Healey provokes Leicester's rivals

Austin Healey delivered a typically provocative Christmas message to the rest of England's leading clubs last night, suggesting many of Leicester's rivals are playing "dire, boring rugby" and lack the desire of the reigning Heineken Cup and domestic champions.

With Leicester already nine points clear at the top of the Zurich Premiership, Healey believes the Tigers' dominance will continue "if the rest of the Premiership continue to play the way they have been" and claims few opponents are equipped to mount a serious challenge in the new year.

"There's no point beating around the bush," he told Sky Sports' The Rugby Club. "London Irish have done it to an extent this year, but some of the other teams with majestic players in their squads have played dire, boring rugby and it doesn't win games." England will host New Zealand (November 9) and Australia and South Africa on successive weekends next year. They will also face France home and away in August 2003 as part of their build-up to the World Cup.

Shane Howarth, the former New Zealand and Wales international who was banned from playing Test rugby after last year's Grannygate scandal, has become tangled up in red tape as he attempts to become available for selection for Wales next summer. The Newport outside-half will next May become eligible to play for Wales on residential grounds and he expressed the hope that he would be able to add to his 19 caps. But the Welsh Rugby Union said that, under current regulations, Howarth was in international limbo.

The International Rugby Board introduced a rule last year which stipulated that once a player had appeared for one country in either a full or an A international he would never be able to represent another. Howarth won four caps for the All Blacks in 1994, which makes him ineligible for both Wales and the All Blacks.

He will remain persona non grata unless the WRU appeals to the IRB for the player to be granted an exemption to resume his career with Wales.

The Ireland international Keith Wood has signed a year's extension to his contract with Harlequins that will keep him at the Stoop until the summer of 2003. His fellow countryman, Leinster's Eric Miller, has been suspended for 30 days after being sent off for stamping in last Saturday's Celtic League final against Munster.

The South Africa second-row Johan Ackerman has been given permission by the Golden Lions to join Northampton next month.