Wallace Named in Munster 23

Posted on Mar 9, 2012 in Irish Rugby, Munster, Munsters

David Wallace will make a return to action for Munster when they play Aironi in Parma on Sunday.

Wallace has been named among the replacements while Mike Sherry makes his first start since September having suffered an ankle injury in a club game at that time.

Also included in the starting XV is Simon Zebo who missed the game in Newport through international commitment while Tomas O’Leary’s call up to Ireland side means a place on the bench for Academy player Cathal Sheridan.

Munster: F Jones, D Hurley, S Tokula, L Mafi, S Zebo; S Deasy, D Williams; W du Preez, M Sherry, S Archer; B Holland, M O’Driscoll capt; Dave O’Callaghan, T O’Donnell, P Butler. Replacements: D Fogarty, M Horan, BJ Botha, I Nagle, D Wallace, C Sheridan, I Keatley, L O’Dea.

Dragons team for Blues match

Posted on Nov 4, 2011 in Newport Gwent Dragon, Welsh Rugby

World Cup stars Aled Brew and Lloyd Burns return to regional action at the official opening of the new Bisley Stand as the Dragons take on the Blues Friday (7:05pm, Rodney Parade)

Former Dragons and Newport star Rod Snow will be attending the game as well as former Newport and Springbok sensation Gary Teichmann and Welsh stalwart Max Boyce.

Former Dragons and now World Record holder Richard Parks will also be on Parade as he continues his campaign to raise £1 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care on the back of his extraordinary 737 Challenge.

Representatives from the region’s Premiership teams will be invited to join the Dragons as they look to get another win over their regional rivals and with bonfire night on the 5th, there will be a fireworks display for supporters to admire from the stadium at the end of the game.

The Bisley Stand is part of the Rodney Parade regeneration, set to continue over the coming years has already provided fantastic corporate hospitality and non-match day facilities as well as enhancing the match day experience for supporters on the East side of the ground.

Dragons team for Blues
Martyn Thomas, Tonderai Chavhanga, Adam Hughes, Ashley Smith (c), Aled Brew, Jason Tovey, Wayne Evans, Phil Price, Rhys Buckley, Dan Way, Adam Jones, Scott Morgan, Andrew Coombs, Gavin Thomas, Lewis Evans

Lloyd Burns, Nathan Williams, Nathan Buck, Rob Sidoli, Tom Brown, Joe Bedford, Lewis Robling, Steffan Jones.

Benetton make six changes ahead of Dragons clash

Posted on Apr 1, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

There are six Changes in the Benetton Treviso’s squad that will face the Dragons in Newport this weekend from the last Magners League game against Scarlets.

The Lions will leave tonight for Cardiff, and move onto Newport on Sunday.

In the starting XV Alberto Sgarbi, who suffered back problems in the last Six Nations game against Scotland, returns to action, as does winger Andrew Vilk in the backs.

Several new faces feature in the forwards too. Both locks Antonio Pavanello and Corniel Van Zyl will be back, while Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet will be moved to loose-head prop and Lorenzo Cittadini will feature as tight-head.

In the back row, Manoa Vosawai will play as flanker, while Brendan Williams starts from the bench

Here is the team for the match:

15 Luke McLean
14 Michele Sepe
13 Alberto Sgarbi
12 Gonzalo Garcia
11 Andrew Vilk
10 Kristopher Burton
9 Fabio Semenzato
8 Robert Barbieri
7 Benjamin Vermaak
6 Manoa Vosawai
5 Corniel Van Zyl
4 Antonio Pavanello (captain)
3 Lorenzo Cittadini
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
1 Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet

Replacements:

16 Diego Vidal
17 Michele Rizzo
18 Pedro Di Santo
19 Valerio Bernabò
20 Gonzalo Padrò
21 Paul Derbyshire
22 Simon Picone
23 Brendan Williams

Head Coach: Franco Smith.

Paul Turner relieved of duties as Newport coach

Posted on Jan 28, 2011 in Rugby News

Newport Gwent Dragons Head Coach Paul Turner has been relieved of his duties pending a hearing into disciplinary matters.

A statement from the Dragons says “As previously announced, the region’s LV= Cup games against Sale Sharks this weekend and next weekend’s game against the Scarlets will be led by the assistant coaching team as part of the region’s ongoing policy of coach development.”

The Dragons also said: there will be no further comment on this issue until disciplinary proceedings have been completed.

The action follows a spat with Walesonline reporter Andy Howell, who had questions Turner’s future at the region following a dreadful HEC campaign in which the Dragons failed to chalk up a single win.

Turner’s recent behaviour has been seen as erratic in some quarters – particularly amongst fans. His claims that Dan Lydiate had been injured by Wales following an assessment had been met with incredulity, and prompted the WRU to issue a statement repudiating Turner’s claims.  

Following his award of Magners Coach of the Year last season, all seemed rosy in the garden, but bad results and a poor media image have turned things for the worse.

Plymouth: home at last

Posted on Jan 25, 2011 in Rugby News

Plymouth Albion play their first home match in this season’s British & Irish Cup tonight when they entertain Newport at Brickfields in Pool A (7.45pm).

The match should have been played in December, but Newport were unable to travel to Devon due to bad weather in south Wales.

Unfortunately, now neither Albion nor Newport can progress through to the quarter-finals of the competition.

However, Albion’s chairman of rugby Graham Dawe, whose team have faced tough away trips to Leinster, Cornish Pirates and Worcester in their opening three games, still believes tonight’s the Anglo-Welsh clash will be a competitive affair.

The teams played out a 3-3 draw when they met at Rodney Parade in the cup last season and Albion claimed a narrow one point win when Newport last visited Brickfields in August 2009.

"Although the game won’t have a say on the quarter-final places, I think it will be competitive for the full 80 minutes," said Dawe.

"We will be looking to create a great atmosphere tonight at Brickfields."

Albion will hand first home starts to youngsters Rupert Freestone, Sam Matavesi, Max Venables and Jamie Tripcony.

Teeanger hooker Freestone made his first appearance in an Albion shirt at the weekend against Worcester Warriors at Sixway.

However, Albion, who have an important league match had Doncaster on Saturday, have named the experienced Ryan Hopkins, Tom Skelding, Wayne Sprangle, Sam Hocking, Fionn McLoughlin and Cameron Mitchell in their side. They have also have plenty of exeperience players on the bench for the match.

Tickets for the match can be purchased on the gate starting at £1 for children and £14 for adults.

Albion: M Venables, F McLoughlin, C Mitchell, S Johns, J Coleman, M Lee, T Kessell, M Manton, R Freestone, R Hopkins, J Tripcony, T Skelding, W Sprangle, S Matavesi, S Hocking. Reps: R Cushion, A Davies, K Hallett, D Morton, A Carpenter, D Collier, S-M Stephen.