RUGBY: Ronan O'Gara's availability for Ireland's opening match in the RBS Six Nations against Scotland next Sunday remains in doubt after the weekend apparently did not bring significant improvement in the outhalf's ankle injury.
As was the case during Ireland's three-day camp last week O'Gara, still feeling the affects of Brett Sinkinson's studs in the Celtic League final, was again unable to take any part in the squad's work-out at Naas rugby club yesterday.
As a result, the Harlequins outhalf Paul Burke was brought into the squad "to make up the numbers", although O'Gara himself remains hopeful he will be fit enough to play.
Word from the camp is that Girvan Dempsey has recovered from the damaged groin he sustained in Leinster's concluding Heineken Cup pool match against Bristol over three weeks ago, taking a full part in training yesterday, and his availaibility is not in question.
The Connacht and Buccaneers winger Ted Robinson has been forced to drop out of the Ireland A squad to play Scotland A at Bridgehaugh, Stirling on Saturday next (7.30 pm) because of an aggravated hamstring injury. He has been replaced by Ulster's James Topping.
The Lansdowne loose-head John Lyne will captain a new-look Irish under-21 side in their championship opener against their Scottish counterparts on Saturday at Mayfield, Dundee (kick-off 2.00) featuring an all-UL Bohs midfield of Keith Matthews and Barry Murphy, the team is drawn from all three divisions of the AIL although ironically two of the replacements are currently based in Scotland, Neil McComb of Dundee High School and Michael Rainey of Glasgow Hawks.
Meanwhile, England manager Clive Woodward yesterday revealed a fascinating glimpse into his World Cup thinking by selecting outhalf rivals Jonny Wilkinson and Charlie Hodgson in the same midfield for next Saturday's showdown with France.
While prop Jason Leonard will rightly command top Twickenham billing as he wins his 100th cap, a Wilkinson-Hodgson midfield axis could ultimately steal the show and could be of more significance to England's World Cup campaign than the result of an eagerly-awaited Six Nations opener.
Hodgson, who scored an England-record 44 points on his debut against Romania in 2001, missed the autumn Tests because of injury but gets his chance now to play his first game at inside centre in place of the injured Mike Tindall.
The gifted 22-year-old Yorkshireman's return to full fitness means Woodward can now finally field an undoubted midfield dream team of Wilkinson, Hodgson and Harlequins centre Will Greenwood.
With Dan Luger and Ben Cohen - scorers of 38 international tries between them - forging a menacing strikeforce alongside Jason Robinson, and Matt Dawson continuing as scrumhalf, it is arguably the most exciting back division that Woodward has selected during his five-and-a-half-year England reign.
Opponents France are certain to name experienced prop Christian Califano in their team today and the player is so excited at the prospect that he could not sleep after being informed of his selection, 16 months after winning the last of his 65 caps.
"I was so excited last night that I couldn't go to sleep until three o'clock in the morning," the 30-year-old said at the National Training Centre in Marcoussis, south of Paris.
Hooker Raphael Ibanez added jokingly: "He only had problems going to sleep because he went to bed with his rugby boots on." The French assembled at the training centre on Sunday night.
Former Stade Toulousain player Califano severed links with the French team when he decided to move to New Zealand in June 2001 to play for the Auckland Blues.
Califano was then regarded not only as one of the strongest front-row forwards in the world - he stands 1.80 metres and 104 kg - but also one of the fastest.
"I clocked 12 seconds for 100 metres once but I was young," he said.
He was considered for selection again when he returned to Europe, joining Saracens, and quickly persuaded France coach Bernard Laporte that he was back to his best.
In yesterday's Planet Rugby column, in an item referring to Connacht manager John Fallon, the wrong photograph was used by mistake.
IRELAND UNDER-21 (v Scotland U-21, Saturday, at Mayfield, Dundee, kick-off 2.00): T Bowe (Queen's University); R Lane (UCC), B Murphy (UL Bohs), K Matthews (UL Bohs), D Warwick (Newport); D McAllister (Terenure College), C O'Loughlin (Buccaneers); J Lyne (Lansdowne, capt), R Best (Belfast Harlequins), J Moran (UCD), D Gannon (UCD), S O'Connor (Cork Constitution), J Muldoon (Galwegians), S Keogh (UCC), N Ronan (Lansdowne). Replacements: K Corrigan (UCD), E McGovern (Old Crescent), N McComb (Dundee High School), C Potts (St. Mary's), F O'Loughlin (Shannon), M Rainey (Glasgow Hawks), P O'Brien (UCC).
ENGLAND (v France): J Robinson (Sale); D Luger (Harlequins), W Greenwood (Harlequins), C Hodgson (Sale), B Cohen (Northampton); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), M Dawson (Northampton); J Leonard (Harlequins), S Thompson (Northampton), J White (Bristol), M Johnson (Leicester, capt), B Kay (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), N Back (Leicester), R Hill (Saracens).
