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Exeter Chiefs face Premiership points loss over player registration

• Chiefs may be dragged into relegation battle
• RFU disciplinary panel likely to sit this week

• Paul Rees
• guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 April 2011 17.27 BST <li class="history">Article history Nemani Nadolo of Exeter Chiefs qualifies as an overseas player after registering for the club using his Australian passport. Photograph: Jamie Mcdonald/Getty Images
  
  Exeter face being docked at least one Premiership point for having three overseas players in their match-day squads for recent fixtures at London Irish and Leeds, one more than the regulations allow. The maximum punishment is a 10-point deduction, which would drag the Chiefs into the relegation fight. That would hinge on whether they had tried to gain a blatant competitive advantage.
  Such an argument would be hard to sustain given that one of the three players in question, the Argentinian fly-half Ignacio Mieres, was an unused substitute in both matches, which Exeter lost. The prop Hoane Tui and the wing Nemani Nadolo were the other two and the confusion arose because Nadolo, who would normally be exempt from the overseas rule as a Fijian, used an Australian passport when getting a work permit in January, having been brought up in the country.
  Under the overseas player regulations, anyone from the European Union or Kolpak countries such as South Africa, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji is not classified, but players from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, the United States and Canada are. Exeter have not yet been charged by the Rugby Football Union.
  The Chiefs are likely to face two charges in one because their breach of the rules against London Irish was not picked up until after the Leeds match. They were told by the RFU last Thursday that Nadolo had to be classified as an overseas player and he was withdrawn from the squad that travelled to Bath on Saturday.
  "We are aware this will need to go before a disciplinary panel, which is likely to be held later this week, and we intend to co-operate fully with the authorities over this matter," said Tony Rowe, the Exeter chief executive. "As a club we hope they take into account our previous good record and there was no intention on our part to try and gain any kind of unfair advantage. It was partly down to a clerical error on our part."
  Sale, Wasps, Leicester and Saracens have in the past been found guilty of breaching the rules on player ineligibility and the usual punishment is the loss of a point, which would not have a material bearing on where Exeter finish in their first season in the Premiership.
  England will still spend most of their first month in New Zealand for the World Cup next September in the South Island, despite Christchurch being ruled out as a venue following the earthquake in the city in February. Martin Johnson's men will spend five days in Auckland after arriving before flying to Dunedin, where they be based for a couple of days more than a fortnight, either side of five days in Queenstown, before returning to Auckland.
  
  

RFU warns England's Ben Foden over taxi incident

&#8226; Northampton full-back cautioned by police
&#8226; Player agrees to pay undisclosed sum to charity

• Paul Rees
• guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 April 2011 19.23 BST <li class="history">Article history Ben Foden in action for Northampton. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
  
  The England and Northampton full-back Ben Foden has been warned about his conduct after being arrested and cautioned by police in London last month after a late-night altercation with a taxi driver.
  Foden met the Rugby Football Union's chief disciplinary officer, Jeff Blackett, on Monday to discuss the incident.
  Blackett said: "I accepted his explanation of what had occurred and warned him as to his future conduct. He accepted that warning and he has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to a rugby related charity of his choosing."
  
  

Carragher expects 'busy summer'


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Updated Apr 11, 2011 6:25 AM ET
Liverpool vice-captain Jamie Carragher admits even he is excited about the prospect of "top players" arriving at the club in the summer.
Having brought in Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez for a combined £57.8million - funded almost entirely by the sale of Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel - director of football Damien Comolli has already said he expects to have a busy summer.


Liverpool's squad is in need of an overhaul, with principal owner John Henry revealing he was surprised at the lack of depth on the playing staff when Fenway Sports Group bought the club in October.
There have been hints that there is money to spend and Carragher is looking forward to some new arrivals.
"I think there will be a feelgood factor going into the summer and the start of next season," said the veteran defender.
"As players we have to look after ourselves and do our own job but we are like supporters as well, we love to see top players coming to the club and hopefully that will be the case.
"Everyone is delighted with the business we did in January and hopefully similar things will happen in the summer."
Tonight's opponents Manchester City have shown what can be done with a healthy transfer budget, although admittedly their resources stretch further than probably any other club in the world thanks to billionaire Sheikh Mansour.
Roberto Mancini's side are on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time and have an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley next weekend.

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Carragher accepts it was inevitable they would bring increased competition in the battle for the top four.
"Obviously they have raised the standard for Champions League qualification with the players they have brought in," said the 33-year-old.
"I am sure it won't stop as there will be more coming in the summer - but that is up to them.
"We only play Man City twice in a season so whatever they do is up to them.
"In the games we play against them we have to do well this season, next season and in the years to come because they are going to prove a difficult team to stop if they carry on spending that type of money.
"But we only play them twice and it is what we do, we will look after what we do at this club."
Since taking over in January manager Kenny Dalglish has effected a turnaround in performances which has seen the side beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and Manchester United at Anfield.
However, they have also lost to strugglers Blackpool, West Ham and West Brom.
"It just shows you the level we can get to by beating two of the top sides," he said.
"The other games, it's people who are fighting for their lives and they've got a different pressure on them to the ones at the top of the table.
"Whether it's a coincidence or something that's lacking in us, it's something we've got to find out.
"If we've got something positive or something we're good at, we're not going to tell anybody. And if we've got something we're not so good at, we're certainly not going to tell anyone either.
"We have lost against teams at the bottom end of the table and beaten the ones at the top end. We've got to correct that."

Completed Games


San Mamés

0 : 3
Final

Match Stats | Match Trax
Goals Kaká (13')
Kaká (53')
Cristiano Ronaldo (70')
(12') Gurpegi
(13') Iraizoz
(61') Javi Martínez
Cards Esteban Granero (45')
Sergio Ramos (49')
Lass Diarra (58')
Iker Casillas (60')
Álvaro Arbeloa (71')
(46') David López
Gurpegi

(62') Iturraspe
Javi Martínez

(78') Gabilondo
Toquero

Substitutions Cristiano Ronaldo (62')
Gonzalo Higuaín

Xabi Alonso (67')
Ángel Di María

Ricardo Carvalho (77')
Ezequiel Garay


Camp Nou

3 : 1
Final

Match Stats | Match Trax
(52') Lionel Messi
(64') Thiago
(90') Lionel Messi
Goals Corona (50')
(17') Bojan Krki&#263;
(19') Javier Mascherano
(77') David Villa
Cards Hernán Bernardello (45')
Diego Alves (52')
Juanma Ortiz (63')
(31') David Villa
Bojan Krki&#263;

(54') Pedro
Gabriel Milito

(67') Seydou Keita
Thiago

Substitutions Kalu Uche (57')
Corona

Henok Goitom (70')
Albert Crusat

Sofiane Feghouli (79')
Juanma Ortiz


Iberostar Estadio

2 : 2
Final

Match Stats | Match Trax
(16') Akihiro Ienaga
(43') Jonathan De Guzmán
Goals Álvaro Negredo (30')
Ivan Rakitic (68')
(9') Chori Castro
(36') Jonathan De Guzmán
(76') Nunes
Cards Gary Medel (37')
Diego Perotti (43')
Federico Fazio (78')
Fernando Navarro (80')
(70') João Victor
Sergio Tejera

(84') Pina
Chori Castro

(89') Víctor
Akihiro Ienaga

Substitutions Rodri (37')
Romaric

Alfaro (78')
Capel



La Rosaleda

0 : 0
Final

Match Stats | Match Trax

El Sardinero

1 : 1
Final

Match Stats | Match Trax
(32') Nano
Goals Rafa Jordá (90')
(20') Henrique
(63') Iván Bolado
(86') Colsa
Cards Miguel Pallardó (61')
Manolo Reina (90')
(69') Adrián
Iván Bolado

(81') Ariel
Giovani Dos Santos

(86') Pape Diop
Pedro Munitis

Substitutions Xisco Nadal (64')
Valdo

Xisco Muñoz (71')
Miguel Pallardó

Rafa Jordá (78')
Rubén Suárez


El Molinón

1 : 0
Final

Match Stats | Match Trax
(66') David Barral
Goals (17') David Barral
Cards Lolo (39')
Javad Nekounam (83')
(63') Diego Castro
André Castro

(72') Sebastián Eguren
Nacho Novo

(77') Luis Morán
Miguel de las Cuevas

Substitutions Walter Pandiani (61')
Javier Camuñas

Calleja (78')
Francisco Puñal

Dejan Lekic (83')
Álvaro Cejudo


José Rico Pérez

0 : 0
Final

Match Stats | Match Trax
Goals (36') David Cortés
(41') Abel Aguilar
(73') Royston Drenthe
Cards Raúl Rodríguez (24')
Isaías Sánchez (89')
(72') David Trezeguet
Javier Portillo

(81') Sendoa
Kiko

Substitutions Isaías Sánchez (68')
Joan Verdú

Rui Fonte (87')
Luis García

Álvaro (90')
José María Callejón


Vicente Calderon

3 : 0
Final

Match Stats | Match Trax

Mestalla

5 : 0
Final

Match Stats | Match Trax
(14') Roberto Soldado
(56') Juan Mata
(62') Éver Banega
(73') Juan Mata
(75') Roberto Soldado
Goals (36') Pablo Hernández
Cards Mateo Musacchio (66')
Kiko (84')
(30') Ángel Dealbert
Tino Costa

(77') David Albelda
Éver Banega

(78') Aduriz
Roberto Soldado

Substitutions Marco Ruben (59')
Joan Capdevila

Joan Oriol (65')
Borja Valero

Wakaso (70')
Giuseppe Rossi



La Romareda

2 : 1
Final

Match Stats | Match Trax