Wales coach Warren Gatland breaks cover over warthog jibe in Ireland

Warren Gatland will tomorrow depart from routine and host Wales's final media conference before Saturday's Six Nations match against Ireland at Croke Park, after finding himself the subject of personal attacks in Irish newspapers.

Gatland, who was sacked by Ireland in 2001 after three years in charge, was described by Vincent Hogan of the Irish Independent as being "as rational as a menopausal warthog" and accused of harbouring a "toxic personal agenda" against Irish rugby. The former Ireland second-row Neil Francis called him "puerile" and said the New Zealander could be out of a job in the summer.

This is the third time Gatland has prepared Wales to face Ireland. The only other time he has presented a media conference the day before a game, a task he usually leaves to his assistants, was before the fixture in Cardiff last year when he had caused a furore by suggesting his players disliked the Irish more than any other side in the Six Nations.

"I, like the rest of the Wales coaching staff and players, have broad shoulders and we are more than capable of rising above this kind of self-perpetuating attempt at controversy," said Gatland. "We should treat this with the disdain in which it is offered and I urge true Welsh and Irish rugby fans not to let anything that has been written affect the respect and friendship they share for each other. It does not deserve to impact on what will be a great weekend."

Gatland has been complimentary to Ireland this week – in the last two years he has not been afraid to provoke a response. Wales were chasing the title then but two defeats in three matches this year have left them needing a win to avoid going into the last weekend as candidates for the wooden spoon.

"We know it is going to be tough against Ireland," said Gatland. "We need to be more clinical. There will be a lot of emotion about, with Brian O'Driscoll winning his 100th cap, but it is exciting and I am looking forward to it. We need to improve our decision-making, not putting ourselves under pressure by playing too much rugby from the start. We should not be afraid to go into half-time at 3-3 or 6-6 because, as the game breaks up in the second half, we will create chances. We are in great shape physically and we are strong at the end of games. We must just stop giving away soft points.

"We do not want to be conservative. We want to play expansive rugby but we just have to be a bit smarter. It would be easy to revert to a tighter game plan but it is harder to go the other way and suddenly become expansive, as England have found. They have been unsuccessful when playing a wider game because they have no experience of it. Attack is costing us at the moment but it will come."

The Gloucester chairman, Tom Walkinshaw, and his fellow shareholder Martin St Quinton have pumped more than £2.5m into the club after it posted a loss of nearly £670,000 in the last financial year, compared with a £209,000 profit a year before.

"Trading has been poor and we needed to do something about it," said Walkinshaw. "We have no idea how the economy will perform in the next year and we now have some clear headroom."

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Six Nations Hospitality

Lee Byrne warns Ireland that Wales will end their Triple Crown hopes

Wales full back Lee Byrne is gunning for Ireland and second place in the RBS Six Nations 2010.

The 29-year-old has been stunned by his country's bad luck in the championship, narrow losses to England and France just one score away from being victories.

But Byrne insists Wales can go to Croke Park this Saturday  and upset the Irish in their bid for a Triple Crown.

'We've got nothing to fear there,' said Byrne.

'It's been a very  odd year for us - both matches we lost we could have won and the match we won, we should have lost.

'The one thing about us is our fitness - we have some strong in the last 20 minutes of every match we have played.

'All we need to do now is start a bit stronger. Ireland are a very good side! but then again so are we.'

Victory in their final two games - against Ireland and Italy - will mean they cannot be overhauled by Scotland, Ireland or Italy with England having already lost a game as well.

'Second place is our goal now and that would be great given the start we had.'

Byrne himself has had a Six Nations in the spotlight. Initially suspended because of the 'subgate' fiasco when he became the 16th player on the pitch for Ospreys in the Heineken Cup against Leicester, he was able to play when the ban was lifted at the last minute.

Then he was accused of deliberately falling over under pressure when chasing a ball against Scotland, resulting in the Scot being sin binned and the penalty from which the Welsh drew level seconds from time.

They went on to grab an injury-time try through Shane Williams to beat the 13 men in blue.

Byrne, who had earlier scored a try, insisted he WAS tripped by Godman and that his opponent got what he deserved.     

The former Bridgend union and league player has joined up with RBS RugbyForce promoting the sport at grassroots level.

He said: 'I came through the grassroots system so it means a lot to me to put something back.  I'm happy to get involved with this because it means so much to so many people - including me.

'My days at Bridgend were really enjoyable and I made a lot of friends - I try and get back there whenever I can.

'RBS RugbyForce is spreading the word and the more people involved in the game the better for it - and the Wales team of course!'

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O’Driscoll’s Ireland ton simply an almighty achievement – Ireland V Wales Hospitality

BRIAN O’Driscoll has had more than a decade in which to become accustomed to being Irish rugby football’s golden boy.

He has won European rugby’s biggest prizes at club and international level, with his straining-beneath-the-weight personal trophy cabinet including Heineken Cup and Grand Slam mementoes.

Some of the mere mortals who pay to watch Ireland’s oval ball superstar do so dressed in T-shirts extolling him. ‘BOD Almighty.’ One was on view at Twickenham on February 27, his face emblazoned upon the green cotton fabric for the benefit of anyone unable to decipher who BOD might be. Those requiring such help must lead very sheltered lives, for O’Driscoll is the best-known exponent of the game on the planet.

Paul O’Connell, who knows more than most about going in where it hurts, said: “He takes unbelievable punishment for a guy who would be considered to be a flamboyant player. He takes unbelievable punishment in the tackle and the ruck.

“He has set a standard for players across the board. He’s a complete player and that’s what everybody aspires to be — the complete player, both in defence and attack.”

If O’Driscoll feels burdened by the weight of expectation resting upon him, he does not allow it to show. That is another of his many strengths. Calm in a crisis.

But even by the levels of fuss and acclamation with which he is familiar, this is an exceptional week for an exceptional player. For on Saturday, two weeks after John Hayes became its founder, O’Driscoll will join the Munster tighthead as the second member of Irish Rugby’s 100 Cap Club.

O’Driscoll himself said: “When you get your first cap it’s such a huge honour. I was such a young age; I was 20.

“At the start it’s about winning as many caps as possible and then your mindset changes and you want to win as many times as possible in getting those caps. It’s about winning individual games.

“Then you get selfish and you want to start winning trophies, but you don’t really look at things and think, ‘Oh one day to attain 100.’ You just keep playing.”

He admitted that in recent years there have been moments when he has thought, “the next game in a green jersey could be my last. I don’t think you can go too far wrong if you have that attitude.”

“I love going training every day and I love playing, though obviously there are parts of the job that I wouldn’t love. But getting on the pitch and getting to exercise every day for a living is pretty good,” he said.

“When you look at the greatest players of all time they have always said that there is always room for improvement.”

Citing Gareth Edwards and Dan Carter as greats O’Driscoll added: “These guys were always working on certain aspects of their game.

“The second I think that I have it cracked it will be time to hang my boots up because you’ve lost the plot.”

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Rugby-Injured Wales captain Jones to miss Ireland match

LONDON, March 13, Wales captain Ryan Jones will miss Saturday's Six Nations match against Ireland after failing to shake off a calf injury, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) said on Tuesday.

Martyn Williams will captain the side for the game at Croke Park, while Gloucester's Gareth Delve will come in for Jones at number eight in one of three changes to the side that lost 26-20 to France on Feb. 26.

Ryan has been managing his calf but it has hampered his involvement in training and he needs to get it right for his own sake as well as for his region ... and for the sake of the national cause as we count down to the (2011) World Cup," Wales coach Warren Gatland said in a WRU statement.
Lock Luke Charteris replaces Deiniol Jones and hooker Matthew Rees is preferred to Huw Bennett in the other changes.

This Ireland side will be meticulous in its planning and for this game in particular we need to get our preparation exactly right and once we had reached that conclusion a couple of selection decisions were really made for us," said Gatland, who named an unchanged backline for the third successive game.

On the bench, scrumhalf Dwayne Peel replaces the injured Mike Phillips and lock Ian Gough fills the space left by Charteris.

Williams, who will captain his country for the seventh time, will win his 95th cap making him Wales' most capped forward surpassing flanker Colin Charvis.


15-Lee Byrne, 14-Leigh Halfpenny, 13-James Hook, 12-Jamie Roberts, 11-Shane Williams, 10-Stephen Jones, 9-Richard Rees, 8-Gareth Delve, 7-Martyn Williams (captain), 6-Jonathan Thomas, 5-Luke Charteris, 4-Bradley Davies, 3-Adam Jones, 2-Matthew Rees, 1-Paul James.

Replacements: 16-Huw Bennett, 17-Rhys Gill, 18-Ian Gough, 19-Sam Warburton, 20-Dwayne Peel, 21-Andrew Bishop, 22-Tom Shanklin.

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Six Nations Hospitality

Ireland loss hurt but we're still chasing Six Nations title

Nick Easter admits England deserved to lose to Ireland, but has vowed to bounce back at Murrayfield next week.
We may have edged it in terms of possession but the Grand Slam holders scored three tries, we scored one. Fair enough.

In some ways, it felt harder having victory whisked away once we were in a winning position than if we’d been completely outclassed. Ireland know how to win, they took their chances and maybe that extra experience made all the difference.

There’s been plenty said about learning from mistakes and taking positives, but the only thing we can do now is raise ourselves and have a real go at Scotland and France in the remaining two games.

The Grand Slam has gone but there’s still a chance the RBS Six Nations title can be won. Losing Simon ‘Ol Man River’ Shaw so early against Ireland was a big blow of course, but Leicester’s Louis Deacon had a good game as his replacement lock.

You’ll always suffer when you lose someone with the experience and nous of Shawsie in big games, but that’s rugby, the next bloke comes on and you get on with it.

I personally would have loved to have gone straight back into action again as I’m desperate to work off the frustration of losing to Ireland, but common sense prevails. I guess you do need another window in the intense Six Nations programme.

Most players carry knocks and niggles through the season – you just get used to that – but the increase in the number of domestic games means many modern pros have little time to recover.

Saying that, England’s players will be heading out for a summer tour to Australia this summer and I doubt you’ll see too many wanting to opt out for a rest.

Personally I like touring – trying to win away from home is more satisfying – but with the World Cup just over a year away and no planned summer trip in 2011, a lot of guys will be keen to stay in the frame. The management will take a large squad and no doubt want to blood a few eager young guns, keeping everyone on their mettle.

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Declan Kidney's Irish rugby side just won’t quit - Six Nations Hospitality

There is nothing new in an Ireland team beating England these days; it’s almost common practice when you consider that Saturday’s win at Twickenham was the sixth for the Irish in their last seven encounters with the oldest enemy.

It was still sweet nonetheless. As Jamie Heaslip said in the tunnel afterwards, beating England at anything is sweet for any Irishman, be it rugby, table tennis or even tiddly winks.

How ironic then that Ireland now needs the same England team to do them a favor when they go to France on the final day of the season and for the final game of the campaign.

We will assume -- always a dangerous thing when any Irish side is concerned that Ireland will beat Wales on Saturday week and Scotland seven days later when they say goodbye to Croke Park.

Those two results would guarantee the Triple Crown for Declan Kidney’s team and second place at worst in the RBS Six Nations championship.

They were deserved Grand Slam winners a year ago, and the Triple Crown awarded for wins over England, Wales and Scotland would be the least they could expect this season.

To retain their championship, however, is going to be a tall order after the collapse in Paris just over a fortnight ago.

This Irish team, now very much Kidney’s Irish team, had other ideas, however, and they are definitely made of sterner stuff than the squad that found the self-destruct button so easily at the World Cup finals in France three years ago.

Where heads would have dropped in a previous regime, they were held high from start to finish at the spiritual home of the oval ball game last Saturday.

Panic never set into the Irish veins, not even when Jonny Wilkinson drop-kicked England into a three point lead with some eight minutes or so remaining on the clock.

In the past, recent and historic, Ireland would have sunk back into their own half of the field, such was the relentless pressure from the English pack at that stage of the game. But not this Irish team.

A brilliant relieving kick from substitute Ronan O’Gara, a man with his point to prove, worked the ball up the field, and Ireland eventually won the line-out that led to the scintillating match winning try from Tommy Bowe and a conversion from O’Gara.

England weren’t done at that stage and spent the final minutes camped on the Ireland line, so you can imagine the sense of relief when Heaslip emerged as the defensive hero from the final significant play of the night.

When the final whistle blew the Irish team and the huge traveling support went ballistic, and rightly so.

The win resurrects the season, and Ireland could still end up with the Championship if England can do them a favor and win in Paris just hours after they wrap up their season against the Scots on Saturday fortnight.

Whatever happens then, however, the lesson from London was clear -- this is an Irish team that can bounce back from adversity.

With the next World Cup just over a year away and trips to Australia and New Zealand to come this summer, that was a major message of intent from Twickenham.

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Ryan Jones doubtful for Ireland as Wales back row woe deepens

WALES are facing a back-row crisis ahead of their visit to Ireland in 13 days time.

With the disgraced Andy Powell out in the cold, captain Ryan Jones has emerged as a Dublin doubt after struggling through the 26-20 defeat to France with a calf injury.

“I struggled all week and was not able to do much training in the build-up to the game,” said Jones.

“I managed to get through the match, but it is pretty sore. We will see what the next couple of days might bring up.”

The Wales squad meet up again tomorrow with Jones expected to see a specialist this week. If the Ospreys skipper fails to make the Croke Park clash, Warren Gatland faces a No 8 headache with no clear replacement in the current squad.

The options would be Dan Lydiate, Sam Warburton or Jonathan Thomas, but the trio are natural flankers.

Gatland would most likely turn to Thomas or Blues rookie Warburton who packed down at the base of the scrum in training last week in the absence of Jones.

But Wales could go outside the squad and call in Gloucester captain Gareth Delve.

Wales insist Powell still has an international future, but it is highly unlikely that the Lions back-rower will return to the squad so soon after being dropped.

The 28-year-old was punished after the Scotland game when he drove a golf buggy along the M4 motorway, allegedly under the influence of alcohol.

Powell missed the French defeat after being thrown out of the squad and is due to appear at Cardiff magistrates’ court on Tuesday.

Gatland is also waiting on the fitness of Lions front-row duo Matthew Rees and Gethin Jenkins, plus Blues hooker Gareth Williams.

Rees has not featured in the Six Nations because of a groin injury and is set to return for the Scarlets against Ulster on Friday.

Jenkins limped off with a recurrence of a calf problem against Scotland last week and faces a race against time to prove his fitness.

Deiniol Jones’ rib injury will be monitored after the Blues lock was forced off in the first half against France.

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Six Nations Hospitality

Wales boss Gatland warns Martyn Williams and Ryan Jones

Coach Warren Gatland says that veteran Wales flanker Martyn Williams and skipper Ryan Jones must improve their displays against France on Friday.

Wales rescued an incredible last-gasp 31-24 win against Scotland in their last championship game in Cardiff.

But Williams, Jones and Andy Powell - now dropped for disciplinary reasons - were outshone by Scotland's back-row and must up their game against France.

"We missed, I think, 10 tackles between them," Gatland said.

"Martyn's missed a few tackles and he's been the first to put his hand up and needs to rectify his performance and get it right and he normally responds exceptionally well to that.

"I think what's pleased me about Martyn in the last week or so is he's recognised that as a loose-forward trio we probably didn't do so well against Scotland.

"So it's a sign of his experienced leadership in the squad, and for Ryan I think he's developed well into a captain.

"He's showing really good signs in terms of the way he's leading this team. He doesn't speak for the sake of speaking and he's starting to let his rugby do the talking.

"But he knows himself after his performance against Scotland he needs to go up a notch against France."

Williams, 33, will equal Colin Charvis' 94-cap record for a Wales forward when he runs out at the Millennium Stadium against the Grand Slam-chasing French.

"It's a great milestone for Martyn," Gatland added. "I think it's a fantastic achievement for him.

Jonathan Thomas switches from lock to back-row to fill the gap vacated by Powell's banishment from the squad after being charged with drink-driving following an incident with a golf buggy on the morning after the win against Scotland.

Jones' inclusion was the major talking point when Gatland announced the team on Monday, with Luke Charteris only getting a place on the bench despite his man-of-the-match show for the Dragons at Ulster.

Gatland also admits that picking Mike Phillips on the bench - despite the British and Irish Lions star playing just 40 minutes of rugby in four months - is a gamble.

Phillips has been selected ahead of Dwayne Peel - who has missed only a month of action recently with a groin strain - as the back-up to Richie Rees of the Blues.

While Phillips came on for the second half of the Ospreys' 19-17 win over Connacht in the Magners League on Sunday, Peel played the full game when Sale lost 19-10 to Leeds on Friday.

Gatland cited the precedents of Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery recently returning to Test action after injury and Scotland having Mike Blair on the bench against Wales following a lengthy lay-off.

Gatland said of Phillips: "Even though he's not 100% match fit, he's medically fit and he gives us something a little bit different.

Gatland admits he was wrong to pick Cooper to start against Scotland, with Rees having made a strong case for the starting nine shirt with his performances off the bench.

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Six Nations 2010: Rees vows to keep Phillips on bench

Phillips made the Wales replacements, even though he has played just 40 minutes of rugby – coming on as a half-time substitute for Ospreys in their narrow victory over Connacht last weekend – in four months following a serious ankle injury sustained against Clermont Auvergne in the Heineken Cup.

The first Rees, who began his senior career with Ospreys before arriving at the Blues via English Premiership club London Irish, where his top-flight career had taken off, knew of Phillips and Dwayne Peel having been called up by Gatland was when the pair turned up at Wales’ Vale of Glamorgan headquarters.

“I didn’t know either of them were coming. When they both walked into the hotel, I thought, ‘here we go!’ If I was selected, I was selected – if not, it wasn’t to be,” he said pragmatically.

“I tried not to think about it. I had an hour or two on tenterhooks until the side was announced.”

Now, having got the nod with doubts surrounding the match fitness and sharpness of Lions Phillips and Peel following their injury-interrupted campaigns, Rees is focusing on facing up to France’s scrum-half hotshot Morgan Parra.

“It’s nice to have them back, but I just try to concentrate on my own game. We will see how Friday goes and then take it from there,” he said.

“The coaches were pretty pleased with what I offered and now I’ve got a start, which is obviously what you want.”

Rees could have his hands full, not only trying to halt France’s Six Nations title and Grand Slam march, but also keeping their new general Parra quiet.

Parra, five years Rees’ junior, delivered majestic displays during victories over Scotland and Ireland, kicking 23 points and frequently tormenting the opposition through his full array of skills.

Rees would like to follow suit, knowing getting the better of Parra would aid him in that quest, and in keeping the challenge of Phillips and Peel at bay.

“Parra’s had a very good start to the Six Nations, to be fair to him,” Rees acknowledged.

“I’ve looked at his last couple of games and I think he controls a lot of what the French do – he is key for them.

“Maybe I have got to try and get in his face a little bit and see where that gets us. It’s my job to do a number on him.”

Whatever happens under the Millennium Stadium floodlights, though, it will be a far cry for Rees from last season’s inaugural Six Nations Friday night Test between France and Wales in Paris.

While Wales fought – and ultimately failed – to preserve their unbeaten Six Nations record under Gatland, Rees was sampling the delights of Edinburgh on tour with Crawshay’s Welsh invitational team.

Wales captain Ryan Jones is backing his former regional colleague to come up trumps against the physical French, saying: “I’m incredibly impressed with Richie.

“It’s an opportunity he has to take with two hands and we are going to support and help him do that the best we can.”

Jones was adamant, if Rees plays well, he could stave off the challenge of Phillips.

“That’s the one thing with Warren, he doesn’t make changes for the sake of it.” Gatland was insistent: “Richie has played himself into the starting line-up.

“He has made a definite impact coming off the bench in the last two games, he has impressed us with the way he has trained and this is a great chance for him.”

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Six Nations Hospitality

Six Nations 2010: Keith Wood column

Ireland was for a long time a rural country and, as a man who is proud that he still works on the farm, Hayes has his roots in the land. By extension, you could say the fans have their roots in John Hayes. He is held in great affection.

The reason 'The Bull' comes in for more scrutiny than everyone else is because he has been there for so long. I was captain when he made his debut in 2000 and now he is on the verge of his 100th cap for Ireland.

In some ways the fact he is so tall helps him a lot and in some ways it hinders him - if he gets a good hit in the scrum and he gets himself into a good position, you cannot move him. But the small, little, stocky guys have always put him under pressure. He has gone back a few times in his career, but so has every prop.

He defends very well, he's an absolute demolisher of rucks and he is the best line-out lifter in world rugby. In the time he has been there, Ireland's line-out has gone from strength to strength. He can get a player like Paul O'Connell up to huge heights and that gives a massive level of security to the hooker and the rest of the team.

Hayes will never be considered a great technician, but he will be considered a great team-mate and a really, really good rugby player. And ultimately he is a great figure with the fans because he is truly Irish.

I do not think Hayes and the rest of the Ireland pack will have a whole lot of trouble against England at Twickenham on Saturday. Ireland did very well in the scrum against Italy, poorly against France, but then France were truly extraordinary.

Ireland were totally outplayed in Paris and I think they will be a tiny bit jaded, but that does not mean the buzz has gone. The big issue is confidence - has it taken a knock?

Even though they were being outplayed, there was a five-minute spell in the first half where, if things had gone Ireland's way, they could have still been in the game.

Instead, Cian Healy gave away a penalty at the other end and got a yellow card, Jerry Flannery performed his magician's trick and tried to cut someone in half and Ireland fell into a huge hole.

Wales coach Warren Gatland said he didn't think France were that good and inisted Ireland were very bad, but that is not entirely true.

Ireland did not play at their best, but France, when they are playing with that kind of confidence, are peerless. England simply aren't as good as France so a lot of the problems that existed in Paris will not exist at Twickenham.

Ireland will have learned an awful lot about contact in Paris, because France were fantastic at the contact area. Ireland need to win the collisions in the forwards against England and need to be running on to the ball.

O'Gara plays the percentages very well, and although I would not say he is predictable, teams are forcing him to play in a certain style. He takes the kicking option a lot of the time, while opponents rush up outside him so he has to go himself, and he has not really got the turn of pace to make a half-gap into a whole gap.

Ireland's discipline, with the exception of Healy and Flannery against France, has been fantastic so England cannot rely on kicking goals, they need to score tries.

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Six Nations 2010: Murphy experience the key

Ireland coach Declan Kidney has pointed to Geordan Murphy's knowledge of English rugby as the key to the veteran Leicester full-back's recall for Saturday's trip to Twickenham.

Murphy will make his first international appearance since the final match of last year's championship, when Ireland completed the Grand Slam against Wales.

Restricted to just three Guinness Premiership outings for the Tigers since dislocating his shoulder last September, Murphy was nevertheless outstanding in the weekend's 33-11 rout of Gloucester.

The 31-year-old replaces the injured Rob Kearney at full-back against England.

"Geordan's experience will compensate for his lack of rugby. Twickenham is not a ground he's unfamiliar with," said Kidney.

"He'll be playing against guys who he knows. That was part of the mix in giving him the nod for this one."

Leinster fly-half Jonathan Sexton is preferred ahead of Munster veteran Ronan O'Gara, who drops to the bench following the 33-10 defeat by France, with Tomas O'Leary continuing at scrum-half.

But Kidney played down the significance of Sexton's selection, adding: "We're blessed with two out-halves, one with huge experience, the other up and coming.

"I thought it was opportune to give Jon a go this time."

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Six Nations Hospitality

Wales boss Gatland warns Martyn Williams and Ryan Jones

Coach Warren Gatland says that veteran Wales flanker Martyn Williams and skipper Ryan Jones must improve their displays against Ireland on Saturday.

Wales rescued an incredible last-gasp 31-24 win against Scotland in their last championship game in Cardiff.

But Williams, Jones and Andy Powell - now dropped for disciplinary reasons - were outshone by Scotland's back-row and must up their game against Ireland.

"Martyn's missed a few tackles and he's been the first to put his hand up and needs to rectify his performance and get it right and he normally responds exceptionally well to that.

"I think what's pleased me about Martyn in the last week or so is he's recognised that as a loose-forward trio we probably didn't do so well against Ireland.

"So it's a sign of his experienced leadership in the squad, and for Ryan I think he's developed well into a captain.

"He's showing really good signs in terms of the way he's leading this team. He doesn't speak for the sake of speaking and he's starting to let his rugby do the talking.

"But he knows himself after his performance against Scotland he needs to go up a notch against Ireland."

Jonathan Thomas switches from lock to back-row to fill the gap vacated by Powell's banishment from the squad after being charged with drink-driving following an incident with a golf buggy on the morning after the win against Scotland.

Thomas' move and Alun Wyn Jones' absence following elbow surgery gives Deiniol Jones and Bradley Williams the chance to impress in the second-row.

Jones' inclusion was the major talking point when Gatland announced the team on Monday, with Luke Charteris only getting a place on the bench despite his man-of-the-match show for the Dragons at Ulster.

Gatland also admits that picking Mike Phillips on the bench - despite the British and Irish Lions star playing just 40 minutes of rugby in four months - is a gamble.

Phillips has been selected ahead of Dwayne Peel - who has missed only a month of action recently with a groin strain - as the back-up to Richie Rees of the Blues.

Gatland cited the precedents of Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery recently returning to Test action after injury and Scotland having Mike Blair on the bench against Wales following a lengthy lay-off.

That group of scrum-halves includes Gareth Cooper, who started Wales' opening loss of the championship away to England and the win over Scotland but now finds himself out of the match-day squad.

Gatland admits he was wrong to pick Cooper to start against Scotland, with Rees having made a strong case for the starting nine shirt with his performances off the bench.

"I know we'd made a call on Gareth Cooper in the first two games and we were criticised for that and probably fair enough criticism in the second game, because we did make that replacement at half-time," Gatland added.

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Mike Phillips takes first steps to Wales return as Ospreys go top

Mike Phillips, Ospreys' Lions scrum-half, survived an entire half of rugby yesterday evening as he attempts a Wales return before the end of the Six Nations Championship. These were Phillips' first tentative steps back on to the field since recovering from surgery after he tore ankle ligaments in a Heineken Cup match against Clermont Auvergne last October. Despite being watched by Wales's coach Warren Gatland in Swansea it is very unlikely Phillips will be in the Wales 22 to face France at the Millennium Stadium on Friday night when it is announced tomorrow.

The Blues scrum-half Richie Rees is likely to be handed his first start against the French and ahead of Phillips in Gatland's immediate thoughts will be Dwayne Peel simply because the Sale No9, who has recovered from a groin injury, has had more rugby than the Ospreys man, including a full 80 minutes against Leeds on Friday night. Phillips' 40 minutes were nonetheless encouraging, if a little conservative, and he will no doubt come into Wales' plans for the final two games against Ireland and Italy in March.

"He's a wee bit off the pace physically but it's just great to have him back. It's good to see him get half a game and a good run out. He did some good things too," said Ospreys' director of coaching, Scott Johnson.

Ospreys, who went top of the Magners League table with this two tries to one victory, were boosted by the presence of the outside-half Dan Biggar and lock and captain Ian Gough, who were both released back to the region by the Wales management. Biggar was at the centre of the action early on. After missing a second-minute drop goal the 20-year-old made a 45-metre penalty before taking down Connacht's hooker Sean Cronin with a try-saving tug of the jersey.

The Ospreys scored a spectacular try in which the full-back Gareth Owen breezed in from halfway, going between two men and then rounding the full-back. After a Connacht try was ruled out by the TV match official the Irishmen breached the Ospreys' 22 only for Owen to pull off a fine tackle on scrum-half Connor O'Loughlin.

Connacht's endeavours were finally rewarded with a second penalty for Ian Keatley but Biggar cancelled that out as Ospreys led 11-6 at the interval. The biggest cheer of the evening was reserved for Phillips' arrival into the fray after half-time and it coincided with the Ospreys taking control of the match with a penalty and try for Biggar within the first nine minutes of the restart.

Biggar went by the left corner flag after receiving a cheeky reverse pass from the ever lively Owen. But if the Ospreys had ambitions of a bonus-point win they were put on hold after the lock Ian Evans received a yellow-card for a high tackle, and with the extra man Connacht grabbed a try through Sean Cronin and two penalties for Keatley as the home side's lead was cut to two points going into injury time.

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Six Nations 2010: Andy Powell determined to win back place in Wales squad

The 28-year-old Cardiff Blues back-row forward lost his Wales place after he was charged with driving a golf buggy "whilst unfit through drink" following Saturday's victory over Scotland.

Powell will appear at Cardiff Magistrates Court on March 2, four days after Wales take on France in the Championship.

However, despite being ruled out of that game and almost certainly Wales' other championship matches against Ireland and Italy, a statement released by Powell's agent, Mike Burton, highlighted the player's desire to regain his position.

"Andy will now work towards re-establishing himself in the Welsh squad at a time when the WRU team management think fit," he said.

Scotland threequarter Thom Evans is to undergo a second operation on his neck. The Glasgow wing, 24, suffered a serious injury after colliding with Wales full-back Lee Byrne at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

He had an operation that evening but surgeons have decided a second procedure will be required later this week before he is released from University Hospital, Cardiff.

An independent committee will convene in London on March 2 to hear the appeal lodged by Stade Français prop David Attoub against both the finding of foul play and the 70-week ban he received for eye gouging in the Heineken Cup game against Ulster in December.

Jerry Flannery will go before a disciplinary hearing in Dublin this morning to discover whether he will be able to play in all of Ireland's remaining Six Nations games.

The Ireland hooker has been charged with kicking France wing Alexis Palisson in Saturday's 33-10 defeat in Paris. If the citing is upheld, Flannery faces at least a four-week suspension, which would rule him out of Ireland's games against England and Wales. Ireland close their campaign against Scotland on March 20.

Springbok centre Jean de Villiers will leave Munster at the end of the season and return to South Africa to improve his chances of playing in next year's World Cup.

"This is perhaps my last opportunity to represent my country at the Rugby World Cup and after consultation with SARU it has become clear that to qualify for selection players must be playing their rugby in South Africa in the season leading up to the competition," he said.

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Six Nations 2010: Wales and Ireland 'have lost respect' for England HQ Twickenham

Lawrence Dallaglio has challenged Martin Johnson's England to restore Twickenham's reputation as one of the most feared stadia in world rugby during their RBS Six Nations campaign this season.
England have won only five out of 10 Test matches at Twickenham under Johnson, while Saturday's opponents, Wales, are seeking their second successive Six Nations victory in London and fourth in total.

Defending Grand Slam champions Ireland, the other visitors to Twickenham this season, enjoy an even more impressive record, having won twice in their past three visits to English headquarters and five out of their six most recent championship encounters.

A win ratio of just 50 per cent at Twickenham under Johnson contrasts sharply with the home record in the run-up to England's World Cup triumph in 2003, when they went unbeaten for four years and won 22 Test matches in a row.

Dallaglio, who was part of England's World Cup-winning pack under Johnson's captaincy, feels it is imperative Twickenham once again becomes a daunting fortress for visiting teams.

"England have to put building blocks in place and as a coach and as a player, the building blocks have to be that you win your home games," Dallaglio said.

"Twickenham needs to be a place that people respect. Respect is a term that is used a lot in rugby. Well, they should start respecting Twickenham. But the only way to get respect is by making sure that any team that comes there is sent home with the right message.

"The key for England in this Six Nations is winning the games at Twickenham and it is interesting that the two teams ,Wales V Ireland they play at home are probably teams that have lost their respect for Twickenham.

"You are not going to make it a fortress straight away but England need to start to make it a place that teams and supporters respect again. A victory over Wales would be a massive step in the right direction."

"We all have massive expectations and have a lot of players coming back. That is not to say we are going to be world beaters in the space of several weeks. But I think you will see improved performances from each player. Johnno now has a better understanding of each player and the coaches have a better understanding of what Johnno wants.

"Once you have that understanding, you have a really good base level. It is now about taking that onto the pitch and expressing ourselves. I believe we are at that place. I know we will be judged on how we play against Wales but the majority of our squad have been together for the last year or so I feel there are no more excuses."

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Ireland V Wales - Six Nations 2010

CROKE PARK STADIUM - 13 March 2010

The magic moments of Irelands historic Grand Slam 2009 rugby season will be emotionally recalled when the RBS Six Nations championship 2010 unfolds at Croke Park in February and March next.

Far from resting on their laurels, Ireland’s rugby heroes are determined to scale the heights again and capitalise on home advantage against Italy, Wales and Scotland.

Interest in the capacity sell-out games is further flavoured by this being the last time for a Six Nations Championship to be staged at GAA Headquarters prior to the Irish teams return to the new look Aviva Stadium later in the year.

Croke Park Stadium

Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland is the largest sports stadium in Ireland and the fourth largest stadium in Europe. It is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Ireland's biggest sporting organisation. The stadium is in the heart of the city, a 15 minute walk from the main thoroughfare O'Connell Street

Ireland V Wales Hospitality

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Ireland V Wales in Six Nations 2010 rugby

Ireland are the current Grand Slam title holders, for the first time since 1948, having won the competition in 2009 by beating all other teams, and winning the Triple Crown by beating England, Scotland and Wales.


Wales compete annually in the Six Nations rugby, which they have won 24 times, the last being in 2008. Wales have also qualified for every World Cup that has been held, and achieved their best result in the 1987 tournament, when they finished third. The national team play at the Millennium Stadium, built in 1999 to replace the old National Stadium. Wales play in scarlet jerseys, white shorts and red socks, with the jersey sporting the Prince of Wales's feathers as their official badge. Every four years the British and Irish Lions go on tour with players from Wales as well as England, Ireland and Scotland.


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The magic moments of Ireland's historic Grand Slam 2009 rugby season will be emotionally recalled when the 2010 RBS Six Nations championship unfurls at Croke Park in February and March next.

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