Cockerill handed four-week suspension

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Scrum.com

November 25, 2009

Richard Cockerill has been suspended for a month © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Richard Cockerill | Mark Cueto | Andy Ellis | Francois Hougaard | Brad Thorn

Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill has been suspended for four weeks and fined £2000 after pleading guilty to two offences of match official abuse during their Anglo-Welsh Cup match against Newport Gwent Dragons on November 14.

Cockerill is banned from any match-day involvement with the Tigers or officials and also from coaching mini, midi and youth rugby on Sundays until December 23.

All Blacks Brad Thorn and Andy Ellis will head home after the Test against France this weekend to spend time with their families, the New Zealand Rugby Union has announced.

Team manager Darren Shand said Ellis' wife was expecting their first baby and Thorn had a large, young family which he wanted to spend time with.

"Family life is obviously very important to the All Blacks players and management and we try and get players home when they need to be with their families. Andy and Brad need to go home and we agreed before the tour that they would leave after the French test," Shand said.

The decision on whether replacement hooker Aled de Malmanche would stay on for the match against the Barbarians in London will be made after the match on Saturday.

England wing Mark Cueto has signed a new four-year deal with Guinness Premiership side Sale Sharks. Cueto is second on the Premiership's all-time try-scoring list and wants to finish his career at the club.

"I have played all my professional rugby at Sale Sharks, and I want to finish my career here," he said. "I have had some great times."

Canterbury have retained the winning coaching combination of Rob Penney and Tabai Matson for next season. Penney snared a second straight Air New Zealand Cup title this season with Matson as his assistant.

"As always it's a real honour and privilege to be involved with Canterbury and I'm looking forward to working with this group again and continuing the good work that's been done over the past 12 months," Penney said.

The Blue Bulls have secured the continued services of scrum-half Francois Hougaard on a three-year deal.The youngster is currently in Europe with the Springboks and made his Test debut with a cameo against Italy last weekend.

Winger Miles Benjamin has signed a new two-year deal with Worcester Warriors.

Munster lock Mick O'Driscoll will lead Ireland 'A' against the Argentina Jaguars in Tallaght on Friday night. O'Driscoll is joined in the starting line-up by fullback Felix Jones, wings Ian Dowling and Johne Murphy and No.8 John Muldoon.

Ireland 'A': Felix Jones (Munster); Ian Dowling (Munster), Fergus McFadden (Leinster), Keith Matthews (Connacht), Johne Murphy (Leicester); Ian Humphreys (Ulster), Isaac Boss (Ulster); Brett Wilkinson (Connacht), John Fogarty (Leinster), Mike Ross (Leinster), Ryan Caldwell (Ulster), Mick O'Driscoll (Munster, capt), Donnacha Ryan (Munster), Niall Ronan (Munster), John Muldoon (Connacht)

Replacements: Andy Kyriacou, Bryan Young, Ed O'Donoghue, Chris Henry, Frank Murphy, Ian Keatley, Denis Hurley

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