister.
London Irish have signed Scotland international Joe Ansbro from the Northampton Saints for next season, but they will lose Seilala Mapusua who heads for Japan at the end of the current campaign.
For the moment though Hape will be preoccupied with his role in the England midfield for the weekend's Six Nations clash with Italy at Twickenham.
RUGBY SPEAK
"Against Ireland they were intent on pushing the Irish for a penalty or trying to break their will as a pack. They are happy to get the ball in and have a long, slow scrummage and wait for you to crack and push you off the ball."
- England scrum coach Graham Rowntree prepares for the arrival of the Italians to Twickenham on Saturday.
FRENCH TRY TRAIL
IT APPEARS several of the French backline know a way through the Irish defence. Recalled fullback Clement Poitrenaud's last try for his country was against Ireland in the Six Nations Championship last season - it was his first for 23 Tests. Centre Aurelien Rougerie has scored a brace against Ireland, while left wing Maxime Medard has also crossed the Irish line.
The good news for Irish supporters is that outhalf Francois Trinh Duc has never scored a point against Ireland, nor has centre Damien Traille in six appearances against Ireland while right wing Yoann Huget plays against a Declan Kidney Irish side for the first time; he has yet to score in three Test appearances.
Interestingly only two members of the French pack have scored tries against Ireland, hooker William Servat (1) and number eight Imanol Harinordoquy (2).
