Notebook

Bidding on Lomu

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Posted: Friday October 15, 1999 03:45 PM

Jonah Lomu's (11) contract with New Zealand expires after the World Cup ends. AP

LONDON (AP) -- Super League giants Leeds Rhinos have launched an audacious bid to snap up New Zealand's giant winger Jonah Lomu.

"There is an ongoing dialogue with Jonah's manager, Phil Kingsley-Jones, and we hope to progress those discussions," said Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington.

"There has always been an interest, going back to 1995 when Leeds went very, very close to signing him," he added, emphasizing that no firm bid has yet been made.

Lomu, 24, set a new World Cup try scoring mark of 12 against Italy on Thursday. And with his contract with the New Zealand Union up after the World Cup, there is huge interest worldwide in signing him.

Leeds, a rugby league side, would have to win business backing to put together a financial package to attract Lomu.

"We recognize that he is a world star and realise that we are competing not only with the rest of the UK but with the Southern Hemisphere and America," Hetherington said.

But he said the lure of Yorkshire had already tempted Lomu once.

"When he came over a year ago he spoke at a function at the club and said he hadn't had a chance before to look at the city and, if he had realised before what it had to offer, he might have thought about the original offer differently."

Samoan spoilers

As expected, the 28-year-old flyhalf became international rugby's leading scorer and earned his 72nd Welsh cap to equal a national record in Thursday's World Cup game against Samoa.

But his bid to guide Wales to a national record-equaling 11 successive wins crumbled as the Samoans grabbed a 38-31 upset win at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Jenkins said the result marred his day.

"If I hadn't scored a point and we'd won the game, I'd have been delighted," he said. "But after losing I'm pretty down."

Jenkins' first penalty goal attempt hit the upright and rebounded back into the field of play in the opening minutes.

He missed four shots at goal and was hesitant with the ball in hand against the intimidating Samoan defense. His opposite number Stephen Bachop spearheaded Samoa's attack and scored two tries.

Even Wales coach Graham Henry, who rates Jenkins among the best players in the world, admitted his No. 10 had been outplayed and said former All Black Bachop was the player of the match.

Jenkins, who equaled Michael Lynagh's record of 911 points in internationals with a 19-point haul in Wales' 64-15 win against Japan last Saturday, became No. 1 in his own right when he stroked a simple conversion in the 13th minute.

He finished the game with 16 points from four penalty goals and two conversions to take his personal tally to 927.

Shellshocked Italy

"Italy, do you deserve the Six Nations?" read the headline of Gazzetta dello Sport.

In a front page editorial, it said: "The three defeats of our national team -- two as bad as the passage of a hurricane -- can't be put into the files with a resigned silence, one year ago we were proud of our results -- today we have regressed, we are not presentable."

"We can think of fleeing [the Six Nations] and telling Europe that we were wrong," it continued. "Let's go back to matches with Romania and Tunisia."

Rome daily La Repubblica also chipped in, saying: "Our illusions have collapsed ... now Italian rugby is a sport that must be rebuilt."

Not even underdogs

He had given his team no chance after losing to Argentina last Sunday and said even being labeled as underdogs against Wales was flattering.

"What is under an underdog, an underpuppy, or something like that?" said Williams. "We were down last Sunday so we're very pleased, and relieved, to come away with a victory."

Samoa had scored the biggest upset of World Cup history in 1991 with a 16-13 win against Wales in Cardiff. But Williams said Thursday's win was an even bigger surprise following it's 32-16 loss to Argentina.

"I think it was more against the odds this time," he said. "While we were an unknown quantity in '91, Wales were in a bit of disarray back then. This Welsh team has obviously been beating everyone."

Samoa's must-win situation wasn't helped before the game when winger Afato So'oalo was ruled out with an injury minutes before kickoff.

"We had a bit of an upheaval," said Williams. "Afato had a neck problem which recurred and we had to pull him out at the last minute. So that caused a bit of a stir. So I'm even more proud.

 

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