ALL IN THE SCRUM:A rugby miscellany
IT SEEMS that Gavin Henson’s fate as a Toulon player will be decided today. The French Top 14 club have delayed a decision on whether to terminate the Wales centre’s contract in the wake of an altercation with team-mates at a bar. Officials are hoping to compile a complete picture of events before making a decision.
French press reports suggested Henson had already been shown the door, but Toulon team manager Tom Whitford has confirmed otherwise. “One of the reasons the decision has been delayed until Monday is that we still do not have a full version of events. In a matter like this, one person can say one thing and someone else says another. We are determined to find out exactly what happened.
“It is not like England or Wales where someone can be sacked on the spot. That is not to prejudge what will happen on Monday when Gavin will meet with Mourad Boudjellal and Philippe Saint-André. He may be released from his contract or he may remain with the club. Nothing has been decided yet . . .”
The Irelandteam management of coach Declan Kidney, forwards' coach Gert Smal, defence coach Les Kiss and backs' coach Alan Gaffney enjoyed the sunshine at Donnybrook to take in an entertaining Ulster Bank League Division One final in which Old Belvedere beat Cork Constitution to win the title. Other faces in the crowd included Old Belvedere Leinster centre Eoin O'Malley and fullback Isa Nacewa.
"I think indifferent circumstances I'd probably make some comment, but I don't think it's correct or proper to make any comment on that after the way we played." – Munster coach Tony McGahan after being invited to make his thoughts known on the performance of French referee Romain Poite.
"As always in tight games, it's the team that either makes the least errors or uses their opportunities the best that ends up winning. That was Leinster and they were really deserving of their victory." – Toulouse replacement Shaun Sowerby reflects on his side's defeat.
Harlequins set to look the part: Big break for O’Neills
MUNSTER’S DEFEAT to Harlequins at Thomond Park last weekend has appreciably reduced Irish interest in the Amlin Challenge Cup final in Cardiff later this month when the English club will take on Stade Francais. Obviously it’s not completely erased because of the presence of Harlequins director of rugby Conor O’Shea, replacement scrumhalf Dave Moore and Ulster-born squad members John Andress and Lewis Stevenson.
Whatever about the personnel though, the London club has announced a new kit partnership with Irish-based technical sports apparel provider O’Neills Irish International Sports Co Ltd. The four-year deal sees O’Neills take over as the club’s official kit partner from the start of the 2011/12 season and will produce a bespoke range of training and playing kit for the Harlequins squad and supporters.
It is O’Neills first foray into the professional rugby union market. According to a Harlequins release “this key strategic partnership will provide O’Neills with a platform at the top tier of rugby union to raise its visibility and profile within the UK and international markets.”
O’Shea is well-versed with the company’s standing in Ireland’s GAA market. He said “I know from the playing side of the club the guys are delighted with this deal having already been involved in choosing the kit for next season.
“O’Neills have established themselves in sport in Ireland and are making major strides in the UK. I am sure we will have some exciting times over the period of this contract as our team continues to develop and grow just like ONeills will do.”
Prop prospers: Mike earns his spurs in Aviva cauldron
LEINSTER’S TIGHTHEAD prop and scrum anchor Mike Ross was reasonably pleased with that aspect of the game in the wake of their victory over Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium. He admitted: “Toulouse have a very good scrum with a frontrow that’s excellent in that aspect of the game. (William) Servat certainly makes a big difference there.
“(JB) Poux and Census Johnston are top props and then they can bring on someone of the calibre of Daan Human; it didn’t get any easier at any stage. We worked hard on it during the week. The second try, we were pleased with the angle we got on that scrum.
“We discussed what was happening in the scrum, what lineout options were working and what weren’t. We just had to keep our chat up in defence because if we knocked off for a second and left a gap Toulouse would exploit it.
“The lead exchanged hands a couple of times but we knew we had been in situations like this before . . . when a team has been down . . . You have to say focused, keep chipping away and try and regain the momentum.”
BRIAN "DO'DRASTIC"
SPELL CHECK is a resource which journalists, among other strata in life, find a useful tool but it can occasionally provide an unwelcome intervention as the British edition of one Sunday newspaper found yesterday. A caption under Leinster centre Brian O'Driscoll scoring his side's second try in the Heineken Cup semi-final victory over Toulouse at the Aviva stadium changed the Ireland captain's name from Brian O'Driscoll to Brian Do'Drastic. It's probably a fair assessment of what he did to Toulouse's chances.
