RUGBY/News round-up: John Kelly and Paul Wallace have been forced to withdraw from the 22-man Irish squad for next Sunday's game against the Fijians. Their replacements will be announced tomorrow.
Kelly sustained a strained ankle in Ireland's 18-9 win over Australia on Saturday and a scan on the injury yesterday confirmed that he will be out for two to three weeks, thereby ruling him out of the Test against Argentina on Saturday week.
Wallace had been forced to withdraw from the squad for the Australian game earlier last week after aggravating a troublesome ankle injury in training.
Meanwhile, Brian O'Driscoll has been shortlised as one of the five nominees for the IRB Player of the Year 2002. The other contenders are the French scrumhalf and captain Fabien Galthié, the All Blacks' openside Richard McCaw, the young Springboks' back-rower Joe van Niekerk and the England flyer Jason Robinson.
The Player of the Year will be announced at the IRB awards ceremony in January at a date to be announced. There are several other categories and the international judging panel comprises Gerald Davies (Wales), Paul Ackford (England), David Sole (Scotland), Fergus Slattery (Ireland), Philippe Sella (France) Chester Williams (South Africa), Simon Poidevin (Australia), Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand), Hugo Porta (Argentina).
The IRB also launched the International Rugby Yearbook in London yesterday. The 2002/2003 edition contains detailed reviews of the major international competitions, including the Six Nations, Tri-Nations, women's Rugby World Cup, Under-21 World Cup and World Sevens Series.
Meanwhile, Australian coach Eddie Jones said his side had been disappointed to lose to Ireland for the first time since 1979.
"We were disappointing in the execution of our skills but I don't think you should discredit Ireland's performance at all," he said. "They have beaten England and France in the last 24 months at Lansdowne Road so we weren't playing a bunch of mugs.
"It shows how the standards are flattening out in world rugby and is evidence of the effect of what home advantage can do as 77 per cent of teams playing at home win their games."
Jones is far from happy with the standard of refereeing.
"We've now had two referees over here who have guessed decisions involving the scrum. It's a real problem," he said. "The flow of penalties in the game seemed to involve a 15 per cent differential in favour to the home team. I can't explain the reason."
Jones is hopeful that Stephen Larkham will be fit after sustaining a hamstring injury in Saturday's game and being taken off in the 72nd minute.
New Zealand outhalf Carlos Spencer will miss Saturday's Test against France because of a shoulder injury. Spencer was replaced by Andrew Mehrtens at half-time of their 31-28 defeat to England at Twickenham on Saturday.
The All Blacks will also have to do without centre Keith Lowen, who sustained a groin injury and coach John Mitchell has called up the versatile Paul Steinmetz.
David Hilton was recalled to the Scotland squad yesterday for this weekend's match against South Africa two years after his Test career came to a standstill when he was found to be ineligible.
Glasgow prop Hilton (32) had won 41 caps on the basis of having an Edinburgh-born grandfather. But he then discovered that his grandparent had in fact been born in Bristol. However, Hilton completed a residency qualification this summer.
• Prop Michael O'Connell sustained a serious injury playing for Dolphin against Clonakilty in a Charity Cup match on Saturday. He was taken to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire where he was operated on yesterday.
