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**truebluefan** · 12-14-2007, 06:27 PM

NSW Waratahs halfback Brett Sheehan is nursing a broken hand following a freak accident during the final moments of the squad's three-day camp in Wollongong.

Sheehan will be sidelined for three weeks after accidently smacking his right hand against the shoulder of a life saving instructor while running in a team surf challenge race at Bulli.

"I went to tag Rocky Elsom but the instructor moved into the way and my hand smashed into his shoulder and I knew straight away it was broken," said Sheehan.

"It's a shame that I've been put back a little but it's just one of those things.

"I'm just glad it happened now and not next month."

Sheehan will resume fulltime training in three weeks and will not be in doubt for any of the Waratahs' Super 14 trial matches.

**truebluefan** · 12-14-2007, 06:29 PM

In New Zealander Robbie Deans, the Wallabies have snared their own Guus Hiddink.

ARU boss John O'Neill's reputation for bagging the big fish - garnered when, as CEO of Football Federation Australia, he signed Hiddink as Socceroos coach - remains intact.

And, like Hiddink, Deans comes with the legend of the magic touch.

The 48-year-old is indisputably the most successful rugby coach at provincial level in the southern hemisphere.

He has taken the Crusaders, the Christchurch-based team captained by Richie McCaw, to six Super 12-14 finals, winning four of them.

At times, they have looked unstoppable and in 2002 they were, winning every game they played in the Super 12.

But his only foray into international coaching - a place he now feels he belongs - left a bitter taste.

As assistant to John Mitchell between 2001-03, Deans was part of two Tri Nations titles and a breakthrough Bledisloe Cup victory fo New Zealand.

The pair's record stands at 22 wins, one draw and just four losses.

But one of those was the All Blacks' heartbreaking capitulation to Australia in the 2003 Rugby World Cup semi-finals in Sydney.

A South Island country boy, Robert Maxwell Deans was born in the town of Cheviot - population 390 - about 100km north of Christchurch.

Complete article

**truebluefan** · 12-18-2007, 11:41 AM

Defending champions Wasps edged closer to the European Cup quarter-finals with a thrilling, hard-fought 25-24 win over highly-fancied French outsiders Clermont on Saturday.

Wasps lost 37-27 to Clermont last weekend, but the French outfit initially struggled to contain the Danny Cipriani-inspired Londoners whose free-running style of attack gave them a 22-3 lead at the break.

Live-wire Irish scrum-half Eoin Reddan opened the scoring for Wasps, pouncing on a mistake by counterpart Pierre Mignoni.

Wingers Tom Voyce and Paul Sackey added two more in a first pulsating half, the latter a length-of-the-field move that featured great hands by Cipriani and centre Fraser Waters, with Clermont notching up an Alex King penalty.

Complete article

**truebluefan** · 12-18-2007, 11:41 AM

ALAN JONES yesterday called on Australian rugby to back the appointment of Robbie Deans.

Jones, the 1984 Grand Slam-winning coach and one of the six candidates for the Wallabies coaching position, told the Herald from Las Vegas that it was imperative for people to get behind the New Zealander.

"The world of rugby must support the appointment and hope the fortunes of rugby on and off the field can be turned around."

**truebluefan** · 12-18-2007, 11:42 AM

Munster kept up the pressure on Pool 5 rivals Wasps and Clermont with a 22-13 win over Llanelli Scarlets in the European Cup rugby competition today.

In Pool 6, three-time European champions Toulouse beat Leicester 22-11 to cement their place as group leaders on 14 points and their charge for a quarter-final spot.

Leicester remain second on nine points, one ahead of Leinster, who were outmuscled 29-10 by Edinburgh on Saturday, the Scottish side's first win in four games.

"We're delighted with the win," said Toulouse's former All Black scrum-half Byron Kelleher.

"We knew we let ourselves down last week (when Toulouse lost 14-9 to Leicester).

"But we're very happy with our progress so far this season.

"We're trying to make sure we put some back-to-back performances in and build consistency."

Munster's win saw the Irish province move top of their group on 14 points, with defending champions Wasps one point off in second after their thrilling 25-24 win over Clermont on Saturday.

The French club have 10 points while the Scarlets remain winless from their four matches.

Munster, however, still have to play Clermont away before hosting Wasps in their final group game on the weekend of January 18-20.

Complete article

**truebluefan** · 12-18-2007, 11:42 AM

NSW recruit Timana Tahu started his rugby education on the fields of Wollongong University last week as he prepares to don the Waratahs' blue No 13 jersey.

The former Australian rugby league star looked a little lost at times, which was to be expected, as he ran crash-ball from outside centre during the drills.

"I talked over where I would play with Ewen (McKenzie) and the coaching staff and we decided I would be better off at outside centre rather than inside," Tahu said. "I have watched a few tapes and I thought it would better suit my game.

"There are a few things to learn but having Lote (Tuqiri) there is really helpful and the other guys are making things easier to pick up.

"It's different from the NRL in many ways but it's still football."

Tahu has yet to run on the rugby field in anger but training and learning the structures and patterns is part of his introduction to the 15-man game.

A ballwork session at Uni Oval on Tuesday was one of his first with the Tahs, another step in his rugby experience. He looked comfortable with the ball in hand but there was a bit of pointing going on once his phase of the game finished.

"I have played in (rugby league) representative teams with different coaches and different structures and have had to pick things up quickly," he said. "It gets easier after two or three sessions. I learned a couple of things from that run but it's going to take time to do things instinctively.

"I'm used to following the ball a bit but in rugby it's more important for me to get back out wide and wait for the ball to come to me.

"All the boys have been great at training saying things might sound complicated at training but once you get out on the field it will be just like the NRL.

"You just play what you see."

He has six more weeks to train before facing Queensland in a Super 14 trial at Campbelltown on Australia Day.

**truebluefan** · 12-18-2007, 11:43 AM

Former ACT Brumbies and Wallabies prop Ben Darwin went into yesterday's Canberra City Half Ironman Triathlon hoping to finish the 120km event in under six and a half hours.

He completed the 1.9km swim in 43 minutes, rode the required 93km in just more than three and a half hours and finished the 21.2km run in 2hr 12min.

Add to that the transition times between the three legs and Darwin came in at 6:29:51, sneaking in to reach his goal by a mere nine seconds and eclipsing his previous time by more than 20 minutes.

It is all part of Darwin's plan to tackle the Australian Ironman in Port Macquarie in February, when he will need to complete a 3.8km swim, 180km ride and 42km run. He was hoping to finish the epic journey in about 14 to 15 hours and raise $100,000 for charity, including the NSW Spinal Injury Association.

Darwin narrowly avoided becoming a quadriplegic after suffering a neck injury in a collapsed scrum against New Zealand in the 2003 Rugby World Cup semi-final, which prematurely ended his rugby career.

While Darwin's goal of six and a half hours was more than two hours behind the winning time of David Dellow, he was among those within the 700-strong field just hoping to complete the event.

**truebluefan** · 12-18-2007, 11:45 AM

Cast your memory back to November 15.

A few weeks ago, as families throughout the nation were tucking into their dinner, the New Zealand Rugby Union announced they had a job vacancy: head coach of the All Blacks.

Graham Henry, if he wanted to keep his job, would have to re-apply for it alongside anyone else interested. The nation was stunned, and almost immediately Steve Hansen was caught in the crossfire.

Would he cut his ties with Henry and go it alone? Did he want to become All Blacks' top dog?

As Hansen kept his head down, several credible rugby sources were convinced he would divorce himself from Henry and throw his name in the hat. He didn't and last week, as Henry was reappointed, Hansen was reinstated as his assistant.

Having watched the coaching drama unfold from afar in Christchurch, Hansen this week broke his silence. During a candid and at times blunt interview with the Sunday Star-Times he said the two months since the All Blacks lost at the world cup had felt like a "doom loop".

"As every day goes by [after the world cup loss] you start to get out of that doom loop and start to go forward again," he said.

"The important thing was not to lose self-belief, get back on the horse and kick it in the guts.

"I think certain sections of the media tried to force their opinions on the public and they were generally rejected. The support we have had has been amazing."

That's typical Hansen: unrepentant, bullish, drinking from, as he likes to say, "the glass half full" and preoccupied with the future not the past.

That now includes the prospect of one day becoming All Blacks head coach himself, an ambition most suspect he possesses but one he's rarely been willing to admit to.

Complete article

**truebluefan** · 12-18-2007, 11:46 AM

PAT WILSON joined the exodus of Australian Rugby Union staff last night, reaching a "mutual agreement" with the organisation to depart by the end of the week.

He denied that his departure was part of a rumoured clean-out of those hired before the return of chief executive John O'Neill.

"This was entirely amicable … I'm not disaffected or bitter at all," Wilson told the Herald last night. "I am moving on, I have things I want to pursue.

"I am seeing out the end of the week. I am available for anything they need."

ARU media manager Roger White and Wallabies media manager Michael Earsman have also left the organisation in the past month.

As head of special projects, Wilson played a key role in securing the services of new Wallabies coach Robbie Deans, who was signed last Friday.

"I would like to think I've made a contribution," Wilson added.

**truebluefan** · 12-18-2007, 11:47 AM

Tana Umaga has done the New Zealand Super 14 cause no favours by releasing Victor Matfield early from his Toulon stint so that he can help the Bulls defend their cherished title.

Matfield, who cemented his standing as the best lock in the game at the recent World Cup, was set to join the ambitious French club on a six-month deal in January that would have ruled him out of the Super 14 and possibly placed his test career in jeopardy.

But now after a deal between Toulon, where Umaga is the coach, and the Bulls Matfield will play in France for just two months.

That means he will miss just the opening four rounds of the Super 14 when the Bulls play in South Africa.

The Bulls, who finally ended the republic's Super rugby title drought this year, are delighted to have held on to Matfield in what seems to be an amicable compromise.

Toulon, who currently lead the French second division table with six consecutive wins, are desperate to gain promotion and have nine crucial matches through January and February.

So they will have Matfield for that stint where he will join a star-studded side that includes George Gregan, Andrew Mehrtens, Anton Oliver and Lawrence Sephaka.

But importantly Matfield will be back for the business end of the Super 14 which is a real boost for the Bulls who will be one of the favourites.

With a question mark remaining over the test futures of foreign-based Springboks, Matfield's inclusion in the Super 14 will keep him in the Boks frame.

He recently stated a desire to stick with the Springboks at least through to the 2009 tour of South Africa by the British and Irish Lions.