Rugby Union: Moon enters a fresh orbit with Wales B

RUPERT MOON will finally become the Welshman he wants to be when he leads Wales B against the North of England at Pontypool Park tonight, writes Robert Cole. Having served a six-year residential period to qualify for his adopted home, the Llanelli captain sat out the Five Nations' Championship on the replacements' bench last season.

Injury denied him the chance of representing Wales at the Students' World Cup during the summer, and he was back on the bench against the Italians last week, but now he is poised to become an honorary Welshman.

WALES B: M Rayer (Cardiff); S Davies (Swansea), N Davies (Llanelli), N Boobyer (Llanelli), W Proctor (Llanelli); N Jenkins (Pontypridd), R Moon (Llanelli, capt); R Evans (Llanelli), N Meek (Pontypool), J Davies (Neath), P Davies (Llanelli), S Roy (Cardiff), I Davies (Swansea), S Legge (South Wales Police), L Jones (Llanelli).

NORTHERN DIVISION: J Mallinder (Sale); J Eagle (Leeds), B Barley (Wakefield), K Simms (Liverpool St Helens, capt), S Bromley (Rugby); P Grayson (Waterloo), D Scully (Wakefield); P Lancaster, S Mitchell (both West Hartlepool), M Whitcombe (Sale), N Allott (Waterloo), K Westgarth (West Hartlepool), M Greenwood (Wasps), A Ireland (Waterloo), A MacFarlane (Sale).

Referee: C Muir (Scotland).

The French Rugby Federation has barred Richard Loe, the All Blacks' prop forward. Loe's nine- month ban in New Zealand for gouging was originally to be delayed until April to allow him to play club rugby in France.