Jenkins sacked as Wales coach

LONDON – Gareth Jenkins on Sunday paid the price of the Welsh World Cup debacle when he was sacked from the head coach job, the Press Association reported.

Jenkins was informed of the decision early yesterday morning after his side lost to Fiji 38-34 in Nantes, a result that sent them crashing out of the World Cup before the quarter-finals for the third time in their history. Jenkins, who took over from Mike Ruddock in April 2006, was already under fire before the World Cup started taking the blame for a run of bad results in the last Six Nations and in the buildup to the tournament.Fiji fans bask in World Cup success SUVA – The troubled Pacific nation of Fiji erupted in national celebration Sunday with fireworks fizzing and car horns blaring after its rugby team scored a massive upset over Wales in the World Cup.Cup fever has gripped the rugby-mad nation, where many people stayed up all night to watch the match at 03h00 Fiji time yesterday.When it ended in a thrilling 38-34 victory for the South Pacific country, where the military grabbed power in a coup last December, joyous fans set off fireworks and blasted car horns around the capital Suva.Suggitt takes parting shot at IRB BORDEAUX – Canada coach Ric Suggitt has reiterated calls for the International Rugby Board (IRB) to abandon plans to reduce the number of World Cup teams from 20 to 16 for the next edition in New Zealand.Suggitt has been championing the cause of the little teams throughout the tournament, pointing to packed houses and some entertaining matches as reasons to keep the tournament at its current number.And he has branded the IRB incompetent in their planning for the future.”The left hand’s got to know what the right hand’s doing, if they’re giving us money to prepare for the World Cup then why are they taking four teams away?” he asked after his team’s 37-6 loss to Australia in their final Pool B game here on Saturday.All Blacks playing for keeps, warns McCaw TOULOUSE – All Blacks captain Richie McCaw vowed that now the business end of the World Cup was under way, his team would be “playing for keeps”.New Zealand have cruised through their pool games, amassing a staggering 309 points and 45 tries, and conceding only 35 points.They hammered Italy (76-14), Portugal (108-13), Scotland (40-0) and Romania (85-8) to head into the quarter-finals in Cardiff with many observers claiming they might be “undercooked”.But McCaw said that the knockout phase of the 20-team tournament would see the All Blacks firm up their resolve.”We are playing for keeps from now on in,” the openside flanker said.”Our guys are pretty confident, everyone’s had a bit of rugby and we have to be on the job next week.Most of the guys are available.”- Nampa-Reuters and AFPJenkins, who took over from Mike Ruddock in April 2006, was already under fire before the World Cup started taking the blame for a run of bad results in the last Six Nations and in the buildup to the tournament.Fiji fans bask in World Cup success SUVA – The troubled Pacific nation of Fiji erupted in national celebration Sunday with fireworks fizzing and car horns blaring after its rugby team scored a massive upset over Wales in the World Cup.Cup fever has gripped the rugby-mad nation, where many people stayed up all night to watch the match at 03h00 Fiji time yesterday.When it ended in a thrilling 38-34 victory for the South Pacific country, where the military grabbed power in a coup last December, joyous fans set off fireworks and blasted car horns around the capital Suva.Suggitt takes parting shot at IRB BORDEAUX – Canada coach Ric Suggitt has reiterated calls for the International Rugby Board (IRB) to abandon plans to reduce the number of World Cup teams from 20 to 16 for the next edition in New Zealand.Suggitt has been championing the cause of the little teams throughout the tournament, pointing to packed houses and some entertaining matches as reasons to keep the tournament at its current number.And he has branded the IRB incompetent in their planning for the future.”The left hand’s got to know what the right hand’s doing, if they’re giving us money to prepare for the World Cup then why are they taking four teams away?” he asked after his team’s 37-6 loss to Australia in their final Pool B game here on Saturday.All Blacks playing for keeps, warns McCaw TOULOUSE – All Blacks captain Richie McCaw vowed that now the business end of the World Cup was under way, his team would be “playing for keeps”.New Zealand have cruised through their pool games, amassing a staggering 309 points and 45 tries, and conceding only 35 points.They hammered Italy (76-14), Portugal (108-13), Scotland (40-0) and Romania (85-8) to head into the quarter-finals in Cardiff with many observers claiming they might be “undercooked”.But McCaw said that the knockout phase of the 20-team tournament would see the All Blacks firm up their resolve.”We are playing for keeps from now on in,” the openside flanker said.”Our guys are pretty confident, everyone’s had a bit of rugby and we have to be on the job next week.Most of the guys are available.”- Nampa-Reuters and AFP