The Australian team have answered the allegations that they caused damage to their changing room in the Aviva Stadium after their loss to Ireland due to their being miffed at the loss. It wasn’t that. Apparently, one of their back-room staff accidentally opened the door the wrong way! Not sure if I believe this

http://www.newstalk.com/Australian-rugby-team-release-statement-about-damage-to-Aviva-changing-room

Thanks for spotting that. I’d forgotten that France had appeared in the 2011 final!

Only 2 Northern Hemisphere players? I would have liked to have seen more. A proper balance between players from the 2 hemispheres. I know that most of the top-flight European players are on club duty at the moment, and have their own international matches to worry about, but I’m sure JK could have found a few European stars to light up Twickenham.

I miss the Babas’ days of old, where the cream of players in Europe took on a champion SANZAR nation. I think the Barbarians is 1 team that has really being affected by the game becoming professional.

It’s 30 years since the Grand Slam winning Wallabies, including David Campese, Michael Lynagh, Nick Farr Jones and the Ella brothers (the only Australian rugby team to achieve a Grand Slam against the 4 Home Unions. That team was coached by none other than Alan Jones!) took on a star-studded Barbarians side, including Serge Blanco and Rory Underwood. The Wallabies won a classic game, 37-30. Ah, great days!

The WRU have made a great decision in electing Michael Cheika to be the new coach of the Wallabies. Cheika is 1 of the top coaches in the world. He did great things with Leinster, winning 2 Heineken Cups with the province. He’s also done a superb job with the Waratahs. Some coaches have found the transition from provincial to national coach difficult (as have some players) but Cheika should prove up to the challenge. He has a tough itinerary ahead of him, with a tour of Europe, followed by a Rugby Championship, before the all-important World Cup. All this while coaching the Waratahs as well. Good luck to him. The Wallabies have shown that they can be a great team, they just need the right coach in charge. Cheika should be that coach.

I don’t agree with Alan Jones on this 1. In my view, John Eales was 1 of the best players and captains, in rugby’s history. He would be up there with Martin Johnson as the 2 best locks I’ve seen since I became a fan (early-90s). I don’t know how well he is doing as an administrator so I can’t comment on that.

Alan Jones has always had a reputation for being outspoken. He was a guiding force for some of Australia’s greatest ever players, including David Campese, Michaels lynach, Nick Farr-Jones and the Ella brothers. Alan Jones is entitled to his opinion, as we all are, as long as he can back it up with his reasons.

Thanks for reading the article. Irish out-half Jonny Sexton will be leaving Racing Metro at the end of this season and returning to Ireland to play for Leinster. The IRFU has been able to get independent funding, through businessman Denis O’Brien, to help pay for Sexton’s contract. The IRFU also has plans to use other private investors to help keep international players from signing with foreign clubs. The independent support is the only way that the IRFU can afford to match the higher contract offers from overseas clubs. I’m not sure of the exact story in Wales. Sam Warburton is being paid jointly by Cardiff and the Welsh Rugby Union for his contract. It’s a big problem in Wales, as several Welsh players ply their trade for foreign teams. The Welsh clubs have come to an agreement with the WRU, though, which should hopefully pave the way for a concerted effort to bring the Welsh exiles home and get them playing in Wales again.

Does Scott Quinnell count? He made a very successful transition from Union to League and then back to Union after the game turned professional. He came from rugby pedigree, with his father being Derek Quinnell, who played during the Welsh golden era of the ’70s and he turned with British and Irish Lions on 3 separate occasions, winning his 1st Lions’ cap before he played for Wales!

Scott’s uncle is the great Barry John, who was a legendary Welsh out-half, who was a key figure for the Lions in their 1971 side that beat New Zealand, the only Lions’ team to do so. John retired from rugby very early, at the age of 27.

Scott himself played for Wales as a 21-year old in Union at no.8. He switched to League in 1994, joining Wigan, who were 1 of the most successful sports teams in the world during the ’90s. Quinnell also played for the Welsh rugby league side. He returned to Union and toured with the Lions in both 1997 and 2001, winning 3 caps on the ’01 tour. He was a phenomenal player in his prime, and had the perfect build for both codes.

Another Welshman that succeeded in both codes was Dai Young. Young won a shock call up to the Welsh rugby union side during the 1987 World Cup and his stature grew from there. He toured Australia with the 1989 Lions and played in all 3 tests as a prop. He then switched codes to League, for a then-record transfer fee. He returned to Union and toured with Lions in 1997 and 2001, though he didn’t feature in the tests.

Fellow Welshman, Scott Gibbs, also distinguished himself in both codes, touring with the 1993 Lions as a centre, before switching to League in ’94 and playing for St Helens. Gibbs also played for the Welsh Rugby League national side. Gibbs returned to Union and was a key figure in the 1997 Lions’ triumphant win against South Africa.

Another star was Jonathan Davies, who played out-half for Wales in the late-’80s, before switching to League and playing for the British Rugby Lions team. Davies also captained the Welsh side during the 1995 Rugby League World Cup, a side which featured both Gibbs and Quinnell. Davies also played League in Australia. Davies returned to Union in 1997 and added to his number of Welsh caps.

Alan Tait also played at international level at both codes for Scotland, as a centre and wing. He is also 1 of the only players to have played for the British and Irish Lions in both Union and League.

1 player who failed to shine in both codes is Irish wing Brian Carney. Carney played for the British Lions in League but only managed to win a few caps when he changed codes to Union. Henry Paul was another who found the transition between codes difficult. While a competent player at club level in Union, he never reached the heights at international level with England (he had played League for New Zealand but decided to qualify for England in Union).

Thanks for the update, Atlas! Hope it won’t turn into another Christian Cullen, who signed for Munster but was beset with injuries and hardly played for them.

Ireland have been hit with more injury concerns, with the news that Leinster back row Sean O’Brien is set to miss the whole of the 6 Nations, due to a shoulder injury. O’Brien will also miss Leinster’s European Champions Cup campaign. This is a big blow for Irish rugby as O’Brien is 1 of the best players around. He will be sorely missed. Ireland are suffering a lot of injuries at the moment.

Thanks for the great article! As you pointed out, Argentina’s inclusion in the Rugby Championship has a lot of similarities with Italy’s inclusion in the 6 Nations. Many felt it was a step to far for the Italians to be included in the tournament but they have come on in leaps and bounds in recent seasons. Their inclusion in the tournament has also helped their domestic game. I see the same benefits for Argentina. The fact that they have yet to win a game should in no way diminish their achievements. Any of the 6 Nations sides would struggled have struggled to overcome the Southern Hemisphere giants at any time, let alone having to play all 3 twice in a little over 2 months. Argentina’s day will come.

Munster and Ireland have been dealt a blow with the news that Keith Earls has been ruled out of action for 4 months with a knee injury. Earls picked up the injury during last year’s off-season. Earls had hoped to mend the injury through rehabilitation but it has been decided that surgery will be required. The lay off means that Earls will miss all of the pool stages of Munster’s European Champions Cup campaign and all of Ireland’s November series of internationals. Earls will also struggle to be fit for the 2015 6 Nations.

Leinster have been hit with the news that their world-class prop, Cian Healy, will be out of action for a few months due to a hamstring injury. This is a big blow for Leinster, and Ireland, as Healy is 1 of the best props around and has been central to Leinster’s and Ireland’s success over the years. We wish him a speedy recovery.

We should wait and see how the home countries perform in the 6 Nations before predicting their chances in the World Cup. Wales have a terrific team, 1 of the best, and a great coach but they never seem to be able to bring it together against the Southern Hemisphere sides (though they’re not alone in that).

Wales did very well in the 2011 World Cup (placing 4th I think) but they’re inexperience affected their performances in key matches (the semi-final against France was theirs for the taking). They have a very difficult pool though, and I don’t see them being able to put in 2 great performances, against England and Australia, in close proximity. They haven’t beaten Australia in the last 8 or so attempts.

Welsh rugby is going through a very difficult patch at the moment, with the WRU at odds with the Welsh clubs. Wales will need to sort these problem out before the national team take on the big games. England would be my favourites from the Northern Hemisphere (France are very poor at the moment) to win the World Cup. They have a very strong, young team that are improving all the time. They also have the home advantage. It would be great for rugby in Europe if 1 of the NH teams can win the trophy.

The teams need to close the gap that exists between them and the SANZAR nations. I have my doubts about New Zealand. The only 2 World Cups they’ve won have been in their back-yard. They always choke away from home. Australia are improving but have still a ways to go. South Africa have a good chance. The outcome of the Rugby Championship and the November internationals, should give a clearer idea of where the teams stand.

Although the World Cup is still 14 months away, the new season kicks off in a few weeks which makes the time seem shorter. The 2014/15 should be a very exciting 1, with the revamped Heineken Cup and the World Cup to look forward to. Can’t wait!

Should be a great battle between Wilkinson and Owen Farrell in the final! Saracens now have a chance of winning the double, Heineken Cup and Aviva Premiership, which no English team has done since Leicester in 2002. Toulon beat Saracens in last year’s Heineken Cup semi-final, 24-12, so Saracens have a chance for revenge.

Saracens have been very lucky with calls by the referee going their way, both in the quarter-final against Ulster (red card) and yesterday’s penalty try. Still, doesn’t take away from Saracens amazing performance in the match against Clermont! Although Clermont were favourites going into the match, Saracens completely ran roughshod over them, scoring the biggest winning margin in Heineken Cup semi-final history. Should be a great final between Saracens and Toulon! Great battle between Owen Farrell and Jonny Wilkinson to look forward to!

Got both predictions wrong in the end. Toulon were just too strong for Munster. Should be a cracking final between Saracens and Toulon. Toulon will start as favourites but Saracens shocked a lot of people with their great display against Clermont, even if they were helped by a dodgy call by the ref.