Califano thrown out, Pelous banned

LONDON, OCT 19: French prop Christian Califano was kicked out of the World Cup on Tuesday night. The Toulouse forward has been banned unt...

LONDON, OCT 19: French prop Christian Califano was kicked out of the World Cup on Tuesday night. The Toulouse forward has been banned until Dec 5 for butting a Fijian forward during last Saturday’s Pool C decider, won 28-19 by France.

In a second set-back for the French Califano’s Toulouse team-mate Fabien Pelous received a 14-day ban for stamping. Califano, who has won more than 50 caps, can play no further part in World Cup 99 as his lengthy suspension does not expire until a month after the final.

And, he was shown no mercy by the World Cup disciplinary committee that consisted of chairman Wyn Williams QC, fellow Welshman Geoff Evans and Rugby Football Union Council member Bob Rogers.

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Califano’s ban is comfortably the biggest handed out during World Cup 99, although World Cup organisers have had plenty of practice with more than a dozen players cited and four more sent off.

Pelous, 25, will be eligible for a probable semi-final appointment with New Zealand at Twickenham should France progressbeyond the quarter-final stage. There was no immediate news on whether the French management intend appealing against either suspension, but that would appear likely, certainly in Califano’s case.

Kiwi power for Scots

EDINBURGH: As many as five New Zealand `exiles’ could be in contention to face their former compatriots if Scotland beat Samoa and clinch a World Cup quarter-final berth against the All Blacks at Murrayfield on Wednesday.

Scotland coach Jim Telfer believes his six `Kilted Kiwis’ have played a major part in rejuvenating an international side that seemed out on its feet only 18 months ago. Telfer will be without John Leslie, the most influential of the six, but the injured centre’s brother Martin along with Gordon Simpson, Glenn Metcalfe, Shaun Longs taff and flanker Cameron Mather would all be in contention to play.

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Coach Jim Telfer has made no secret of his admiration for New Zealand rugby — nor any apology for poaching some of the country’s leading players. “They’ve been a biginfluence,” says Telfer, the mastermind behind the British Lions’ 1997 series victory over South Africa.

Bateman omission

CARDIFF: Australia’s Tiaan Strauss believes Wales have made a major error in not picking Allan Bateman, his friend and former rugby league teammate, for Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against the Wallabies. Argentina’s Agustin Pichot was quoted at the weekend as saying Bateman should be in Wales’ starting line-up.“I would love to see Wales use Allan because this year he hasn’t played that much,” said the former South African skipper, who will start for the Aussies at the Millennium Stadium in the absence of the suspended Toutai Kefu.