Rugby Union / Round-Up: Pilgrim denied

STEVE PILGRIM'S first rugby match on English soil for more than a year has been put on hold. Pilgrim, banned from rugby union for a year for having a rugby league trial for Leeds, was forced to pull out of Wasps' 49-3, eight-try romp against the Irish side Instonians at Sudbury yesterday with a thigh injury. The full-back, who played for London on their tour of Zimbabwe in the summer, may now play his comeback match for Wasps in a friendly against Richmond on Tuesday.

In Wales, the second week of action in the Heineken League saw the Welsh coach, Alan Davies, and his assistant, Gareth Jenkins, sitting through an extremely drab contest between Pontypridd and Cardiff. This season the Welsh selectors have decided to team up in pairs to watch games. That new policy meant that it was not just Davies who had to suffer during the 12-6 debacle at Sardis Road, but also Jenkins. 'We're trying to come to joint opinions,' Davies explained, 'through discussion at matches on skill levels and tactical appreciation of players.'

But there was very little skill and almost no call for tactics yesterday as mistake followed unforced error at an alarming rate. In the end it was Cardiff's stand-in goal kicker Mike Rayer who won the game for the Cup holders with his three successive penalty strikes and a 25-metre drop goal.

The only good news for the on-looking Welsh selectors was that the Cardiff captain, Mike Hall, successfully negotiated his comeback match after recovering from an Achilles injury and a broken bone in his right hand. On the down-side prior to the World Cup ranking match against Romania in Bucharest on 17 September was the fact that the scrum-half Rupert Moon and the No 8 Scott Quinnell both left the field in Llanelli's 25-19 triumph at Abertillery. They will undergo running repairs before Wednesday night's trip to Treorchy.

Another stand-in goal kicker on target was the Neath fullback Jonathan Westwood. The six penalties he put over at The Gnoll helped his team beat Pontypool 18-12.