SCHOOLBOY CHAMP ‘BOOM BOOM’ BENNETT ON TOP OF DARTS WORLD
DANNY CIPRIANI returns from injury tonight, with Gloucester openly admitting they have missed his stardust.
The Cherry and Whites have lost three games since the England fly-half suffered chest damage against Exeter last month.
Another this evening, at home to Munster, would all but kill off Gloucester’s Champions Cup hopes – which makes Cipriani’s presence so vital.
“You can’t deny how much quality Danny brings to the side,” said lock star Ed Slater. “You miss that little bit of magic when it’s not there.
“The impact he had on us in the first part of the season was telling, with our results and some of the tries he BOY WONDER Leighton Bennett burst into tears after becoming the youngest-ever darts world champion at 13-years-old – with a fairytale finish on the bullseye.
Bennett was given a standing ovation by senior pros in the players’ practice room backstage at the Lakeside after his 3-0 win in the BDO world youth championship final against Nathan Girvan. The kid nicknamed ‘Boom Boom’ shot to fame last summer when he won the Cambridgeshire Open aged 12 in a field containing adult big guns.
And Bennett’s meteoric rise gathered irresistible momentum as he made history at Frimley Green after being given a masterclass by former PDC world champion and new mentor Rob Cross the night before his triumph.
And Bennett, from Lincoln, paid Kingsholm knowing we’ve still got the fight in us.”
Mike Brown has defended Eddie Jones’ training methods after an RFU report revealed Red Rose sessions are twice as likely to leave England players injured – and kept on the sidelines five times longer than normal.
England’s most-capped full-back (training with Jones, left) said: “You need to have that higher intensity because you’re preparing for international rugby.
“The guys at England training are also the most competitive at their clubs – that’s why they’re fighting to play for our country.
“In every session, you want to show what you can do and when every player is training like that – which they must to get selected – there might be accidents.” tribute to Cross for his input, saying: “It’s awesome, a dream come true. I just listened to one of my best mates, Rob, who helped me so much and it paid off.”
Bennett, who hit two 180s and averaged 86.59 – pretty handy scoring at any level but exceptional for a teenage schoolboy – was visibly moved by his reception in the players’ room. He added: “It felt amazing to see all the players POOL 1
1 Toulouse ....... 4 2 Leinster ....... 4 3 Bath ............. 4 4 Wasps ........... 4 POOL 2
1 Munster ........ 4 2 Castres ......... 4 3 Exeter .......... 4 4 Gloucester...4 POOL 3
1 Saracens ....... 4 2 Glasgow ....... 4 3 Cardiff .......... 4 4 Lyon ............. 4 POOL 4
1 Racing 92 ...... 4 2 Ulster ........... 4 3 Leicester ...... 4 4 Scarlets ....... 4 POOL 5
1 Edinburgh ..... 4 2 Montpelier ... 4 3 Newcastle .... 4 4 Toulon .......... 4 do that for me, it completely blew me away.” Bennett ran across the stage and decorated his celebration with an excitable leap in the air before collecting his trophy and £2,000 prize money.
Girvan, 16, from Angus, was by no means a bystander and he took out a 111 checkout in the second set – but Bennett’s 121 on the bullseye was a fitting way to announce himself on the world stage. 4 3 0 0
2 2 1 2
4 3 1 0
4 3 1 0
3 2 2 1 0 0 1 1
1 0 1 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 L
0 1 3 3
1 2 2 2
0 1 3 4
0 1 3 4
1 2 2 3 116 138 80 81
88 61 83 85
119 95 81 63
128 91 92 79
107 103 70 90 Ag Diff BP Pts
90 56 116 153
50 86 83 98
52 57 127 122
62 93 121 114
56 89 97 128
26 82 -36 -72
38 -25 0 -13
67 38 -46 -59
66 -2 -29 -35
51 14 -27 -38
1 3 3 1
2 1 2 0
2 2 0 0
3 2 2 2
3 3 0 2
17 15 5 3
12 9 8 8
18 14 4 0
19 14 6 2
15 11 8 6