Cardiff Blues have rejected coach Dai Young’s alleged offer of resignation following a dismal Heineken Cup campaign and turned their attention to chasing Simon Shaw, who tasted European glory with Wasps two seasons ago. The England lock is out of contract at the end of the season. Departing the Arms Park this summer could be Martyn Williams. Biarritz have targeted the Wales flanker. Meanwhile, Julian White, Leicester’s England prop, has put pen to paper, turning down an offer from Llanelli Scarlets to sign a new deal to remain a Tiger for £160,000 a year. Cornish Pirates also approached the tighthead, who has a farm in Devon. Leicester have splashed out further on Martin Castrogiovanni, the Italy Test prop, who will arrive in England on a £140,000-a-year package
Plain sailing
Mike Tindall should be the man to steady the ship if the going gets rough against Wales in England’s Six Nations opener next weekend. The World Cup winner’s big-match preparation has included a team-building trip to Cornwall with his Gloucester teammates organised by the Royal Navy. Tindall and fellow England international James Simpson-Daniel were taken aboard HMS Raleigh, a navy simulation ship, and faced the challenge of saving lives after being holed by enemy attack on the high seas
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Jones to pay the price
Wales, short of a raft of key players, could find their ranks further depleted on Saturday after the dismissal on Friday night of the Llanelli Scarlets flanker Dafydd Jones for stamping. Jones, sent off in the 30-13 loss at Ulster, is expected to incur a lengthy ban when he goes before the disciplinary panel this week, so scuppering his hopes of making the Wales 22 at Twickenham. Meanwhile, England flanker Pat Sanderson should be available for selection, despite going off with a cut head in Worcester’s 26-23 win at Bristol on Friday. Sanderson suffered no recurrence of the back injury that had seen him sidelined for five weeks
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In the best possible taste
The women of Ipswich Scorpions got their kit off to raise funds for a new team strip by posing for a daring 2006 calendar. And it was their coach, Dave Lintott, who got up close and personal to take the pictures. Lintott turned the Ipswich clubhouse into a studio to give revealing glimpses of his team’s best assets, but it’s all in the best possible taste, insists Miss August, Karen Fletcher. ‘One teacher backed out, fearing it was an unwise career move, but there is no full-frontal nudity,’ says Fletcher, who has locked the team’s scrum for 10 years. ‘Sales are booming and we have raised more than £1,000 for a new kit.’ To see the girls, see www.ipswich-rugby.co.uk
Tiger cubs
Two Leicester Tigers cubs hope to follow in their famous fathers’ footsteps when they run out for England against Wales in an Under-19 international at the Stoop on Friday. Nigel Redman, the England Under-19 coach, has named centre Tom Youngs and wing Oliver Dodge in his 23-man squad. Both their dads played for Leicester and England, Nick Youngs at scrum-half and Paul Dodge, who also captained his country, at centre
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Greenhouse effect
A state-of-the art lighting system designed to help the grass grow in the shadow of Twickenham’s new south stand, has met the approval of a pair of foxy fans. The RFU’s illuminations, pioneered by a Dutch rose grower, are the first to be installed at a rugby stadium. Besides helping the ground’s hallowed turf to blossom, the warmth has also attracted a pair of foxes, who have taken to sleeping underneath it at night
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Quote of the week
‘There are a lot of players who you tell stuff 10 times over and it doesn’t register. But with Magnus you tell him once and that’s it’ — Sale coach Philippe Saint-André on rising flanker Magnus Lund