If the matches are meaningless, then neither the players nor the spectators will be interested." There is certainly no evidence that the players and spectators are interested in the continued wrangling between clubs and unions, so it is to be hoped that Hallett's optimism is well-founded and the season can begin in an orderly fashion on 5 September.n Argentina have qualified for next year's World Cup, along with Canada and the United States, after winning the Pan-American tournament.. He wants the clubs to play their Anglo-Welsh friendlies in midweek, and to turn the games into one-off matches, to obviate any suggestion or impression that there is any officially sanctioned competition within the existing structure.Staggeringly, the clubs were last night making conciliatory noises themselves. Tony Hallett, former secretary of the RFU but now chief executive of Richmond, said: "We may have to move to midweek, although we at Richmond would prefer not to, because we have a large Welsh playing contingent and we could attract a very good crowd at our new stadium in Reading if we played Cardiff and Swansea on a Saturday or a Sunday. It would make commercial sense for us, but I am sure there are some clubs who would be happy to play their friendlies on a Tuesday or a Wednesday."We have told the RFU we are prepared to be flexible. "I hope that common sense prevails," Baister said in an interview on Radio Five Live.
"We have no objection to the hand of friendship being extended to Swansea and Cardiff, but we cannot allow a shadow Allied Dunbar Premiership to be created by their inclusion when they are in breach of the Welsh Rugby Union's regulations."Instead Baister has called on the clubs to accept a compromise. It was felt at Twickenham that this was a sinister move by the clubs to hi-jack the English league and incorporate the Welsh sides in an alternative Allied Dunbar Premiership.And yesterday Brian Baister, the RFU chairman, warned that friendly fixtures incorporating a home and away structure could lead to England being thrown out of the World Cup next year. IT IS probably foolishly impetuous to assume it, but there appeared to be signs yesterday of a softening of attitudes on both sides of the vast Rugby Divide which separates the leading English clubs and their governing body. Admittedly, only one of the tangles was being focused on, the tricky matter of friendly fixtures against the two disaffected Welsh clubs, Cardiff and Swansea, but it was a start. The Rugby Football Union has viewed, with mounting suspicion, the intention by the 14 Premiership clubs to play the two pariahs on a home and away basis on free Saturdays and Sundays.
The scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen, a key player in the 1995 World Cup victory said: "This side is better than the World Cup one." he said.South Africa set the seal on a crushing victory through a fine display of kicking from full-back Percy Montgomery.South Africa: Tries Garvey, Skinstad; Conversions Montgomery 2; Penalties Montgomery 5. Australia: Penalties Burke 5.South Africa: P Montgomery; S Terblanche, A Snyman (F Smith, 80), P Muller, P Rossouw; H Honiball, J van der Westhuizen; R Kempson (O le Roux, 48), J Dalton, A Garvey, K Otto, M Andrews (B Skinstad, 52), J Erasmus (A Aitken, 7), A Venter, G Teichmann (capt).Australia: M Burke; B Tune (N Grey 78), D Herbert (J Little 6), T Horan, J Roff; S Larkham, G Gregan; D Crowley, P Kearns, A Blades (G Panoho 67), T Bowman, J Eales (capt), M Cockbain (O Finegan 58), D Wilson, T Kefu (W Ofahengaue 50).Referee: J Fleming (Scotland).. "What's more they might be one of the best Springbok sides ever," he added.The Wallaby captain, John Eales, praised South Africa, saying: "They're the best side in the world this year." The Springboks, now unbeaten for 14 matches, led 16-12 at half-time and scored a try in each half to win the southern hemisphere tournament. South Africa 29 Australia 15 SOUTH AFRICA celebrated a return to the top of the rugby union pile after the Springboks clinched the Tri-Nations title with a victory over Australia at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday. "We are the champions!" screamed the back pages of both major South African English Sunday newspapers. I probably did four-times my normal practice routine at Sahalee and felt the problem in my hip during the tournament."It seems to be a problem with the sciatic nerve on my left side," Westwood added.Fiji's Vijay Singh, who won his first major title at the US PGA Championship last week, withstood charges by Tiger Woods and Willie Wood to lead the PGA International in Colorado with six points after the third round.Scores, Digest, page 15. "I can say now that South Africa are the best team in the world," said their coach, Nick Mallett.
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