When Leo Cullen was given the honour of captaining Leicester Tigers in yesterday’s Premiership game against Sale at Welford Road, it seemed merely to confirm coach Pat Howard’s recent assessment that the Irishman was “one of the natural leaders in the forward pack”.
Or was it something more? Rumour has it that Cullen, right, has been informally approached by Leinster with a view to returning to Dublin after just one year of his two-year contract with Leicester. A source close to the player said no decision had been made. By giving him the captain’s armband it looks like the Tigers are in no mood to let him go.
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Schools are in this winter There was general disappointment that only 4,125 spectators turned up at Donnybrook to watch Leinster’s festival of free-flowing rugby against the Border Reivers on Friday evening. It’s remarkable when you consider that the old ground will be stuffed to capacity at six o’clock this evening — for a schools game. The popularity of the schools’ cup competitions isn’t just down to the extraordinary media hype they receive. It’s also down to tradition, and the opportunity for ex-pupils to take a boozy half-day off work. The organisers have come up with a classic confrontation to kick things off this evening, with Blackrock, runners-up to Belvedere last season, meeting Terenure, their nemesis during the late 1970s and early 80s. Having walloped their rivals in a pre-Christmas friendly, Rock are expected to win handily this time. Setanta will be there (coverage starts at 5.50pm), as will the punters.
Dowling treads a fine line
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If his player profile in last week’s Munster match programme is anything to go by, Ian Dowling has a personality that matches his directness on the pitch. His plans post-rugby? To star in a Broadway musical. Best advice ever received? Jerry Flannery told me to always use protection. Most atmospheric stadium you’ve played in? Stade Pierre-Antoine — after Nolan Park, Kilkenny.
Worst room-mate experience? Trevor Hogan’s obsession with his skin-care routines. Worst team fine? I haven’t got one yet. Something tells us it won’t be long coming.
A for adventure for the second string
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For those of you who thought Eddie O’Sullivan could have been even more adventurous with last week’s squad selection, at least there’s the knowledge that there are two ‘A’ games this year, affording youngsters like Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney and Barry Murphy a chance to press their claims for senior honours. Unfortunately, neither game is particularly accessible for Ireland supporters — the France game is in Limoges on Friday, 10 Feb, while the England game is in Gloucester on St Patrick’s Day. But for those willing to make the effort, the quality should be decent.
Parisse beauty lost in translation
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Sergio Parisse, Italy’s classy back row, is interviewed elsewhere in these pages. If that’s not enough for you, there’s also a hugely entertaining profile on the official site of the Associazione Nazionale Atleti Azzurri d’Italia — the English language version. Here’s a flavour: “Voted beautiful player of the World-wide ones of Australia 2003, represents one of the greatest hopes of the rugby Italian. The father, Sergio Sr, wing of the Aquila to horse between the Years 60 and Years 70, moved themselves once in Argentine hung the scarpette to the nail and were just in South America. “It is always come down in field during the World-wide Australians, putting to sign one fundamental goal for the blue happened one on Canada: point of force of the Blue package also in 6 Nations 2004, has been stopped from an ugly accident to the left femoral bicipite ones just during the victorious one of the Flaminio on the Scozia.” Just fantastico.
Leinster’s Gucci crew
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Leinster are optimistic that up to 3,000 supporters will travel to Toulouse for their Heineken Cup quarter-final on April 1. However, following an arrest on the return journey from Bath last weekend, branch officials are trying to root out a certain mob element. Known informally as the Ballsbridge Ultras, they can be identified by their expensive shoes. The culprit in question even went so far as to walk across the apron at Dublin Airport before he had been given the signal to do so. He was promptly arrested by airport police but was released without charge. Like totally.