History will be kind to me because I intend to write it

Mirror work early May / late April

Mike Catt looks to write history and tame Leicester Tigers – just don’t mention retirement

Back in 2003, when he was 32-years old, Mike Catt helped England make history when – against the odds – his team defeated Australia in Sydney to lift the World Cup for the first, and last, time. Tomorrow the evergreen fly-half will be looking to rewrite the record books again, when he steps out at Twickenham in the Guinness Premiership Final.

South African-born Catt moved to London Irish five years ago, having been labelled a has-been after over decade at Bath. And, under the guidance of first Brian Smith – now England’s backs coach – and Toby Booth, Irish have become a force to be reckoned with. Catt has very much been at the centre of this new-found success.

Last Saturday the 37-year-old made one try and scored another in the 17-0 win over Harlequins at the Stoop in the Guinness Premiership semi-final. That victory earned the Exiles their first Guinness Premiership final in their long history – and now they are playing the most formidable opponents possible, in Leicester Tigers.

Leicester, who finished top of the tree in the domestic season and have a Heineken Cup Final to play against Leinster next Saturday, have made it to the Guinness Premiership Final day in each of the past five years.

To many observers it looks as though it will be slingshots against giants, but that does not faze Catt. He says: “We are playing against the most experienced, streetwise side in the Premiership – they have been in the final every year for the past five years. All those players have been involved in big Heineken Cup and Guinness Premiership final games – they know how to win games.

“But so do we, as we have proved this season. We have been consistent throughout – and the Guinness Premiership Final is our just rewards. The most we have lost a game by is six points in the whole season. We have got points irrespective of who we are playing. We have put ourselves in a very good position. It has been a fantastic season. We have scored more tries than anybody else and defensively we have bullied sides.

“The difference for us this season has been our fitness, power and pace. In the past two or three years we have been bullied by teams but now we are standing toe-to-toe with them. That is great for our confidence. We have not changed much from what Brian Smith brought to the table. We have the players and we know the game we really want to play. All we have done is tried to cut out those small individual errors.

“It is about us playing our way and making sure that we don’t make unforced errors. We need to be very technical in what we do. We are a very emotional side, London Irish, so we just have to make sure that we are not too emotionally charged up. Moreover, the guys have just got to enjoy the moment.”

Irish, who name an unchanged team from last week’s win – including centre Seilala Mapusua, the man named Players’ Player of the Year on Wednesday, England second row Nick Kennedy and captain Bob Casey, all of who were doubtful – have the ability to tame the Tigers. With a decent set-piece line-out, in particular, and game-changing athletes in Delon and Steffon Armitage, tomorrow’s game could go right to the wire.

And when asked whether it would provide a fitting stage for his final bow in a glittering career, Catt – who turns 38 in September – hints that he may be around for another season, yet. “I’ve always been of the mindset, never say never,” he continues. “Leaving Bath was a massive gut-wrenching thing for me to do, having achieved so much in my 11 years there. For them to discard me in the way that they did was very hard to take.

“But it opened another door for me. The first year was very tough as I did not play much rugby. But then Brian Smith turned up and we based the game around playing. Since then we have developed and every year we have got better and better. And it has been great fun doing it.

“I’m passionate about the game and I love playing. London Irish’s man-management of me has been fantastic over the past three or four years – if I can’t train a couple of days a week they let me take time out. Then, if I don’t perform on a Saturday they can drop me. But they way that it has worked out it has definitely helped – and meant that I can still play at the age I am.

“If I announce my retirement now then it would take something away from what London Irish have achieved this season. I have no interest in doing that, first of all. I think this will only be my fifteenth game of the season – whereas some of the other guys have played nearer 30 games. I’m not going to announce my retirement before a big game – it’s not all about me. It is about London Irish.

“I will make a decision over the summer in my time off. But we have brought in two fly-halves – Ryan Lamb, who is a great catch for us, and Chris Malone. They have both picked up serious injuries, and we will know, in a few months time when pre-season starts, whether these guys are going to be OK for the start of the season. If not, then I will do a pre-season and do the start of the season. When they are fit and healthy and raring to go then can just take a back seat. That is the way I am thinking at the moment.”


Stephen Jones on banishing his Lions demons

Mike Catt overcomes flu to inspire London Irish to victory over Harlequins in the Guinness Premiership semi-final

Ugo Monye previews that semi-final and speaks about his Lions selection

A profile of Franck Ribery, who Manchester United want - and are willing to pay a reported £63m for

And 10 things you need to know about the departing Liverpool legend Sami Hyypia

Labels: bath, British Lions, franck ribery, Guinness Premiership, London Harlequins, London Irish, Manchester United, mike catt, stephen jones

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 12:51 pm | Permalink | Comments

EVANS IN HUNT FOR SILVERWARE AT QUINS

Nick Evans has already had a memorable first season in England, having inspired London Harlequins to their best ever run in Europe’s premium competition, the Heineken Cup. Also Quins topped the Guinness Premiership last month for the first time since 2003 and, with the play-off semi-finals to be contested on May 9, look set for their best finish in the domestic league for years. But is has not all been plain sailing for the All Black stand-off.

On Easter Sunday Evans, who moved from the Highlanders last June, was crocked in Quins’ Heineken Cup quarter-final against Brian O’Driscoll’s Leinster – and his team lost out 6-5. The 28-year-old, who hyper extended his right leg in a first-half tackle, crunching his knee, was called back off the bench for the remaining five minutes of the bruising encounter, after two other fly-halves had hobbled off needing treatment.

Heavily strapped and in obvious pain, Evans was found by England scrum-half Danny Care in the pocket, and – through gritted teeth – he used all of his energy to unleash a drop-kick that would have taken his new team to the final four of the Heineken Cup for the first time in their history. Earlier in the season he had attempted a similar feat and laced the winning kick – “the ugliest I have ever taken!” – to inflict a superb double over French giants Stade Francais that made the rugby world jolt up and take notice.

But this time lady luck shunned him and the Heineken Cup fairytale ended. “The kick had the distance to go over but it just faded to the left,” says Evans. “I gave it everything. My knee was really sore, but it wasn’t the running around, it was the kicking; that’s pretty crucial for a fly-half. I came on in the last few minutes when Deano (coach Dean Richards) gave me the nod, and I gave it a crack. I was fortunate enough to get a chance – but it wasn’t to be.”

Evans hopes he can return in time for Quins’ Guinness Premiership semi-final, having had four weeks to ready his knee, and help his team challenge for the Guinness Premiership, a title that has so far eluded them. And with the young team bristling with self-belief, Evans believes that even if this year does not finish with silverware, it will not be far away and Harlequins will prove they have come of age – and he very much wants to remain at the heart of that.

He continues: “The game against Leinster provided a good learning curve for the club – now we know we can do it and compete against Europe’s best. We were unlucky, but sometimes that happens. It was new territory for the club and the players. We are growing up as a team and next time we will be wiser.

“Now we have to focus on the Guinness Premiership and securing our play-off place. We could not dwell too much on the Leinster defeat. There is every chance that my knee will settle down and I’m available for the semi-final.”

Musing on the two victories against Stade Francais, which he calls two of the best matches he has ever been a part of, Evans says: “Those sensational games feel even more special now – when I said that they were up there with the top five that I have ever played in, that was straight after the match.

“And now I have spoken to many of the fans and they have told me those games are two of the biggest in the club’s history – that has made it even more special. Hopefully we can kick on from those results and know that in big situations we can pull it out if we need to.”

In early December, in front of 76,000 partisan Stade Francais supporters, Evans laced five points in a shock 15-10 win. A week later, in much more inclement weather, Quins were losing 17-16 when, with normal time elapsed and after an amazing 29 phases, they battled their way into the French team’s 22 and gave Evans the opportunity to drop the winning goal – and he duly did.

He continues: “Those 29 phases were unbelievable – it was bizarre rugby. I’ve never been involved in anything like that before. And that’s what rugby is all about – that’s why people watch and love the game. It was a tough game and the weather was pretty awful but the crowd were sensational.

“It’s funny, those moments are what you play for – it was special. Initially those moments wash over you. First of all I was pleased that we had won those back-to-back games. It’s only when the fans come up to you and show their emotions – that’s when you see how special it really is.”

And after ten months in the capital, the former Auckland Blues stand-off is fully settled into London life, though he does miss his fishing off the coast of New Zealand. Away from rugby Evans relaxes by going to West End musicals – “the Lion King and Mama Mia were great, and helped broaden my cultural horizons!” – and catching Premier League football matches. “But I do miss the coast of New Zealand,” he concedes. “I would take a boat and go around the island off the coast, and completely relax away from rugby. But now I am fully settled here and I’m loving it.”

Evans is determined to win Quins trophies, and adds: “I’ve signed for three years and I am very happy at Quins. We have a young team but I think we have exceeded our goals this year. If we can keep going over the next few years hopefully we can pick up a trophy – that would be amazing.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, Heineken Cup, London Harlequins, New Zealand, Nick Evans

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 1:04 pm | Permalink | Comments

HODGSON HOPING TO MARRY PERSONAL SUCCESS WITH EXILE GLORY

While most Guinness Premiership clubs fought out Round 19 last weekend, and his resting London Irish team-mates monitored the progress of other play-off hopefuls, Paul Hodgson, using the backdrop of Dubai’s imposing skyscrapers and glorious beaches, bent his knee and proposed to his long-term girlfriend, Trudi.

The 26-year-old heard the answer he wanted and is now hopeful he can achieve double success by propelling the Exiles to domestic glory. Of the marriage proposal Hodgson grins: “I wasn’t nervous at all. I did it on the first night and then we went ring shopping the next day – that kept Trudi happy for the rest of the week!

“We are getting married some time next summer, but I will have to speak to the fitness coaches and see when an appropriate date is. Everything has to fit around rugby, which Trudi will have to get used to! My main goal now is to help bring London Irish some silverware this year.”

With three rounds to play Hodgson’s Irish sit third on 55 points, two behind Leicester Tigers, who slipped up at Newcastle, and four ahead of sixth-placed Sale Sharks. On Saturday they host bottom-placed Bristol – where the 5’ 8” scrum-half spent three formative years before moving to the Madejski in 2004 – knowing that a win is a must if their play-off hopes are to be realised.

“It is really tight at the top,” says Hodgson, who won his only international cap to date last March, coming off the bench in England’s RBS 6 Nations victory over Ireland. “I still think six teams are in with a chance of making the last four.

“It has been topsy-turvy all season – if the league finished a week later I bet you would see a different top four. But we just have to look after ourselves. If we win all our remaining games then we will be there, in the play-offs, without a doubt – because other teams will drop points. We know that our destiny is in our own hands.”

Hodgson expects his former team, Bristol, to put up a good fight at the Madejski – and knows first-hand what new coach Paul Hull is capable of, having been coached by him for two seasons in the West Country club’s academy. “We might not have had the best XV on paper in the Bristol under-21s, but Paul got the best out of all of us,” continues the Epsom-born No9. “And that is his best attribute as a coach – he gives you confidence, knows how to unlock potential and is also good at being hard on the players when he needs to be.

“I can’t see any reason why he won’t be very successful as coach of Bristol. He is a Bristol man, too, so he will care as much as anyone else. Whether they go down or not he is the best man for the job there.”

When Bristol were relegated from the top division in 2003, Hodgson was convinced to stay at the club by Hull’s predecessor, ex-England scrum-half Richard Hill, as he was promised a starting berth. “That season I played 33 games in Division One – and I think that year was the most important of my rugby career,” Hodgson says. “I could not have had a better coach than Richard at that time. He played a big part in my career, that’s for sure. Richard has done an outstanding job at Bristol. He is very astute and his attention to detail was fantastic – he is a quality coach and he will succeed wherever he ends up.”

Bristol defeated Worcester Warriors 37-18 last Sunday and, after resurgence under Hull, Hodgson expects them to be tough opposition for London Irish. He adds: “Bristol may have almost gone down but you can guarantee that those players will be fighting 100 per cent to stay up.

“Anyone who is desperate is dangerous – so we will not underestimate them at all and not let complacency enter our game. We know that it is going to be tough and that we will have to be at the top of our game. It is no easy task to finish fourth, but we are confident and he boys feel rested and really ready for it.”

Labels: England, Guinness Premiership, London Irish, Paul Hodgson

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:35 pm | Permalink | Comments

BROWN: QUINS CAN STAY IN PLAY-OFF BERTH

Harlequins moved up to fourth in the Guinness Premiership with a bonus-point victory over play-off rivals Sale Sharks on Sunday at the Stoop. Dean Richards’s side bounced back from defeat by Newcastle Falcons the previous weekend to win 38-20 thanks, in particular, to an outstanding second-half performance.

With home fly half Chris Malone, in for the injured Nick Evans, and Sale stand off Charlie Hodgson trading penalties in a error-strewn first half, the score reached 12-12 at the interval. But Quins shifted gears after the break and began to play expansive, attractive rugby, and reaped the rewards for some bold decisions – notably kicking for the corner rather than punting for three points.

South African hooker Gary Botha barged over for the first try of Quins’ tries soon after half-time, and when the ball was shipped through numerous backs’ hands a score from 19-year-old winger Seb Stegmann soon followed.

With England trio Nick Easter, Danny Care and Ugo Monye part of the 11,592 watching on, No8 Tom Guest broke from a scrum and crashed over to put the result beyond doubt. And centre De Wet Barry’s interception and 50 metre dash sealed the bonus-point. Though Hodgson scored a breakaway try and another penalty, Quins, with four games remaining, are confident of remaining in the top four.

“The boys did really well,” said full back Mike Brown. “In the first-half I think the teams were feeling each other out and there were a lot of penalties given. But in the second-half it opened up which was good for us because we could play the game we want to play.

“We improved our discipline in the second-half and that killed them. We go to Sale in a couple of weeks and this win will set the tone for that match. We have got to stay up in the top four now – it is so tight between one and six but we are definitely confident we can do it and make the play-offs.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, London Harlequins, Mike Brown, Sale Sharks

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 6:01 pm | Permalink | Comments

JACKSON: SARRIES WILL PLAY FOR JONES

Saracens' players will prove to their South African owners that they
were wrong to axe 15 players last week by defeating all before them on
the pitch, believes Glen Jackson.

Coach Eddie Jones hit out at the owners following the 24-23 win over
Sale Sharks on Saturday - and fly-half Jackson, 33, said the players
were grateful to have the Australian on their side, even if he is
leaving at the end of the season.

"Eddie is our coach and it is nice to hear that he is backing the
players and if we need help from he, he will try and look after us,"
said the current Guinness Premiership leading points scorer.

"Something like this actually brings a close team like us together. When
you know that half the players in the team you will never play with
again, it can pull you tighter.

"Being told you are not wanted is what happens in life. Clubs normally
get rid of their players at the end of the season - so it is a strange
situation to be in when they announce they don't want you when you are
only half-way through.

"Hopefully as we are professional sportsmen we will do the job on the
field. It would shame if we were to move away from trying to play rugby
and not play for Eddie or each other."

Labels: Eddie Jones, Glen Jackson, Guinness Premiership, Saracens

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 4:58 pm | Permalink | Comments

SKINNER WARY OF HURT SARACENS

Harlequins host Saracens on Saturday April 7 and Will Skinner and his team-mates
are wary that a number of their opponents are playing for their futures.
Last weekend Eddie Jones's side edged out high-flying Sale Sharks at
Vicarage Road following the announcement by their South African owners
that 15 players, including a raft of first-teamers, would be free to
leave at the end of the season in order to make way for a new batch of
personnel.

Glen Jackson, the Saracens' fly-half currently leading the Guinness
Premiership point scorers table, laced 14 points in the 24-23 win over
the Sharks - and he has warned Dean Richards's team that the hurt of
rejection has made the players more determined to prove their worth.

"Something like this actually brings a close team like us together,"
said the 33-year-old named player of the year by his fellow
professionals in 2007. "When you know that half the players in the team
you will never play with again, it can pull you tighter.

"Being told you are not wanted is what happens in life. Clubs normally
get rid of their players at the end of the season - so it is a strange
situation to be in when they announce they don't want you when you are
only half-way through.

"Hopefully as we are professional sportsmen we will do the job on the
field. It would shame if we were to move away from trying to play rugby
and not play for Eddie or each other."

Flanker Skinner acknowledges that Quins will be playing a team whose
pride is wounded - but insists that Harlequins, who moved up to fourth
after Ugo Monye's last-gasp try turned defeat in to victory last Sunday,
will try to remain focussed on their game plan.

"We know Saracens will be hurt and playing for each other," said the
25-year-old skipper. "We are trying not to let their situation affect
our game plan. Whether people are being let go or staying, what has gone
on there will, if anything, make them stronger. They had a great result
against Sale at the weekend."

The Saxons star is hopeful that Quins will improve on their narrow win
over Bristol last weekend. The bottom-placed side stifled and frustrated
their opponents but lost 17-14. Skinner continued: "We came away with
four points so we were happy. Bristol showed they are a good team and
they have a lot of good players. They are fighting for a lot down
there. We did well to come back in the last 10 minutes and get that
all-important try. We were pleased on the bus coming back.

"As the attacking team we felt we were getting penalised quite a bit. It
was frustrating - we didn't play the type of game we wanted to play.
Bristol were playing well - they closed us down well at the breakdown.

"And we moved up to fourth so things are going well. The top six is so
tight at the moment and Sarries are coming up into that group, too.
Anybody could be in the top four and Saracens are fighting. Their
half-back pairing of Justin Marshall and Glen Jackson is very strong.
Adam Powell in the centre played well against us at the start of the
season. He is a very strong, powerful runner who picks good lines. All
three of them need to be closed down very quickly."

Jackson said of Skinner and his back-row partners in crime, Chris
Robshaw and Tom Guest: "Hopefully I will stay out of their way! The
older I get the less I take it to the line. They are a dogged back three
and I think the reason that they are playing so well is because of those
three.

"Both teams like to use the ball and with the conditions getting a bit
warmer and the tracks getting harder, there should be a lot of running
and it should be a good game. Quins are going well, though they were
nearly beaten last week but they might get a bit of a caning in training
and we might face their backlash. They are definitely a form side and it
is going to be a tough one, especially away."

Labels: Guinness Premiership, London Harlequins, Saracens, Will Skinner

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 4:54 pm | Permalink | Comments

SEYMOUR HOPING TO REMEDY SARRIES TURMOIL

There may be turmoil off the field at Vicarage Road, but Saracens flanker David Seymour is hoping to put an end to the problems on the pitch by defeating play-off rivals Bath at home on Sunday in the Guinness Premiership.

If they fail to win this weekend, director of rugby Eddie Jones, and the 15 players – including Seymour – who will be exiting with him in May, can kiss goodbye the chance of winning silverware in Sarries colours. They currently sit in seventh on 37 points – 10 behind fourth-placed Sale – with six games to play.

The 24-year-old Seymour, who made his Saracens bow in 2003 and is back in the team after overcoming a knee injury he sustained at the start of the season, admits that since the club’s South African owners announced their intentions to wield the axe three weeks ago, it has been difficult for the players to focus on their on-field jobs.

“The last couple of weeks have been interesting to say the least,” says the blond England Sevens star, who chopped off his trademark ponytail before the season began. “But we are professionals and our job until the end of the season is to finish well and to reach our goals.

“Our main focus is to pick up some wins in the next couple of weeks against the sides that are vying for a top four play-off place, too. We've really got to start to put things to one side and concentrate on our rugby – it's tough but it's got to be done.”

Seymour played in last weekend’s 21-15 loss to Harlequins at the Stoop, a game after which Jones said he had been “very concerned” by his team’s lack of cohesion. “The first forty minutes were a bit flat, really,” concedes Seymour. “In the second half we managed to pick it up a bit, but it was not enough. We've lost quite a few close games like that. That's a frustrating point that we're losing such close games.

“There have been a few games recently that we've been leading at half time but just haven't been able to finish off in the second-half – and last week it went the opposite way around. We're looking forward to putting that right at the weekend against Bath – it is going to be a massive game for the club.

“For the rest of the season we are playing teams who are all above us, bar Worcester, so every one is an important game. If we lose against Bath it is going to make things a whole lot harder, that’s for sure.

“We haven't made easier for ourselves by losing to teams in the last few weeks but we're confident we can pick up a win here and move on and push for that top four.”

Seymour’s team have lost only once in eight games in the league at home – to Gloucester back in November – and he hopes that that record will mean something on Sunday. But he knows with Bath, with South African international Butch James pulling the strings at fly-half, will be in confident mood after burying local rivals Bristol 45-8 last weekend.

He said of the team on equal points as second-placed Leicester Tigers: “Bath are not at the top of the table for nothing – they've been strong and they're obviously on a high after the Bristol result.

“As it stands our record away from home is poor, but we seem to be doing OK at home. And we are in front of our own crowd on Sunday and we want to have a good win for them as much as ourselves. So it's important that for the rest of the season we win all our home games and try and pick points up along the road.

“With James at No10, and with their extremely strong back row pack it's going to be a big challenge against Bath. It’s definitely going to be a tough game but if we can get a win from that, then we're moving in the right direction.”

Labels: Dave Seymour, Guinness Premiership, London Harlequins, Saracens

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 4:34 pm | Permalink | Comments

RICHARDS RECOMMENDS COACHING YEAR ABROAD

Come May, when Wasps director of rugby Ian McGeechan is expected to step down, and if his opposite man at Gloucester, Dean Ryan, relinquishes his role, too, Dean Richards of Harlequins will be longest-serving coach in the Guinness Premiership. The 45-year-old former England No8 points to a sojourn in a small city at the foot of the Alps to explain his durability – and suggests that other coaches, including Martin Johnson, do the same.

Richards, who made 48 appearances for the Red Rose and won six Lions caps, moved upstairs at Leicester Tigers in February 1998 after his playing career finished. With Johnson as his captain, Richards’s team won four consecutive Premiership titles and the first Zürich Championship play-offs, as well as back-to-back Heineken Cups in 2001 and 2002. They are still the only side to have managed that feat. However, in 2004, Richards was shown the door at Welford Road as his side, shorn of its internationals, slipped to 11th in the table.

It was an acrimonious split between the Tigers and a man who had spent 20 years at the club, but Richards moved over to southeast France – and he believes it was his year in Grenoble, in spite of it not being a failure in terms of results, that re-energised his coaching career. And he has no intention of stopping anytime soon.

“After being at Leicester Tigers for seven years I spent a fantastic year in France,” he says. “It showed me a different culture, a different way of life and a different style of and attitude to rugby, too. Even though we didn’t do particularly well, it reinvigorated me. What I saw over there I brought back and it changed my attitude to rugby.

“Because of the intensity of the Guinness Premiership you have to be like an international manager – it is not like the Super 14, when it is intense for very short periods of time. There is very little respite in England – you are going pretty much from the beginning of July right to the end of May.

“You can understand why you do need a change, and that change makes a massive difference. But rugby is something that I grew up with and has been a part of my life since the age of ten or 11. I’m entrenched in rugby, it is my passion and it is why I am still here.”

After taking the reins at Harlequins in 2005, following their relegation, Richards has carefully moulded a young team who don’t look out of place at third in the table. In Newcastle this Sunday they could make it six wins on the bounce for the first time in their Guinness Premiership history.

“We are pleased with the five wins in a row – and though I am not interested in records, I am keen to keep on winning,” Richards continues. “It doesn’t matter how many wins we get, because once we get the momentum going, the winning habit is a difficult one to break. But we have some tough games, starting with Newcastle away at the weekend.”

Labels: Dean Richards, Guinness Premiership, London Harlequins, Martin Johnson

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BOTHA HOPING FOR A MOTHER OF A GAME

Harlequins welcome Sale Sharks to the Stoop on Sunday and Springboks hooker Gary Botha believes his side can put last weekend’s disappointment in Newcastle behind them and defeat their play-off rivals in what promises to be a mother of a game. Botha’s young family will be watching on from the stands and he hopes he can show his wife and children something special on Mothering Sunday.

The 27-year-old, who moved from the Blue Bulls in 2007, has won 12 Springbok caps – but he is very happy to be part of the Quins revolution in the capital; more so if the sun deigns to show itself.

“I’m really enjoying London, especially when the sun is out, and am pleased to have gotten over the spell of injuries I had,” says Botha, whose side are fifth in the Guinness Premiership on 47 points, equal with sixth-placed Sale with five games in the normal season to play.

“My little girl is turning three in May and my little boy is turning one in May – we have a busy household and my wife has to put up with me, because I am a big baby too! They all always come along to watch and hopefully Quins will get a win against Sale on Sunday and our mummy will be happy!”

On the rugby front he continues: “There has been a shift in attitude since I have arrived – we are all going forward now. We have a bunch of young guys who are doing awesomely well now and we have great self-confidence. We see that anything is possible if we put the hard work in.

“That self-belief happens because of the hard work and training. People are understanding – both inside and outside the camp – and coming to terms with the fact that we are a good team, because of the work we do. We are going to get more pressure on us every game now – we are not just another team in the Guinness Premiership anymore. That is great for the Quins players and brings a spark to the squad, which I really like.”

However, at Kingston Park last Sunday, Newcastle Falcons halted Quins’ five-game winning streak. And Botha is positive his “wounded” team can soon get back on track by notching a W against Kingsley Jones’s side, who they play at Edgeley Park on April 17 and were thumped 38-3 by Northampton Saints last weekend.

“There was a bit of frustration,” the hooker says of the 24-16 loss in the north-east. “We did not get as much of the ball as we would have liked. We are a side that likes to have a bit of a crack at the try-line a lot of the time. The most disappointing thing was going up there and not getting any points at all, especially when Sale lost. But it is not that we are looking at the table – we have to concentrate on what we are doing now.

“We will take the loss on the chin and regroup. We had a good run and we have to learn from this. We would like to get a win and get back some of the momentum we had, and build on it once again. Both Sale and Quins will be like wounded animals. Sale will have been very disappointed but they have been up at the top of the table for a reason. They have not been in the leading pack at the end of the last few seasons by accident – they are a top side.

“At this stage of the season all the teams are in a predicament – you have to run your own race now. You can’t expect other teams to help you out and do a job on others. You have to focus on your own race. The game has so many way of throwing in curveballs and that is what makes it so interesting and exciting.”

And Botha believes that the Stoop, where Quins have lost only twice all season – both times to London Irish – will play a major part on Sunday. He adds: “Playing at the Stoop is a big factor for us. It is easier to motivate ourselves to work harder in front of such a great crowd. The most promising thing is that the younger guys in the group are realising how awesome it is playing at the Stoop – they know they have the backing of the crowd. But if you don’t do the hard yards, nothing is easy.”

Labels: Gary Botha, Guinness Premiership, London Harlequins, Sale Sharks

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 4:28 pm | Permalink | Comments

QUINS EARN BONUS-POINT WIN OVER SALE

Harlequins moved up to fourth in the Guinness Premiership with a bonus-point victory over play-off rivals Sale Sharks on Sunday at the Stoop. Dean Richards’s side bounced back from defeat by Newcastle Falcons the previous weekend to win 38-20 thanks, in particular, to an outstanding second-half performance.

With home fly half Chris Malone, in for the injured Nick Evans, and Sale stand off Charlie Hodgson trading penalties in a error-strewn first half, the score reached 12-12 at the interval. But Quins shifted gears after the break and began to play expansive, attractive rugby, and reaped the rewards for some bold decisions – notably kicking for the corner rather than punting for three points.

South African hooker Gary Botha barged over for the first try of Quins’ tries soon after half-time, and when the ball was shipped through numerous backs’ hands a score from 19-year-old winger Seb Stegmann soon followed.

With England trio Nick Easter, Danny Care and Ugo Monye part of the 11,592 watching on, No8 Tom Guest broke from a scrum and crashed over to put the result beyond doubt. And centre De Wet Barry’s interception and 50 metre dash sealed the bonus-point. Though Hodgson scored a breakaway try and another penalty, Quins, with four games remaining, are confident of remaining in the top four.

“The boys did really well,” said full back Mike Brown. “In the first-half I think the teams were feeling each other out and there were a lot of penalties given. But in the second-half it opened up which was good for us because we could play the game we want to play.

“We improved our discipline in the second-half and that killed them. We go to Sale in a couple of weeks and this win will set the tone for that match. We have got to stay up in the top four now – it is so tight between one and six but we are definitely confident we can do it and make the play-offs.”

Labels: Guinness Premiership, London Harlequins, Sale Sharks

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 2:47 pm | Permalink | Comments

IRISH SLIP UP AGAINST QUINS

London Irish slipped up at home in the Guinness Premiership to Harlequins, after hooker David Paice was dismissed after only 22 minutes.

Irish lost 9-14 and dropped to third, but took the lead after Peter Hewet's penalty in the 11th minute.

Quins' fly-half Nick Evans replied with a penalty before Paice was show the red card for scrapping in the front row and backchat to referee Tim Wigglesworth.

Evans slotted the resulting penalty and Hewet levelled again, before he hobbled off with medial ligament damage five minutes before the interval.

Irish went ahead after 43 minutes when Alfredo Lalanne kicked another penalty.

But visiting prop Ceri Jones scored the decisive try to make It 11-9 with 30 minutes remaining. Evans kicked a penalty with four minutes left and his team moved up to fifth.

"We disrupted them and the sending off disrupted them," said Quins coach Dean Richards. "Their defence was pretty strong even though they only had 14 men. I was very pleased with the performance. We deserved the victory."

Irish coach Toby Booth said: "Playing 60 minutes with 14 people is not easy. We knew that we would not have the ball for long periods of time but I am proud with the way they stuck at it."

Teams

London Irish: 15. Peter Hewat 14. Adam Thompstone 13. Elvis Seveali'i 12. Seilala Mapusua 11. Topsy Ojo 10. Mike Catt 9. Alfredo Lalanne 1. Clarke Dermody 2. David Paice 3. Tonga Lea'aetoa 4. Gary Johnson 5. James Hudson 6. Richard Thorpe 7. Steffon Armitage 8. Chris Hala'ufia

Replacements: 16. Alex Corbisiero 17. James Buckland 18. Matt Garvey 19. Jon Fisher 20. Charlie Gower 21. Warren Fury 22. James Bailey

Penalties: Hewet 2, Lalanne

Harlequins: 15. Mike Brown 14. Tom Williams 13. Gonzalo Tiesi 12. Jordan Turner-Hall 11. Ugo Monye 10. Nick Evans 9. Andy Gomarsall 1. Ceri Jones 2. Gary Botha 3. Mark Lambert 4. Ollie Kohn 5. George Robson 6. Chris Robshaw 7. Will Skinner 8. Tom Guest

Replacements: 16. Chris Brooker 17. Peter Bracken 18. Jim Evans 19. Neil McMillan 20. Junior Poluleuligaga 21. Waisea Luveniyali 22. David Strettle

Try: Jones
Penalties: Evans 3

Labels: Guinness Premiership, London Harlequins, London Irish

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 1:20 pm | Permalink | Comments

NARRAWAY HOPING TO MAKE IT THIRD TIME LUCKY

When Gloucester host London Irish in the Guinness Premiership's top-of-the-table clash on Saturday, home No8 Luke Narraway is hoping to make it third time lucky as captain. Club skipper Mike Tindall has missed the last two matches due to a dead leg, and - in the centre's absence - 25-year-old Narraway's team have lost to Cardiff Blues and Biarritz and been dumped out of the Heineken Cup.

Now out of Europe's premier competition and after three successive losses, the England international is determined to ensure the second-placed cherry and whites' season gets back on track this weekend - and to stop the ribbing from his team-mates who have joked that Narraway is destined to never win as their skipper.

"I've enjoyed being captain, it has filled me with pride," said the King's School Worcester alumnus, "but the boys have given me some stick, as my record is nought from two!

"This is my seventh season for Gloucester and I've come through the academy, so I know what Gloucester's all about. But we've got a great captain in Mike and I'm he's got more seasons in him yet. However if one day the opportunity arises, it would be a great honour to take on the captaincy full time.

"Everyone believes that we're good enough to go on and win this competition, and we've got the belief there, too. But confidence is a funny old thing in rugby and we are putting 110 per cent in, yet something's not quite clicking.

"We've just strayed off our lines a bit at the moment; we're struggling for a little bit of form and on the back of a few defeats this is where we really want to show our worth. This is where the squad is being pushed to the limit and we've got to show our mettle, grind out some wins and get us back on the road."

Narraway, who made his England bow in the last Six Nations, has been away with Martin Johnson's squad in Portugal this week, but he knows that the next month - while he and his international team-mates are on duty - will be crucial to his club side's hopes of attaining their first silverware since the European Challenge Cup three year's ago.

In February, Gloucester take on high-flyers Sale Sharks and Bath at Kingsholm, and Harlequins at the Stoop in between. The five-cap Red Rose continued: "We've got a lot of internationals going away to various countries and got a lot of injuries, but we're not using that as an excuse.

"The next month is massive. We're going to do everything in our power to make sure, before the Six Nations, we pick up as many points as we can and that we're still in the top four when the international guys come back. I hope the injured players come back to form so we're there with a full squad at the end of the season and the confidence is running high."

Narraway has hit out at those critics who reason that the Gloucester pack is too lightweight to dominate a game - he believes it is an easy get out for them, and that they are not fully appreciating the game that Dean Ryan is trying to utilise.

"The media have been going on about it for so long that people start to think it without actually saying what they're seeing," he said. "Guys from the pack are coming off with bumps and bruises, taking big hits but never seem to get the praise for it. It is annoying when you open up the papers and see people saying you're not physical enough. The way we play the game, we like to play with the ball. We're not a team that's going to go with forwards lining up and sometimes it's hard to impose a
physical and stereotypical forward game on the opposition."

Narraway believes that the Kingsholm factor will play a part if Gloucester are to overcome league leaders Irish, who defeated them 42-12 at the Madejski Stadium in December. "We pride ourselves on our home form and probably this year it hasn't been as good as we hoped," he added.

"Irish are a great team - they've been threatening to do what they've been doing this year for a couple of seasons. What they offer is an incredibly enthusiastic and aggressive way of playing, and a good kicking game on the back of that.

"In the last fixture we lost the cohesion up-front and ultimately our kicking game wasn't very good and they pinned us back and made us make mistakes. We've got to make sure, at home, our cohesion is there right from the off and we pin Irish back and maybe we can force the mistakes for once."

Labels: Gloucester, Guinness Premiership, London Irish, Luke Narraway

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 8:48 pm | Permalink | Comments

DANAHER CONFIDENT AHEAD OF TOP-OF-TABLE-CLASH

London Irish travel to second-placed Gloucester on Saturday for their
top-of-the-table clash, and flanker Declan Danaher is confident his team
can remain head of the Guinness Premiership going into the Six Nations.

The 29-year-old, currently Irish's longest-serving player, thinks that
Toby Booth's side have the momentum to inflict another victory on the
cherry and whites - even at their Kingsholm stronghold.

Five days before Christmas Irish smashed Gloucester 42-12 at the
Madejski, and they have racked up two big wins to secure a home tie in
the last eight of the European Challenge Cup while Gloucester were
bombed out of the Heineken Cup last Friday.

"It was mission accomplished in the European Challenge Cup - we were top
of the group, and that is what we wanted," said Danaher. "If we can play
well again on Saturday and convert the opportunities that we are given,
then we have a good chance of winning.

"They are a very proud team and they will be hurting after our defeat
earlier in the season. But Dean Ryan will have them fired up and
Kingsholm is a daunting place to play.

"It should be an explosive encounter. If we keep our game plan nice and
simple then hopefully we can get the win. If we can win it will make it
all that much more special."

Labels: Declan Danaher, Gloucester, Guinness Premiership, London Irish

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 8:36 pm | Permalink | Comments

IRISH INDISCIPLINE PUNISHED BY GLOUCESTER

Toby Booth believes that the citing officer will have a busy time looking at the tape of his London Irish team’s 23-21 loss to Gloucester. Irish squandered at 15-point lead in a bruising encounter at Kingsholm – and the cherry and whites leapfrogged Booth’s club to go top of the Guinness Premiership.

Irish raced to a 18-3 lead thanks to tries from wingers Adam Thompstone, who was making his debut, and Topsy Ojo, and the boot of Peter Hewat. But Irish’s indiscipline was penalised and Gloucester flyhalf Olly Barkley clipped over six kicks, while fullback Iain Balshaw crossed for winning try nine minutes from time.

While each team had one player sin-binned - Gloucester hooker and skipper Olivier Azam and Irish number eight Chris Hala'Ufia – Booth reckons there may be more punishment to be dished out. "I thought there were quite a few leading elbows from various aspects,” he said. "It will be a very interesting review for the citing commissioner.

"I knew we would have to be on the edge. Were we on the edge too much? I don't think we were, to be honest.

"We penalised ourselves out of the game. We didn't have any ball in the second-half, and the ball we did have we kicked poorly away. We stopped doing the things we had been doing well.

"If it turns out we've been penalised for the same thing two or three times, then we've been pretty dull.

"We knew it was a massive challenge. What I am pleased about is the physicality we showed to live with people on their own patch.

“Gloucester is not the easiest place to come, and I am pleased with our physicality to live with them - it is just disappointing we didn't turn pressure into points.”

Labels: Gloucester, Guinness Premiership, London Irish, Toby Booth

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 8:30 pm | Permalink | Comments

STEFFON DETERMINED TO GIVE IT HIS ALL

While Steffon Armitage concedes that his inclusion at openside flanker for England’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Italy on Saturday is by virtue of injuries to others, he is certainly determined to make the most of his opportunity.

The 5’9” London Irish No7 may not have the traditional frame for an international backrower, or indeed the experience of the sidelined trio of Tom Rees, Lewis Moody and Michael Lipman.

But what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in dynamism and ubiquity, and has – in the eyes of punters and pundits alike – fully earned his first cap, following a number of scintillating displays for his club that has helped lift them to second in the Guinness Premiership.

Dismissed by Saracens in 2006 for being too small, Armitage was snapped up by Irish, where older brother Delon was already starring at full-back. Injuries, once more, played their part and when he eventually broke into the first team he vowed to give his all, so that he would be impossible to drop.

“I finally got my chance to play at Irish through injuries, and all the boys stuck with me,” says the 23-year-old. “And I didn’t want to let the guys down at all, so I gave it everything I had in every single game. I would go out there and give it 110 per cent, every single time. I can't sleep before any game because I get so nervous and go into it thinking it's my last one.

“I’ve also got my England chance through injury and I hope I can go out there and take my opportunities with both hands. I will be trying to do the things I have done over the years – driving and getting stuck in, giving the opposition a hard time.”

Perhaps Martin Johnson sees in Armitage something of his former Leicester Tigers, England and Lions team-mate, Neil Back, who was similarly pint-sized in comparison to most other international backrowers. Regardless of the thinking behind the decision, the Trinidad-born No7 admits that he was delighted to be told by one of his heroes that he would be playing for England, alongside his brother.

“My heart is still pumping having got the call,” he continues. “It really hasn't sunk in yet. Martin and I sat down after dinner on Monday and he said: ‘Steffon, I have been really impressed by you, and we are going to give you a start this weekend.’

“I stopped breathing for a second! And then he said: ‘We have picked you because you are one of the form players in the Premiership, and we have faith in you.’ And that is the bit that got me the most. It was coming from an absolute legend – Martin Johnson, a World Cup-winning captain. It was a bit emotional.”

When he runs out on to Twickeham with Delon, who made his international bow in the autumn and was named England’s player of the series, Steffon will become part of only nine brothers to have played together for the Red Rose.

“I'm pretty happy we're both in there and so proud of Delon for getting there before me,” he adds. “But I want to do my best in every game. I am going to go into Saturday’s game with the same mentality.”

BOX OUT

The Armitages are the first brothers to represent England on the same pitch since Rory and Tony Underwood in 1995. Reginald and Louis Birkett started the trend back in 1875.

Delon, 25, is delighted that his younger brother has been given the nod to play alongside him against Italy. “Playing on my own [for England] was brilliant,” he says, “but to have my brother there now, I'm speechless.

“If we get a chance to stand next to each other at the national anthem we probably will sing together and probably shed a couple of tears.

“I have tried to let Stef take all the England stuff in himself, like I got the chance to. The last thing you want is an older brother telling you what to do, what will happen. But I want him to learn it all on his own. Obviously I will be the elder brother and there if he needs any advice.

“He was disappointed not to get picked in the autumn and he worked on his fitness and played even better. He has worked really hard and I am glad he has the chance, like I did, to see if he is good enough to compete at international level. Hopefully he can improve even more and we can both keep our shirts now.”

Labels: Delon Armitage, Guinness Premiership, Italy, London Irish, Martin Johnson, RBS 6 Nations, Steffon Armitage

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 7:46 pm | Permalink | Comments

SKINNER READY FOR WORCESTER CHALLENGE

Will Skinner, the Harlequins captain, will relish the challenge of facing former team-mate Hal Luscombe, who is making his debut for Worcester Warriors today (SAT) having left the Stoop in the summer.

At the half-way stage of the season, 24-year-old Skinner knows that a win over Luscombe's side will propel Quins, currently sixth in the Guinness Premiership, towards a play-off place. Further, it will give them the confidence going in to their final Heineken Cup group games later in the month.

Centre Luscombe, 27, has won 16 caps for Wales and spent two years at Quins, but he has not played for the past nine months thanks to a knee injury.

And flanker Skinner, whose side have not won since achieving a memorable Heineken Cup double over Stade Francais last month, said: "It'll be Hal's first game for Worcester, and he'll be looking to stamp his authority - especially against his old team.

"It'll be good to go up against him, but we will have to watch him carefully as we all know what a good, physical player he is.

"Worcester are a good team and should be higher than tenth in the table. Towards the end of last season they started to play some really good, exciting rugby and they have some great players up there.

"They are also very good away from home - and they have shown that this season. They are definitely a team not to take lightly. We have got to be on top of our game to get the result we want."

The former Leicester No7 continued: "We have a good history against Worcester and more importantly we have to get our Premiership campaign back on track. We are definitely in touching distance of the top four.

"We are looking for an important win this weekend, a win that will give us confidence going in to our last two Heineken Cup group games against Ulster and Scarlets, which are also very tough matches and very important in our European campaign.


"Our next three games, starting with Worcester, are crucial to our season - both in the domestic league and in Europe. Harlequins have to put in good performances if want to progress in both competitions."

Labels: Guinness Premiership, Hal Luscombe, London Harlequins, Will Skinner, Worcester

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 8:00 pm | Permalink | Comments

VYVYAN RELISHING SECOND-ROW CHALLENGE

Hugh Vyvyan is relishing the competition with All Black Chris Black and England captain Steve Borthwick for the two spaces in London Saracens' second-row. But with that calibre of players in the team the 32-year-old believes the club should be higher than seventh in the Guinness Premiership at the halfway stage of the season.

Whether he is selected to start on Sunday against Bristol or not, the former Newcastle Falcons captain knows that his team need to beat the bottom-placed club if they have any hope of making the play-offs - though he thinks Richard Hill's team position belies their ability.

"I have watched videos of Bristol's last few games and I can't believe they are at the bottom of the table," said 6'6" Vyvyan. "They have got some good players and they play a good, aggressive style of rugby. They have a very good lineout and their scrummaging is handy.

"We know Bristol will be very, very difficult to beat and we are expecting a tough physical battle. But we need to focus on ourselves and make sure we are playing well - if we do that then the result should take care of itself."

Guilford-born Vyvyan, who won his one and only England cap against Canada in 2004, started in last Saturday's 22-16 defeat to Gloucester as Borthwick was rested as part of the agreement with England's Elite Performance Squad. And Vyvyan said of his 28-year-old club skipper: "Steve has been great for the club - he works so hard on and off the field. He is a good leader and a great player.

"The second-row is in really good shape as we have Chris as well - he is probably the best lock I have played win. And though those two have been packing down recently, the competition is good for me and pushes me along too. I'm enjoying the rugby at the moment and it is good to have two world-class players in my position - it means I can't ever rest on my laurels. Hopefully over the course of the long season I will have my fair share of games.

"Our squad are all enjoying the rugby and we have grown in confidence and we are understanding how we want to play, and improving more every week. Each week we get a little better in every aspect of our game."

The ginger giant said of the Gloucester loss: "It was a game that was there for the taking and the type of game that, if we want to do well in a competition, we must win. We were leading at half-time and there was very little between the teams but Gloucester ended up winning, which is not ideal for us as we want to be in the top four at the end of the season.

"I don't think there is anything between the top seven sides, and you can include Wasps in that list too, now. It was a good win to beat London Irish in what was another close game (16-13) - but that showed that there is nothing between us and the top side.

"We have played 11 games now, exactly halfway through the season, so it is important to really make sure we win the games we should. We have lost four games narrowly - we also lost to Gloucester at home 25-21 and we should have won; Sale Sharks beat us 18-15 thanks to a drop goal in the last second; and Quins defeated us 21-24 in our first game of the season.

"If in second half of the season we are in the same situations we have to win those games. We know there are going to be many more close games between now and the end of the season - we just have to hope we get the bounce of the ball. If we win 80 per cent of those close games then we are going to be at the top end of that table when it matters."

Labels: Chris Jack, Guinness Premiership, Hugh Vyvyan, Newcastle Falcons, Saracens, Steve Borthwick

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 7:56 pm | Permalink | Comments

BROWN: IRISH MAULIUNG WAS WAKE-UP CALL

Gloucester rugby's 42-12 defeat to London Irish before Christmas served as a "wake-up call", believes second-row Alex Brown. And having received that, and improved in the 29-10 win at bottom-placed Bristol, the lock, capped thrice for England, hopes that on Saturday third-placed Gloucester can dispatch Saracens, who edged out Irish 16-13 last weekend.

"We were happy with the bonus-point win over Bristol - to get that at the Memorial Ground is never easy," said the 29-year-old. "They are a good side, even if the table does not reflect that. It was quite close in the game, up until the last 15 minutes, and then we opened them up a bit and did well to get the bonus point.

"It was important to get a result after the disappointing game against London Irish. They played very well at the Madejski but we had two good games against Calvisano before that in the Heineken Cup. We beat them twice but maybe we lost to Irish due to the fact that before them we were playing a weaker team and we allowed them to play too much. We can't be doing that as when the better teams come along we will be punished.

"We let in some very poor tries. But hopefully that was the wake-up call that we needed. It provided us with the realisation that we are capable of being beaten by lots of points and that we need to keep doing things right. Though the score did not look pretty and we were affected by a few late tries in that game, we know that we didn't do a lot of things right."

Brown knows that January will be a crucial month for Gloucester, and continued: "It is a huge month for us - it will decide a lot of things for our season. It will show whether we progress in Europe or not. The two games, against Biarritz away and Cardiff Blues at Kingsholm, are massive.

"In the Premiership we are playing Newcastle Falcons after Sarries. While Newcastle are struggling Saracens are flying high, so it is not going to be an easy month at all. It will probable etch out our season."

And on Saturday's visitors Brown added: "Sarries at home is always tough and when we played against them earlier in the season we were pleased with the 25-21 win, which we only just achieved. They will aiming for revenge and will targeting us after the loss to Irish. It is going to be interesting.

"Saracens have a pretty formidable forward pack - even if England captain and second-row Steve Borthwick is rested because of the Elite Player Squad rules. In particular they have a good front-row and a great scrum. It is going to be a very tough weekend, that's for sure. But we will have the Kingholm factor, which is always a big plus for us. We put a lot of things right after the Irish defeat and hopefully we can continue that at the weekend.

"There is underlying pressure on us to get a trophy this season which is increased by the media because we seem to lose in so many finals. That pressure is there, though, there is no point in hiding that fact. The simple fact is that we have not won. Since we won the Challenge Cup in 2006 there has been nothing, even though we finished top of the Guinness Premiership in the past two season. That has been very disappointing and something we have change that."

Labels: Alex Brown, Gloucester, Guinness Premiership, Saracens

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 2:39 pm | Permalink | Comments

PALMER HOPING WASPS CAN STING QUINS

Tom Palmer knows that January could be the make or break month for London Wasps' season - both domestically and in Europe. In their first game of the New Year Wasps host capital rivals Harlequins who, thanks again to the boot of Kiwi fly-half Nick Evans, drew 26-26 with Leicester Tigers last Saturday at Twickenham and remain sixth in the Guinness Premiership, 10 points ahead of Wasps, the reigning champions.

The England prop was one of eight internationals forced to be rested by Shaun Edwards in the 31-3 Boxing Day defeat to Sale Sharks - a loss that brought an end to Wasps' winning run of four games and, in Edwards's view, caused them to lose all momentum.

Though Edwards deemed the Elite Performance Squad stipulation of forcibly dropping England players as "bullshit", Palmer was more diplomatic. Further, he sees no reason why Wasps cannot pick up their game and - as they did last year - go on a devastating, all-conquering run.

The 29-year-old, who started England's ill-fated autumn international against South Africa, said of the EPS regulations: "It is difficult situation as they are the rules. It doesn't help teams like Wasps who have so many internationals. But that is why we need a strong squad.

"It was a real shame to lose against Sale because we were getting a nice run going. After two wins in the league and two in the Heineken Cup we were beginning to play some good stuff again and now we are back to square one, which is disappointing. Now it is very important to beat Harlequins.

"We have not given up on the Guinness Premiership at all. We have got to do as well as we can in both the league and the Heineken Cup. You can lose a game on the bounce of a ball so we are focused on every game we play.

"We know that if we lose a game in Europe, at the stage we are at, we will be out. So we cannot afford to concentrate on one or the other. In the league we have to work hard and keep aiming for the play-offs.

"In the Guinness Premiership I think we are a point better off this year than we were last, before we had that brilliant run. So don't write us off just yet this year!"

Palmer, who moved from Leeds Tykes in 2006 and has won 13 caps for his country, believes that to overcome Harlequins in Round 11 on Sunday they need to close down their half-backs - Evans and scrum-half Danny Care.

He continued: "Harlequins have two outstanding half-backs in Nick and Danny, so I think we have really got to put pressure them. As soon as they get the ball there has to be a defender straight on them so that they are not comfortable. We have got to make life difficult for them - if we give them an easy ride we know they will be incredibly dangerous."

Following the Quins game Wasps travel to league table-toppers Bath and then play their final Heineken Cup group games against Leinster at home and Castres away. A tough period, but one that Wasps will relish, says Palmer.

"January could be a defining month for us this season - we have four really tough games and each one is a big challenge," he said. "But that is what we play for at Wasps - we like testing ourselves against the best sides - and we are all really looking forward to it.

"A really good month for me should see me back in the England square for the Six Nations, so that is a reason for me to focus. Fingers-crossed I will be involved again, but I know I have to put in some big performances."

Palmer and a number of team-mates enjoyed New Year's Eve at hooker Joe Ward's house, where "a few interesting board games" were played. And the front-rower has revealed a rugby resolution for 2009. "I had a chat with England's nutritional expert, and I am going to do a couple of things to keep my bodyweight the same, while decreasing my fat and bulking my muscle mass up," added Palmer.

"I will start a new six-week programme in the New Year that focusses on me getting the right oils and vitamins. In the England training camp in the autumn Mark did some blood screening tests on all of us and it was revealing. The results of that caused a new nutritional plan to be put in to place - and it has really helped and I'm feeling much better.

"I had long-term issues with my back before but now that I am having more fish oils, omega oils, which I was low on, and it is great. I am low in something else too, and that means that I need a glass of red wine and a couple of squares of dark chocolate every night, which is not too bad! Now that my body has adapted to that diet we are changing it again."

Labels: Guinness Premiership, London Harlequins, London Wasps, Tom Palmer

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 2:37 pm | Permalink | Comments

HODGSON STARS AS SHARKS GO SECOND

Sale Sharks ascended to second in the Guinness Premiership and all but ended London Wasps’ hopes of retaining their title with a bonus-point victory in Stockport. In the only game on Boxing Day, at a full-house Edgeley Park, home fly-half Charlie Hodgson and full-back Mark Cueto, the forgotten men of English rugby, gave Martin Johnson a timely reminder of what they can do as their side cruised to a 31-3 win.

Against a weakened Wasps side, who were forced to drop nine of their international players due to the Elite Performance Squad rulings, Hodgson scored 16 points, while Cueto ran in his team’s second try and looked a threat all afternoon.

After a poor start to their league campaign Wasps had begun to build up a head of steam, having won their previous four games in all competitions. But Ian McGeechan’s side were out-muscled and out-spirited by a Sale Sharks team determined to give their departing coach Philippe Saint-André a Christmas bonus.

Sale skipper Juan Fernandez Lobbe opened the scoring after 10 minutes when Hodgson found Nial Briggs on the right. The flank forward, standing in for Luke Abrahams after the club suspended him for a headbutt in last weekend’s defeat to Bath, shipped on to Argentine Lobbe, who gleefully dived over in the corner. Hodgson, 28, kicked the extra two points and was asked to do the same only three minutes later.

Cueto, in an attempt to clear his lines, booted from just outside his 22-yard-line, and the ball bounced inside the touch line and back in to play, wrong-footing Wasps winger Chris Bishay. His on-rushing opposite man, Daniel Doherty, collected and slipped to the supporting Cueto, who raced under the uprights.

Though Wasps’ fly-half, Dave Walder, pulled back a penalty after 19 minutes, there was only one No10 shining on Friday – and Hodgson, capped 31 times for England, put the score beyond the visitors after converting his own try on 24 minutes.

When visiting flanker Joe Worsley trotted back from an offside position and found himself in the way of No9 Richard Wigglesworth’s pass, Hodgson was the quickest to react and pounced on the loose ball to take Sale to 21-3 at the interval.

Hodgson ensured his perfect kicking game with a penalty in the 50th minute, and, with three minutes remaining, he converted Lobbe’s second try of the game, a bullocking run from close range that forced a defeated and weary Wasps defence to cave in.

Labels: Charlie Hodgson, Guinness Premiership, London Wasps, Sale Sharks

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