European Rugby
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie was ruled out of the rest England’s tour of New Zealand, after injuring his knee in training last week.
The uncapped Exeter forward was part of the England squad that flew to New Zealand late last month, but played no part in the tourists’ 15-20 loss to the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday.
“Unfortunately he has not been able to take a full part in training,” England coach Stuart Lancaster said.
Chiliboy Ralepelle
Springbok Mahlatse “Chiliboy” Ralepelle faces a two year suspension after reportedly testing positive for a banned substance in France.
Ralepelle, who is currently recovering from a knee injury, was tested out of competition, with his A sample containing traces of Drostanalone, an anabolic steroid that is often used in bodybuilding.
The French daily L’equipe reported Saturday that Ralepelle was now “under investigation” and his club had been informed of the positive test.
Dan Lydiate
Dan Lydiate will captain Wales in their opening game in South Africa against Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.
The British and Irish Lions flanker has recovered from a hamstring injury to lead a match day squad that includes all four uncapped players who have made the journey to South Africa.
Three of those players are named in Warren Gatland’s starting XV with Matthew Morgan lining up at full-back, Steven Shingler at inside centre and Jordan Williams on the wing.
They are joined in the backline by Cardiff Blues duo Alex Cuthbert and Cory Allen as well as James Hook and Rhodri Williams at half back.
Philippe Saint-Andre
French coach Philippe Saint-Andre spoke of the ‘panic’ in his team, but it appears he may well be ready to hit the panic-button himself.
Saint-Andre made it clear he will wield the axe as France seek to keep their three-Test series alive against Australia in Melbourne next week.
Les Bleus were outclassed by a rampant Australia, who won 50-23 in the opening Test in Brisbane ate the weekend – with the Wallabies scoring seven tries.
Stuart Lancaster
England coach Stuart Lancaster faced a selection headache Sunday as he rued the missed opportunity of a rare Test win over the All Blacks in New Zealand.
Lancaster said he was mulling whether to give his combative second-stringers another crack after they were eclipsed 20-15 in the first Test, or to unleash many of England’s “quality players” who only arrived in New Zealand last week.
While Conrad Smith’s try in the dying minutes gave the All Blacks victory in Auckland on Saturday, the match statistics were heavily tilted in England’s favour.
USA (3) 6 / 24 (17) Scotland (Final Score)
The USA Eagles and Scotland did battle in the June Internationals at
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston at 02:30 SA Time (01:30 BST, 00:30 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast by Universal Sports and streamed Live online on dailyrecord.co.uk.
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Argentina (10) 17 / 29 (11) Ireland (Final Score)
The Argentinian Pumas and Ireland did battle in the June Internationals at
Estadio Centenario, Resistencia at 20:40 SA Time (15:40 ARG Time, 19:40 BST, 18:40 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Wallabies (29) 50 / 23 (9) France (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and France did battle in the June Internationals at
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane at 12:05 SA Time (20:05 AEST, 12:05 French Time, 10:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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All Blacks (9) 20 / 15 (9) England (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and England did battle in the June Internationals at
Eden Park, Auckland at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 08:35 BST, 07:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Saracens forward Hayden Smith has been restored to the USA side to face Scotland, while Seattle fly-half Shalom Siniula will be handed his first start.
Siniula is rewarded for a try in the second leg after earning his first two caps in the World Cup qualifying victory over Uruguay.
Seattle lock Louis Stanfill was preferred to Smith for the second leg.
But Smith returns alongside Stanfill in a XV that includes six players who ply their trade in England.
We’ve already seen the matches of Round 2 of the 2014 Junior World Championships on TV on Friday 6 June, but Saturdat 7 June sees the proper start of the June Internationals, with 4 of those international Tests broadcast live on TV in South Africa.
These Fixtures will of course also be handled as Live Game Articles right here on your favourite rugby website, Rugby-Talk.
The action is kicked off at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 08:40 BST, 07:35 GMT) between the All Blacks vs England, followed by the Wallabies vs France at 11:40 SA Time (19:40 AEST, 09:40 France Time & GMT).
The Springboks vs the World XV side follows at 17:00 SA Time (15:00 GMT).
At 20:40 SA Time (15:40 ARG Time, 19:40 BST, 18:40 GMT) we see Argentina vs Ireland.
Head coach Vern Cotter has named three starting debutants in his first Scotland selection for this Saturday’s summer Test match against USA in Houston, Texas (7 June, kick-off 7.30pm local time, 1.30am BST, 2.30an SA Time). The match will be streamed live on dailyrecord.co.uk.
Glasgow Warriors pair Gordon Reid (prop) and Finn Russell (stand-off), and London Irish back-row, Blair Cowan, will start their first international outing at the BBVA Compass Stadium, while prop Alex Allan (Glasgow Warriors) and scrum-half Grayson Hart (Edinburgh Rugby) could debut from the bench.
James Haskell
Loose forward James Haskell has been recalled to England’s starting team after an absence of 12 months for the opening match of their three-Test series against New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday.
The 29-year-old Haskell will start at blindside flank for Stuart Lancaster’s side, who have been shorn of several of their first-choice players due to the late arrival of 16 members of the squad after the English Premiership final at the weekend.
Just seven of Saturday’s lineup started against Italy in their final Six Nations match in March, though the return of British and Irish Lions players Geoff Parling and Manu Tuilagi will undoubtedly strengthen the team.
Quintin Geldenhuys
Quintin Geldenhuys, who on Saturday will captain Italy for the first time against Fiji, is looking to start off with a bang.
Geldenhuys leads a team that has plenty of experience, especially in the scrum, but one noticeable absentee is usual captain Sergio Parisse.
Jacques Brunel spoke of his teams experience as well as its enthusiasm.
The late Kenny Nuzum’s son – Andrew
Shontayne Hape
While rugby spent the past week looking back on the glorious careers of two of its departing heroes, Jonny Wilkinson and Brian O’Driscoll, there was forensic analysis of a very different kind going on elsewhere close to the game.
Last Tuesday morning, at the Coroners Court in Dublin, it was found that a former amateur rugby player, whose family had donated his brain for research, had died prematurely because of repeated blows to the head on the field during his rugby years.
The coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, accepted evidence from two neuropathology experts, one of whom was Dr Willie Stewart, a consultant neuropathologist at Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital and a world leader in the examination of head trauma of sport.
The findings were that Kenny Nuzum, a prop forward with the Lansdowne club in Dublin and a former team-mate of the legendary Moss Keane, passed away in March last year because of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In layman’s terms, punch-drunk syndrome.
Les Bleus coach Phillipe Saint-Andre pulled a major surprise on Wednesday by leaving out tour captain Thierry Dusautoir.
There was however room in the starting line up for mercurial vetern flyhalf, Frederic Michalak.
Dusautoir, the 2011 player of the year underwent surgery to his left arm after tearing his bicep during this year’s French Top 14 competition and is still regaining full power.
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt was forced to make two changes to his travelling squad prior to their departure for the tour of Argentina.
Versatile back Keith Earls has been ruled out due to illness (gastroenteritis), while prop Martin Moore, who helped Leinster retain the PRO12 title, will not travel as he is nursing a fractured toe.
Tom Heathcote
Edinburgh Rugby are delighted to announce the signing of 22-year-old Scotland stand-off Tom Heathcote, from Bath Rugby, on a one-year deal to 2015.
Born in Inverness, Heathcote won his first cap for the nation as a replacement in the 2012 EMC Test against Tonga at Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen.
He was selected in Scotland’s 2013 RBS 6 Nations squad and subsequently started at stand-off for Scotland A, kicking eight points in the 13-9 win over England Saxons, the side’s first win on English soil.
He then went on to make two starts for Scotland in the 2013 summer quadrangular tournament against Samoa and Italy, and is considered one of the brightest young contenders for the national number 10 jersey.
Bryan Habana, Bakkies Botha, Juan Smith & Danie Rossouw at Toulon
Toulon’s South African contingent capped an unbelievably successful seven days by lifting the Bouclier de Brennus shield in Paris, after defeating Castres 18-10 in the Top 14 Final to go with their Heineken Cup title.
Former England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson was given the perfect send-off by Bakkies Botha, Juan Smith, Craig Burden and Bryan Habana, who all started the final, with Danie Rossouw and Michael Claassens appearing off the bench.
The match was Rossouw’s last before retirement and brings down the curtain on a truly glorious career in which he was won every trophy available to him, from league titles in Japan, France and Super Rugby to two Heineken Cups and of course the Rugby World Cup and old Tri-Nations.
England head coach Stuart Lancaster has added 16 players to their New Zealand tour squad after Northampton Saints and Saracens completed their domestic season.
The 16 players have been drawn from Aviva Premiership finalists Northampton Saints and Saracens, along with Bath Rugby’s Anthony Watson and Harlequins’ Kyle Sinckler, will fly to New Zealand on Monday night and arrive in Auckland on Wednesday morning.
England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster said, “We are looking forward to the guys flying in and adding to the group. ”
The Barbarians went some way to restoring their reputation with a 39-29 win over an unfamiliar-looking England at Twickenham on Sunday.
Following the invitational team’s much-criticised display in a 59-8 thrashing by the British and Irish Lions in Hong Kong last year, England’s 2003 World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward labelled the match “a waste of time”.
But in front of a crowd of more than 50,000, the Barbarians ran in five tries from Benson Stanley, Juan-Martin Hernandez, Mamuka Gorgodze and Hosea Gear, who crossed twice.
England were fielding what was, effectively, a ‘Fourth XV’, with Stuart Lancaster’s initial squad already in New Zealand ahead of next week’s first Test against the world champion All Blacks and players involved in Saturday’s Premiership final between Northampton and Saracens not considered for this match.
Zane Kirchner was in fine form for Leinster
It was a solemn farewell for Brian O’Driscoll but an electric Zane Kirchner ensured the Leinster legend bowed out with back-to-back RaboDirect PRO12 titles.
O’Driscoll, playing in his last professional match, was forced off the pitch early on at a sun-soaked RDS but Kirchner lifted Leinster spirits with a try before setting up Shane Jennings in the first half.
Finn Russell ensured Glasgow Warriors were never too far off the pace with an accurate kicking display but Kirchner crossed over again late on before Gordon D’Arcy completed the scoring to make it 34-12.
Jonny Wilkinson for Toulon in the 2014 Top 14 Final against Castres, his last game before retirement.
Jonny Wilkinson ended his career by helping Toulon to the French title with victory over Castres in Paris.
The former England fly-half, 35, kicked all but three of his side’s points in an 18-10 victory in the Top 14 final.
His display included four penalty kicks and a drop goal reminiscent of his winning kick against Australia to win England the World Cup in 2003.
Alex Waller’s try in the last minute of extra time won Northampton their first Premiership title with a dramatic victory over Saracens.
Saints led 7-6 at the break through Ben Foden’s converted try, with Owen Farrell replying with two penalties.
Farrell added a further penalty before George Pisi crossed for Northampton’s second converted try.
Marcelo Bosch’s try levelled the scores but Charlie Hodgson’s kick hit the post to send the game into extra time.
Today is almost Groundhog Day in France as Toulon once again take on Castres in the Top 14 final, but this year there is one crucial difference. Jonny Wilkinson, as the rugby world and his wife is well aware, will hang up his boots on Saturday evening having played the final 80 minutes in his glittering career. Worryingly for Castres, it would be hard to imagine that Wilkinson’s Toulon team-mates will allow him to sign off with an anti-climax.
It’s not just Wilkinson that Toulon will be aiming to win for – the whole team have a score to settle with their opponents. Castres upset the applecart last season by defeating Toulon 19-14 in the final to claim their first league title in 20 years. Having become the first French club to secure back-to-back Heineken Cups last weekend, Toulon are now aiming to secure a league and cup double that will send their already devoted fans into absolute pandemonium.
Defending Champions Leinster will face Glasgow Warriors in the final of the RaboDirect PRO12 in front of a capacity crowd in Dublin tonight. Kick off is at 18:15 BST, 19:15 SA Time.
Leinster will be more familiar with the experience having played in and won many finals in the PRO12 and elsewhere in European Rugby, while it will be Glasgow Warriors first appearance ever in a final at this level.
Leinster stalwarts Brian ‘O Driscoll and captain Leo Cullen will be playing their final match for the club before they retire. The Glasgow Warriors also features players competing in the their final match for the team- Chris Cusiter, Ruaridh Jackson and Moray Low, who will be furthering their careers with clubs in England next season.
Northampton Saints have named captain Dylan Hartley among their replacements for Saturday’s Premiership final against Saracens at Twickenham.
But the hooker’s England team-mate Mako Vunipola is missing for Sarries having had surgery on a dislocated patella.
Saints are aiming for their first-ever Premiership title, after losing to rivals Leicester in last year’s final.
Juan Manuel Leguizamon
Argentina flanker Juan Manuel Leguizamon has been selected to captain a Barbarians team including five All Blacks against England at Twickenham on Sunday.
Lyon forward Leguizamon will captain a side that also includes British and Irish Lions lock Donncha O’Callaghan, who will make his Barbarians debut, and just one uncapped player in Clermont’s Australian fly-half Brock James.
Head coach Dean Ryan, also the coach at Worcester Warriors, picked 13 of his starting XV from the French Top 14.
An under-strength England squad arrived in New Zealand Thursday, with coach Stuart Lancaster rejecting suggestions his weakened side faces a “Tour from Hell” against the world champion All Blacks.
Lancaster had to leave up to a dozen top players behind for the Premiership Final between Saracens and Northampton, meaning they will be unavailable for the opening match of the three-Test series.
“It’s not ideal when you come to play the world champions in their own back yard and you don’t have your best side available,” he told reporters in Auckland.
A parent who tripped up an under-16s rugby player during a cup final in Hertfordshire has been handed a two-year touchline ban by the Rugby Football Union.
The incident, in last month’s game between Watford club Fullerians and Royston, attracted widespread publicity in the UK and abroad after a photograph showing the father stepping on to the pitch was published in newspapers and on social media.
Leinster Rugby’s Jamie Heaslip talks about this weekends Rabo Pro12 final against Glasgow.
After the Heineken Cup double, last year Leinster settled for an Amlin trophy, but after being knocked out by the eventual winners, now look to the Pro12 to retain the trophy-winning streak they have cultivated over the last five years.
“They’re the positions you want to be in at this time of the year, to be playing in those games (European finals). I was awful jealous at the weekend not being involved in any sort of competition. It was the first time in a couple of years that happened.”
“We want to kick on come this week and we know the challenge ahead of us. We played these guys last year in the semis, we played them I don’t know how many times over the last couple of seasons in Europe and the league. We know that margins that are there; last year could have gone either way. I think Rob made a great tackle on the line and held a guy up over the line, one score separated the team.”
Lock Bradley Davies will miss Wales’ two-Test tour to South Africa in June because of a hamstring injury.
The Cardiff Blues lock, 27, who is heading to Wasps, suffered the problem in training and has undergone surgery.
Meanwhile, Racing Metro flanker Dan Lydiate is out of Friday’s Wales Probables v Possibles trial in Swansea.
But Lydiate’s hamstring strain is not expected to rule him out of the tour, which starts with a warm-up against Eastern Province Kings on 10 June.
Tommy Seymour is determined to help the Warriors finish off the season in style by claiming their first-ever RaboDirect PRO12 league title.
It will be the perfect end after a season that has seen Tommy come to the fore with Glasgow and Scotland.
Scottish Rugby is delighted to announce today that it has secured a long-term, multi-million pounds deal with global communications and broadcasting giant BT.
The four-year partnership, unveiled at the home of Scottish Rugby this afternoon, sees BT
- Secure the naming rights for Murrayfield Stadium, which becomes BT Murrayfield Stadium.
- Become sponsor of the Scotland 7s side from the outset of the 2014-15 HSBC Sevens World Series.
- Become principal and exclusive sponsor of Scotland’s domestic league and cup competitions from next season.
- Become sponsor of Scottish Rugby’s four new academies which will drive forward standards for young players who have aspirations to play professionally.
Graham Kitchener
England have named their team to play the Barbarians at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday with Graham Kitchener captaining the team.
Leicester Tigers second row Kitchener will captain the England selection which includes players from seven Premiership sides.
Twenty-one-year-old Exeter Chiefs fly half Henry Slade has been named a the vice captain of the team.