Rugby Union: Moore banned, Adams retires

Brian Moore, England's most capped hooker, was feeling sorry for himself yesterday as he contemplated 60 days of inactivity after paying the full price for his dismissal during Richmond's Pilkington Cup defeat at Sale almost three weeks ago. He should worry. His problems pale into insignificance compared with those of his front-row rival from Bath, Gareth Adams.

The 26-year-old chemistry student from Yorkshire announced his premature retirement from the game after receiving medical advice from two specialists. Adams missed virtually the whole of last season because of a serious neck injury and the condition has flared up again.

"Both specialists told me that the wear and tear of playing will only increase the damage and the problems of day-to-day-living," he said, "If I carried on, it might end in paralysis."

Early in 1995, Adams was being fast-tracked into full England contention. A lightweight in physical terms but blessed with superior handling skills and a sharp opportunist brain. He played his early rugby as an open-side flanker and was regarded as a sevens specialist. Despite that he won two England A caps and was good enough to keep Graham Dawe, a World Cup hooker, out of Bath's cup final side against Wasps.

"Even before I changed from flanker to hooker I knew I had a weakness, but I wouldn't have done all I've done in the game had I not switched," he said.

"The surgeons gave me a clean bill of health last year and considered me fit enough to resume playing, so it's a bit of a shock to be told not to play any contact sport at all. It is hard to take and is bound to get worse as the weeks go by and I find myself going shopping on a Saturday instead of playing."

All of which puts Moore's difficulties into perspective. A veteran of two Lions tours and 64 England internationals, "the Pitbull" is considering an appeal against the two month suspension dished out by the former Rugby Football Union president, Dennis Easby, who made his judgement after watching video evidence of Moore's tap dance routine on the back of Dave Baldwin, the Sale lock.

Unusually, Moore declined to comment on the length of the ban so Ben Clarke, an old England team-mate and current captain of Richmond, took up the cudgels on his behalf. "Richmond are very disappointed with this verdict," he said. "We hoped Brian's sending off would be regarded as sufficient punishment. We lost the match at Sale without him and his dismissal may well have cost us progress in the cup."

Meanwhile, the United States named Brian Hightower as their one new cap for the international with Wales in Cardiff tomorrow. The introduction of the left wing, who turns out for the colourfully-named Gentlemen of Aspen club, means that the eight home-based Eagles just outnumber the seven who play their club rugby in Britain.

Dan Lyle, the Bath forward, will captain the side from the blind-side flank while Reading, Blackheath, Bridgend and Pontypridd all contribute players to the line-up.

Neil Jenkins has withdrawn from the Wales side with flu and is replaced at full-back by Cardiff's Justin Thomas.

US EAGLES (v Wales, Cardiff Arms Park, tomorrow): N Williams (Gentlemen of Aspen); V Anitoni (Yankees), R Tardits (Life College), M Scharrenberg (Reading), B Hightower (Gentlemen of Aspen); M Alexander (Denver Barbarians), A Bachelet (Reading); R Lehner (Blackheath), T Billups (Blackheath), B Le Clerc (Gentlemen of Aspen), C Vogl (Bridgend), A Parker (Gentlemen of Aspen), D Lyle (Bath, capt), R Lumkong (Pontypridd), J Wilkerson (Belmont Shore). Replacements: C Lippert (Rugby), S Allen (Rugby), J Walker (Gentlemen of Aspen), B Howard (Life College) E Schram (OMBAC), C Morrow (Gentlemen of Aspen).