The rest of the Six Nations rugby news in brief
Hayes joins an elite club
JOHN HAYES joins an elite list of internationals on Saturday but according to the record books he is already part of the 100 Club thanks to two Lions Test appearances. Brian ODriscoll is also on board but reaches the pinnacle in a green jersey, all going well, against Wales on March 13th.
The 100 Club:139 George Gregan (Australia). 119 Jason Leonard (114-England, 5-Lions). 118 Fabien Pelous (France). 111 Philippe Sella (France). 110 George Smith (Australia). 104 Brian ODriscoll (98-Ireland, 6-Lions). 103 Gareth Thomas (100-Wales, 3-Lions). 102 Stephen Larkham (Australia). 102 Percy Montgomery (South Africa). 101 David Campese (Australia). 101 Alessandro Troncon (Italy). 101 John Hayes (99-Ireland, 2-Lions). 100 Chris Paterson (Scotland).
Ireland v England:2000 England won 50-18, Twickenham. 2001 Ireland won 20-14, Lansdowne Road. 2002 England won 45-11, Twickenham. 2003 England won 42-6, Lansdowne Road. 2004 Ireland won 19-13, Twickenham. 2005 Ireland won 19-13, Lansdowne Road. 2006 Ireland won 28-24, Twickenham. 2007 Ireland won 43-13, Croke Park 2008 England won 33-10, Twickenham. 2009 Ireland won 14-13, Croke Park.
Subs could really liven up Twickenham
THINGS COULD get interesting around the 60-minute mark in Twickenham on Saturday should Declan Kidney feel obliged to unload his bench.
Three of the Irish replacements served time in the English Premiership with Shane Jennings and Leo Cullen both doing two-year stints (2006-08) alongside Geordan Murphy at Leicester before returning home, while Eoin Reddan spent four seasons at Wasps.
The most intriguing battle of all would be the collision of Jennings and former team-mate Lewis Moody.
“(Shane) is a specialist openside but does have plenty of experience at six having played in Leicester and he will know a lot of the players that he’ll be up against quite well,” Kidney said yesterday.
O'Reilly has the knowledge
WE CAME across a funny Questions and Answers session with Irish bagman Paddy ‘Rala’ O’Reilly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg_7JQMz-7I) that actually reveals the truth behind the bizarre Brian O’Driscoll comment ahead of the English game last year.
It turns out the “knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad” comment was one of the Irish squad’s “thoughts of the day” compiled by nutritionist Ruth Wood Martin.
What would Rala be doing if not Irish bagman? “Lighthouse keeper.” Makes sense.
If the giant blue aliens from Avatar came to earth would Paul O’Connell be able to compete with them?
“Oh, of course he would.”
FRANCE WING Benjamin Fall will miss Friday’s match against Wales at the Millennium Stadium after spraining his left ankle in training. Julien Malzieu takes his place.
Opportunity knocks for O'Callaghan
DONNCHA OR Leo? Once a school teacher always a school teacher. On the issue of Donncha O’Callaghan returning instead of in-form Leinster captain Leo Cullen Declan Kidney briefly transported us back to the Business Studies classroom by using the term ‘opportunity cost’.
(Definition: The cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Put another way, the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action.)
“I just go on what I see at training,” Kidney stated. “If I talk up Donncha, which I find difficult to do because then by contrast to that I (am) talking down Leo. There is an opportunity cost whichever way we go. With Leo not being there that can cost us something . . . Donncha, I think, is the right mix for this game.”
Tough call but nicely put.
Flutey to stay with Brive
THE proposed transfer of Riki Flutey (30) to Munster from French club Brive this summer appears to have hit a snag. He looked an ideal replacement for the departing Jean de Villiers but the French want their money’s worth after the Lions centre arrived with a shoulder injury. “I am still contracted to Brive,” said Flutey. “Simon Gillham [the Brive managing director], has told me that I am contracted to them for another year and I will fulfil that.”
Turning the other cheek at awards
WATCHING THE Meteor awards last Sunday night was further proof of the popularity of Irish rugby these days.
Along with presenters Colin Farrell and Adam Clayton, there was Jamie Heaslip (giving it up to Dizzie Rascal), Luke Fitzgerald and Cian Healy decked out in their civvies handing over the best international band award to Florence and the Machine.
Who would have thought the former Belvedere prop Healy would ever utter the words: “and the winner is . . .”
Florence bounded onto the stage, surprising Cian with the second of her double cheek pecks (rugby players have traditionally just gone with the one kiss, usually the left cheek).
Different worlds briefly overlapping.
