I can safely say that Dallaglio is in the ra.
Surely Oirish rugby wonât sign a convicted woman beaterâŚ??
Disgusting from Connacht and the IRFU putting pressure on the judge with a letter to the court also.
Waikato Chiefs winger Sevu Reeceâs move to Connacht is in doubt after he pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend.
The 21-year-old was signed by the province back in May and was due to arrive in Ireland next month after the Chiefsâ involvement in the Mitre 10 Cup ended.
A New Zealand court fined Mr Reece but discharged without conviction after an incident that left his girlfriend with injuries to her upper face, bruising to the left side of her waist and left knee.
According to a court report in the New Zealand Herald, a heavily intoxicated Reece got into an argument with his partner of two years in the Hamilton central business district.
Reece yelled at his partner to âshut up, in much more colourful language than thatâ, and chased her down the street, dragging her to the ground.
The judge accepted that the victim had forgiven Reece, that the couple were undergoing counselling, Reece had admitted a problem with alcohol and had been sober for three months.
Judge Clark took into account his early guilty plea, the fact it was his first time before the courts, his apology and that his Irish contract would help provide for his family.
He was ordered to pay his victim $750 within 28 days for emotional harm reparation.
During the court proceedings, it was reported that a letter from the head of operations for Connacht Rugby informed the judge that a conviction would mean his contract would be withdrawn.
The statement read: "Connacht Rugby and the IRFU are aware of media reports concerning Sevu Reece and his recent court appearance.
âWe are currently seeking to clarify information around the situation prior to commenting further on the matter.â
He has scored six tries in eight games for the Waikato Chiefs in the Mitre 10 Cup this season.
Illegal substances.
A banned substance would be following in the footsteps of Italian football.
Ben teo was chased out of the nrl mate
Italy has the most stringent anti-doping laws in football.
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iâd say heâs in a state of Panico.
Leinster v Munster: this marquee fixture deserves marquee players
GERRY THORNLEY
For years, the Leinster-Munster fixture has been the marquee game of the Guinness Pro14. Since Leinsterâs home clash with their rivals was moved to the redeveloped Aviva Stadium in 2010, it has averaged an attendance of 46,352, which must make it the biggest fixture in the global game below test level over the last eight years.
That is to be celebrated and nurtured.
This is especially true when one adds in the two Heineken Cup semi-finals of 2006 and 2009 at the old Lansdowne Road and Croke Park which were attended by 47,000 and 88,208 people.
Accordingly, over 46,000 tickets have been sold for Saturdayâs renewal of the Leinster-Munster rivalry, but how many supporters were primarily motivated to purchase tickets in the tasty expectation of Johnny Sexton and Joey Carbery occupying the two number 10 jerseys? Might, therefore, they feel a little miffed come next Friday at lunchtime if, and as seems quite likely, Sexton, Carbery and a host of other Ireland front-line Test players are not named in the two line-ups?
When Sexton and others returned to action in the second round of the Guinness Pro14 at home to the Dragons, it seemed a tad premature, and when he was named for the third week in a row away to Connacht it was even more surprising. But come Friday lunchtime, when the sides for this fixture at the Aviva Stadium are announced, it might make more sense.
Last season, admittedly after the rigours of a long Lions tour, Sexton didnât return to play until the fifth round of the Guinness Pro14 at home to Edinburgh â one week before lining out against Munster at the Aviva.
The net effect though, is unless Sexton is to be rested for one of Leinsterâs upcoming Heineken Champions Cup games â at home to Wasps at the RDS (for which there is a six-day turnaround) and away to Toulouse â itâs hard to envisage him playing six games on successive weeks. This would allow just one rest week before the November window which this season sees Ireland play four Tests.
Into this category also fall Jordan Larmour, Garry Ringrose, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan, Andrew Conway, Carbery, Tadhg Beirne and Peter OâMahony, all of whom have played their sideâs last three games in a row. Luke McGrath, Cian Healy, Devin Toner and CJ Stander have all played the last two weeks in a row and would therefore have to play five on the trot.
All the indications are therefore that the seemingly earlier return of a raft of Irelandâs tourists under the IRFUâs Game Management Programme was with a rest this weekend in mind.
The provinces will not only be missing their Ireland front-liners for the round seven games on the last weekend in October post-Europe, but the Ireland-Italy game in Chicago on the first weekend in November also clashes with a full round of Pro14 games in which Leinster and Munster will be away to the Southern Kings and Toyota Cheetahs, while Ulster will be away to Benetton and Connacht at home to the Dragons.
Hardest hit
Leinster will again be hardest hit by Ireland call-ups, but then again their provincial rivals would correctly argue that Leinster are the most heavily subsidised by IRFU central contracts. Furthermore, the IRFUâs Game Management Programme didnât stop Leinster completing an historic double last season.
Leinster also have unrivalled strength in depth and, with the anticipated return of Jack McGrath, James Ryan and Dan Leavy, and a first start for SeĂĄn OâBrien, theyâll still field a strong team stacked with internationals next Saturday.
Take their return meeting with Munster in Thomond Park, traditionally held in December. Two Christmases ago, there were grumblings of discontent over Leinster making 11 changes to their starting line-up â which completed a back-to-back double over Northampton at the Aviva Stadium â for the meeting with Munster a week later in Limerick which was lost 29-17.
But last Christmas they made a dozen changes from the starting line-up which completed a double over Exeter Chiefs at the Aviva Stadium for their ensuing encounter with Munster at Thomond Park. Leinsterâs 34-24 win remains Munsterâs only home defeat since February 2017, and no-one was complaining. This seasonâs festive meeting might also be different, as it comes a fortnight after the back-to-back European games.
Ultimately, if Ireland win all their November Tests and emerge with a relatively low injury profile as the provinces return to European action in December, few will grumble. With the World Cup a year away, Team Ireland comes first, and thatâs the way it should be.
Full-on rivalry
But itâs another thing when both Leinster and Munster are denied a raft of Ireland front-liners. Thatâs taking us back to the late 1990s and early noughties when the provincesâ frontliners were often wrapped in cotton wool, and the fixture was played in Donnybrook, Temple Hill and Dooradoyle.
It was the evolution of the full-on rivalry between full-strength Leinster and Munster sides which, as much as anything, underpinned the revival in Irish rugby, and it fast-tracked both squadsâ preparations for Europe at short notice either in October or post-Six Nations.
If the traditional end of October/early November meeting between these two heavyweights is no longer to be considered the ideal means of preparing for a return to European action a week later, then it should be moved to another weekend when the fixture can more readily accommodate the likes of Sexton, Ringrose, Larmour, Carbery, Conway, OâMahony and co. Irish rugbyâs biggest rivalry, the competition itself and the paying supporters deserve that much. gthornley@irishtimes.com
Leinster clearly feared connacht more. We are rent free.
Big away trips to Scotland and Wales must be tough alright
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You couldnt blame him for not wanting to meet up with England Rugby players though.
Yeah, i imagine it must be a pain in the hole.
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Connacht have confirmed they have torn up his contract. Irish rugby awaits your apology
Shame on Connacht, that man needed that job for his family.
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Why did they send a letter?
Rugby men arenât as good as their word. What a bunch of cunts to leave a man in his time of need
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The letter said if he got a conviction he wouldnât have a job. That seems fairly factual to me? Is there an inference you are making here around something that isnt referenced in the article?
Please answer the question