Three of Australia's World Cup winners are among five players facing serious disciplinary action over a drunken rampage with provincial side ACT Brumbies in South Africa on Sunday.

The Australian Rugby Union said yesterday it was also ready to pounce - if punishment handed out by the Brumbies was not severe enough.

Wallabies players Joe Roff, Rod Kafer and Owen Finegan, and their ACT team-mates Bill Young and Peter Ryan damaged a taxi after a night's drinking in Cape Town, during which they were also accused of swearing and disruption in a restaurant.

Ireland's venue for the second Test of their three-Test tour this summer, against the USA Eagles, has been confirmed as Manchester, New Hampshire on Saturday, June 10th with a 2 p.m. kick-off, local time, writes Gerry Thornley.

Ireland will play the Barbarians as part of the IRFU's 125th anniversary celebrations at Lansdowne Road on Saturday, May 28th, before travelling to Argentina for a Test against the Pumas in Buenos Aires on Saturday, June 3rd, although there is a chance this could be moved back 24 hours given Ireland travel over the previous Monday.

The tour concludes against Canada in Toronto on Saturday, May 17th, with a 4 p.m. kick-off, local time.

London Irish coach Dick Best is to quit his advisory role with England after the Six Nations championship ends at Murrayfield on April 2nd.

Best, who was sacked as England coach in 1994, has cited personal reasons for his decision. He said it was his wish "to go out on a winning note. I have made that decision purely for personal reasons".

Under-fire Welsh rugby bosses were faced with a new crisis yesterday over one of their foreign born players.

Australia are demanding Wales pay-up around Stg£60,000 owed in compensation for the training and development of Sydney-born centre Jason Jones-Hughes.