ANDY Robinson has doused enthusiasm for Italian clubs entering the Magners League, insisting that it could damage the tournament.
The Magners League chairman John Hussey met with Giancarlo Dondi, the Italian federation president, in Rome on Saturday, and both emerged from the talks confident that a decision to welcome two Italian teams – possibly representing regions around Rome and Treviso – to join Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the four sides each from Ireland and Wales, in the 2010-11 season, could be ratified by the end of March.
However, Robinson, preparing his team for a return to league action away to Munster on Saturday, made it clear it was a move he would not welcome. He said: "My concerns about the Italians entering is the cost of travelling, the supporters coming to games and the amount of fixtures getting added. I think a ten-team league is the right structure to have – that's the key point for me.
"We have a gem of a tournament here. We have nine teams that can win the Magners League this year; Cardiff are ninth but if they get on a run they can win it. The (English] Premiership would be crying out for something like that – the interest we have there.
"Plus, you have the development of your players and time you can rest them in order that they are able to play international rugby. You are not spending the autumn Test window playing through it (likely if the Italians join]. We lose our players three times out of 18 matches, and that's good because you can play your best team nearly every time.
"You bring more teams in and you have to find more Saturdays or Wednesdays to play the game, and put more pressure on your squads. I think the Magners League is a young tournament, a young league; give it time to grow. You have Wales and Ireland at the top of the table in the Six Nations; we have four teams in the Heineken Cup (quarter-finals] so there must be something right about the league."
Ever since Italy were accepted into the RBS Six Nations in 2000, a move championed by Dondi, the Italian federation has been pushing for entry into a recognised European league in order to improve the quality of its players and keep more in Italy to grow the sport. They are understood to have sourced attractive broadcasting packages that would ensure more money for all the competing teams, but Robinson insisted that the move should not be considered for at least three years.
"Let's get behind the league and support its development, sure," he added, "but as soon as you start adding teams you start weakening the heart because there are not enough weeks in the year to be able to do it.
"I understand the importance of finance, but there has also got to be quality. I think there has been real quality in the Magners League this year, so why disrupt it? In three or four years' time then let's see how it has moved forward, but at the moment I think we have a really strong league so let's keep working at developing it. It can get better."
Robinson named a team for this weekend missing a handful of its internationalists, some being rested for the visit of Italy to Murrayfield in the Six Nations and others nursing injuries. He stated that neither Geoff Cross nor Simon Webster, the Scotland players who suffered concussion in the championship opener with Wales earlier this month, could be considered, but said that Cross may return to training next week.
Ryan Grant, a 23-year-old prop who left the Royal Signals Corp to pursue his rugby career, initially with the Borders and now Edinburgh, makes his first start for the club on the tighthead side, while experienced internationalist Allister Hogg leads the team determined to help Edinburgh claim the scalp of Munster and let that do the talking when it comes to winning a place back in the Scotland squad.
Mark Robertson also returns to the wing, after recovering from a groin operation, while Alan MacDonald, the openside flanker, is back from a head knock. With Phil Godman and Mike Blair being rested for the Six Nations, the half-back pairing of Greig Laidlaw and David Blair that scored 11 points on its last trip to Musgrave Park in Cork, remains at the helm with Nick De Luca, Ben Cairns and Chris Paterson grasping the opportunity to prove their Test credentials with three games remaining in the Six Nations.
As well as Cross, the Edinburgh pack is missing Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford, Gavin Kerr, Jim Hamilton, Matt Mustchin, Fraser McKenzie, Steven Turnbull, Ross Rennie and Dave Callam, while Scott Newlands misses out to the in-form Simon Cross at blindside flanker.
It makes for a tough trip over the Irish Sea, but, underlining what is becoming a stronger capital squad, Scott MacLeod is poised to make his return to Scottish senior rugby after playing in the back-up matches against Crawshays Welsh and Leinster in recent weeks. The 29-year-old Scotland lock joined the club from the Scarlets last month and is named on the bench for Saturday night alongside another former Hawick player, Bruce McNeil, still to make his debut for Edinburgh.
FACT BOXEdinburgh team Munster in the v Magners League at Musgrave Park, Cork on Saturday, live on Setanta Sports)
15 Chris Paterson .
14 Andrew Turnbull .
13 Ben Cairns .
12 Nick De Luca .
11 Mark Robertson .
10 David Blair .
9 Greig Laidlaw .
1 Kyle Traynor .
2 Andrew Kelly .
3 Ryan Grant .
4 Craig Hamilton .
5 Ben Gissing .
6 Simon Cross .
8 Allister Hogg (captain) .
7 Alan MacDonald .
Substitutes: Steve Lawrie, Bruce McNeil, Scott MacLeod, Scott Newlands, Ben Meyer, Jim Thompson, Roland Reid.
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David Ferguson's Six Nations blog: And so the Italians...The full article contains 991 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
