Neill's men seek to bounce back from Croatia upset

Malta's Rugby Union team will be looking to put the disappointing start to their Nations Cup Division 2B qualifiers behind them this afternoon when they face Sweden in Vanersborg (kick-off 2 p.m.).

Last Saturday, Damien Neill's men were on the brink of winning their group opener against Croatia after Jarrod Sammut's injury-time penalty put the Maltese 16-15 ahead. However, poor discipline in defence saw the Maltese concede a last-gasp penalty that gave the Croatians an 18-16 win at the Hibs Ground.

The build-up for the Sweden match has been anything but plainsailing though with news that Australasia's National

Rugby League had banned flyhalf Sammut from playing for Malta for what they termed a breach of contract by figuring in a match from the game's other 'code'.

On Thursday, Sammut, scorer of 11 points against Croatia, was left out of the Maltese party that travelled to Gothenburg, his place taken by Tom Watts. Sammut has already flown back to Australia.

Coach Neill has been doing his utmost not to let the controversy surrounding Sammut distract his players. He is upbeat about his team's chances this afternoon.

"The team was very disappointed with the outcome of last week's match and it was not easy for us to raise their spirits," Neill told The Times.

"We threw the match away cheaply but now we have to make sure that there is no repeat of that in Sweden.

We've been together for a few days now and there's better understanding between the players, particularly the newcomers.

"This will be another difficult match as Sweden have a formidable team. But, we were in this position before, so I'm confident my players will be more attentive this time around."

Sweden are the new team in Division 2B after winning promotion last year. They have already dismissed any notion that they could be the whipping boys in the group following a convincing 21-5 victory over Latvia in their group opener at home last month.

Their squad includes some players from leagues in the UK. In fact, they have set up a network to promote their players in England, Scotland and Wales with the aim of boosting their chances of earning a contract in Britain.

"I don't know much about Sweden," Neill admitted.

"But, from the little information we have gathered, it seems that they are an all-round side with a very big pack and some excellent runners of the ball."

Group results: Sweden vs Latvia 21-5; Malta vs Croatia 16-18.

Playing today: Netherlands vs Croatia; Sweden vs Malta.