| |
|
| ||||||||||||||||
 Notebook Lynagh's sad farewell to his record
Posted: Friday October 08, 1999 03:52 PM
LONDON, (AP) -- Former Wallaby flyhalf Michael Lynagh says he's feeling sad that his record points-scoring record is about to fall to Welshman Neil Jenkins. Jenkins has scored 892 points to Lynagh's 911 and could get the 20 he needs in Wales' match against Japan on Saturday. "It had to happen sooner rather than later," Lynagh wrote in Thursday's edition of The Times newspaper. "I will be dropping Neil a note of congratulation but it will be a sad occasion for me. The record is something of which I am very proud and will continue to be so. I knew it would not last forever and I am pleased for Neil and his achievement." Lynagh said 28-year-old Jenkins' effort was special because he had achieved it on a team which has struggled during most of his career. Lynagh said Jenkins, like he had been, was probably tiring of the label `goalkicking flyhalf.' "If a hooker is good at throwing into a lineout, he is not known as a lineout throwing hooker," Lynagh wrote. "It is just part of the job and so it is with kicking goals. I would like to think that I supplied more to the team than just kicking goals." He certainly did. Lynagh played on Australia's 1991 Cup winning team and it was his try in the dying minutes against Ireland that averted an early exit by the Wallabies.
Proud to be WelshWelsh newcomer Jason Jones-Hughes has denied he's a rugby mercenary for walking out on Australia and says his debut against Argentina was "the proudest moment of my life."Jones-Hughes told Thursday's Daily Express that his decision to play for Wales was very emotional. "It was a long-term career move and a lifestyle move," Jones-Hughes said. "Six months ago I declared myself ineligible for Australia and during that time it was not about playing international rugby as soon as possible. It was about coming to play for Wales -- it was what was in my heart." Jones-Hughes said his Welsh pride came from his father, who emigrated from Colwyn Bay and met his Australian mother, but retained strong links with Sydney's Welsh community.
Laid back AussiesAustralian coach Rod Macqueen admits he finds his players a bit hard to take sometimes.Asked by an Irish reporter whether it is tough to coach the Wallabies, Macqueen admitted that it can get frustrating. "I guess I'm never happy," said Macqueen. "I always say we should be more intense. They do have that Australian larkinism [playfulness] about them and that makes it difficult for me as coach at times." Macqueen's cause is unlikely to be boosted after center Tim Horan won 365 cans of Guinness, along with 10,000 pounds (US$16,000) for charity for scoring the first try within two minutes. He was drenched in the black stout by four mates at training, but there is still plenty to go around for the rest of the trip. "They're a laid back group of players, which is good, it works well," Macqueen said. "But we have to know when to switch on and off and they do have an ability to switch onto intensity at the training times that we need."
Support neededScotland coach Jim Telfer has accused Scottish fans of abandoning his side by not turning up in numbers to Murrayfield.Some 5,000 seats went unsold for the opening clash with South Africa, and a paltry crowd of little more than 10,000 is expected for Friday's game against Uruguay. "I am very disappointed," said Telfer. "You can't do much more than win the Five Nations and score 29 points against the world champions. "When you get to the first match of a World Cup, you are playing the title holders and you still can't sell the game out, there is something wrong." Many Scottish fans, on the other hand, have accused World Cup organizers of greed, saying they can't afford to pay at least 30 pounds (US$48) for a ticket.
Farr-Jones tips EnglandAustralia's 1991 World Cup winning captain Nick Farr-Jones has tipped England to topple New Zealand in Saturday's big match at Twickenham and believes the All Blacks won't go past the quarterfinals."I don't think the All Blacks have the necessary personnel with coal-face experience to ride out the obstacles that will no doubt confront them in the weeks ahead," Farr-Jones wrote in The Daily Telegraph. "I came to Europe thinking New Zealand's loss to Australia [in the Tri-Nations tournament at Sydney] would serve them well. After observing their match against Tonga, I've changed my view." Farr-Jones says England has a superior pack and that will help it beat the All Blacks. "As a former scrumhalf, I believe games are still won and lost up front," said Farr-Jones. "Match up England and New Zealand in the engine room; man for man, head for head, experience for experience. Where would you be putting your hard-earned?"
Nothing stops SamoaSamoa's impressive looking rugby pack got in an extra bit of fitness work on Wednesday night.When the players were about to head from training ground to hotel their bus was blocked in by two cars. They simply picked them up and moved them. "We were short of time and the boys were hungry," said former prop Peter Fatialofa. It's not a bad piece of psychological warfare either, coming before the Samoans tackle Argentina.
| |||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
| |||||||||||||||||
