Scrumbag

Guinness Premiership to ban any future Shaun Edwards type people...

He's bald, he comes from rugby league, he's not Welsh, he's got a billion jobs, and he's not that popular amongst certain people. Ladies and gents... Mr Shaun Edwards!

Wasps and Wales fans should soak up the Edwards lovliness, as a beast like him will never be allowed to be created again. The Guinness Premiership clubs have drawn up a rule which will prevent any of their coaches taking a part-time job with a national side. Does this mean Edwards couldn't switch to England then?

Apparently the rule has been drawn up because Premier Rugby felt that, if a club coach were involved with a national team, from age-group side upwards, it would give them a potential advantage over rivals because they would be in a position to tap up players. Yada, yada, yada...

Lee Byrne's agent gets in like a rat up a drainpipe

Lee Byrne is having very good Six Nations for Wales and it is making many people happy, particularly his agent it would seem.

Not one to let opportunites flounder, the man in question has been into the Ospreys management office faster than Jason Leonard to a buffet table to talk turkey about a new contract.  The Swansea outfit were more than happy to engage and to extend the young full-backs deal until 2012, the year that other British sportsmen will embarrass themselves on home soil in the Olympics.

"I'm delighted to be able to extend my contract for another four years," Byrne told the Ospreys website.

"I'm delighted to be able to extend my house for a heated swimming pool," his agent probably told someone.

Magners League Week One Round-Up

Champions Ulster got off to a winning start in the inaugural Magners League, with ageless fly-half David Humphreys scoring a personal haul of 21 points and creating a try for teammate Paul Steinmetz as the Ravenhill men downed Llanelli Scarlets 31-16.  Ulster dealt better with the loss of their summer tourists than Munster, who travelled to Cardiff and lost 22-13.  Chris Czekaj and Scott Morgan crossed for the Blues, who took advantage of the absence of ten Irish internationals from the Munster line-up.

Connacht, with six consecutive home games to come, won away at Borders on Friday night, easily outpointing the home side 29-15.  A decent run of results in those home games could put them in contention for an impressively high league placing.  Glasgow, also at home, continued the weekend's theme of poor Scottish performances, spurning a 20-point lead to lose 24-23 to the Dragons.  The seal was put on a bad weekend for Scottish teams as Edinburgh lost away to the Ospreys, 17-11.  Lee Byrne marked his debut for the Ospreys with the crucial try.

Magners League Week One Round-Up

Champions Ulster got off to a winning start in the inaugural Magners League, with ageless fly-half David Humphreys scoring a personal haul of 21 points and creating a try for teammate Paul Steinmetz as the Ravenhill men downed Llanelli Scarlets 31-16.  Ulster dealt better with the loss of their summer tourists than Munster, who travelled to Cardiff and lost 22-13.  Chris Czekaj and Scott Morgan crossed for the Blues, who took advantage of the absence of ten Irish internationals from the Munster line-up.

Connacht, with six consecutive home games to come, won away at Borders on Friday night, easily outpointing the home side 29-15.  A decent run of results in those home games could put them in contention for an impressively high league placing.  Glasgow, also at home, continued the weekend's theme of poor Scottish performances, spurning a 20-point lead to lose 24-23 to the Dragons.  The seal was put on a bad weekend for Scottish teams as Edinburgh lost away to the Ospreys, 17-11.  Lee Byrne marked his debut for the Ospreys with the crucial try.