Cardiff Blues Team
The huge Cardiff Blues injury list has hit even harder with Xavier Rush missing out on the Heineken Cup clash away at Sale.  The flu bug that struck him, Tom Shanklin and Sam Warbuton has ruled him out – though both Shanklin and Warburton have recovered to resume their places in the team following on from the win against the Harlequins.
With Rush out the backrow has been rejigged, Robin Snowden-Taylor comes in on the openside flank, Andy Powell moves to number 8 and Sam Warburton moves over to …

No France Move for James Hook
James Hook has spoken to the Ospreys website and has assured fans that the rumoured move to France is based on nothing, and that, far from being unhappy with playing 12 he is happy to do his bit for the team.
Good news for Ospreys fans who were worried that next season might see the team without two of their most creative players – with Gavin Hensons future also uncertain.  Obviously you need to be aware of a certain level of spin, this is Hook talking …

Well it was the news we had all feared. Well I had anyway. Lee Byrne’s recurrence of his foot injury has ruled him out of playing for Wales in the 2009 Autumn Internationals, including games against New Zealand and Australia.
The foot injury, whilst not as serious as some were suggesting, has ruled him out for 8 weeks – 6 of which will see him in plaster. As one of the worlds best full backs and a rock at the back for both the Ospreys and Wales he …

Have you heard the spin? The WRU are going to be helping the victims of the tsunami in Samoa by giving the Samoan Rugby Union some money and allowing bucket collectors outside the game. That’s great… but let’s check something. As far as I am aware the Welsh Rugby Union give the Samoan Union money for that game anyway, as part of the IRB drive for giving money to developing nations. Could be wrong but that’s how I remember.
So where does that leave us? With …

To add to the huge amount of injury worries that the Cardiff Blues currently have there have been hit by more bad news – a flu bug.
Blues’ stars Xavier Rush, Sam Warburton and Tom Shanklin are currently suffering from flu like symptoms, which is a big blow to the injury hit squad.
When you consider that they are already without Martyn Williams, Paul Tito, John Yapp, Bradley Davies, Gareth Thomas and Molitika for this match these are players that will be needed.  Xavier has been Cardiff’s best player for a long …

Recent interviews with both Phil Vickery and Ian McGeechan that I have been lucky enough to attend have revealed a bit of a shock.


It seems that there is a good chance that it was the referree that cost the British Lions the first test – not Phil vickery as many in Wales have been suggesting.



Both interviews had a lot of interesting rugby points that i will be covering over the next few weeks, here is the first installment – a look at whether it was the ref, not Phil Vickery, that we should be looking at as the cause for our shoddy scrummaging performance in the first lions test

No, not Sly Stalone, but one of the many nicknames that Mike Phillips has picked up on various online rugby forums such as Rugby Rebels.
That’s right, Mike Phillips will be playing for the Barbarians against New Zealand on December 5th.  Now as an Ospreys fan that is a bit of a worry to me, Spikey Mike (see, another nickname) is vital to our game plan (and the Welsh rugby one) and risking him in an exhibition game vs a hard hitting side like New Zealand is, well, risky!  But the …

Came across this info over on Gwlad – London Welsh are looking to help out the victims of the tsunami in Samoa, which left many dead and the country devastated.
London Welsh v Cornish Pirates Saturday 17 October. Happy Hour between 12.30-1.30. Come along and watch Apollo Perelini and Trevor Leota in a special 7′s match followed by our first team game. There will be player interviews, raffles and auctions to raise funds for the victims of the tsunami in Samoa. Remember kids go free!
Now I’d been planning on going along …

It’s almost here!  The Living with the LionsBritish Lions DVD is coming out!  This is the one I have been waiting for.  The other British Lions DVD was good but this is the one we remember from before, the big one.  Remember Living with the Lions back in ’97?  This follows the same path.  And that video is the only reason I still own a VHS player!
Check out this British Lions DVD preview.  It’s getting me excited

It comes out on October 19th – and you can preorder/order it by following …

Scott Johnson, the Ospreys Director of Coaching (whatever that title means) is hopeful that the Liberty Stadium based region could welcome Welsh international loose head prop Duncan Jones back into the team to take on Clermont Auvergne.
“He went to the wire this week,” said Johnson.
“But we felt it wasn’t appropriate to do that and put him in for a game of that level.
“However, he’ll certainly come into the reckoning for the Clermont game as we’re pretty confident of him returning.”
The Welsh international prop was certainly missed in the 32 all …