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RugbyU: Welsh quartet in race for Six Nations accolade

March 18, 2013 12:00
Four members of the Six Nations-winning Wales team, Adam Jones, Mike Phillips, Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny, are in the running for the award for the player of the championship. Organisers said the shortlist of 15 had been "compiled through technical statistics, and crucially, fan opinion". Jones for instance "only missed one tackle in the Championship", while Phillips "made more passes than any other player (279)".

RugbyU: Italy tame Irish on Lo Cicero's farewell

March 16, 2013 14:45
Italy produced a breathtaking display to hand Ireland a 22-15 defeat on what was Andrea Lo Cicero's 103rd and final appearance for the Azzurri and possibly Brian O'Driscoll's last game in an Irish shirt. Italy had started this campaign with a 23-18 victory over France and after defeats to Scotland, England and Wales ended it with another deserved win over one of the pre-tournament favourites. It was Italy's fourth win over the Irish but first in the Six Nations.

RugbyU: Italy tame Irish on Lo Cicero's farewell

March 16, 2013 13:15
Six Nations minnows Italy produced a breathtaking display to hand Ireland a 22-15 defeat at Rome's Olympic Stadium on what was veteran Andrea Lo Cicero's 103rd and final appearance for the Azzurri. Italy had started this campaign with a 23-18 victory over France and after defeats to Scotland, England and Wales sealed it with another deserved win over another of the pre-tournament favourites. Italy have now won twice in the Six Nations for only the second time, the last being in 2007.

RugbyU: 'Fresh' England leave Italy fearful of Slam job

March 8, 2013 21:45
Grand Slam-chasing England may have promoted several players from the bench for Sunday's Six Nations clash at home to Italy but don't tell Azzurri boss Jacques Brunel they are under-strength. England, bidding for a first Championship clean sweep since their World Cup winning year of 2003, have won all of their previous 18 Tests against Italy, who've beaten all the other major European nations, and it would be one of the all-time great upsets were they to be stopped in their tracks this weekend.

UPDATE 1-Rugby-Orquera returns as Italy ring changes for England

March 8, 2013 11:45
(Adds Brunel quotes) By Terry Daley ROME, March 8 (Reuters) - Flyhalf Luciano Orquera has returned in one of eight changes to the Italy side for Sunday's Six Nations Championship clash against England at Twickenham. Orquera, man-of-the-match in Italy's thrilling 23-18 win against France on the opening day of the tournament before struggling in the defeat by Scotland, comes back in for Kristopher Burton who played in the loss to Wales.

RugbyU: England wary of Italy slip-up as Grand Slam looms

March 7, 2013 22:16
England have never lost any of their 18 Tests against Italy and a heavy victory over the Azzurri at Twickenham on Sunday could all but assure Stuart Lancaster's Grand Slam chasers of the title. Logic suggests England, who name their team on Friday, ought to win well and move closer to a first Grand Slam since their World Cup-winning year of 2003. However, logic would not have forecast pre-tournament favourites France would now be bottom of the table and facing the prospect of a first whitewash in more than 50 years.

RugbyU: Parisse cleared to face England in Six Nations

March 6, 2013 11:01
Influential Italy captain Sergio Parisse was on Wednesday cleared to face England in the Six Nations on Sunday. Parisse had his ban imposed by the French Rugby Federation (FFR) reduced from 30 days, plus 10 suspended, to just 20. It means his suspension will end on Friday, freeing him for Sunday's clash at Twickenham. "Parisse will be re-activated as of Saturday so he'll be able to play against England," FFR Appeals Commission president Gilbert Chevrier told AFP.

Rugby-Parisse available to face England - Italy federation

March 6, 2013 10:30
LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) - Italy captain Sergio Parisse is available for Sunday's Six Nations match against England after a reduction in his suspension for a sending off in a French club match, the Italian rugby federation said on Wednesday. "He is now banned until Saturday," an Italian federation spokesman said. Parisse had been suspended for the remainder of the tournament after he was banned for 30 days following a sending off for insulting a referee during a French Top 14 club match for Stade Francais last month.

RugbyU: Parisse cleared to face England in Six Nations

March 6, 2013 09:45
Influential Italy captain Sergio Parisse was on Wednesday cleared to face England in the Six Nations on Sunday. Parisse had his ban imposed by the French Rugby Federation (FFR) reduced from 30 days, plus 10 suspended, to just 20. It means his suspension will end on Friday, freeing him for Sunday's clash at Twickenham. "Parisse will be re-activated as of Saturday so he'll be able to play against England," FFR Appeals Commission president Gilbert Chevrier told AFP.

RugbyU: Wales see tight Italy match despite Parisse absence

February 22, 2013 10:00
Six Nations champions Wales expect a tight match against Italy here Saturday despite the hosts missing influential captain Sergio Parisse for the rest of the tournament. Parisse is set to miss Italy's remaining three games after being handed a 30-day ban for insulting the referee last week while playing for club side Stade Francais. The big number 8 is one of the driving forces in an Italy side which is steadily improving, and the numbers speak for themselves: in the last 10 years Italy have won only one Six Nations match without Parisse, against Scotland in 2010.
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