Rugby Union: France call foul on Irish

The French rugby federation has asked the Irish Rugby Football Union to look into possible foul play by three Irish players in Saturday's Five Nations' match in Dublin.

The Irish have already asked the French to take action over their prop Franck Tournaire for kicking Allen Clarke, Ireland's replacement hooker, in the head. Tournaire is expected to be suspended today.

However, the French claim video evidence shows that the hooker Keith Wood, the lock Paddy Johns and the scrum-half Niall Hogan all went unpunished for foul play. The French federation said it did not want to cite the players under disciplinary procedures, but preferred to ask the IRFU to take whatever action it deemed necessary.

Scotland A yesterday made two changes to the team that beat Wales A 56- 11 last Friday for the match against England A at the Stoop on Friday week. Murray Wallace, dropped from the senior side, comes in at open-side flanker at the expense of Simon Holmes and Duncan Hodge comes in at inside centre in place of Paul Rouse.

In the case of Hodge, justice has been done. The Watsonian was denied the chance of playing at stand-off for the A team after he was brought into the senior squad last week as cover for Gregor Townsend. Scott Welsh filled the A team's stand-off berth and did so with perhaps his best display at this level.