Mick Cleary: Sir Ian McGeechan is the only real candidate for job as Lions head coach

Sir Ian McGeechan made the job of Lions coach impossible for anyone else to do. That was the nub of a question put to newly appointed manager Andy Irvine on Monday. He paused, reflected and admitted that there was no easy answer. The Lions ought to be moving on.

They will consider the claims of Declan Kidney, Warren Gatland, Andy Robinson and others, but McGeechan has become so synonymous with the Lions that, until he retires conclusively to his potting shed, he must be the prime contender for the post in 2013.

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Aided by the wise counsel of manager Gerald Davies, McGeechan helped restore a sense of what the Lions are about – togetherness, mucking in, coping with hardship and having fun. It also means playing with verve, spirit, intelligence and resilience.

That these principles and standards are of the utmost importance to the Lions can be seen from the way in which they have taken greater control of the whole process. Davies is now chairman of the Lions, switching roles with Irvine. What McGeechan and his coaching and playing team brought to the party in South Africa, that sense of rising to the challenge, constitutes the essence of the Lions.

McGeechan got it right off the field – share rooms, train together, travel together, party together and, as a consequence, came so close to getting it right on the field. Of course, it ought to be possible for others to fill that role. However he has the advantage of being out of the front-line.

Gatland, Robinson, Kidney and Johnson are all wedded to the moment, defined by their team's current record. Last time around, Eddie O'Sullivan looked a certainty to take the Lions to South Africa. Then came Ireland's disastrous World Cup campaign. Goodnight, Eddie.

But a Lions coach has to be more than just a sharp operator in a tracksuit. He has to be a leader of men as well as a shaper of game plans. He has to make players not only believe in themselves but also in each other. Remember that in a tour party of 35 there will be 13 disgruntled blokes every time a side is named.

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Bradley Davies targets Blues and Wales success

Blues star Bradley Davies wants Welsh rugby fans to start referring to him as a seasoned international and not a promising player.

The man-mountain candidly insists he wants to be judged on his performances, not on his perceived potential – even if it means he gets critical appraisal from an expectant public.

Lock forward Davies has been capped 13 times and impressed hugely during the summer double-header in New Zealand.

“It’s a different situation to when somebody is telling you you can be good,” said the Llantrisant powerhouse. “Now people are saying you are good.”

Although Davies is expected to be one of the first names on Warren Gatland’s team-sheet for the autumn internationals, he’s certainly not taking anything for granted.

“If I’m lucky enough to get the No 4 jersey for Wales I’ve got to go on the pitch and prove I’m good enough,” he said. “I don’t want to be known as a young player any more.”

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Historically, Wales have a poor record against the All Blacks and the Springboks, while Australia won in fine style at the Millennium Stadium last November.

“We’ve got the top three coming to Wales. They will be tough and so will Fiji,” predicted 23-year-old Davies. “But we believe we can beat them. That’s the big thing about us.

The Blues are second in Pool One behind Northampton – who beat Castres 18-14 at Franklin’s Gardens last weekend – on points difference.

Dai Young’s men shaded their opening encounter 18-17 against Edinburgh and Davies knows the Blues must up their game in France with Castres possessing a formidable home record.

“Rugby these days is physical, whoever you play, but out in Castres they will be targeting us. We are looking forward to it and planning to put in a big performance on Friday night.”

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Wales national rugby union team represents Wales in international rugby union tournaments.Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with 25 wins. Wales most recent championship win came in 2008. The International Rugby Board (IRB) regards Wales as a Tier One rugby nation, and ranks them eighth in the world as of 1 February 2010.

Wales play in red jerseys embroidered with the Prince of Wales's feathers. Their current home ground is the Millennium Stadium, completed in 1999 to replace the National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park. Ten former Welsh players have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, and two of the ten have been inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.

Ireland Rugby epresents the island of Ireland in rugby union and competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they have been eliminated at the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions (1999 and 2007). Ireland is also one of the four unions which make up the British and Irish Lions - players eligible to play for Ireland are also eligible for the Lions.

The Six Nations Championship held every year in February and March is Ireland's only annual tournament. It is contested against England, France, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Ireland was a member of the inaugural Home Nations in 1883 with France and Italy joining later to form the Five and Six Nations respectively. Ireland won their first championship in 1894, winning the Triple Crown also. Ireland's first Grand Slam occurred in the 1948 season and their second in the 2009 season. In total Ireland have been champions on eleven occasions.

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Wales V Ireland Rugby: Warren Gatland's Wales future in doubt

Warren Gatland has revealed there has been no contract extension put on the table by the Welsh Rugby Union.

Gatland insists but he cannot make a decision as to whether he will extend his stay in Wales unless he receives a formal offer.

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Gatland, who has been linked with a return to his native New Zealand, said: "I have had criticism about my contract but it's hard to make a decision when I haven't got anything concrete in front of me.

"Other people have been talking about it but I'm the one who has been getting the criticism. I can't make a decision if I haven't got a contract in front of me."

While Gatland's future remains up in the air, there is a possible shock Six Nations return for Wales and Ospreys centre Gavin Henson.

"People have been telling me to make up my mind and asking why I'm stalling but no one has spoken to me about it before.

Gatland added: "My stance has never changed on Gavin. I just want to see the kid play. If he can sort things out with Ospreys that would be fantastic."

Henson has not played since he limped off in Ospreys' Anglo-Welsh defeat to Gloucester in March 2009 with an ankle injury.

The Lions star had further problems with his Achilles, while off the pitch he split from long-term celebrity partner Charlotte Church, the mother of his two children.

Gatland believes it will not take too long for the double Grand Slammer to get back.

He said: "Gavin always looked after himself well. He was always a bit of a secret trainer. Hopefully he can come back and it won't take him too long."

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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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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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