It was a bad day for the Irish at Twickenham yesterday with two players stretchered from the pitch during the Powergen Anglo Welsh Cup final, in which Wasps beat Llanelli 26-10. Wasps and Ireland openside Johnny O'Connor was first to be removed from the action after suffering a head/neck injury.
Final takes Irish toll
He was soon followed by the Llanelli captain and Ireland blindside flanker Simon Easterby, who sustained a facial injury and was knocked out in a collision. In both instances, neck braces were used, and play was delayed for nine minutes each time.
Easterby's injury appeared the more serious and it's almost certain he will miss his club's Celtic League visit to Leinster next Friday night.
Collins makes his mark
One young man making a name for himself is St Mary's College tighthead prop Paul Collins. The former Templeogue College schoolboy, who toured with Ireland Schools, recently won a McCorry Cup medal with the Templeville Road side and four days later played for the senior team in the Leinster Cup final.
St Mary's may have lost that match to Clontarf but Collins, still an under-20, is reported to have acquitted himself splendidly.
Yesterday he played for the club in the AIB Cup final at Lansdowne Road, finishing on the losing side.
While initially reluctant to throw himself wholeheartedly into training, Collins, aided by the promptings of the Mary's management, is now in peak condition and his play reflects that. At a time when young tightheads are not exactly 10-a-penny, it'll be interesting to see if Leinster invite him to join any training squads.
He is noted for his setpiece play, particularly the scrum, and has been improving significantly on other aspects of his game, says coach Peter Smyth.
McCaw stands accused
It seems the Crusaders openside flanker - and possible All Blacks captain in the making - Richie McCaw is courting controversy in recent weeks on the pitch.
According to rugbyenews.com he is at the centre of a storm of media controversy in his native land after Hurricanes players and coaches roundly criticised his tactics at the breakdown in their recent clash.
McCaw is arguably the outstanding exponent in his position in the world game, a master when it comes to snaffling and disrupting opposition ball. In this year's Super 14 tournament, however, he has attracted the referees' whistle more often than usual.
In the game in question, the trailing Hurricanes decided to take the law into their own hands after McCaw was repeatedly penalised by referee Paul Honiss. Prop Neemia Tialata grabbed McCaw by the throat, while McCaw's All Blacks team-mate and Hurricanes number eight Jerry Collins also directed some aggression, albeit more humorously, the flanker's way. He threw the ball against McCaw's head.
Coach Colin Cooper pointed at a penalty count that read 12-4 against the Crusaders and singled out McCaw, saying he thought the Canterbury star got favoured treatment from referees.
Cooper isn't the first coach to take issue with the Crusaders' tactics at ruck time. Chiefs coach Ian Foster also made some pointed remarks after his side lost in round five.
Crusaders coach Robbie Deans was quick to defend his superstar flanker, saying he felt there was "an element of gamesmanship, an element of trying to seek advantage" in comments about his player.
He believes opposition players try to limit McCaw's influence by complaining to referees.
Trinity opt for lottery
The unprecedented demand for match tickets for Lansdowne Road on April 23rd has persuaded Dublin University a raffle among members is the only feasible response. In an effort to operate a fair and transparent system they have also informed corporate sponsors they won't be able to furnish them with tickets.
The Leinster Branch can provide Trinity with only half their normal allocation. According to an official Trinity missive, a meeting of the trustees and executive decided the most equitable solution was to run a members' raffle.
"Entry to the raffle costs 50, is open to valid DUFC members only and is limited to one entry per member. The numbers of entries will be strictly limited to ensure
. . . a 2:1 chance of winning a prize.
"There are two sets of prizes as follows: the first set (comprises) pairs of stand tickets; the second set (comprises) single terrace tickets (25 per cent of the prizes are pairs of stand tickets), ie, for €50 you have a 2:1 chance of winning either a pair of stand tickets or a single terrace ticket.
"The deadline for receipt of entries is 5pm on Saturday, April 15th. The raffle will take place after the Trinity home AIB match versus Buccaneers."
Interested parties should note Trinity are still enrolling members.
Leinster move timely
The Leinster squad will have a new home for training next season. Given that Donnybrook will be closed from April 30th until September 1st and the RDS will be unavailable, the team will train in Belfield. It may offer an opportunity for Leinster to play some pre-season games in venues around the province, an attractive prospect for a widening support base.
