Ready for Saints and sinners

Forget London Irish tomorrow, the first Munster man into action in this season’s Heineken Cup will be running out tonight at Northampton’s Franklin’s Gardens. Simon Lewis explains.

FORMER Shannon and Munster winger and full-back John Lacey (below) will make his Heineken Cup refereeing debut tonight in the English midlands, when he takes charge of the Northampton Saints versus Castres Olympique first-round contest, 12 years after scoring four tries in the 1997/98 tournament.

In doing so, Lacey joins former Leinster player Alain Rolland and Scotland’s Malcolm Changleng, formerly of Borders, in playing in and refereeing Heineken Cup matches.