RUGBY: The principal sponsor of the Ireland rugby team, the Irish Permanent, will not be renewing a deal worth over €1 million a year after this season's Six Nations.
An official announcement has yet to be made by Permanent TSB or the IRFU but sources confirmed yesterday to The Irish Times that the 10-year partnership had reached an amicable conclusion.
The deal was last renewed in November 2002 when the Irish Permanent agreed to invest €1 million a year into the national team set-up.
Meanwhile, Munster PRO Pat Geraghty denied yesterday that Rob Henderson was on the verge of signing for Toulon despite a report in the French newspaper L'Equipe linking the former Lions centre to an imminent move.
Henderson has slipped down the pecking order this season with Barry Murphy and new signings Trevor Halstead and Garry Connolly preferred in the centre positions. "Rob is contracted to Munster until the end of the season," said Geraghty.
In team news, Munster's reserve outhalf Jeremy Manning has been ruled out of Saturday's Heineken European Cup match against Sale at Thomond Park. The 20-year-old naturalised Kiwi broke his arm playing for UCC against Greystones in the All-Ireland League Division Two match last Saturday and will be out for eight weeks.
Having recovered from exploratory knee surgery, former Ireland international Paul Burke will take his place on the bench. John Kelly, Halstead and Jerry Flannery are the other injury concerns but an enlarged squad will still be announced later today.
Connacht will travel to Sicily for Friday night's season-hinging game against Amatori Catania without Ray Hogan after the prop damaged his eye in last Saturday's 43-10 defeat of Montpellier.
Hogan was forced off four minutes into the second half and with no loosehead specialist in reserve Adrian Clarke filled the gap. Within minutes Montpellier were awarded a penalty try after a collapsed scrum. The western province replied superbly to pick up the bonus point but to progress to the quarter-final of the European Challenge Cup for a fourth consecutive season they require another four-try haul against the Italian opponents. Dan McFarland will be recalled at loosehead.
"It was a strange sort of injury," explained team manager Tim Allnutt. "His vision is not fully restored yet. The physio confirmed this morning that there is a 90 percent chance of him not travelling.
"It's a shame as Ray has been playing really well all season and most people forget he is only 24. He has been unlucky in his career having already had two knee surgeries. When he hit a ruck a finger or elbow seemed to catch him in the eye. It's not too serious but more will be revealed when he sees a specialist tomorrow."
Hogan's form this season saw him included in the Irish training squad, along with secondrow brother Trevor who plays with Munster, for the November internationals.
The Leicester Tigers will make an announcement regarding the condition of Shane Jennings on Thursday. The in-form openside injured his shoulder and had to retire early during Sunday's 29-22 victory over Stade Francais.
Both Jennings and Hogan will hope these minor setbacks don't work against them when Eddie O'Sullivan announces his Six Nations training squad today.
Will Green is expected to recover from a damaged rib ahead of Leinster's final Pool Five match against Bath at the Recreation Grounds this Sunday. The English tighthead was a notable absentee, especially at scrum time, against Glasgow last Saturday.
The other concerns are in the backrow where Jamie Heaslip was a late withdrawal from Saturday's 46-22 victory because of flu, while Cameron Jowitt injured his ankle and was replaced by Niall Ronan.
The AIB league Division One fixture between Garryowen and Cork Constitution has been put back 24 hours to avoid a clash with the Munster-Sale clash. The Sunday afternoon kick-off, at Temple Hill, allows the teams currently lying second and third in Division One to play fringe Munster players who are not used the previous day.
Wales and Ospreys centre Sonny Parker (28) has announced his retirement from international rugby, delivering another blow to coach Mike Ruddock, who is set to name his Six Nations squad today.
