Owen Farrell and George Ford both have famous fathers in the rugby world. Both have been included in the England U16 Elite Squad for a training session at Broadstreet RFC, Coventry later in the month.Centre Farrell plays the same position as his father, Andy, the Saracens and England centre. He attends St George’s School, Harpenden and plays for Hertfordshire county. Fly half Ford plays for Rishworth School and Yorkshire and is son of the England defence coach Mike Ford.They are included in a 40 strong elite squad for the first of 6 training sessions which are coming up. 20 more players will be added to the squad after another trial match which has to take place on the 27th January and from this group a squad will be selected to play in the 4 Nations Tournament which tales place between the 17th and 27th March.
Lawrence Dallaglio will retire from international rugby with immediate effect and will also quit the domestic game at the end of the season. A week before Brian Ashton announces his Six Nations squad for this year’s tournament Dallaglio has ruled himself out of contention. It is thought that Ashton will opt to pick a new breed of player based on the youngsters coming through in a move which will help him build toward the next World Cup.The Wasps Number 8 has ended a career which has spanned 12 years and 85 caps, the last one in the World Cup Final defeat to South Africa. Wasps have been so impressed with Dallaglio that they offered the 35 year old a year’s extension to his contract but he is determined to bring down the curtain on his career in his own way. He has also ruled out staying at Wasps and becoming part of the coaching staff.Dallaglio lead Wasps to 4 Premiership titles and 2 Heineken Cups and is hoping to end his career with more silverware this year.For more on this story, click the link to rugbyrugby.com
John Smit, now playing his rugby at Clermont Auvergne in the French Top 14, could be out of action for several weeks after injuring his knee earlier this week.Smit joined the French club after leading the Springboks to a win in the World Cup and is still finding his feet in a tough French league. This injury will now be a telling blow for the 29 year old.Clermont revealed that the South African sprained his knee in training on Wednesday but the extent of the damage is not clear as yet and medical staff will have to wait on the details of scans before they understand the full damage.For more on this story, click the link the planet-rugby.com
Former Northampton Saints and England winger Ben Cohen will make his debut for Brive this weekend in a huge game for his new club against Dax.Cohen bought himself out of his contract at Northampton after deciding that he did not want to play for the club anymore when he was not chosen as captain of the team.Cohen will play in the centre against Dax after playing only 40 minutes of a youth team fixture for Brive and 20 minutes for the Barbarians in 3 months. He joins his old Northampton team mate Steve Thompson at Brive.
The Australian Rugby Union are considering allowing foreign stars to play in their Super 14 franchises in an attempt to breathe fresh air into southern hemisphere rugby. Another idea is to extend the number of teams within Australia to include one based in Melbourne which will be made up of players from Argentina and the Pacific Islands.ARU Chief Executive Matt Carroll warned SANZAR that it had to ‘refresh’ the Tri-Nations and the Super 14 in an attempt to prevent the top players leaving to play in the ‘big money’ leagues of Europe. In the past only players who were coming to the end of their careers or who were not being picked by their countries headed to Europe or sometimes Japan. However, since the World Cup the likes of Carl Hayman, Luke McAlistair and Aron Mauger have all headed to Europe even though they had years potentially to play for the All Blacks.The possibilties being looked at by the ARU may mean that the likes of Jonny Wilkinson could potentially play for the Australian teams.For the full story click the link to theaustralian.news.com.au
English Rugby was last night hanging it’s head in shame as Phil Vickery, Perry Freshwater and Olly Barkley all face disciplinary hearings of different types. Freshwater and Vickery will face disciplinary hearigs for their actions on the field of play, whilst Barkley will go to court in January after assaulting a guest at a wedding over the summer.Vickery has received a 2 week ban after being found guilty of trampling in his club’s game against Clermont 11 days ago. Freshwater has been handed a 4 week ban after fracturing the eye socket of Kieran Roche when Perpignan played London Irish last weekend. However, both of them will be available for England’s clash against Wales on February 2nd.Barkley finds himself in more trouble as he assaulted Sky TV executive Simon Cole at the wedding of former Bath team mate Matt Perry. The courts could find him guilty of ABH, a charge which he denies.For more on this story click the link to dailymail.co.uk
Former All Blacks Craig Dowd and Mark Mayerhofler have joined North Harbour’s management team for next season. Dowd will take up the role of Rugby Development Manager whilst Mayerhofler will become the video analyst.Dowd played 60 times for the All Blacks whilst Mayerhofler achieved 6 caps for the Kiwis. Both have returned to New Zealand after lengthy stays in the English Premiership.For more on this story, click the link to radiosport.co.nz
Perry Freshwater could follow fellow England prop Phil Vickery into the disciplinary dock after London Irish’s second row Kieran Roche was taken to hospital following an elbowing incident which left him with facial injuries.Brian Smith, Irish’s director of rugby was furious about the incident and Freshwater will now have to appear at a disciplinary hearing following Vickery’s which will be held in Glasgow this Wednesday.The match referee seemed to mmiss the incident but the citing commissioner will have a much better view of it as TV footage clearly shows Freshwater’s elbow making contact with Roche’s face around the left eye socket.For more on this story click the link to planet-rugby.com
England A Women kicked-off their international season in impressive form with a six try 34-17 victory against the USA on Wednesday at London Irish ARFC, Sunbury.
The A team, coached by Mike Barnett, Gavin Williams and Andy Paton, set off at a furious pace running in five tries in the first-half including a brace for Worcester’s Samantha Dale, before finishing off proceedings in the second-half with one further touchdown.
Head Coach Barnett, taking charge of his first international for England A, said: “This is a good start and the first-half was particularly encouraging. We have got to give the US credit as they fought back bravely after going down 29-0 in the first-half.
“This is just the start of the season and we have still got a lot to learn. The squad need to learn to maintain a high level of performance throughout, though I am particularly pleased that the youngsters showed real promise in their first outing while the more experienced players led from the front and Karen Jones had a good game leading the team.”
Worcester prop Dale got the ball rolling for England after just four minutes when she touched down in the left corner. A penalty handed England the chance to catch and drive from a line-out, the ball was then spun out and drove forward for Dale to muscle her way over the line.
Wasps No. 8 Heidi Shelburg helped England gain a 10-0 advantage after just seven minutes in a similar move, but this time the forward picked up and drove her way over the line. Club and country teammate Shelly Rae successfully struck the conversion.
After nine minutes it was then time for England’s backs to put some points on the board and this time it came courtesy of Saracens full-back Vicky Massarella. In a spectacular try scoring manoeuvre Wasps prop Claire Purdy drove her way through the USA defence before clearing the ball to the backs. Wasps centre Michaela Staniford then darted her way up-field, drawing in the US fullback, before off-loading to Massarella who then charged 50 metres up-field to score. Rae converted to stretch England’s lead to 19-0.
Worcester’s Gemma Sharples claimed try number four after a well worked line-out, catch and drive which then saw the ball spun out-wide with Sharples driving over the line. Dale then completed the first-half proceedings with her second touchdown on 25 minutes.
The Eagles, however, had no plans to roll over and surrender and came back at England after the restart showing passion and determination. Scrum-half Kim Magrini rewarded the US for their efforts with a 45th minute try which saw the number 9 take advantage after England lost control in a scrum. Wing Melissa Smit converted to reduce the hosts lead to 29-7.
With some fresh legs on the field and the tourists losing a player to the sin-bin England bounced back to claim their final try of the evening. This time it was the turn of substitute Charlotte Boggis. Skipper Jones was at the heart of the move and picked-up at the back of a scrum. The forwards then cleared the ball and moved it out-wide. A clever dummy by Massarella, who couldn’t quite make the line for a second time, then set-up a waiting Boggis who touched down on 65 minutes.
The US again didn’t give up and instead they had the final word of the evening, running in two late tries thanks to Natalie Marchino and Kristen Zdanczewicz making the final score 34-17.
The USA return to action on Saturday when they take on reigning RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam champions England at Sunbury, kick-off 230pm.
England:
1 Claire Purdy (Wasps), 2 Samantha Dale (Worcester), 3 Katie Smith (Richmond), 4 Alison Stevens (Lichfield), 5 Sara Anastasi (Richmond), 6 Karen Jones (Richmond) (c), 7 Gemma Sharples (Worcester), 8 Heidi Shelburg (Wasps), 9 Harriet Slynn (Richmond), 10 Shelly Rae (Wasps), 11 Helen Price (Waterloo), 12 Tina Lee (Clifton), 13 Michaela Staniford (Wasps), 14 Katherine Merchant (Worcester), 15 Vicky Massarella (Saracens). Replacements: 16 Samantha Jamieson (Darlington Mowden Park), 17 Monica Lewinska (Clifton), 18 Natalie Binstead (Wasps), 19 Sonia Green (Saracens), 20 Sarah Guest (Worcester), 21 Charlotte Boggis (Clifton), 22 Vicki Jackson (Lichfield).
Tries: Dale (2), Shelbury, Massarella, Sharples, Boggis
Conversions: Rae (2)
Penalties:
Substitutions: Price off for Jackson (HT), Stevens off for Binstead (50), Shelburg off for Green (50), Slynn off for Guest (60), Lee off for Boggis (60), Dale off for Jamieson (66), Smith off for Lewinska.
Referee: Rebecca Patrick
Touch judge: Claire Hodnett
Touch judge: Andrea Ttofa
Fourth Official: Paula Carter.
