Wales V Italy Hospitality

RUGBY star Andy Powell says he accepts the decision to drop him from the Wales squad following his golf buggy drink-drive charge.

Powell was sent home from the squad after a meeting with the team management yesterday.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) described his actions as “behaviour contrary to the squad’s code of conduct” when it announced he was to be thrown out of the 35-man squad.

In a statement after the decision, Powell’s agent Mike Burton said: “Andy Powell has accepted the disciplinary decision handed down by the WRU today.

“Andy remains a committed professional and will now work towards re-establishing himself in the Welsh squad at a time when the WRU team management think fit.”

He is due to appear before Cardiff Magistrates on March 2 to face a charge of driving a mechanically propelled vehicle whilst unfit through drink.

Powell was arrested with a friend at a service station off Junction 33 of the M4 on Sunday morning, close to the spa hotel in the Vale of Glamorgan where the Wales team were staying.

Robert Norster, chief executive of Powell’s club Cardiff Blues, said: “Following on from the surreal finish to the weekend’s encounter with Scotland, the news of what appears to be a bizarre but serious lack of judgement by one of our players whilst on national duty is of real concern.

“Consequently, we fully accept and respect the WRU’s understandable and prompt action to address the issue. Naturally, as this is an ongoing police matter, we will also not be commenting further at this time.”

In a statement, Wales team manager Alan Phillips said: “Andy knows he has misbehaved and is apologetic, but he also knows that he must take responsibility for his own actions and accept the repercussions.

“This kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated in a professional, elite sporting environment and we have acted quickly and incisively in order to leave no ambiguity over the dim view we take of this situation.”

The WRU’s decision was also backed by road safety campaigners who said it sends out a clear message.

Ellen Booth, campaigns officer for road safety charity Brake, said: “Brake applauds the Wales management team for removing Powell from the team and sending a clear message to supporters of Welsh rugby, many of whom will have seen Powell as a role model.”

Mike Burton had earlier said the player was “very sorry and embarrassed about what happened”.

He confirmed that Powell failed the breath test, adding: “He does not excuse or condone drink-driving in any form and it was a misjudgement. He is sorry and he will face up to it.”

The second man who was arrested has been released by police and will not face any further charges.

Wales V Italy Hospitality

Six Nations Hospitality

SCOTLAND have been accused of running scared as their Six Nations plans were dealt a severe injury blow.

Wales coach Warren Gatland hit the roof after Andy Robinson demanded the dome remain open at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Gatland claims Scotland plan to take advantage of predicted rain and snow to turn the game into a slugfest he fears is contrary to the spirit of entertainment.

But Robinson dismissed his claims amid more pressing concerns over injured second row Nathan Hines who has been ruled out of the Cardiff trip.

The Australian-born lock will be replaced by Edinburgh star Jim Hamilton who swaps an afternoon walking his dog for the chance to bare his teeth against the Welsh scrum.

Robinson told Welsh rugby chiefs he wanted the roof kept open as it's only ever closed when agreement is reached between both teams.

Gatland said: "The weather we're expecting for this weekend is not great and it is supposed to be cold with possible snow.

"But Scotland asked on Tuesday for the roof to be open and it's disappointing.

"I understand we want to play the game under natural conditions and i fit's sunny at this time of year then great.

"But if it is raining I don't understand why you wouldn't want to make use of the roof.

"We all have a responsibility to the game, to the media, to the public and the sponsors. So if we have roof let's close it, have some sanity and see some positive rugby.

"Why play in the rain and bad weather if you don't have to? "Euan Murray is back to make their scrum stronger and I'm sure Scotland will hope it's a day in Cardiff which is p****ng down with rain."

But Robinson claims he would have handed the Welsh a pre-match boost if he had agreed to play with the elements held in check.

He said: "Six Nations rules state that if we want the roof open, it's opened. It's an advantage to Wales to play with the roof closed.

"He says what he needs to say but every other game in the championship is played without a roof.

"Let's get on with it." Scotland jet out to Cardiff today as they seek only their second win on the road in eight years.

They last won on their travels in Italy in 2006 and before then it was against the Welsh in 2002.

The loss of Hines is a blow. He suffered a calf strain and aggravated a previous ankle injury during the 18-9 defeat to France at Murrayfield on Sunday.

Hamilton has just returned to action after a knee injury ruled him out of the first half of the season.

He said: "I was all set to walk my boxer dog Bruce on Saturday as I didn't expect to be part of the group."

Wales V Italy Hospitality

Six Nations Hospitality

Euan Murray wraps his arms around his 18st body and shivers. The Northampton Saints and Scotland tighthead prop is a mountain of a man, but he looks vulnerable when facing the subject of his religious choices.

This Sunday, as Scotland take on France at Murrayfield in their first match of the Six Nations, the 29-year‑old will not be on the pitch. He has decided to forgo Sunday matches, and all non-religious activity that affects the Christian Sabbath – including interviews with Sunday newspapers.

Tired of explaining himself, he recently informed his club that he would no longer discuss the decision, and so as we approach the subject Murray sighs. He rearranges his feet on the coffee table in front of him, and sinks deeper into his coat, visibly retreating. "What do you want me to say about it? I don't think I need to say much about it. It's a decision, a difficult decision I had to make. And I'm happy with my decision."

There is a stony silence. The interest in his story has been intense and there is a weariness apparent over being cast in the role of religious curiosity of the week. But it is impossible for Murray not to discuss the subject in detail because his two great loves – rugby and Christianity – are so inextricably linked. Even as he speaks the language of the two collide. "Take my yoke upon thee …" he says, quoting the Bible, before pausing to note the irony. "You know like the yoke we use in training?"

To sacrifice one for the other has been tough and there is a revealing sadness in his voice as he describes what it has been like to miss games for Northampton. "I missed being part of it," he says quietly. "Someone actually told me the score the last time and I was really, really happy that we'd won."

Does he sometimes wonder if he's made the right decision? There is a very long pause. "I believe that biblically I've made the right decision." And emotionally? Murray blows out his cheeks. "Well, when you really become a Christian, life's a battle. You're going against the tide. The crowd are going one way and you're going another. It's always going to be a battle to be different. The easy thing is to go along with the crowd, everybody's doing it. You know? Try going the opposite direction to a crowd. It's hard. You won't get very far."

Murray was raised as a Christian, his mother taking the family to church in Glasgow. But he only turned to Christ in earnest after he was knocked unconscious in a game against Munster in September 2005. For those who witnessed the incident, the images are distressing. A collision with Anthony Horgan's knee sent Murray's head snapping back. As he lay on the pitch, his face contorted, his body writhing, he suffered a horrific seizure. Those around him thought he was dying. When he finally regained consciousness he entered a state of delirium, swaying on his feet and battling with the paramedics as he roared in confusion.

"Sometimes it takes a bang on the head to wake someone up," he says. "Some people don't get that chance. For some people it's bang, dead." He laughs.

He suggests that the path many professional sportsmen follow is "rotten". He tries to explain. "All the shiny bubbles," he says, holding out his big hands and shaking his head in sadness. "The money, the possessions, the fame, the great elusive relationship – all bubbles that appear perfectly spherical, all the colours of the rainbow. They're bright and shiny and light as a feather, and you chase them because it's good fun, but the minute you get them they burst and they're empty." He pauses. "I'd had enough of chasing bubbles."

In a portrait of Murray it would be misleading to only reference the religious sportsman. As a young boy growing up in the countryside south of Glasgow he worked on a farm, mucking out the outhouses, feeding the milk calves. "I loved working with animals, and the manual hard work," he says. "It made me strong."

He went on to qualify as a veterinarian – "because I love puppies and kittens," he jokes – only embarking on a professional rugby career at the advanced age of 23. Even so, during that first year of rugby he still practised as a vet one day a week, before deciding to give it up and focus on the game.

Wales V Italy Hospitality

Six Nations Hospitality

The two Italian teams set to join the Magners League next season could be put on ice as the franchises are struggling to meet the criteria.

Financial and political issues are hampering progress, with a report and decision on progress expected in two weeks' time, according to the Irish Independent.

The internal political issues revolve around the relative strength of the teams, who would be severely weakened by international call-ups during the November Test window and Six Nations.

Then there are financial problems, with an entry fee of EUR 3m being demanded as a joint entry fee to cover the cost of expanding the league and the other teams' admin and away games, and a TV money contribution of EUR 1.2m set as a minimum requirement.

The two franchises might use the Heineken Cup as a fall-back option, but ERC are not likely to accept entry from teams who are not yet organised by the February 3 deadline.

The impetus for including Italy in the first place comes from the IRB who want to see a more competitive Italy on the international stage, with club rugby needing a boost in order to get that far.

But as it stands, the Italian teams would not necessarily raise the standard, particularly with more games then scheduled to be played inside the Test window, which would dilute the quality of the teams on show further.


Italy V England Hospitality


Italy V Scotland Hospitality


France V Italy Hospitality


Wales V Italy Hospitality

Today, at Vicarage Road, I will be back playing club rugby in England for the first time since I moved to Toulon. The Amlin Challenge Cup clash against Saracens is a big one for both sides anyway, but I’ll also be looking forward to being part of my new team on old soil. I’ll recognise a few players and I’ll be playing in a stadium I’ve played in a few times before.

I’ve been with Toulon for half a season now — or half a year. The novelty has worn off, although the desire to succeed and improve grows ever greater. A sign of my enduring satisfaction with all things Toulon is that negotiations are under way to ensure that I stay here for another season. I feel so settled here now; I am enjoying the rugby there still and I want more of it.

So we are in one of those phases where it seems a lot is going on. Toulon and Saracens today, and I was delighted to be named again yesterday in the England senior squad — which means, of course, that the Six Nations is already just around the corner.

As usual, though, the emotions of the moment and the size and significance of the occasion are a kind of background noise when set against that basic need and desire to perform. We have a massive respect for Saracens and we know tonight we will be walking into a very intense and competitive arena. But playing back on English soil is irrelevant once kick-off time comes and we are back to the basics of one squad of players versus another.

For me, a huge part of my game now is focusing on getting right the balance between functioning as an individual on the pitch and as a cog within the grander game plan. The liberating side of the game is when you can play more as an individual, but, especially being a fly half, there are extra responsibilities associated with directing the team.

As the No 10, you are like the quarterback, the director, making decisions for the team. But then again, there is also the need to play what is in front of you and to take opportunities that present themselves, even when they are not in the game plan; you have a responsibility to play things off the cuff. If you let the game plan overcrowd your mind too much, it will impair your judgment and you might miss an opportunity in front of you. When you are switching from one to the other, it is very hard to get it exactly right.

When I started with Toulon, at the beginning of the season, after the best part of a year out of the game, I thought that a run of matches would help me to find the right balance. I thought: ten more games, ten more. But now I am resigned to the fact that I will always want more matches, more time. That is not to suggest I am in any way short of positivity or confidence, I just understand that there will always be the need to build the instinctive and creative side of my game.

In this respect, it is an interesting challenge when you go from playing for your club to playing for your country. When you are playing for your club, in a league, you have a much better idea, week by week, of what is coming your way, so you are better able to anticipate the game and game situations.

The Six Nations, though, is more like a series of one-off games. No matter how much you prepare, there remains the feeling that you have to play more off the cuff.

I am the kind of player who likes information, who likes to be able to analyse in advance, to mull over the kind of game that is ahead of you. The inherent danger there is in becoming a bit robotic and I’d hate to be like that. One of the most difficult parts of the game is reviewing your performance in the previous game and thinking: “I should have done this or that, I missed an opportunity.”

Some of the players I enjoy watching most are the ones who make opportunities for themselves out of nothing; Rupeni Caucaunibuca, for instance, who plays in France, does things that astound you.