Koyamaibole gets two week ban

Posted on Jan 12, 2011 in Rugby News

A Rugby Football Union Disciplinary Panel sitting last night (Tuesday, January 11, 2011) at the Haydock Holiday Inn ruled on the citing by independent citing officer Matt Bayliss of Sisa Koyamaibole of Sale Sharks for kicking Saracens’ Richard Wigglesworth during the Aviva Premiership match at Edgeley Park on January 2.

Koyamaibole pleaded guilty to the offence and was suspended for two weeks. He can resume playing on January 26, 2011.

The Panel comprised Antony Davies (Chair), Clif Barker and David MacInnes.

Moseley vs Bedford goes ahead tonight

Posted on Dec 14, 2010 in Rugby News

Moseley’s RFU Championship fixture against Bedford will go ahead as planned with a 7.45pm kick off.

A pitch inspection on Monday proved to be no problem when the iRB standard pitch was found to be in excellent condition. Temperatures last night were similar to Sunday night and therefore there has been no need to call in an RFU referee to adjudicate.

Moseley has announced their team for tonight’s fixture:

1. Craig Voisey; 2.George Warner; 3. Terry Sigley; 4. David Lyons; 5. Richard Stott; 6. Michael Maltman; 7 Chevvy Pennycook; 8. Mark Evans; 9. Ryan De La Harpe; 10. Brad Davies; 11. Edward Styles; 12. Andy Borgen; 13. Bevon Armitage; 14. Mike Gillick; 15. Oliver Thomas;
Replacements: 16. Nathan Williams; 17. Adam Caves; 18. Shaun Knight; 19. Paul Spivey; 20. Ben Pons; 21. Andy Reay; 22. Callum Macburnie

Plymouth looking build on performance

Posted on Sep 10, 2010 in Championship, English Rugby

Plymouth Albion will be hoping to build on last week’s home performance against Worcester Warriors when they travel to Nottingham on Sunday (3pm).

Graham Dawe’s side led the former Premiership club for nearly three quarters of last week’s match, but in the end their resistance was finally ended by three Andy Goode penalties which secured Worcester a 26-19 win.

However, Albion did pick up a valuable bonus point for their efforts and also denied Worcester one.

Dawe is keen for his team to continue that level of performance but he knows it will not be easy at Nottingham.

“Consistency is what you strive for in every rugby team,” said Dawe.

“But Nottingham is going to be a really hard game.

“I don’t think we have ever won a game at Meadow Lane, although we have come close a couple of times.”

Albion’s last win on Nottingham soil came in January 2005 when the Green and Whites were still at Ireland Avenue. However, they could not have come closer to winning at Meadow Lane last season when they went down 20-19 in January, with fly-half Alex Davies coming agonisingly close with two penalties and a drop-goal attempt.

Plymouth, who were able to welcome Davies back last weekend, are still likely to be without club captain Kieran Hallett, long-serving centre Keni Fisilau and props Martin Rice and David Morton.

Lock Dan Collier is also struggling with a shoulder injury he picked up against Worcester last weekend.

Albion and Nottingham have met 14 times in league rugby, with Albion winning eight of those meetings and Nottingham six.

Pirates keen to make it three on the trot at “Mose”

Posted on Sep 10, 2010 in Championship, English Rugby

This coming Saturday sees the Cornish Pirates play their first away game in this season’s RFU Championship. Moseley are their opponents, where the kick off at Billesley Common is at 3pm.

The Pirates have emerged victorious from their last two visits to ‘Mose’, and will be keen to make it three on the trot, but nothing will be taken for granted. The Midlanders appear to have recruited well through head coach Ian Smith, who has former Ireland centre Kevin Maggs working alongside him. A familiar face in their squad is former ‘Pirate’ Ollie Thomas, a fly-half/full-back who has returned to Moseley following a playing spell in France with Le Racing Club Chalonnais.

After losing 29-17 in their opener this season at home to Esher, Moseley followed that result to pick up a worthy 23-16 win away to Doncaster on Saturday.

For their visit to Moseley the Cornish Pirates side shows a number of changes, a number through injury, from the one that won well (22-3) at home to London Welsh on Sunday. In the backs, full-back Grant Pointer makes his first Championship start and Wes Davies is selected on the wing in place of Rhodri McAtee. Tom Luke, who came on as a second half replacement against ‘The Dragons’, partners Matt Hopper in the centre, whilst Rob Cook is selected at fly-half.

Changes in the pack sees Paul Andrew and Carl Rimmer named as props, with Ian Nimmo coming into the side to partner Mike Myerscough in the second-row. One other change is in the back-row, where Sam Betty is selected at open-side flanker in place of Phil Burgess, who is named on the bench.

Cornish Pirates: G. Pointer, W. Davies, M. Hopper, T. Luke, N. Jackson, R. Cook, G. Cattle (capt), B. Cowan, S. Betty, C. Morgan, M. Myerscough, I. Nimmo, Carl Rimmer, D. Ward, P. Andrew.

Replacements: R. Storer, R. Elloway, J. Currie, P. Burgess, K. Marriott, J. Doherty, S. Winn.

In the Rugby Rebels forum

Posted on Feb 18, 2010 in Rugby News

The vexed question of which team should Warren Gatland pick to play Italy is a talking point in the Welsh Message Board (WMB). RR poster “Hook”, poses this question and offers Gatland the following advice:  “I think its important we don’t make the same mistake as Gats did last year but I would make a couple of changes and give some players a chance.” His team for Italy is: Byrne, Halfpenny, Shanklin, Roberts, James, Biggar, Phillips, Jones, Williams, Warbuton, Davies, J Thomas, Jones, Rees, Gill.

HorridM takes issue and says: “I hope we put out a good team for two reasons: 1) We need to build some confidence, 2) I’m going to that game. I can’t see us putting out too weak a team, because if we win our next two games we’ll be playing for the championship, if we don’t win them we’ll need to regain some pride.

Over in the England forum, Sharks fan Tiggers says: Back to proper rugby! Dafydd James makes his home debut and Gavin Kerr starts against his former club. Jones said, “Leeds will be hard to beat. They’ve got a good set piece and they’re desperate for a win. It’s a game that a lot of things hinge on so we really need to improve our discipline in our game. Leeds showed us back in November that they are a good side, but we have trained well this week and my players are ready and prepared for the challenge.”

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