Rugby Union: Gibbs runs riot

JUST seven days after their heroic 13-11 victory over Bath, London Scottish were brought back to earth by a 76-5 Anglo-Welsh friendly defeat at Swansea. The Lions' centre, Scott Gibbs, ran in three of the All Whites' 12 tries while his Welsh international team-mate Colin Charvis helped himself to two.

The Wales prop David Young was carried off early in Cardiff's 40-17 Anglo-Welsh home victory over West Hartlepool with ligament damage to his left knee which makes him doubtful for Saturday's Test against South Africa at Wembley. The Great Britain and St Helens rugby league wing, Anthony Sullivan, who is on a three-month contract, marked his home debut with one of Cardiff's six tries. Although yesterday's game was only his second in rugby union, 29-year-old Sullivan has already been drafted into Wales's squad by the coach Graham Henry.

Llanelli, who beat Leinster 34-27 on Friday night, earned a place in the last eight of the European Cup as runners-up in Pool A following Stade Francais' 34-21 win over Begles-Bordeaux.

Ebbw Vale's 19-11 triumph in Pool C over Toulouse, the team that put 16 tries past them during a 108-16 hammering earlier in the season, was marred by violence. Cyrille Vencheri was sent off by the Scottish referee Ed Murray just before half-time and his fellow prop, the French international Franck Tournaire, attacked touch judge Ken McCartney after the game

The most impressive British result in yesterday's European Shield matches came in Pool C with Bridgend seeing off last season's Heineken Cup finalists Brive 20-15. Caerphilly maintained their recent form with a 35-30 win at Newport in Pool A, but Aberavon went down 26-5 at home to Bourgoin in Pool B.

Bristol, with seven tries including a brace apiece for Ben Breeze and Adam Larkin, thrashed Wakefield 46-15 to go two points clear at the top of Allied Dunbar Premiership Two. Second-placed Worcester, smarting from having two points deducted for fielding an ineligible player, got the better of the bottom club Blackheath, 21-9.

Meanwhile, the Australian rugby league back Wendell Sailor scored a try in his second outing for Leeds, a 26-6 win at Fylde

Diego Dominguez kicked 13 points against the country of his birth as he steered Italy to a 23-19 success over Argentina in Piacenza yesterday. The Italians, who meet England in a World Cup qualifying game at Huddersfield a fortnight today, scored a try early in each half. Massimo Cuttitta came on as a second-half replacement to tie Italy's record of 60 Test caps.