Compiled by JOHN O'SULLIVAN
Rugby speak
“HE’S GOT a lot more skills than me. He’s bigger, stronger and he can kick a lot further. I’m a dinosaur compared to him. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. I like the way he plays. He has time and space to do things, which is a sign of a real quality player. He’s only 22 and has heaps of improvement in him. That’s what’s exciting.”
– The legendary Australian scrumhalf George Gregan talking about the national side’s current number nine, Will Genia.
Bizarre case of Salut's broken ankle against Scotland
JOHN GRIFFITHS came up with the following anecdote on scrum.com in response to a query about which player had broken an ankle when running out to play a Test match in what has to be one of the most bizarre episodes in Five Nations Championship lore. Griffiths explains: “The player in mind is probably Jean Salut, a blond flanker of Russian ancestry who played for France when they won their first Grand Slam in 1968. Picked to play against Scotland in Paris in France’s opening Five Nations match of 1969, he featured alongside captain Christian Carrère on the official team photograph taken half-an-hour before kick-off, but twisted his ankle in the dressing room warming up.
“He was immediately given a pain-killing injection and prepared to take the field. Then, as he was running onto the pitch at Stade Colombes, he went over on his ankle on the steps leading up from the tunnel to the field and fell heavily to ground. He was immediately withdrawn and France completely reorganised their pack.”
Ulster unhappy with referee
SCOTTISH REFEREE Andy Macpherson certainly didn’t endear himself to the Ravenhill faithful during Ulster’s 33-24 defeat to the Cardiff Blues. Having denied Ulster a perfectly legitimate try – he basically was poorly positioned and while not exactly impeding Cardiff defenders he got in the way – when David Pollock drove over from a close-in ruck early on in the game.
That was bad enough from the side’s perspective but there were two and possibly three occasions when Cardiff deliberately transgressed at a ruck and the offender should have been dismissed to the sin bin. Instead Macpherson – after a third glaring offence – warned Cardiff that he would send the next transgressor to the sin bin.
This came after what basically equated to a professional foul in the shadow of the Cardiff posts and once again underlined the sheer inconsistency in approach from officials. Contrast this attitude with French referee Romain Poite who presided over Munster’s 16-15 defeat to Leinster at Thomond Park and who brandished three yellow cards: no messing and all three quibble-free.
Northampton win despite resting number of players
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS managed a 14-7 victory away to Leeds Carnegie ahead of next Saturday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Munster at Thomond Park. The visitors opted to rest a number of players including England hooker Dylan Hartley – he didn’t make the match 22 – while others like former Ulster flanker Neil Best, Tongan prop Soane Tonga’uiha, Shane Geraghty and Jon Clarke started on the bench.
Roger Wilson lined out at number eight with James Downey playing alongside Joe Ansbro in the centre.
Interestingly Leeds Carnegie included former Leinster prop, the Argentine Juan Gomez playing at tighthead.
Jowitt helps Waratahs to top
THE WARATAHS victory over the Cheetahs at the weekend has seen them climb to the top of the Super 14 table. Included in the Australian franchise’s squad, and a player who according to local reports has done very well for them since signing up, is one Cameron Jowitt.
The New Zealand-born secondrow-cum-flanker will be well known to Leinster fans from his time with the province. He hasn’t played in the last couple of matches because of injury.
