NEWS/Round-up: David Wallace has suffered a minor setback on his road to full recovery from a pre-season shoulder operation, which will sideline him for up to a month, although Munster are still hopeful of having the Irish flanker available to them after their Heineken Cup quarter-final away to Leicester on April 12th should they progress to the last four.
"David had a clean out, and had the screw removed after it became affected, while there was also some fluid in there," said Munster coach Alan Gaffney yesterday. "He was operated on last week and will have another two weeks before contact, and four before returning to play."
Further down the line, the signs are that the Munster captain Jim Williams will end specualtion about his future by agreeing to a one-year extension on his existing contract after this season.
As the World Cup clashes with the Celtic League, and will also raise doubts as to the availability of the province's internationals for the start of the European Cup two weeks after the World Cup final, the need to retain Williams has intensified, and the 34-year-old back rower himself is keen to play for one more season.
Munster will prepare for the European Cup quarter-finals by hosting the Scottish Borders next Wednesday in Thomond Park, while Leinster will travel to London for a friendly with Wasps. In both games, the protagonists will be without their international players.
Following on from the recent successes of the Irish rugby team, the Irish Rugby Union Players Association (IRUPA) has announced that it will be hosting the first IRUPA Mira Rugby Players Awards. They will take place on May 8th at the Burlington Hotel, Dublin.
Money raised through the awards ceremony will go towards the IRUPA Injured Players' Fund.
There will be five award categories culminating in the main award of the IRUPA Mira Players' Player of the Year 2003, for the player who has excelled above all others in provincial and/or international matches.
The five award categories are: Players' Player of the Year, Unsung Hero of the Year, Hall of Fame Award, Young Player of the Year and Try of the Year. All the professional rugby players who are members of IRUPA will cast their votes for the award categories.
Meanwhile, the IRFU Director of Rugby Development, Eddie Wigglesworth, has issued a directive to all Provincial Branch honorary secretaries, Branch chief executives, clubs and schools honorary secretaries, referee honorary secretaries and IRFU referee panels, that it is essential that clubs, coaches and referees must enforce the laws relating to non-contested scrums in the event of a front row having no designated replacement for a position in the event of injury or yellow or red cards.
"It is imperative that clubs and coaches appreciate the safety element of this process," said a statement issued on Wigglesworth's behalf yesterday, "and the necessity therein to ensure that only suitably trained and experienced players are selected to play in the front row, or selected as front row replacements."
Toulouse outhalf Frederic Michalak has been called up to replace Francois Gelez in a 22-man France squad to tackle Italy in the Six Nations championship on March 23rd.
