THE WALES scrum-half, Robert Howley, is taking legal advice after being fined £2,000 for breaching his contract with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) by wearing kit at a training session which carried the logo of a rival company to the national side's kit supplier, Reebok.
The WRU's director of rugby, Terry Cobner, said after yesterday's announcement of the Wales team to face France in Paris next week that he could not comment on the Howley case because it was sub judice.
"Both Robert and I are disappointed at the failure to defeat Ireland and we are both concentrating on winning in Paris in nine days time," said Cobner.
This is the latest embarrassment since Reebok became the WRU's kit supplier last October. The emerging Wales centre Leigh Davies, was fined £2,000 in December after being pictured wearing a rival manufacturer's kit, while the Wales Schools side could not have an official team picture taken before their international against Scotland Schools last month because they were wearing track suits provided by the union's previous supplier.
Howley was named in a Wales side which showed two changes from the team beaten by Ireland in Cardiff last weekend. Allan Bateman has been recalled to the centre, subject to a fitness test following his knee operation, at the expense of Gareth Thomas, who moves to the left wing in place of Dafydd James who is demoted to the Emerging Wales side.
The Wales coach, Kevin Bowring, resisted the temptation to change a pack which performed fitfully against Ireland and which, in the areas of ball retention and restarts, has made little progress this season.
"The Ireland defeat was disappointing," said Bowring, "but we played well in the second half and have to make sure we start playing for 80 minutes. Individual forwards were criticised, but they did a lot of unseen work.
"I have a lot of admiration for France and it will be a hot atmosphere in Paris. They have a number of injury problems, but they play the game in the right way."
England have resisted the temptation to tinker with a winning formula, and named an unchanged side for the visit to Lansdowne Road. Jack Rowell, the England coach, admitted the selectors had not considered alternative options at any length, giving a solid vote of confidence to the side that beat Scotland 41-13 last Saturday.
For the moment at least, long running debates over the composition of the back row, the half-backs and the midfield have been set to one side in the wake of England's biggest championship win, which was also their eighth successive triumph over the Scots.
Critics of Rowell's selection policy in those potentially contentious areas have been silenced by excellent individual performances from the new cap, Richard Hill, the out-half, Paul Grayson, and the former England captain Will Carling.
"We are asking the same team to carry on the good work they achieved in the final quarter of the Scotland game," explained Rowell, referring indirectly to the three tries and two conversions England scored in a remarkable five-minute fusillade.
The six replacements are also unchanged, notwithstanding the credible claims of the scrum-hall, Kyran Bracken, and the centre, Will Greenwood, who both impressed in the 52-17 victory over Scotland in Friday's A international.
One thing that will change next week is the location of England's training camp before they fly to Dublin from Heathrow on Thursday. Bisham Abbey, the customary HQ, will be taken over by the England soccer team during the build-up to Wednesday's World Cup match against Italy at Wembley.
Rowell will keep his fingers crossed that his match squad of 21 players comes through tomorrow's programme of club fixtures unscathed. More than half the squad are involved in two games, Bath's sixth round Pilkington Cup tie at home to Leicester and Northampton's Courage League clash with Saracens at Franklin's Gardens. Five members of the Ireland squad will also play in the same two matches.
