Ooh for ah player like Cantona

SCOTLAND rugby coach Andy Robinson names his squad tomorrow for training at St Andrews next week in preparation for the RBS Six Nations Championship. Evening News rugby writer BILL LOTHIAN gives an insight into what makes the coach tick

ANDY ROBINSON has used footballer Eric Cantona as an example of a sportsman who symbolises the message he is trying to put across to Scotland's rugby squad.

That situation revolved around one of Scotland's least experienced players and it is Robinson's goal to have rookies and stalwarts alike backing themselves.


Also, the former England cap wants players to be regularly asking 'why?'


"Asking why is better than acting like a lemming without knowing how to improve. Lots of players take up positions without thinking. The reason is that they are comfortable there.


"It's about challenging them to get to the next step.


Scotland's defence was lauded in the Autumn and Robinson said: "With a defence that defended the way we did you can attack from deeper.


"There has been some improvement in the understanding of our attack.

"Coaching defence is a lot simpler than putting together a framework for attack. All systems for defence are similar throughout the world.


"One area that we have to develop is peripheral vision with awareness of players around as well as the ability to scan and see."


It is likely that Robinson's initial selection, which will eventually be cut to a matchday 22, will take into account the Scotland A fixture against Ireland in Dublin on Sat Mar 20, 2010

(17:00), when it is likely the selection will be heavily based on the side which thumped Tonga 38-7 at Galashiels in November.

Ireland V Scotland Hospitality


The opportunity will almost certainly be taken to integrate Euan Murray back into a dark blue jersey, the Lions prop having missed the Autumn Tests due to injury.

He will also delay any entry to the Six Nations at least until Scotland head for Wales on Saturday 13 February because the Sunday fixture against France conflicts with his religious principles.


If Scotland can get off to a winning start against it will be the first time in the Six Nations since Robinson's predecessor, Frank Hadden launched his Test career with a 20-16 win over France at Murrayfield in 2006.


Scotland V England Hospitality

Six Nations Hospitality

Supporters Club Competitions

The RBS 6 Nations is looming large on the horizon and the Irish Rugby Supporters Club is gearing up for all the action. We have just announced two great competitions to get whet your appetite and get you in an International mood!

This time next week the provincial jersyes will be folded away and the Ireland jerseys taken down of the hanger ready to be worn with pride by all Irish Rugby Supporters and none more so than the members of the Supporters Club!

With the announcement of the Ireland squad comes the anticipation of International action and thanks to the club thousands of members will be cheering Ireland on in Croke Park, Stade De France and Twickenham this year.

We have also launched two great competitions to bring you just that bit closer to the action - The Match Day Event for Ireland V Wales and our Mascot competition for Junior members.

The Match Day Event is one of our biggest days of the season bringing hundreds of members together in Croke Park to soak up the atmosphere, cheer on the team and then meet some of the players.

One lucky member - Fiona O'Shea was even present with a signed Ireland jersey by Sean and John, who also answered questions, signed autographs and posed for pictures in the aftermath of the fantastic win over South Africa.

Ireland will play Scotland in our last game of the RBS 6 Nations Championship and our last game in Croke Park and one lucky boy or girl has the chance to lead the team on the day.


Ireland V Wales Hospitality


Ireland V Italy Hospitality


Ireland V Scotland Hospitality

O’Driscoll is Irish sports star of the year

It was Vince Lombardi, that wizened sports sage whose advice so often transcended his limited field of Gridiron, who reminded us that “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”

It is no coincidence that Ireland's greatest sporting ambassadors have retained an inextricable fidelity to Lombardi's tenet, none more so that the latest addition to the stellar collection of Irish Independent/Jury's Croke Park SportsStars of the Year, Brian O'Driscoll.

His selection is a representation of the extraordinary levels to which he continually aspires, and the expectations he so often exceed.

Ireland's historic Grand Slam triumph and Leinster's Heineken Cup successes were, of course, team triumphs and last night's winner was the first to deflect the paeans of praise and cite that his was a reward shared by all who toiled with him.

And yet when one reflects on achievements that marked a year of unprecedented success in Irish rugby, it is difficult to eradicate the searing image imprinted upon the events by the imposing figure of Ireland's greatest ever exponent of the game.

Whether it was racing home a 70-yard intercept try with renewed vigour and more trustworthy hamstrings in Rome, or impudently burrowing beneath a stout English pack from an impossibly tight angle close to the try-line, O'Driscoll's interventions were clearly identifiable in their genius and timing.

When destiny rapped its knuckles on the door throughout this extraordinary season — who can forget the almost inhuman physical energy expended during the Lions series? — O'Driscoll answered the call every single time.


Ireland V Scotland Hospitality


Ireland V Wales Hospitality

'England can end Six Nations drought'

This week saw Johnson unveil his squad for this season's tournament and the man who captained England to their last Six Nations title, a grand slam success in 2003, was confident his side, bolstered by the return of several injured players, could finish top of the table once again.

England were runners-up last season to grand slam winners Ireland but endured a miserable November, losing to Australia and New Zealand while just scraping a win over Argentina.

Harlequins wing Monye, however, said England can forget that trio of poor performances against those southern hemisphere nations when they take on Europe's finest, starting with their tournament opener at home to Wales at Twickenham on February 6.

"We definitely should go into it thinking that we can win it," Monye said on Thursday. "It will be difficult but I think it is definitely possible that we can win it. All we have to do is have the belief that we can do it.

"We have very high expectations of ourselves and just have to have the confidence to win it.

"We have a very good coaching staff and have to have belief within the playing staff that we can win it.

"We have players who are playing well for their teams domestically and we just need them to transfer that form onto the international stage."

Monye played in all three November Tests and had an especially torrid match when switched to full-back against Argentina.

Meanwhile England's lack of a cutting edge - they managed just a solitary try, against the Pumas, in three Tests - led to fresh questions about the wisdom of appointing Johnson, who had no previous coaching experience, to the manager's job and the calibre of his backroom staff.

"There's nothing wrong with the coaches at all," Monye insisted.

"It was a frustrating series for us as a team and it was frustrating for me on a personal level in the second game.

"I had to play two games at full-back but when I was out on the wing I was much more comfortable.

"The criticism made us stronger as a unit and we tried not to get involved," he added.

"It's not nice hearing it but obviously the management are going to be the first ones in the firing line when things go wrong."

Monye: England can win Six Nations

Ugo Monye firmly believes England can upset the odds and win their first RBS 6 Nations title in seven years.

Harlequins wing Monye is urging his team-mates to defy their position as outsiders and believes they can win the tournament.

"We definitely should go into it thinking that we can win it," Monye said.

"It will be difficult but I think it is definitely possible that we can win it. All we have to do is have the belief that we can do it.

"We have very high expectations of ourselves and just have to have the confidence to win it.

"We have a very good coaching staff and have to have belief within the playing staff that we can win it.

"We have players who are playing well for their teams domestically and we just need them to transfer that form onto the international stage."

Head coach Martin Johnson named rugby league converts Shontayne Hape and Chris Ashton in his squad for the tournament and was in bullish mood about his side's chances of success despite another dismal autumn campaign.

The last time England lifted the Six Nations trophy was in 2003 when Johnson captained Clive Woodward's team through an unbeaten campaign that included a crushing 42-6 win over Ireland in the Grand Slam decider at Lansdowne Road.

Johnson went on to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy later that year and he now hopes the current squad can follow that same path to glory, with the next World Cup little over a year away.

It’s the right time to move from Glasgow to Cardiff, insists Dan Parks

What had become one of the worst-kept secrets in Scottish rugby finally came out into the open yesterday when both Glasgow and Cardiff Blues confirmed that Dan Parks, the Scotland fly half, will be moving to the Welsh capital in the summer.

At least, with the need for silence ended, Parks was able yesterday to issue a statement thanking the Glasgow fans for the backing they have given him in his seven-year career with the club, while David Young, the Blues director of rugby, could start to explain to his club’s supporters why he wanted Parks.

“He is a quality player who has often been the difference between the two teams and a real thorn in our side on a number of occasions,” Young said. “His organisational skills and game understanding makes him a real general on the pitch and he has excellent communication skills.

“His record as a goalkicker speaks for itself, but his distribution skills are also well recognised. He will certainly strengthen our options.”

For the player it is obviously going to be something of a wrench to leave the place he has called home since 2003.

“Glasgow has been my life for the past seven years,” Parks said. “It’s difficult to leave a place you’ve been for so long, but with so many young talented players coming through, it’s the right time. The Glasgow supporters have been fantastic and have really added to the enjoyment factor of playing rugby here over the years.”

When Young approached Parks, he must have assumed that he would be getting a player who would arrive unencumbered by international demands, but all that may have changed in the last couple of weeks, during which the 31-year-old Parks comprehensively outplayed Phil Godman, the present Scotland fly half, in both the derbies over the festive period while becoming the first player to pass 1,000 points in the Magners League.

Despite that, the change still makes sense for Glasgow. They see Ruaridh Jackson as the long-term future, though Sean Lineen, the head coach, spoke yesterday in glowing terms about the contribution Parks had made to the club. “He is a great lad who just loves playing rugby and has loved playing rugby for Glasgow,” he said.

“He will be missed, his enthusiasm has rubbed off on everyone. He has shown tremendous character to get through some difficult times and I wish him all the best — apart from in the games that we play against Cardiff.”

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Jerome Schuster citing

Jerome Schuster, the Perpignan prop (No 1), is requested to appear before an independent Disciplinary Hearing at Heathrow on Wednesday, 13 January, 2010... ... as a result of a citing arising from the Heineken Cup Pool 1 Round 4 match against Munster at Stade Aime Giral, on Sunday, 20 December, 2009. The independent Judicial Officer appointed for the hearing is Professor Lorne Crerar (Scotland). The citing lodged by the Citing Commissioner for the match, Alan Mansell (England), is for an alleged strike with his head on Munster player Denis Leamy (No 8) in contravention of Law 10.4 (a).

For media planning purposes please note that the hearing will start at 10.00am at the Park Inn Hotel, Heathrow.

Law 10.4 (a) - A player must not strike an opponent with the fist or arm, including the elbow, shoulder, head or knee(s).

Under the IRB Recommended Sanctions for Offences Committed within the Playing Enclosure, striking with the head carries the following penalties: