News in Brief
Kearney out of Heineken semi-final
Rob Kearney will miss Leinster's Heineken Cup showdown with Munster
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- Leinster have received a blow with the news that Ireland Grand Slam fullback and British and Irish Lions tourist Rob Kearney will miss their Heineken Cup semi-final against Munster at Croke Park on Saturday. Kearney has been ruled out due to a case of the Mumps, with coach Michael Cheika confirming that his recovery had not come in time for consideration.
"Rob Kearney's not going to make it," he said. "But even if he was to get himself out (on the field) he has had no training behind him for the last ten days so we wouldn't even consider it. He had to go to hospital because he had quite a high fever, but he's ok now. He has recovered well and the doctors have really looked after him well and he's in good spirits too."
- Ambitious French side Racing Metro Paris have earmarked former Sale lock Sebastien Chabal as a possible signing for next season. The club confirmed their promotion to the Top 14 last weekend with a 33-12 victory over Bordeaux-Begles and now chairman Jacky Lorenzetti has announced a budget to allow for 30% of the club's playing staff to be revamped.
Chabal, who played his final game for Sale on Saturday, Springbok Francois Steyn and France skipper Lionel Nallet have all been mooted at targets.
"The club's budget will be 15 or 16 million euros, either the fifth or sixth (highest) in the Top 14," Lorenzetti said. "If Chabal was really costing 1.2m euros, I wouldn't have even opened the dossier. Our objective is to stay up - but with ambition. We have decided to keep 70% of the current squad. The 30% comprising new players must complement them and have the Racing spirit."
- Chiefs flanker Sione Lauaki has escaped punishment for a high tackle after an administrative error. Lauaki was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Bulls wing Bryan Habana during the Chiefs' 33-27 loss on Saturday and was subsequently cited. However, the disciplinary hearing was dimissed on technical grounds as the citing was not received within the prescribed 12-hour period after the match ended.
- Saracens have signed Sharks prop Frik Venter for next season. Venter, 27, can play on both sides of the scrum and become the latest addition to incoming director of rugby Brendan Venter's playing staff.
- French newspaper L'Equipe is reporting that Top 14 giants Toulouse are on the verge of signing Saracens' Samoan international prop Cencus Johnston for next season. Johnston's contract has not been renewed by the Guinness Premiership side and the former Biarritz player has attracted interest from several French clubs.
- Brumbies fly-half Christian Lealiifano has been ruled out for the remainder of the Super 14 season after an MRI scan revealed that the playmaker had suffered a torn hamstring during his side's victory over the Bulls two weeks ago.
- Ulster centre Andrew Trimble will not be available for Ireland's summer tour of the USA and Canada after revealing that he will undergo surgery to repair damage to his right knee, where a chip must be removed from behind the patella.
- London Irish have bolstered their forward pack for next season by signing 24-year-old back-row Andy Buist from fellow Guinness Premiership side Newcastle Falcons. Falcons academy product Buist also offers an option in the second-row and has signed a two-year deal with the Exiles.
- Wasps have confirmed that first-team squad members Marty Veale and Charlie Beech have signed two-year deals with the Guinness Premiership club.
- Former Scotland flanker Ken Oliver has died after a short illness. Oliver, 63, was a legend of Gala's sevens side and won one cap for Scotland, against Australia in June 1970. During his career he also represented Scottish Borders, Edinburgh Borderers and the South and also played Sevens for Scotland at Murryfield in 1973. His involvement with Gala Sevens saw him win 16 tournaments in a row during the early 1970s.
- Ospreys have announced that conditioning coach Mike McGurn will leave the region at the end of the season for family reasons.
"Unfortunately Mike has made the decision to leave us at the end of the current season in order to be nearer his family and we will be sad to see him go," said Ospreys elite performance director Andrew Hore. "He has made a huge impact in his short period on the Ospreys staff, and we value the input he has had, and continues to have. However, his personal circumstances are such that he felt that he was unable to continue to commit 100 per cent to the Ospreys."
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1. Max Verstappen ()
