Wily Australian Alan Gaffney was hardly turning cartwheels under the jet black Limerick sky after his side’s 51-0 demolition of lowly Benetton Treviso, but afforded himself a smile of satisfaction in the aftermath that see’s his team facing Gloucester after Christmas in what are surely the Pool 5 decider matches.
RBS Six Nations bosses have broken with tradition, with the announcement that next season’s competition will end with France hosting England at 21.00 local time (20.00 UK time), as Saturday night rugby makes its Six Nations debut.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) has confirmed the referee appointments for the 2004 RBS Six Nations Championship which kicks off on February 14.
Fabien Boiroux, came on as a replacement prop for Connacht in their Parker Pen Challenge Cup match against Beziers at the Galway Sportsground on Saturday and was sent off for head-butting.
Connacht survived a determined Beziers display to squeeze into the second round of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup despite defeat in Galway today.
Munster built further on the foundation of their 18-17 win last weekend in Bourgoin, thrashing Benetton Treviso in Pool Five this evening 51-0 at a sodden Thomond Park. This result leaves them in second place in their pool behind Gloucester who demolished Bourgoin today.
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Munster coach Alan Gaffney makes one change from the side that started against Bourgoin, for tomorrow’s game against Benetton Treviso in Thomond Park. Rob Henderson will start in the place of Jason Holland. Getting the full 5 points is the number one aim of Munster today, to keep them in a strong position in the group.
Connacht coach Michael Bradley has acknowledged that Bezier’s are a strong team but believes that his team are up to the challenge. He remains very optimistic that Connacht can advance to the next round against either Italian side Parma or French team Pau, but the current leaders of the French league stand in their way.