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

PAUL TITO VOWS TO KICK-START CARDIFF BLUES' SEASON

Just over six months ago, on a warm April afternoon at Twickenham, skipper Paul Tito proudly held aloft Cardiff Blues’ first ever trophy after the second-row and his team-mates had torn Guinness Premiership giants Gloucester to shreds in the EDF Energy Cup Final by playing fluid, jaw-dropping rugby.

Their 50-12 crowning victory in the Anglo-Welsh competition was certainly one in the eye for England – and a fortnight later Tito’s team almost toppled the European hegemony, too, but they were cruelly defeated in the Heineken Cup semi-final by Leicester Tigers.

The big 31-year-old, who was forced to withdraw after only ten minutes at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, could barely watch as the Blues forced the two-time winners to a sudden-death penalty shoot out when the scores were tied at 26 after extra time. When Wales flanker Martyn Williams hooked his effort wide Leicester No8 Jordan Crane successfully dropped his kick to drag the Tigers through to the final at Murrayfield.

Regardless, Tito, in his first season as captain, hailed the Blues’ achievements – the first silverware for the Welsh region, formed in 2003, and a best-ever finish in Europe’s premium cup competition. It was, in short, what the flame-haired Kiwi labels “a dream year”.

However, rather than building on last season’s success the Blues have endured a nightmare start to this campaign, which kicked off in early September. Despite being one of the most eye-catching sides in European rugby last term and boasting a new, state-of-the-art £48m (105m NZD) home venue, Dai Young’s troops lost four out of their first five games; their solitary success was a 19-15 win over the poor Llanelli Scarlets at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Tito was carried off with a head injury in Cardiff’s Heineken Cup Pool 5 opener in early October – a 20-6 win over troubled London Harlequins – and consequently missed out on the 27-26 defeat to Sale Sharks the following week. Though he is clueless as to why his Blues have failed to click so far this season, but determined to lead from the front and right their faltering campaign.

“It is tricky to work out what is going wrong – none of us can put our finger on it at the moment,” admits Tito, who joined the Blues from Taranaki in the summer of 2007. “It was a hell of a season, a dream year, last season, but it means nothing for this year. We picked up a good win against Quins but we stumbled against Sale and we will have to push on again now.

“We have lost a few personnel and we have been unlucky with injuries, but we can’t use that as an excuse to explain why we are battling. The fact is we have lost games that we should have won. We need to kick-start our season sooner rather than later. We must keep working hard and not look to blame anyone; just look at yourself and make sure you are putting your hand up week in, week out, trying to improve the Blues.”

Tito, who has previously skippered Taranaki, The Hurricanes, New Zealand Under-21s and led the New Zealand Maoris to victory in the 2006 Churchill Cup, says that it was “an honour” to take up the captaincy from No8 Xavier Rush last term but adds: “I have been disappointed to miss a few games as captain this season, as it is a much tougher job to gee up the troops when you are losing. It is certainly easier to captain a winning side, but it is when things are not going your team’s way that you should be working hardest.”

The former New Plymouth Boys’ High School attendee is grateful for the presence of former All Black Rush, however. “Xavier has been around Cardiff for a long time now and I’ve never met a man who can sit so many people back down – he runs over them! I’m glad he is on my team rather than against me!”

Ex-international Kiwi full-back Ben Blair also shone for the Blues last season and, with centre Casey Lualua due to make his bow before long alongside British Lion Jamie Roberts, Tito believes that the quality of the All Black trio will stop the Blues’ rot. “I played against these guys for so long in New Zealand and it is a pleasure to be finally playing with them,” he continues.

“I keep a massive eye on the results back home still. Taranaki will always be very close to my heart and I stay in touch with quite a few of those boys – it is always interesting to see how they are doing and what they are up to.”

When asked how he sees the All Blacks’ opening game of their European tour, against Wales in Cardiff on November 8, going Tito suggests that the home side could pull off a shock. “It is as good a time as any for the Welsh to beat the All Blacks – that’s certainly what the South Wales press would have you think,” he grins.

“A year or so again I would have not been able to say that but this year they have a real shot at beating the All Blacks, who are not on top of their game at the moment and are most probably looking ahead to the World Cup in 2011.

“Of course I will definitely supporting the All Blacks over Wales – I’ve still got a lot of my mates in the team. But I think it is going to be the closest game for a long while, certainly since I have been over here. It is a bit of a touchy subject with a few of my Welsh team-mates – I just hope the All Blacks win so that they can’t give me any stick.

“Between World Cups we are normally world beaters and this year that has not been the case. I actually think that it is quite good that they are not flying this time – we want to be peaking at the World Cup on home soil. I hope it is good management rather than good luck that will get us there. I’m sure they will be working hard in camp at the moment after a fairly tough year and they will want to finish off well on tour in the Northern Hemisphere.”

Though Tito rarely ventures back to New Zealand – “the weather’s usually lousy back home when I get time off, so I usually explore Europe instead” – he has vowed to return as a player. “Home is always home – I will definitely be going back one day – but in the meantime I am really enjoying my time with the Blues in Cardiff,” he adds. “It is a great place to live and when the Blues win it makes life pretty good, too. And for now I am concentrating on making that happen again.”

Labels: Cardiff Blues, Heineken Cup, Paul Tito, rugby union

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 11:15 am | 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

EVANS HOPING QUINS CAN MAKE IT THIRD TIME LUCKY

Harlequins are hoping to make it third time lucky when they host Irish giants Leinster in the quarter-final of the Heineken Cup on Easter Sunday. It is the first time in 11 years that the Londoners have reached the final eight of the competition – and they lost their last two quarter-finals to Leicester Tigers, who defeated them 23-13 in 1997, and Toulouse, 51-10 a year later.

But in All Black fly-half Nick Evans they have a genuine match winner, as evidenced by his performances in Quins’ superb double over Stade Francais in the group stages of the competition. The 28-year-old, who will run out at the Stoop having recovered from an ankle knock, is in confident mood and has urged his team-mates not to let history weigh down on them.

Auckland-born Evans, who joined Quins in the summer, said: “I hope I can help make it third time lucky. But we have a new, young team who don’t pay too much to history. We have already beaten teams that we supposedly shouldn’t have beaten – so for us the history book has been thrown out of the window.

“Leinster have internationals all over the field and we know it is going to be tough. But we are backing ourselves – we are here to win. We are motivated and our thought process has to be positive – we are not here to make up the numbers.

“We are safe to make the Heineken Cup for next year (confirmed by next week?) so we can have a really good crack at it this year. There is no reason why we can’t – we have exceeded all expectations already this year. No one thought we would get this far – it is massive for the club. There is a big buzz around the place and people have not been part of this for a long time.”

Evans picked out Irish centre and captain Brian O’Driscoll as the man Quins have to stop if they want to reach the semi-finals where they will face either Munster or Ospreys in early May. The 15-cap All Black continued: “I thought he had a fantastic Six Nations and showed what class he has, especially when the chips are down. In big games Brian delivers – we will have to concentrate on stopping him.

“He is one of those players who always gives 100 per cent – and New Zealanders look up to players like that and give them the kudos they deserve. He puts his body on the line and brings his A-game most of the time.”

Home advantage, Evans believes, will also play a significant part – Quins have only lost twice this season at the Stoop, both times to London Irish. “We have turned the Stoop into a fortress,” he said. “Leinster will have to play better than us to win – and if that happens we will take it on the chin, because we are at home we should go into the game with confidence.

“Even against a Leinster team who have fantastic players we should not be afraid of them. Though they have lost away a couple of times (to Wasps and Castres) they are a side who have been in this situation before. It’s new for us but we will just play the style of rugby that we know we can. Hopefully we can keep their fans fairly quiet and get our fans up."

Musing on the two victories against Stade Francais, Evans continued: “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. That belief will help us on Sunday.”

And after nine months in the capital, the former Auckland Blues stand-off is fully settled into London life, though he does miss his fishing. Away from rugby Evans relaxes by going to West End musicals – “the Lion King and Mamma Mia were great, and helped broaden my cultural horizons!” – and catching Premier League football matches.


But he determined to win Quins trophies, and added: “I’ve signed for three years and am very settled and 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. If we win against Leinster we will be one step closer to achieving that – I hope we can play the game we want to play and get the result.”

Labels: Heineken Cup, Leinster, London Harlequins, Nick Evans

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 7:07 pm | Permalink | Comments

JONES HOPING QUINS “BUILD A HEAD OF STEAM”

Having already qualified for the quarter-final of the Heineken Cup, the pressure has decreased for Harlequins ahead of their final Pool Four game against Llanelli Scarlets on Saturday at The Stoop. But Welsh prop Ceri Jones knows that if the London club are march further in the competition, it is important to defeat the Welsh region and gain a home advantage for the last eight – especially after a run of four games in all competitions without a win.

Last Saturday Quins lost 21-10 to Ulster at Ravenhill, in conditions that the coach Dean Richards described as the worst he has ever seen. Jones agrees, saying: “It was pretty difficult in those treacherous conditions, particularly in the second half – the crosswind was virtually unplayable. But Ulster played well and we did have opportunities to get back in the game.

“We have had some tough games in the last month – against Bath, Leicester, Wasps and a good Northampton side. It has not been easy. But I think we are playing well and are perfectly in place to push on from here.

“I think this is a perfect weekend for us, because the pressure is off and it is not all dependent upon qualification – we have already done that. We have a big game against the Scarlets to see if we can do an even better job of qualifying – we are hoping to get a home draw.

“But no matter who you play in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup it is going to be a tough game. They were saying that if the results stayed as they were we could play [reigning champions] Munster at Thomond Park, which most people were thinking would be a tough game – but I think it is an exciting prospect.”

Jones, who won two caps for his county in 2007, signed for Quins in February 2003, initially on loan as cover for injured props Jason Leonard, Laurent Gomez and Bruce Starr. After impressing he put pen to paper on a permanent deal and has play over 150 times for the club – through relegation-battles, in National League Division One, and now in Europe.

“It’s brilliant,” says the 31-year-old, “I’ve gone full circus at Quins. Since I have been here I have seen everything you can see in rugby. It’s been a real roller-coaster ride, but at the same time it has been very enjoyable. Quins are a great club to be part of and the way things are going, with the team constantly developing, there are exciting times ahead.

“We are only two wins off top spot in the Guinness Premiership, and whoever we play in the last eight of the Heineken Cup we are going to go out there and give it our very best. And who knows? We could play very well and get to the semi-final, and perhaps even further. You can’t help but get drawn in by these exciting times.”

Scarlets pulled off a terrific 36-17 win over Stade Francais at their new ground, Parc y Scarlets, last weekend. And Jones expects the game will be far from a foregone conclusion, especially with some of the players the Llanelli side have at their disposal.

“Regan King is a fantastic ball player and he is on top form – we will have to watch him carefully,” he adds. “His partnership in the centre with Jonathan Davies is really flourishing. Steven Jones is a class No10 – he can do it all. And even with the injuries they have got they have some very exciting backs and experienced forwards. They are a class team and, after their performance against Stade, I’m sure they are going to come out with much more confidence and wanting to do a job against us.

“We are very excited about the game, too. We don’t want to go into the quarter-finals on a defeat – we want a win and to get as many points from our group as possible. We want to go through to the last eight with a head of steam.”

Labels: Ceri Jones, Heineken Cup, Llanelli Scarlets, London Harlequins, Ulster

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 11:51 pm | Permalink | Comments

FLOOD TARGETS OSPREYS' HOOK

England fly-half Toby Flood is relishing the chance to go head-to-head with Wales No10 James Hook when Leicester Tigers take on Ospreys on Saturday in the decisive match in Pool Three of the Heineken Cup.

On Saturday Flood inspired the Tigers to a 52-0 mauling of Italian side Benetton Treviso while Hook’s team fell 17-15 to Perpignan in the south of France.

The defeat leaves the Welsh club four points behind the Tigers, who won the European Cup in 2001 and 2002.

If the Ospreys are victorious against Leicester they could book their place in the last eight of the competition – and Flood is determined to not let that happen.

“We know what a tough test it will be – they have pretty much a full international side,” said the 23-year-old. “It is massive for us.

“After the Treviso game we were listening to the Ospreys game and we were thinking ‘happy days’ when Perpignan were 17-0 up. Then the Ospreys did really well to come back 17-15 and get the losing bonus point.

“We need to go there and do the same thing, but of course we are going there for the win. With the quality that they have got it will be good preparation for the Six Nations.

“It’s going to be difficult, a big challenge mentally for us – it is a tough place to go to. It is fantastic that it comes down to one-off games. We need to deal with the noise and the ferocity which will almost be like a Test match.”

Flood reasons that Hook, 23, will be the man Leicester have to stop. He added: “He is a fantastic player, I have to admit.

“He has everything you want from a 10/12 – like me he has played a lot at 12 as well. He is a good distributor, has a great step, a good fend and he is a good defender, too.

“He is the type of player that you realise is great on and off the ball. So it will be difficult. You never want to talk someone up when you are playing them next, but you have to give credit where it is due and he is a world-class player.”

Labels: Heineken Cup, James Hook, Leicester Tigers, Ospreys, Toby Flood

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 11:00 am | Permalink | Comments

TIGERS MAUL TREVISO AHEAD OF BIGGER OSPREYS TEST

Leicester Tigers' 52-0 mauling of Italian club Benetton Treviso at a packed Welford Road took them four points clear at the top of Heineken Cup Pool Three on Saturday. But with the second-placed Ospreys, who fell 17-15 to Perpignan in the south of France, still to play in Swansea next week, this seven-try victory could have been a little too easy. Passage to the last eight of Europe’s top club competition is still not secured for the 2001 and 2002 winners.

Two tries each for wing Scott Hamilton and former All Black and captain Aaron Mauger, and 17 points for England fly-half Toby Flood before he was withdrawn with 30 minutes left, were the headline-grabbers of a clinical display, especially in the first-half. Leicester knew this would be an easy win, having defeated their opponents 60-16 at the Stadio Communale di Monigo in October.

Hamilton, the blond New Zealander, got the Tigers’ wheels rolling after only four minutes, capitalising on the first cluster of Treviso mistakes that would punctuate the game.

Following a penalty scrum the left wing cut in on a scissors move and swatted aside four would-be tacklers to score to the left of the posts. Flood, the England No10, laced the conversion.

The Italian visitors, without 12 first-team players, including former Wasps centre Fraser Waters, struggled all afternoon in their luminous yellow strips.

The only thing they seems to highlight was the gulf in class between them and last year’s Guinness Premiership runners-up, as passes went to ground, kicks were miscued, lineouts lost, and tackles not executed.

Hamilton ambled across the line again on 14 minutes after fullback Geordan Murphy’s introduction in the Leicester back line had created an overlap that the Italian defence simply ignored.

A converted score for centre Mauger in the 26th minute, following a penalty try, saw the Tigers ensure their bonus-point win with 55 minutes remaining.

When travelling skipper, prop Franco Sbaraglini, hopped off 10 minutes before the break, things could not have been much worse for Treviso.

Tigers’ right wing Matt Smith went over in the corner a minute later and Flood converted from the touchline before Mauger bulldozed over for another seven-pointer, taking the score to 40-0 at the interval.

On the rare occasions Treviso managed to run the ball out of their half possession was turned over. To their credit, when they won penalties, they opted for quick taps and scrums. But it proved a fruitless venture against the relentless and unforgiving Tigers.

Following a 40–yard break by 19-year-old scrumhalf Ben Youngs, Flood crashed over after 49 minutes. After slotting his conversion – his sixth out of seven attempts – the 23-year-old was substituted.

And, bar replacement Johne Murphy’s try with just under half an hour left, Leicester, with their seven substitutes all used, failed to turn the screw. Even when flanker Marco Filippucci was sin-binned with seven minutes left the Tigers had taken their foot off the pedal to the point where it seemed as though they didn’t want to score again.

Of note, however, was the lively performance of man-of-the-match Youngs, making his first European start, as well as the return of Tigers’ prop Martin Castrogiovanni, the Guinness Premiership’s player of the season two years ago.

And while it proved the perfect tonic to remedy the disappointment of last weekend’s 17-13 loss to Northampton Saints in the Guinness Premiership, coach Richard Cockerill, still standing in for the absent Heyneke Meyer, will know that the Ospreys, packed with their Welsh internationals, will be a completely different proposition next Saturday.

Leicester Tigers Tries: Hamilton (S) 2, penalty try, Mauger 2, Smith, Murphy (Johne)
Conversions: Flood 6 (7), Hougaard 0 (1)
Penalties: -
Drop kicks: -

Benetton Treviso Tries: -
Conversions: -
Penalties: -
Drop kicks: -

Leicester Tigers: G Murphy; S Hamilton, S Rabeni, A Mauger [capt], M Smith, T Flood, B Youngs; M Castrogiovanni, G Chuter, J White; M Wentzel, B Kay; T Croft, B Woods, J Crane
Replacements: B Kayser, B Stankovich, M Corry, B Deacon, J Dupuy, D Hougaard, J Murphy

Benetton Treviso: B Williams; A Vilk, M Horak, M Neethling, E Galon, M Goosen, T Botes; F Sbaraglini, D Vidal, P di Santo; A Pavanello, C Van Zyl; M Gilbride, H Louw, D Kingi
Replacements: E Ceccato, A Ceccato, M Filippucci, M Barbieri, S Orlando, A Marcato, A Lucchese

Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France)

Labels: Heineken Cup, Leicester Tigers, Treviso

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 10:58 am | Permalink | Comments

BROWN HOPING TO PROVE QUINS' CANDIDACY

Mike Brown believes that if Harlequins can defeat Irish giants Ulster in their own backyard, at the intimidating Ravenhill, then it will further prove to the rugby world that he and his young team will have come of age. A victory on Saturday for the full-back and his pals would ensure passage to the quarter-finals of Europe’s biggest club competition, and a continuation of a sparkling campaign.

Quins go in to Saturday's match atop Heineken Cup Group Four, having achieved a memorable double over European behemoth Stade Francais – results that made doubters of the ability of Dean Richards’s team eat their words.

“People outside didn't really take us seriously before then,” says the 23-year-old, capped thrice for England, of Round three’s 15-10 win in Paris. “They still saw us a young Quins team who could win the odd big game but who were still progressing. That win showed everyone that we can do it on the biggest stage. The guys in the dressing room had belief beforehand that we could beat Stade - and that's what counted.

“But now it puts it puts us in the position where we go away and teams really want to beat us because of what we have done to Stade. That puts a lot more pressure on us but I'm hopeful that we can live up to that and keep playing the way we have been.

“It was an amazing spectacle at Stade Francais, though I didn't get a chance to see any of the entertainment beforehand. It was quite difficult to block it all out as there was so much going on.

“It was very surreal for me as it felt so much like an international and I was there playing with my Harlequins mates. It was such a fast, physical game, and very strange for me. There were just under 80,000 people watching at Stade and that is very rare in club rugby. It was amazing for all the guys to get that experience.”

The star man on that day in France’s capital, and the following week when Quins eked out a 19-17 win, was All Black Nick Evans. The 28-year-old masterminded the Londoners’ attack, and – as he is also a handy No15 – Brown admits that he is learning a lot from the New Zealander.

He continues: “Nick is such a good player and when he is playing No10 it helps everyone in the back line because he does play an expansive game, as all Kiwis do, and he runs the game well. It is good for me – if I have some queries about playing full-back, because I am still learning, then he can help me as he has played at the top level in my position.

“He is always willing to help me out positionally, he has ideas in defence, knows when a full-back should come in to the line and when we are on the counter-attack he knows what to look for.”

When Ulster visited the Stoop back in October, a good first half showing from the home team paved the way for a convincing 42-21 victory. Brown crossed for a try – one of six so far this season – but he is expecting Ulster to be much less of a push over on home soil.

“We are not taking them lightly,” he says, “as we know they are a good team, especially at home. They would love a win over the English boys, too, so we know Ravenhill will be a hard place to go and play.

“I've only played there once before, on a sopping wet Friday night for the Saxons, so I know what to expect. The closest thing to the atmosphere we can expect is that found at Gloucester's Kingsholm. It will be very intimidating but the boys are very much looking forward to that.”

Quins fly to Dublin having not won since the heroics against Stade Francais – a draw with Leicester, defeats to Northampton and Wasps followed. And last weekend’s game over struggling Worcester was frozen off. So Brown is desperate to post a ‘W’ against Ulster.

“We are raring to go for this weekend,” he adds. “It was disappointing to have the game against Saracens called off, but on the plus side some guys who have played a lot of games get a rest.

“In our last game it was disappointing to lose to Wasps as we thought we would have a good chance of turning them over. But they came out firing and in the first half we were very poor. We were trying to force things too much. But the vibe inside the camp is good – all the boys are enjoying their rugby and we are still very confident in our ability.”

Labels: Heineken Cup, London Harlequins, Mike Brown, Ulster

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 10:29 am | Permalink | Comments

QUINS WARY OF EMOTIONALLY-CHARGED STADE

Andy Gomarsall has warned his Harlequins team-mates to expect a backlash from French giants Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup on Saturday following the London’s club’s 15-10 victory in Paris last weekend.

The 34-year-old scrum-half, capped 35 times for England, said: “Of course we fancy our chances of doing the double but it will be an emotional game for Stade.

“They were gutted to lose in front of 80,000 of their fans in Paris. And they will be looking for a big one. We just have to concentrate on ourselves and if we do that we should be OK.”

On Sunday London Wasps host Edinburgh and flanker Tom Rees knows that if they don’t gain a win their hopes of European success will be over.

Following their 25-16 victory at Murrayfield last Friday, the England star who scored the winning try said: “It was good to pick up the result and keep our Heineken Cup hopes alive and we will be looking to do the same this week. It is still a case of knowing that if we lose then we are out of the tournament.

“I’d imagine they would be quite happy to rain on our parade so we’ll have to be pretty sharp to win.”

Labels: Andy Gomarsall, Heineken Cup, London Harlequins, London Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 6:05 pm | Permalink | Comments

QUINS USE SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST TO WARD OFF CAN-CAN DISTRACTION

Harlequins captain Will Skinner has revealed the secret behind his side’s magnificent Heineken Cup victory over Stade Français in Paris: sports psychology. The 15-10 win, which retained Quins’ 100 per cent record in Pool 4 and hands them a great chance of reaching the last eight for the first time in a decade, was labelled the club’s best in its 142-year history.

But Quins, who last won in France 11 years ago, had to block out an intimidating circus atmosphere, which included Moulin Rouge Can-Can girls, in front of a capacity 76,000 crowd. Tries from Jordan Turner-Hall and Tom Williams, and five kicked points from Nick Evans proved enough for Dean Richards’s team against the two-time runners-up.

“We used a sports psychiatrist who helped us recognise what distractions there would be at the game,” said Skinner, 24. “We didn’t want to get too amazing by everything – though it was hard when we were warming up!

“Without a shadow of a doubt that win was the pinnacle of my career so far. It was the biggest crowd I have ever played against and the biggest game I have ever played in.

“We really believe that we can go much further in the competition. And if anything is going to give us confidence, it was that win. But we have got to keep our feet on the ground. We have to win all our home games and we have got Stade coming back this weekend – and they will be looking for revenge.”

In Pool 2 London Wasps kept alive their hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals with a hard-fought win over Edinburgh at Murrayfield. With all nine internationals back in the fold, fly-half Danny Cipriani kicked 20 points and Tom Rees scored a try in the 25-16 victory. Wasps are now second with eight points – six behind Leinster.

Labels: Heineken Cup, London Harlequins, London Wasps, Will Skinner

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 6:26 pm | Permalink | Comments

REES WARY OF EDINBURGH RAINING ON WASPS’ PARADE

Tom Rees scored a try with three minutes remaining at Murrayfield last Friday to seal London Wasps’ second win in the Heineken Cup this campaign, but the England flank forward knows that his team will have to improve their performance in the return fixture at Adams’s Park this Sunday if they stand any chance of progressing to the last eight of the competition – with three Pool 2 games to play they are six points behind leaders Leinster, who have 14.

The 24-year-old’s late score, which ensured a scrappy 25-16 win, vanquished the horror of three years ago when Simon Webster’s injury-time try helped Edinburgh to win 32-31 – but Rees knows Andy Robinson’s team will be gunning for revenge in England against the Guinness Premiership champions.

“It was important to get the result up in Edinburgh,” said Rees, whose team are yet to win three games in a row this term. “We have not had many happy memories going up there in the past. It was good to pick up the result and keep our Heineken Cup hopes alive and we will be looking to do the same this week. It is still a case of knowing that if we lose then we are out of the Heineken Cup.

“Hopefully it will be a bit more comfortable this week with it being at home. We also have slightly longer to prepare this week so we should be sharper and better prepared. Also I hope the rugby is a little bit better, because while it was a great result last Friday it was not a great game for us. Hopefully that win will help our confidence build and we will start to play some better rugby as well as winning.

“There is a hell of a lot of pressure on us at the moment, and we have put some of that on ourselves through not performing and not winning. But the more wins we get, the more pressure we take off ourselves. The tendency is to try and be more conservative and grind results out. When you are winning and flying high things seem to come more easily. In our current state of mind we are perhaps more wary of trying things.

“One of the problems that we got ourselves in to at the beginning of the season was that when things did start to go wrong everyone was constantly looking for ways out of it. We were effectively trying too hard; the more important thing would have been to relax. But that is counter intuitive when things are going badly. It is important for us to stay relaxed and confident but at the same time our focus has got to be sky high. When these wins do hopefully start to mount up – at the moment we are still only talking about two – we can play with a bit more confidence.”

On Sunday’s opponents Rees added: “Edinburgh will not be too happy about losing at Murrayfield. They are a very well drilled side, as you would expect from a team who are managed by Andy Robinson. He selected me for my first game for England, so I have a lot of respect for him.

“They have got a very good back row, and it was a very interesting one to go up against last week. They have got a few young players, too, so these are exiting times for them if they can grow in confidence themselves and move forward. My concern is this week they are going to come down smarting for having lost at home.

“I’d imagine they would be quite happy to rain on our parade in terms of making sure we don’t progress in the Heineken Cup. So we’ll have to be pretty sharp to win. They game went right to the death up in Scotland and we will have to work very hard to make sure that is not the case on Sunday.”

Labels: Edinburgh, Heineken Cup, London Wasps, Tom Rees

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 6:24 pm | Permalink | Comments

EDINBURGH NO LAUGHING MATTER FOR WASPS, SAYS BIRKETT

Richard Birkett and his London Wasps team-mates welcomed back their nine internationals on Sunday with a trip to a comedy club in Battersea. But, ahead of Friday's crucial Heineken Cup third round game in Edinburgh, they know their current situation is no laughing matter.

The lock, who made his Wasps debut nine years ago and has played over 200 times for the club, admits that Wasps need to pull out all the stops immediately if they are to salvage anything from their season.

Last Friday the reigning Guinness Premiership champions narrowly defeated Newcastle Falcons 23-17 to record only their second win of the campaign after eight rounds – they are now ninth in the table.

Similarly in the Heineken Cup, a trophy they won in 2007, things have not started well – which places extra importance on the game at Murrayfield. In October a 25-11 home win over French club Castres was followed by a 41-11 drubbing away to Leinster, leaving Wasps six points off the Irish side in Pool 2 and equal on four points with Edinburgh. Birkett knows that Wasps stand a mathematical chance of advancing to the latter stages, but his team must record bonus-point victories.

“It has got to the point now where every single game is a must-win, if we want to do anything at all this year,” says 29-year-old Birkett, who represented England Under-18s while a Millfield schoolboy. “These are desperate times and it was good to win against Newcastle Falcons last week. We needed to get a win at all costs – it was not pretty but it didn’t matter.

“We should have scored a lot more points but we are still making plenty of little errors which are costing us. That is because our confidence is low. We know we can perform, as we are doing it on the training pitch, but we can’t do it on the pitch because we have not been winning games and closing them out. It has caused people to play a bit nervously.

“Winning will bring that confidence back – we know that when we are at the top of our game we can beat anyone, and that is what we need to get back to.”

Birkett was part of the Wasps pack who last played against Edinburgh at Murrayfield in a competitive fixture, three years ago, and recalls the disappointment of Scottish back, Simon Webster’s injury-time score which handed Edinburgh a 32-31 in the opening round of that Heineken Cup competition.

“I remember it was incredibly wet and horrible,” grimaces Birkett. “It was one of those days when nothing went for us at all – they definitely had the bounce of the ball. And it was gutting to see Webster cross for the late try.

“We went up there in pre-season in August and lost again [22-15]. It was a disappointing loss but not crucial. It’s more important now – there is much more at stake. We know they are a strong, physical side and they will defend well.

“We are under no illusions as to how hard a task it will be, as Edinburgh are playing very well this year. It is a tough ask and a big, big game for us. We get them back at ours a week on Sunday, so it will be fun –we should know them pretty well by then.

“It is a question of us being accurate and clinical. If we play the game we know, the win should not be an issue. It is just the accuracy that we have been lacking.”

Birkett admits it is a major boost to have his second-row partner Simon Shaw and Wasps’ other internationals back at the Twyford training ground, adding: “It’s good to have the internationals back – now we have more strength and depth and we get to use absolutely everybody. We had a bit of a team outing on Sunday night so the squad could get back together. We had a beer, chilled out and watched some comedy at a club in Battersea, which was great considering we had not seen them for about a month.

“We are targeting five-point wins in the Heineken Cup from now on. However we do it, it has to happen. It is absolute desperation. Hopefully we can pull it out of the bag. There have been times when we have really needed the win and got it. We need that kind of mentality now.”

Labels: Edinburgh, Heineken Cup, London Wasps, Richard Birkett

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 1:01 pm | Permalink | Comments

BLUES TITO READY FOR BIARRITZ CHALLENGE

Paul Tito, the colossal ginger-haired Kiwi captain of the Cardiff Blues, is pleased with the progress his team have made so far this season – they have booked their place in March’s semi-finals of the EDF Energy Cup and are top Pool 6 in the Heineken Cup. But the lock knows that December’s double-header against French giants Biarritz will be a good litmus test to see whether they can go all the way in Europe’s most coveted prize.

In Pool 6 the Blues chalked up bonus point wins against Calvisano in northern Italy and at home against Gloucester in October. The victories lifted Cardiff to 10 points – five ahead of Biarritz, who they host on December 5 at Cardiff Arms Park – and stand a good chance of going further than they did last season when Dai Young's team reached the quarter-finals after impressive group stage victories over all three of their opponents.

It was another French team, Stade Toulousain, who former prop Young's team eventually fell to – in April they lost 41-17 in the south of France to the eventual runners-up and the 2008 Super 14 winners, who also pipped the Blues to the Heineken Cup in the 1995/06 final.

“We have moved on from last year,” says 30-year-old Tito, who moved to the Blues from his native Taranaki in June 2007. “We made steps in the right direction last year and there were many signs of improvement. We finished in the top eight of the Heineken Cup, gained good away wins in the EDF Energy Cup, though we didn’t make it through, and in the Magners League we came second.

“Now we have picked up from where we left off and we are trying to move the bus forward. We have done really well to get through to the semis of the EDF, as we played the top three sides in England. It was a daunting pool and we were lucky that Sale Sharks did not put out a full-strength team. Leicester Tigers and Bath both put good teams out though and we came away with wins. I think those victories gave the team the confidence to say, ‘we can go away to these tough places and get a result’.”

Tito had never been to Italy before the Blues’ Heineken Cup opener in October, but he stepped into the unknown and inspired his team to a 56-20 win and followed it up with a 37-24 win at home to Gloucester. “Calvisano, and going over to Italy, was an unknown for me – I didn’t know what to expect,” he says. “Some of the guys had been before but we started a bit slow and we got a couple of yellow cards which kept us at bay in the first half. But once we started going after the ball we got going, and managed to score a lot of tries. It was pleasing to come away with the five points.

“The Gloucester game was massive for us, one that we had been looking forward to for a long time. Playing at the Millennium Stadium for the first time in front a record 27,000 was awesome. It was a great spectacle, and they played their part by chucking the ball about. Both teams scored some fantastic tries. Stopping Gloucester getting any points was a huge achievement.

“If you had said at the start of the season that Cardiff Blues would have 10 points after two Heineken Cup games, I think half the world would have said ‘rubbish’. So we are happy where we are but we know we have to keep working at our game.”

The former New Zealand Under-21s skipper believes that back-rower Andy Powell and 19-year-old winger Leigh Halfpenny’s call-ups to the Wales team prove how good the team are developing. Tito continues: “It’s great that those guys have been promoted to the Wales team, but when you are playing well as a club team you can do that. It’s awesome that Leigh and Andy have been selected – it just shows that the Blues are heading in the right direction.

“I tell the guys that we don’t need individuals here, we need a good all round team performance. I think that is what we are getting now. And with a good quality squad everyone knows that if they are not performing, or playing well there will be someone ready to take their place now. It doesn’t matter who you are or how long you have been at the club.”

On December’s opponents, who they face away on December 13, he adds: “I do not know an awful lot about Biarritz to tell you the truth, but no doubt I will talk to the other boys who know more about them. But we know that when playing the French, at home, you have to be on top of your game. If you think you can tough them up you have got to have your best game of the season.

“Playing the first game in Cardiff is an advantage for us as it gives us a chance to get right into it. And we have got straight to it this year and we need to keep our performances right up there.

“We know that they will be coming over to Wales to try and knock us over. But we will have to be on our mettle to beat them. I am excited about the Biarritz challenge. Last year when we played Stade Francais over in France we came very close to beating them (they lost 12-6), and no one has managed that. We have proved that we are a team that can travel.”

Labels: Biarritz, Cardiff Blues, Heineken Cup, Paul Tito

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 10:15 pm | Permalink | Comments

MUNSTER EDGE OUT TOULOUSE TO CLINCH SECOND HEINEKEN CUP TITLE

Ronan O’Gara earned Munster their second Heineken Cup trophy, after his 11 kicked points edged out three-time winners Toulouse 16–13 at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. It was their second success in three years, strengthening their stranglehold on European rugby.

The French team, who won the first European Cup 12 years ago and last lifted it in 2005, opened the scoring through fly-half Jean-Baptiste Élissalde. The diminutive No10 missed a penalty chance after five minutes but made amends immediately by stroking over a drop-kick four minutes later.

In a bruising and tight first 40 minutes, with both defences neutralizing any attacking threat, it took Munster until 10 minutes before the break to engineer their first meaningful scoring opportunity. All Black winger Doug Howlett managed to pierce the Toulouse wall with a slinking run. After being held up short, No8 Dennis Leamy reached over to touch down, though referee Nigel Owens adjudged the Irish backrower to have lost control of the ball.

A defensive five metre scrum was awarded and Munster twisted their French opponents so much that they earned the following scrum. And Toulouse buckled under the pressure as the Munster forwards bludgeoning their defence, with Leamy the man to cross the white wash – it was his tenth Heineken Cup try in his 30th appearance.

O’Gara converted before adding another three points after Toulouse captain Fabien Pelous was penalised. Élissalde hit back with a penalty to take the score to 10-6 at the interval.

Pelous again let his side down by kicking out at a Munster player 12 minutes into the second half – he was sin-binned for 10 minutes and O’Gara slotted the penalty. Though their imposing second-row skipper was off the field, Toulouse, through the genius of their mercurial full-back Cedric Heymans, scored a superb converted try to bring them level with 25 minutes remaining.

Heymans, sensing that his team needed something out of the ordinary, threw a line out to himself in his own half, before chipping forward. He collected his own kick before lacing on again. Charging for the line Toulouse centre Yannick Jauzion fly-hacked on before winger Yves Donguy dropped on the ball to score.

However Pelous, having served his 10 minutes on the sidelines, conceded yet another penalty with 15 minutes left. Ireland’s No10 O’Gara knocked over his third three-pointer in a perfect kicking game and his team held on for an emotional victory.

Labels: Heineken Cup, Munster, Ronan O'Gara, Toulouse

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 7:11 pm | Permalink | Comments

KING RELISHING WASPS VISIT

Alex King's left boot kicked London Wasps to Heineken Cup victory in May, but on Saturday the 32-year-old will line up against his former team mates as his new club, ASM Clermont Auvergne, host the champions at Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin.

The former England fly-half played at Wasps for 11 years and won ten medals including four Premierships and three European titles, before crossing the Channel in the summer. And King is loving the new challenge in France.

“It has been a fantastically good move me personally and professionally,” he said. “There have been different experiences, I have leant new things and am playing with different players.

“I had an amazing 11 years at Wasps and I still look out for their results – they are the team I love the most in England. But I am now with ASM and my allegiance lies with them.

“I couldn’t have left Wasps at a better time – we had just won the Heineken Cup, so it was a great high to leave on.

“This fixture is something that has been in my thoughts since I joined ASM – it will be very special for me.”

King has informed his new team mates of Wasps’ strategies and tactics, but knows they the visitors possess the class to blow sides away.

He continued: “In the last few weeks Wasps have shown that they have developed as a team. They have a great balance.

“When we have had team meetings here I have told the guys they should be under no illusions: Wasps are a tremendously talented outfit, and they want to defend their trophy.

“I have given Vern (Cotter, ASM’s coach) an idea of how Wasps might play, the strategies Ian McGeechan and Shaun Edwards might use. I have a huge amount of respect for the coaches at Wasps, and Ian and Shaun are wise old men – I’m sure at they will have a few surprises up their sleeve.”

And in 20-year-old Danny Cipriani, who has stepped into King’s boots, Wasps have a world beater, believes the erstwhile fly-half.

“I have known Danny for a few years,” said King. “When I was at Wasps he was mostly playing full-back, and playing the odd game at fly-half.

“I think it was invaluable for his development at No10 to play in a variety of positions. It gave him a good perspective of the game, and he learned about different positions and the different roles within the team.

“He has really thrived on the responsibility of playing No10 for Wasps this team. His maturity as a player has improved immensely over the last year or so.

“He is lucky in that he has the likes of Riki (Flutey) and Fraser (Waters) outside him, who are playing out of their skin.”

King, who scored 15 points in Wasps’ 25-9 win over Leicester Tigers in the Twickenham final six months ago, thinks that Cipriani will soon replace Jonny Wilkinson in the England team.

“Danny has certainly played some big games over the last month or so,” he added. “He played against Ronan O’Gara when they defeated Munster, and beat Stephen Jones’ Llanelli and Jonny’s Newcastle last week.

“So he’s playing against all the top No10s in the northern hemisphere and he’s doing himself proud. I would be thrilled if he got a chance for England – he was really unlucky to make the world cup squad.

“I think he would have added another dimension to England’s back play. He has all the attributes to be a world class player for a decade. He is doing everything he can to be pushing for England selection.”

Labels: Alex King, Heineken Cup, rugby union, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 5:19 pm | Permalink | Comments

START OF A GOLDEN AGE FOR ENGLISH RUGBY

Rugby chiefs have finally agreed on a deal that will put an end to the club versus country debate, and pave the way for a new “golden era” where English rugby will flourish both on and off the field.

Representatives of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Premier Rugby Limited (PRL) were relieved to announce the new eight-year deal – which will commence from July 1 next year – at Twickenham yesterday.

The PRL had been at odds with the RFU for over a decade after losing important players due to international duties at key stages in the season without any financial compensation.

Despite this squabbling, England have reached the last two world cup finals, and Premiership teams have won six of the last 11 Heineken Cups and six of the last seven Challenge Cups. With both clubs and country pulling in the same direction, England fans can expect even more success.

“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with PRL,” opened Martyn Thomas, Chairman of the RFU Management Board. “It has taken a long time to put together. We believe that we have got an agreement that is positive it will work if both parties of the agreement pull together.

“It will take England through two rugby world cups, and we hope that the stability and certainty that the agreement will provide will be vital to the development of the game, both at club and country level.”

RFU Chief Executive Francis Baron said: “Our objective is simply to make England number one and our club competitions number one. The RFU will be providing around £110m to the Guinness Premiership clubs over the course of the agreement.

“The key to implementing the agreement will be the establishment of the Professional Game Board, who will be responsible for overseeing the professional game.”

The exhaustive 150 page document – “Nobody has ever produced such a detailed document in professional rugby; we have tried to deal with every issue and deal with it comprehensively,” continued Baron – sets out plans for seasons to be played in series of ‘blocks’.

The idea is to allow players to represent their club and country as much as possible. The block system is structured to include commitments to the Premiership, European competitions as well as International games.

Though, for fear of ‘burnout’, players will only be able to play a maximum of 33 games in any one season (including a maximum of 11 for England).

Three elite player squads (EPS) – Senior, Saxons and Under-20, each of 32 players – will allow players to prepare better for upcoming internationals. Clubs will also be financially encouraged to nurture English talent, and special coaching schemes are to be introduced to develop English coaching talent.

“It is very exciting,” added Elite Rugby Director Rob Andrew. “It is an English solution for the English game – that’s the most important thing. For once and for all I hope we have put the club versus country debate behind us, and we can now really seriously talk about club and country.”

Labels: Francis Baron, Heineken Cup, Rob Andrew, Rugby Football Union, rugby union, Rugby World Cup

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 11:00 pm | Permalink | Comments

KING OF THE CHATEAU

Alex King’s left boot kicked Wasps to three consecutive Guinness Premierships and two Heineken cups – the last one being the magnificent 25-9 victory over Leicester in May, when he scored 15 points. But the 32-year-old former England fly-half, who swapped London for Clermont-Ferrand in the summer, is hoping he can repeat the feat at the expense of his old team.

After the dust had settled on the Twickenham final King announced that he would be moving to Clermont Auvergne, where he was offered a one-year rolling contract. After 11 years at Wasps he thought it was right to leave on a high.

Though his new team have never reached the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup, they have started well this campaign, and managed to thump Llanelli Scarlets 42-21 on Sunday, in the competition’s ‘group of death’.

Aside from the Scarlets, King’s team have to play his former side Wasps in December, and winners of two years ago: Munster.

He said: "It was a good result and a great performance by the boys against the Scarlets. It's handy to get a win early on in this very difficult group.

“Wasps are number one seeds and they have been drawn with the second best team in France last year – Clermont - the 2006 champions and Llanelli Scarlets, who are always there or thereabouts in the knockout stages.

“It’s a tough group, but whoever qualifies will be confident of winning the tournament.”

King is enjoying his time at the club, and thinks that the multicultural make-up of the side will reap rewards come the end of the season.

“We are really well managed by coach Vern Cotter,” he continued. “In the three months that I have been here I have seen the impressive team ethos and work culture.

“There is a fantastic blend of rugby cultures from all over the world. We have two Georgians (Goderzi Schvelidze and Davit Zirakashvili – both props) who are brilliant characters; two Argentineans in Martin Scelzo and Mario Ledesma who are fantastic in the front row.

“There are three Fijians and three South Africans. World cup winner John Smit is a really top man. He is going to bring a huge amount to the team.”

King added: “Then you have the staple French guys, the likes of Pierre Vigouroux, Aurélien Rougerie and Julien Bonnaire who hit the highs with France at the World Cup. It is a really good mix and the ambition there from everyone is easy to see.

“We are a very ambitious club, and we want to do something special this year. It is great for me to join a club in France with that kind of ambition.

“To go on a Heineken Cup journey with another team is something that really excites me. It would be a nice Christmas present to beat Wasps, but I’m sure they are thinking the same thing.”

Labels: Alex King, Clermont Auvergne, Heineken Cup, Llanelli Scarlets, rugby union, Wasps

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 8:24 pm | Permalink | Comments