Who's hot…and who's not!
It's time for our weekly wrap up of who has their name in lights right now…and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons…
It's time for our weekly wrap up of who has their name in lights at the moment… and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
They're smooooookin!
The Heineken Cup: Is it just us, or has everyone else been gripped by Europe's premier club competition this season? There have and still are so many games with so much at stake (and we haven't even reached the play-offs yet!). Two teams have qualified and seven are scrapping for five places. But something has to give this weekend as we wait in high anticipation for the final-round Pool action.
Leinster, Munster and Saracens: For being the first teams to have qualified for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals (ok, Sarries are not technically through but we refuse to believe they will not get at least a bonus point in Treviso this weekend).
Ulster and Clermont: Ulster's cold blooded dismantling of Leicester and Clermont's 12-try demolition job of Aironi really grabbed the headlines last weekend. Expect fireworks when these two sides go head to head for their winner-takes-all clash in Pool 4 on Saturday.
Digby Ioane: This is according to Australia half-back Will Genia, who says his Reds and Wallabies team-mate is the most dangerous winger in world rugby at the moment… hmmmm, pretty hard to argue against that theory, though we have a funny feeling others might!
Italy's uncapped quartet: Experienced quartet Salvatore Perugini, Carlos Del Fava, Mirco Bergamasco and Gonzalo Garcia were surprisingly left out of Italy's 30-man squad for the Six Nations, with new coach Jacques Brunel opting to include uncapped youngsters Alberto De Marchi (prop), Luca Morisi (centre), Giovanbattista Venditti wing) and 18-year-old Angelo Esposito (wing) instead.
Gavin Henson: Despite his lack of action for his country, the 30-year-old could be poised to return to the international arena after being included in Wales' 35-man training squad for the Six Nations.
Put the kettle on…these guys need to warm up!
Danny Care: Having already been omitted from England's Six Nations squad and fined by club side Harlequins for drunk driving, the 25-year-old scrum-half has now been banned from driving for 16 months and fined 3,000 pounds ($4,590) in court.
Jean-Pierre Elissalde: The former Japan mentor's brief reign as coach of struggling Top 14 club Bayonne – currently in the relegation zone – ended after just six weeks and three matches in charge.
Luke Fitzgerald: The Leinster winger was left out of Ireland's 24-man squad for the Six Nations. Fitzgerald, a big-name absentee from last year's World Cup, has instead been included in the second-string Wolfhounds squad which some will view as a howler of a decision made by Ireland coach Declan Kidney.
Stephen Jones: The veteran Wales pivot's international career appears to be at an end following a record 104 caps, after he was left out of Warren Gatland's 35-man training squad for the Six Nations.