Today's other stories in brief
Aussies drop six players
Australia selectors have dropped six players for next week's opening Tri-Nations match against South Africa as their build-up to the World Cup starts to intensify.
Digby Ioane, Hugh McMeniman, Rod Blake, James Horwill, Sam Norton-Knight and David Lyons were all left out of a reduced 25-man squad to play the Springboks in Cape Town next week.
Coach John Connolly has spent the past three matches, against Wales (twice) and Fiji, experimenting with different players and combinations but has vowed to pick his best side for the Tri-Nations.
There were no real surprises in the 25-man squad chosen to travel to South Africa, but Connolly said places in the final 30-man World Cup squad were still up for grabs. The squad will not be selected until the Tri-Nations, a home-and-away series with the Springboks and New Zealand, ends in July.
Australia also has a pool of 30 players in the Pacific Nations Cup pressing for selection in the squad and Connolly said some of them would make the World Cup. Injured fullback Chris Latham was overlooked for both squads after undergoing knee surgery earlier in the season, but Connolly said he was on course to make his return before the end of the Tri-Nations.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD: A Ashley-Cooper, A Baxter, M Chisholm, S Cordingley, M Dunning, R Elsom, A Freier, M Gerrard, M Giteau, G Gregan, S Hoiles, J Huxley, S Larkham, D Mitchell, S Moore, S Mortlock, W Palu, B Robinson, N Sharpe, G Shepherdson, G Smith, S Staniforth, L Tuqiri, D Vickerman, P Waugh.
Laporte to be reported
Australian referee Stuart Dickinson is planning to file a report to the International Rugby Board (IRB) following an alleged dispute with France coach Bernard Laporte.
New Zealand's Sunday Star-Times newspaper reported that Laporte approached Dickinson at a Wellington hotel during the week to complain about the referee's handling of the first Test between France and the All Blacks. New Zealand won the match 42-11, but Laporte told a news conference he did not understand some of the referee's rulings.
The newspaper claimed Laporte confronted Dickinson and told the referee the French team would boycott any matches he was put in charge of at this year's World Cup, to be held mostly in France.
Under the IRB's strict code of conduct, players and officials can face stiff penalties if they are found to have threatened, abused or intimidated referees or touch judges, whether the incident happens on the field or off. The Australian Rugby Union referees' boss, Peter Marshall, told reporters yesterday he had spoken to Dickinson about the incident and a report would be forwarded to the IRB, but he would not speculate on whether any action would be taken.
Stade deny Clermont
Stade Français denied Clermont-Auvergne their first domestic title with a 23-18 win in the French rugby championship final at the Stade de France on Saturday.
Clermont, who had played seven previous finals and lost them all, had led throughout the match when Stade Français's Argentine scrumhalf Agustin Pichot burst through the Clermont defence to score the first try 12 minutes from time.
Argentine outhalf Juan Martin Hernandez, who had earlier scored three penalties, converted the try to give the Paris club a 16-15 lead. Six minutes later, Clermont's Australian outhalf, Brock James, put Clermont back in front with his fifth penalty.
Leading 18-16, Clermont, who had scored a first-half drop goal through fullback Anthony Floch, thought they had won. But substitute lock Radike Samo, set up by Pichot, scored a late try, which Hernandez converted to complete the scoreline.
Clermont, who had boosted their morale before their eighth final by knocking out the rugby powerhouse Toulouse in the semi-finals, dominated in the scrums and lineouts and had led 9-0 at half-time.
