Around The World

With just 32 days to go to the start of the the 2007 RWC it seems one of the few camps there isn’t strife is the Ireland one.

Eddie O’Sullivan’s preparations are going swimmingly by all accounts with the players talking about winning the Webb Ellis and why not ?

They certainly aint at all happy in the Valleys and then some. Losing to England in tiddlywinks is bad enough. Losing to the Sassenach in rugby is deemed a national disaster greater than the closing of the mining industry. Having the socks bet off yerselves by beefy yeomanry in ridiculous looking jerseys is proving too much for those who gorge on the bread of heaven. “We have seen in recent years the introduction of uncontested line-outs and uncontested scrums. wailed Max in an e-mail to the Western Mail. “Now Gareth Jenkins has now decided to introduce to Welsh sports fans the concept of “uncontested rugby”.

“As a Wales supporter, Saturday’s game with England was the most depressing involving a Welsh team in living memory (and that is saying something given the debacles we have suffered in recent years).” e-mailed Mark Evans

And poor oul  Lorraine Wilson says, “I am still feeling distressed and aggrieved after being at Twickenham to witness Wales’ monumental defeat by England. I can honestly say that I wanted the ground to open and swallow me up as I sat surrounded by standing English fans shouting, singing and dancing.”  She’s exiled in Hampshire so imagine how she’s feeling this morning with the sound of those feckers shouting singing and dancing still ringing in her ears.

Across the Severn all is well again with the Sweet Chariot. The trials and tribulations of the past few months – well more like years when they couldn’t win an argument never mind a rugby game – have been (almost) forgotten with Saturday’s clinical demolition of the Welsh !  Still. You can only play whats in front of you.

Up north beyond Hadrians Wall, Scotland are lying in wait for the Irish to arrive, Frank Hadden’s squad totally unaffected by happenings in and around Murrayfield. The claims and counter claims that effect the livelihoods of Scotland’s Edinburgh contingent is not having the slightest affect on their preparations. At all. Nada.

Latest news from Carruthers versus the SRU is good. Carruthers will withdraw if he gets a sum of money ‘something less than a million’ squid and there’s been a suggestion  a figure of 600k has been offered. Now late last week Carruthers old chap issued two writs to the amount of 8.5 big ones – million that is – but Carruthers says they are just there as an insurance policy against the exit talks falling through. All good news. And even better news is that the SRU are more than happy to take Edinburgh back into the fold because according to Iain Morrisson in Scotland on Sunday yesterday if the ‘exit talks’ go the way the SRU want it means all current contracts will be null and void and the SRU can start with a clean sheet with those Edinburgh players who are still left. They’ll probably also have a look at that contract waved under Stephen Larkham’s nose !

So all tickety-boo close home while over in France Bernard Laporte is concerned whether or not English rugby is drug free. That concern most likely sparked by the rationale that English internationals must be on something to wear those jerseys.

And Ireland’s other Pool opponents Argentina have to be delired ‘n xcired with their latest victory, 70-14 over Chile in Buenos Aires, Felipe Contepomi responsible for 25 of his side’s points and the fourteen Chile scored off two intercepted passes he threw.

There is no strife or a rift in the Wallably camp. That’s official. John Connolly explained is was just a mix-up over one player’s preference for Weetabix over Corn Flakes. Perfectly understandable. It’s not entirely clear if the Weetbix Affair took place on Stradbroke Island where the Wallabies are located under the benevolent care of a group of former SAS commandos and other ex-servicemen. Part of the exercise in team bonding include food and sleep deprivation and tough hikes and other outdoor activities ( such as probably bitching about food – no feckin Corn Flakes ? – and sleep deprivation). Sure why don’t they make ’em walk to France ?

And if that wasn’t bad enough, Mister Foot In Mouth himself, David Campese has decided to add his not inconsiderable gob to the criticism of Eddie Jones’ role in South Africa’s preparation. “All this talk about him showing the South African backline new running lines and how to utilise decoy runners is surely some sort of pre-tournament joke.” says DC.  “How Eddie Jones is going to help the Springboks just a few weeks out from the World Cup has me stumped,”  In fairness remembering some of the utterances that have been generated by the Easypese brain, ‘stumping’ him wouldn’t appear to be such a huge task.

And over the Tasman Sea it’s all hands to the pump as New Zealand rugby players weigh in behind those chosen to represent the Land of the Long White Cloud in France. On Saturday, Hawke’s Bay prop Clint Newland knocked out Wellington’s RWC squad member, Neemia Tialata with a punch in the Air NZ Cup rugby match in Napier. Tialata suffered concussion from the punch and can’t recall the incident that occurred during a lineout in the 14th minute of the game.

Meanwhile, Cantabrians are being encouraged to turn out in big numbers to bid farewell to the All Blacks today. A send-off is being held for the entire ABs squad in Victoria Square, Christchurch, at lunchtime.

Over here, in the Land of the Long Dark rainCloud, suggestions that Ireland take off to a boot camp on Tory Island under the supervision of former Army Rangers and ex-Garda Response Unit members have been rejected. (Lack of space).

Instead of boot camp, its base camp in Killiney for the Ireland squad ahead of the game against Scotland.