Knights team to play the Bees

Posted on Oct 15, 2010 in Rugby News

The Doncaster Knight’s team to play the Bees this Saturday shows two changes from the side that lost at London Welsh last Saturday. In the backs Ollie Goss comes in at centre to replace Chris Briers who is still suffering from the after effects of the stomach bug that he picked up last weekend whilst, in the pack, Stuart Corsar is preferred to Dan Frazier at prop.

The continuing partnerships of Hallam and Roberts, Flockhart and Williams and Kenworthy and Challinor continue to provide stability and the Knights look to add consistency to their game.

The team is:

15 Steve McColl
14 Dougie Flockhart
13 Oli Goss
12 PJ Gidlow
11 Matt Williams
10 Tristan Roberts
9 Chris Hallam
1 Stuart Corsar
2 Steve Boden
3 Michael Cusack
4 Matt Challinor
5 Glen Kenworthy
6 Andy Boyde
7 Neil Cochrane (c)
8 Ed Jackson
16 Steve Lawrie
17 Lewis Thiede
18 Dom Parsons
19 Zack Farivarz
20 Peter Jericevich
21 Christian Lewis-Pratt
22 Andy Wright

HEC: Edinburgh look to make it 4 out of 5 at Cardiff

Posted on Oct 8, 2010 in Rugby News

Edinburgh head coach Rob Moffat wants his players to build on the back-to-back victories recorded against Leinster and Aironi and hit the ground running in the club’s first Heineken Cup pool fixture away at Cardiff Blues on Saturday (kick-off 5.45pm). Edinburgh go into the match buoyed by their recent Magners League double success, and with an enviable record in the Welsh capital of late. Moffat’s side have won on three of their last four visits to Cardiff, including victories in the last competitive match played at the Arms Park and the first at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The Murrayfield head coach has backed his players to seize on those memories and construct the sort of fast start so crucial to a successful European campaign. He said: “We go to Cardiff in a very positive frame of mind after the last couple of games, and mindful of the fact that in this competition, how you fare in the first couple of matches is crucial.

“We can take a lot of confidence from the fact we won all our home pool games last season, but we know the next step is picking up points on the road.

“We’ve done well in Cardiff in the recent past and I’ve been really struck by the determination of the guys to maintain that record and get our campaign off to a positive start.

“There’s been an edge to training this week, just what you would want in the run-up to such an important game. It’s now about carrying that into the match itself and making sure we come away with the right result.”

Moffat has today named a 25-man squad for the fixture. Chris Paterson returns to the fold after missing the win over Aironi because of a foot injury, while Mike Blair, who was withdrawn from the replacements bench for that game after sustaining a slight tweak to his hamstring, is also included.

Back-row forwards Ross Rennie and Netani Talei, neither of whom featured in Italy, are both in the squad, alongside wing/centre David Bishop, who joined Edinburgh on a three-month contract earlier this week.

Moffat will confirm his starting line-up tomorrow. The head coach said: “It’s good to have so many guys putting their hand up for selection.

“This is the sort of game that every player wants to be a part of, and the team we send out on Saturday will be absolutely raring to go.

“It’s vital that we set a positive tone for the campaign as a whole, and set ourselves up well for when we come back to Murrayfield to play Northampton next week (Saturday 16 October, kick-off 1.30pm).” 

EDINBURGH SQUAD FOR HEINEKEN CUP POOL 1 MATCH AGAINST CARDIFF BLUES, SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER, CARDIFF CITY STADIUM, KICK-OFF 5.45PM (LIVE ON SKY SPORTS VIA RED BUTTON)

BACKS: Chris Paterson, Jim Thompson, Mark Robertson, Tim Visser, Ben Cairns, Alex Grove, James King, David Bishop, David Blair, Mike Blair, Greig Laidlaw

FORWARDS: Allan Jacobsen, Geoff Cross, Kyle Traynor, David Young, Jack Gilding, Ross Ford, Andrew Kelly, Scott MacLeod, Fraser McKenzie, Craig Hamilton, Netani Talei, Alan Macdonald, Ross Rennie, Roddy Grant.

Chris Jones returns for Sharks

Posted on Oct 8, 2010 in Rugby News

Chris Jones returns to play for Sale Sharks for the first time since April against Cetransa El Salvador in the Amlin Challenge Cup at Edgeley Park tomorrow (7.45 p.m.). Chris Brightwell will make his senior debut for the club and is set be joined by Simon McIntyre and Fergus Mulchrone, if they are called onto the pitch from the bench. Charlie Hodgson makes a his second appearance on his comeback from a minor shoulder operation. Sharks will have to play without captain James Gaskell, who suffered an ankle ligament injury in training last Monday, and could be out for some weeks.

Sharks Team:

Nick Macleod; Tom Brady, Chris Bell, Anitelea Tuilagi, Ben Cohen; Charlie Hodgson, Will Cliff; Lee Imiolek, Marc Jones (capt.), Jack Forster, Wame Lewaravu,  Chris Jones, Chris Brightwell , Neil McMillan, Sisaro Koyamaibole.

Replacements: Neil Briggs, Simon McIntyre, Karena Wihongi, Nic Rouse, Sean Cox, Chris Leck, Rob Miller, Fergus Mulchrone.

Young Knights out to tame Warriors

Posted on Sep 24, 2010 in Rugby News

With lock Glen Kenworthy and prop Stuart Corsar joining the Knights’ injury list, Director of Rugby Lynn Howells makes a number of changes to the side that narrowly lost to Bedford last weekend.
In the backs, Howells is able to keep faith with most of the backs who played against Bedford, the only exception being on the wing where Oli Goss, fit again after concussion, replaces Andy Wright. In the pack Matt Challinor, back after an ankle injury, comes in for Kenworthy whilst Irishman Shane Cahill replaces Corsar on the bench. In the back row, Howells gives a first start to 19 year old Chris Walker, last season’s England Under 18 captain, who they have on a dual registration agreement with Leeds. He comes in for Andy Boyde who replaces him on the bench. Also on the Knight’s bench is 21 year old scrum half Peter Jericevich, who is with them on a short term loan from Glasgow, covering for the injured Nathan Jones.
Doncaster Knight’s team:
15 Steve McColl
14 Oli Goss
13 Chris Briers
12 PJ Gidlow
11 Matt Williams
10 Tristan Roberts
9 Chris Hallam
1 Dan Frazier
2 Steve Boden
3 Michael Cusack
4 Matt Challinor
5 James Craig
6 Chris Walker
7 Neil Cochrane (Capt)
8 Ed Jackson
16 Tom Doughty
17 Lewis Thiede
18 Shane Cahill
19 Dom Parsons
20 Andy Boyde
21 Peter Jericevich
22 Dougie Flockhart

Bristol Chairman puts the record straight

Posted on Sep 22, 2010 in Rugby News

Bristol Rugby Chairman Chris Booy has released a statement on the Club’s current position.

“Not a great start to the season by a long, long way. I felt that we should have won against Rotherham and could have won at Esher. However the first-half performance against Doncaster was unacceptable. We were infinitely better at Moseley on Saturday and the boys put in a very spirited and committed performance and probably deserved to win rather than just draw.

I’m sure we are all disappointed by these opening results, but I know that Paul Hull and the rest of his coaching team are working hard to put things right. We all need to show our support now, as the difficult times we have had lately affect everyone right across the Club.

There has been much comment and speculation about the squad and our financial security. So let me take this opportunity to put the record straight about where we are now that the dust has settled a little, following the disastrous end to last season. We had a very reasonable expectation of promotion, right up to that last game, and we had built the foundations of a squad for the Premiership. We were faced by a difficult choice – we had to sign the players before we were promoted or risk losing them all. As I have said before, the players that have gone – and indeed many of those still with us – are Premiership players and were desperate to play for Bristol in the top flight. However, we were unable to give them what they needed, and all those who left did so with our full support and best wishes.

Everything we planned and budgeted for was done so within our expected means at the time. Again, as I have said on numerous occasions, I lead a Board of Directors all fully committed to the idea that we only spend what we can afford and that the Club’s survival into the future is the most important thing we can leave as our legacy. To keep the Club functioning, there still requires a not inconsiderable input from a few generous and committed benefactors. What we bring in through the incomes streams of gates, season tickets, merchandise etc. does not meet our outgoings. Nevertheless, we currently have this shortfall under control and can manage it if we achieve our budgets and our predicted gates. Again I would like to thank everyone who contributes to Bristol Rugby in whatever capacity.

The cuts we made, the tough decisions we took were all essential for our survival – never easy in any aspect of business and in sport it’s no different.

The fact is we need far greater investment than we can currently generate in our ground, and through the league we find ourselves in for a second year. The Board I lead are not without ambition, and as all of us are committed supporters of our great Club, we want the best. We want Bristol to be in the top flight, competing in the highest league and competitions. To achieve this we will need, as we have stated before, to generate significant additional income. We are always trying to find ways of funding our ambitions but with rugby’s finances the way they are there is no magic idea we have missed or no clever marketing or sales ploy that will suddenly provide what we need. It will take a cash injection from an individual/group of individuals who can afford to support the ambition for the top tier of the game. We need investment, and I will repeat again that the current management and myself will happily work with a new group or even step aside if new investors come forward.

I am not at all disheartened by where we are. I think our Academy is producing some really exciting talent and, for me they have been the highlight of the season so far. With the cuts we had to make, we did ring fence the Academy and the contributions the lads are making on the pitch shows to me that in supporting the future, we did the right thing. It is worth remembering that three of our starting front five on Saturday were nineteen and twenty year olds. The rugby in the Championship is very tough, the standard is excellent and I still believe a top four finish is a realistic goal with the squad we have. We still have some of our senior players injured – Darren Crompton, Ross Johnson, Nathan Budget and Robbie Shaw – but they are all on the mend and will be playing again in the next four to six weeks.

We need every player focussed and fully committed to what we are trying to build at Bristol. We need sponsors and business in Bristol to come and watch us, but above all we need our supporters to come and watch – bring your mates, bring the family – why not start this Sunday with our home game against the Cornish Pirates? To our players, I say let’s put in performances that make us all proud to be part of Bristol Rugby.”

About Chris Booy OBE

Chris Booy was Group Chairman of Symonds Group which was sold to Capita in 2004. He is now non-executive Chairman at Capita Symonds. Other professional interests include Speedcheck Services, Dalkia Energy Management and GWE Business West. Chris’ community and charitable interests include the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust and the Bristol Rugby Club. Chris is also a governor at the University West of England and Colston’s School.

He has a successful track record in obtaining and delivering a wide variety of major projects. Notable amongst these are the MoD Procurement Executive HQ at Abbeywood, Bristol and the new Wembley National Stadium.