Leicester have emerged as front runners to sign Andy Farrell, the Great Britain and Wigan rugby league captain, who has been in talks with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) about a cross-code move. Peter Tom, the Leicester chairman, confirmed that Farrell had made a preliminary visit to Welford Road on Friday. Tom said: ‘Our aim is to put out the best club side in the world, and Andy Farrell has a great record in rugby league. We are not sure how serious it is at the moment, or what position you would play him in, 12 or six, but he’s certainly got the character to make a great union player.’ Other clubs in the chase for Farrell, right, include Saracens, Northampton and Wasps, although there are doubts that anyone will be prepared to pay the £400,000 transfer fee being asked by Wigan. The RFU is expected to pick up £100,000 per annum on a projected annual salary for Farrell of over £200,000, with the club picking up the balance. The Leicester Playing Group, the inner cabal comprising Martin Johnson, Neil Back, John Wells, Pat Howard and Peter Wheeler, met last week to mull over the Farrell move. Howard said yesterday: ‘It all depends on whether a price can be agreed with whoever is interested.’
Lions ticket hunt
The great ticket scramble for the 11 Lions games in New Zealand this summer has begun, and British fans not booking official packages are likely to end up disappointed. Only 160,000 tickets have been made available to the New Zealand public, and many northern hemisphere supporters were hoping to obtain tickets through friends and relatives Down Under. A complicated ballot system was launched last week which saw the New Zealand Rugby Union flooded with requests for 1.5m tickets
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Unhappy hookers
Saracens coach Steve Diamond, himself a purveyor of the dark arts of front-row play for many years with Sale, likened himself to boxing referee Harry Gibbs when fighting broke out between hookers Raphael Ibanez and Matt Cairns at scrum practice on Wednesday. Peace was restored and the protagonists shook hands, though it was more than handbags at dawn
Ball tampering
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Even their attempts at cheating backfired for England against France last Sunday, where the Twickenham ballboys were involved in a dirty-tricks campaign. The youngsters were briefed to wipe the ball clean for England hooker Steve Thompson at every lineout, but to do their best to slow down the French throw — smearing mud on the ball if possible. It didn’t upset France, however, as they triumphed 3-1 on lineout turnovers
Hot shot
Simon Shaw, the Wasps lock who has been ignored by England this season, proved he still has the drive to succeed by winning the amateur prize in a golf challenge at London City airport. Shaw, an 18-handicap golfer, hit a longest drive of 465 yards down the runway, but was way behind the professional winner Paul Slater, who hit his ball 720 yards for a new world record
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Dinner with Johnno
Martin Johnson plans to boost the funds of his three favoured charities by auctioning framed replicas of the shirts he wore on each of his 84 England appearances, at his testimonial dinner in London on April 21. For details of how to bid, or to book dinner with Johnson, call Lucy at Harlequin Events on 01932 829 604
Quote of the week
‘It’s no good kicking 10 from 10 if you’re winning 60-0, it’s all about kicking your goals when it matters most — under pressure’ — Andy Goode, the Leicester kicker, on his England call-up