Dai Young previews Saracens clash

Posted on Mar 26, 2013 in London Wasps

London Wasps Director of Rugby Dai Young previews this weekend’s Aviva Premiership game against Saracens (Saturday, March 30th, Adams Park, 15.00)

Wasps welcome table toppers Saracens to Adams Park this weekend aiming to bounce back from a last second heart-breaking defeat to Northampton Saints last time out.

Young conceded that a positive result last weekend would have given his side an unlikely win, but added that plenty of hard work this week will prepare his side well for the leading side in the league.

“We were out muscled last weekend and you can’t say that Northampton hadn’t done enough to win it. But we showed our ability to play some really high quality rugby to get back into it and we had our noses in front going into last few minutes. We couldn’t quite hold onto the field position we needed to win it, but after a rocky start we did get stuck in with a great crowd behind us.”

Young said that the hard work this weekend will start up front.

“We have had a tough time of it in specific areas up front in the last few games and teams are starting to target us. The boys were very disappointed with that in our review this week and we’re working incredibly hard to get that right because we know if we do we have a chance of winning any game with the kind of ability we have in attack when we get good ball”

He also praised the form of Saracens of late.

“They are going very well and are showing as well a real willingness to play wider. But we know as well they will be incredibly physical so the battle will start for us up front.”

Munster Match Day Squad (v Connacht)

Posted on Mar 21, 2013 in Munster

Paul O’Connell is back in the starting XV for the first time since October and all credit to the Munster Medical and S&C staff for having him back weeks ahead of schedule.

Rob Penney has made just three changes from the side that drew with Ospreys, all those up front and more specifically in the back five.

Not surprisingly O’Connell’s return forces Billy Holland to the bench and just as unsurprisingly Donncha O’Callaghan gets to partner him while in the backrow Sean Dougall returns to the starting line-up for the first time since the January 9th League encounter with Edinburgh.

The backline remains the same as does the front row while Niall Ronan is included in the match day squad for the first time since November.

Munster: F Jones; D Howlett, C Laulala, J Downey, D Hurley; R O’Gara, C Sheridan; D Kilcoyne,D Varley, S Archer; Donncha O’Callaghan, P O’Connell; T O’Donnell, S Dougall, J Coughlan. Replacements: M Sherry, W du Preez, BJ Botha, B Holland, N Ronan, D Williams, I Keatley, I Dineen.

Five of seven internationals return for Zebre

Posted on Mar 21, 2013 in Zebre

After two weeks of stop action due to the 6 Nations final rounds, the RaboDirect PRO12 is back in action in Parma where Zebre will try once more to find its first ever win in the competition.

Tomorrow night at 7pm local time the welsh side Scarlets trying to avoid defeat and obtain crucial points for the playoff battle. Zebre technical staff decided to maintain the same back line of last appearance in Galway where the white & black striped boys were so close to a win.

International centre Garcia is not selected and leaves his place to the other international Venditti who returns for the Parma based outfit after scoring the only try of last Saturday’s historical win for Italy against Ireland. The speedy duo Sinoti-Sarto is confirmed in the back three, along with the fullback Benettin. In the halves Chillon and Buso are paired together.

In the front row the Irish prop Ryan is drafted in along with Aguero while the hooker will be Festuccia with his 13th appearance in the RaboDirect PRO12. In the second row Zebre Rugby’s ambassador Marco Bortolami is ruled out of the game with a light injury after gaining 4 competitive starts. His number 5 shirt is taken by Sole who switches from the back row. He will pair with Italian international Geldenhuys. The Italian pack is completed by the South African Van Schalkwyk at number 8 while either side of him will be flankers Caffini and Bergamasco, skipper of the Zebre tomorrow night for the third time.

Bergamasco, 93 caps with Italy, spoke this morning about the tomorrow game with the Italian press :”We surely put on the field our best to face this hard challenge. We need our best ever performance to obtain our goal : the first victory of the season that we miss by inches in the last appearances. We will maintain the same spirit and competitive approach we had before the international games’ stop. The Scarlets have a great roster and a very intelligent way of play, absolutely effective with their backs. We must take the maximum possession not to give the welsh side clean opportunity to counter attack us in the open space with turn-overs. Less mistakes and more possession, this is our target”.

Here’s Zebre Rugby line-up for Friday night game at the Stadio XXV Aprile in Parma facing the Scarlets in the 18th Round of the RaboDirect PRO12 :

15 Alberto BENETTIN*

14 Leonardo SARTO*

13 Matteo PRATICHETTI

12 Giovanbattista VENDITTI

11 Sinoti SINOTI

10 Paolo BUSO

9 Alberto CHILLON*

8 Andries VAN SCHALKWYK

7 Mauro BERGAMASCO

6 Emiliano CAFFINI*

5 Josh SOLE

4 Quintin GELDENHUYS

3 David RYAN

2 Carlo FESTUCCIA

1 Matias AGUERO

Replacements :

16 Andrea MANICI*

17 Andrea DE MARCHI

18 Luciano LEIBSON

19 Michael VAN VUREN

20 Filippo CRISTIANO

21 Tito TEBALDI

22 Luciano ORQUERA

23 Roberto QUARTAROLI*

Coach. Christian GAJAN

* Former member of the Italian Rugby Union academy "Ivan Francescato" of Tirrenia.

Not available for selection through injury : Marco BORTOLAMI, Nicola CATTINA, Filippo CAZZOLA*, Carlo FAZZARI*, Daniel HALANGAHU, Luca REDOLFINI.

Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 45th competition game) 2nd with Zebre after the Parma game of Heineken Cup Vs Biarritz

Assistant Referees: Stefano Pennè, Stefano Roscini (both FIR)

Citing Commissioner: Alberto Recaldini (FIR)

TMO: Carlo Damasco (FIR)

RaboDirect PRO12 Round 18 Previews

Posted on Mar 19, 2013 in RaboDirect Pro12

With just five rounds left to decide which teams will contest the Play-Offs, there is a new leader of the RaboDirect PRO12  with Glasgow Warriors  taking over the mantle from Ulster, whilst  for the fourth round in succession, Ospreys swapped places with Scarlets in the Play-Off Zone.

Three of those teams are in action on Friday night; Ulster traveling to Edinburgh, Ospreys hosting Welsh rivals Newport Gwent Dragons, and Scarlets in Italy to face Zebre.

Edinburgh can do their Scottish neighbours, Warriors, a favour if they can defeat Ulster however their record against the Ulstermen is not great. Meanwhile Ospreys and Scarlets must both be looking to come away with maximum points from opponents who are sitting at the wrong end of the table in their bids to reach the Play-Offs.

The leaders, Glasgow Warriors, are not in action until Saturday, and are the only one of the potential Play-Off teams to face another side from the top half of the table when the visit Leinster at the RDS.  Munster will also be looking for maximum points in the All-Irish clash against Connacht if they are to make a final push for the knockout stages.

With just two points separating the top three teams in the table, whilst it is even closer for the final Play-Off spot, there is definitely all to play for still as the RaboDirect PRO12 enters its closing stages.

Josh Lewsey joins Cornish Pirates

Posted on Mar 14, 2013 in Cornish Pirates

Former British Lion and World Cup Winner with England Josh has joined Cornish Pirates on a consultative and part time basis working on behalf of OJL Ltd from April-September to bring his own unique brand of management skills to the club. Lewsey will be working as Pirates’ ACTING CEO/PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR. He replaces Rod Coward, who has moved to one side to concentrate on other projects.

Lewsey has been tasked with:

• Reviewing the existing on field and related organisational performance and existing marketing and commercial performance.
• Establishing a clear brand strategy, initiate the administration appointments required to deliver on this including the search for a new full time CEO.
• Liaising with the key stakeholders in the stadium development such as the Council and Inox.
• Liaising with Rod on his area of responsibility covering ground developments, the RFU and squad signings for next season.

A spokesman for the club said: “I can think of nobody better worldwide who would bring what we now need at the Pirates to progress further as a professional rugby club on and off the field.”