Compiled by GAVIN CUMMISKEY
View from France: Provinces put under Gallic spotlight
FRENCH DAILY sports newspaper L’Equipe have run the rule over the Irish provinces ahead of European action this weekend (with thanks to Google’s instant, if slightly dodgy, translation).
They give their due to “the Red Army, which can crush opponents” only to add: “The team is aging and struggling to renew itself, like its leader Ronan O’Gara.”
In the same breath they see O’Gara as “The Strategist. Came from the famous golden generation, ultra-talented, but struggling to win, O’Gara remains capable of influencing a match.”
Describing Leinster as “almost unplayable at home”, they see the loss of Stan Wright as significant but “above all, the club has lost its coach Michael Cheika”.
They also give it up to “the man who needs no introduction” and is capable of “overthrowing a match on an inspiration”.
Guess who.
Ulster are identified as “the perfect underdog”.
Ferris: may be fit for Biarritz
ULSTER WILL be heavily reliant on their South African contingent for tomorrow night’s match with Aironi at Ravenhill, but Stephen Ferris may yet return for next week’s daunting journey to Biarritz.
An update on his “shoulder girdle” injury now includes a damaged “first rib”.
It is not cracked, we are assured, so the injury prone yet talismanic Irish flanker could be back soon.
With the Springboks and All Blacks looming on the horizon, his well-being seems essential.
Further word from up North has Ian Humphreys poised to make his first start of the season at outhalf ahead of injury-doubt Niall O’Connor, with Ruan Pienaar (scrumhalf) and Paddy Wallace (centre) providing the solid foil to Humphreys’ array of attacking skills.
OPPONENT WATCH
SAILOSI TAGICAKIBAU
London Irish
Left winger
With the greatest respect, this Auckland-born Samoan is a freak.
Just when tacklers seem to have their claws dug in to him, Tagicakibau manages to slip loose, twisting and turning, before accelerating away like a thoroughbred.
A little rusty after injury, he came off the bench against Leeds last week on 52 minutes, to gallop over for two tries.
Oh yeah, he is 6ft 4in and just shy of 16st.
Munster have been forewarned.
SEBASTIEN CHABAL
Racing Metro 92
Number eight/Lock
Now 32 and operating primarily at lock, The Caveman still produces his trademark rumbles. How to handle him? Leinster need only to check out the YouTube clip from 2006. It begins with a hanging kick-off from O’Gara, O’Connell makes the chest-high hit with O’Callaghan holding Chabal upright as Messrs Foley, Horan and Hayes come thundering in before Quinlan and Stringer arrive with some delicious shoe-pie.
Over to Heaslip, O’Brien and friends.
Switch: Refs are replaced
THERE HAS been a rejigging of the referees for the weekend’s European fixtures due to injuries sustained by Nigel Owens and Alain Rolland. Owens was due to officiate at the ASM Clermont Auvergne and Saracens’ game at the Stade Marcel Michelin on Saturday but that has gone to Scotland’s Peter Allan (meaning England’s Chris White is now refereeing Ulster versus Aironi), while Welshman James Jones takes over from Rolland for Bath v Biarritz Olympique.
The exact nature of the injuries was not revealed by the ERC.
Owens is due to take charge of Ireland against South Africa on November 6th, while Rolland is expected in Hong Kong for the Bledisloe Cup match between New Zealand and Australia on October 30th.
Dream pick: French coaches give Schmidt their top vote
LEINSTER BOSS Joe Schmidt has been named as part of the best coaching team in France (ASM Clermont Auvergne), by the players union and coaches association in France , yet it is European champions Toulouse and not league champions Clermont that dominate the Top 14 Dream XV for 2010.
Toulon’s Jonny Wilkinson is one of five foreign players on the list, which also includes rugby league convert Sonny Bill Williams – who has left France to take up a contract with the NZRU.
Williams is currently ripping it up for Canterbury.
More on the most hyped Kiwi sportsman in years next month when he will surely make his Test debut for the All Blacks.
Top 14 Dream Team 2010: C Poitrenaud (Toulouse); V Clerc (Toulouse), SB Williams (Toulon), Y Jauzion (Toulouse), M Andreu (Castres); J Wilkinson (Toulon), M Parra (Clermont); T Domingo (Clermont), W Servat (Toulouse), N Mas (Perpignan), L Nallet (Racing Metro), P Albacete (Toulouse), T Dusautoir (Toulouse), C Masoe (Castres), JM Fernandez Lobbe (Toulon).
