Rugby World: The Champions

NATIONAL ONE
WINNING MENTALITY AT LEEDS WELSH ATTRACTION TONGAN KNIGHTS BEDFORD’S BILLY THE KID
BACK IN THE BIG TIME range of businessmen, enabling them you get a group of guys with a point council deputy leader Graham
NEIL BACK, the Leeds Carnegie to ignite their Premiership ambitions. to prove and laying their hearts out.” Chapman said: “A good rugby club
head coach and former England Recruits include a strong inﬂ uence of will help to promote the city at home
ﬂ anker, believes his new charges are players from Wales, that emphasises GOOD DAWE POLICY and abroad. Hopefully Nottingham
heading in the right direction for an the club’s identity. See Frank Keating’s BIRTHDAYS don’t come any better will build on last season’s success.”
immediate return to the Guinness column, Roused Dragon Stirs The than Graham Dawe’s 49th when he Andy Binns, 32, Moseley’s full-back
Premiership. He asserted: “After Promotion Pot, on page 162. recruited Namibian prop Jané du for 14 years, has targeted playing in
beating Nottingham, Exeter Chiefs Toit, 32, who appeared in last year’s ten to 15 matches this season after a
and Otley, we are starting to create COV PROVE A POINT World Cup and has ﬁ gured in more back operation last summer, while
a winning mentality, but we have to COVENTRY had a mixed start after than 150 Currie Cup matches. Equally the club have re-signed prop Terry
approach every game the right way. limping into the season only when a skilled on either side of the scrum, Sigley for a third stint. Sigley, who
Otherwise there could be an upset.” fund-raising campaign secured the du Toit has played professionally in ﬁ rst joined Moseley from Leicester’s
Scott Mathie, 25, a South African club’s future. Defeats by Plymouth South Africa for clubs including academy ten years ago, has done
scrum-half, is among the signings. and Moseley sandwiched a stirring Stellenbosch University, Western the rounds with clubs such as
Province and Border Bulldogs. Birmingham & Solihull, Gloucester,
SHORT PASS
Du Toit said: “From what I’ve seen Northampton and Sale, but aims to
so far, Plymouth compare just as end his career at Billesley Common.
EXETER CHIEFS hope to raise money for good causes, including the Wooden well with some provincial teams in
Spoon Society, from their 2009 calendar in which they will be pictured, tastefully,
South Africa. I reckon I can play on NEWBURY’S LANDMARK
without their kit. They hope to equal the £8,000 raised from this year’s calendar.
for another four or ﬁ ve years. Age is
NEWBURY are celebrating their
just a number – look at Mr Dawe!”
80th anniversary season and the
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Mathie made 42 appearances in the 16-0 win over Cornish Pirates – Cov’s The ex-England hooker proved it by
ﬁ fth in National One. Ben Sturnham,
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Super 14 for Natal Sharks and has ﬁ rst clean sheet since crushing making his ﬁ rst senior appearance
the new head coach and ex-England
joined on a two-year contract. Birmingham & Solihull 50-0 in the for two years, playing off the bench in

O
forward, said: “This campaign is
It’s an important campaign for two 2002-03 season. Myles Dorrian the 47-6 win over Manchester.
Y
crucial. We have a lot of newcomers
members of the Leeds front row – scored the game’s only try in the
B
Doncaster Knights signed another and they’re keen to make their mark.”
Mike MacDonald, the new team closing moments before being
current Tongan international in lock They had a tough start, conceding
G captain, and Rob Rawlinson, the club mobbed by jubilant team-mates. Josh Afu, who made his Test debut in 131 points in defeats by Cornish
U
captain and hooker in his testimonial
Will power: Northampton Saint
season. MacDonald, 27, a Californian
Will Harries is on loan at Bedford
E

R
with a half-century of caps for the
U
USA, said: “To be picked to lead the
G
side means a lot to me.”
A
PIRATES PRIDE
ADRYAN WINNAN, chosen by head
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L
E
coach Mark Hewitt as the new
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captain of Cornish Pirates, has
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similar sentiments. “I’m pleased,
proud and very privileged,” said
Winnan, Truro-born and raised in
A
T
I
O
Penryn. “Every week when I turn out
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for the club, that effectively for me is
playing for Cornwall. My dad, Paul,
appeared 53 times for the county.”
Full-back Winnan spent three years
with Saracens in the Premiership,
had a spell with French club Tarbes
and yet is still only 25 years old.
MAX FACTOR
OTLEY have a target of their own – to
maintain their status after climbing
E
S
G
A
M
back from National Two. They
Y
I
T
E
T
recruited Chester-born Max Lewis,
G
22, a former Wales U18 and Leeds Conditions were poor enough for
this summer’s Paciﬁ c Nations Cup, Pirates, Moseley and Bedford Blues.
academy No 8, who spent a loan the teams to decide on a half-time
alongside new clubmates Toma Toke In contrast, Bedford enjoyed three
spell with them last season. jersey change even before kick-off,
and Hudson Tonga’uiha. wins in a row, having kept their close
Otley coach Peter Clegg said: “He but the celebrations showed just
links with Northampton by recruiting
is a strong ball-carrier who always how pleased Cov’s players were to CASH INJECTION
lock Phil Hoy and full-back Will
breaks the gain-line and trains hard.” be out there – as well as how difﬁ cult NOTTINGHAM, who ﬁ nished third
Harries on loan for the season from
Prospects look tough for Otley, one it is to win on your travels. last season, had a helping hand with a
the club. Centre Billy Twelvetrees, 19,
of the ‘have nots’ in budget terms, to The Pirates are one of the league’s £150,000 loan from the city council,
a newcomer from Leicester, made a
compete with the growing number of big three spenders but Cov skipper repayable with interest over six years.
swift impression, scoring four tries
fully professional teams, whose ranks Henno Venter said: “There’s a lot of The money is assisting with activities
on his debut in the 62-0 victory over
have been joined by London Welsh. fuss about the money some sides under the club’s community
Manchester and a last-minute try
They’ve attracted investment from a spend, but it doesn’t matter when development programme. City
in the 33-10 win at Rotherham. n
Clubs editor Michael Austin welcomes stories and photos from all clubs. If you’ve any stories or Spotlight nominations, phone him on 01400 282189, fax him on 01400 281662, email michael_austin@freelance.ipcmedia.com or write to him at 22 Church St, Long Bennington, Nr Newark, Notts, NG23 5EN
134 NOVEMBER 2008 RUGBY WORLD
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