Rugby Union: Howard is True to His Word By Leaving Tigers

Leicester's head coach, Pat Howard, will return to Australia as planned at the end of the season because of business and family commitments. The former Wallaby centre wanted to leave a year ago, but was persuaded by the Tigers' management to remain in England.

When they thought Howard was leaving last season, Leicester toured the world looking for a successor and were linked with Scott Johnson, who was then coaching Wales, and the former New Zealand assistant coach, Robbie Deans.

They are believed to have spoken a month ago to the South Africa coach, Jake White, whose contract with the Springboks ends after next year's World Cup, and Johnson is again in the frame even though he returned to Australia last summer to join the Wallabies' management team.

The England head coach, Brian Ashton, is enjoying no more fortune on the injury front than his predecessor, Andy Robinson. The Newcastle centre Jamie Noon will not play again until the middle of next month after injuring his ankle, and the Bristol scrum-half Shaun Perry popped a rib cartilage during the West Country derby against Bath and is not expected to return until a week before the start of the Six Nations Championship.

The Sale wing Mark Cueto will also miss Monday's home match against Bristol with a groin injury, and the Wasps' prop Phil Vickery is a doubt for that day's trip to Bath after bruising his backside against Gloucester on Boxing Day.

The Cardiff and Wales flanker Martyn Williams has been banned for three weeks after being sent off on Saturday for headbutting Ospreys' scrum-half Jason Spice.