Today's rugby news as Lions coach banned from driving and Stuart Hogg gets devastating news
Today's rugby news as Lions coach banned from driving and Stuart Hogg gets devastating news
The latest rugby news stories from Wales and beyond
Stuart Hogg leaves hospital on crutches
These are your rugby headlines on Wednesday, April 30.
Lions coach banned from driving
Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby has been banned from driving for six months following a court hearing in Cardiff, it has emerged.
Easterby was caught exceeding the 70mph speed limit on a dual carriageway in Bodmin, Cornwall, last August. He lives in the Vale of Glamorgan with TV presenter wife Sarra Elgan and regularly travels for work in his role as part of the Irish coaching team. Easterby took charge of Ireland during the recent Six Nations and has been selected to be part of this summer's Lions coaching team. He has also been among the leading contenders to be the next Wales rugby head coach.
The court considered Easterby's work and family commitments that require him to drive. but did not find there would be exceptional hardship as the result of a ban, the BBC report.
He was also ordered to pay a fine of £1,345 within the next week. 25% OFF DEAL NOW: Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby
Ireland's interim head coach Simon Easterby
(Image: ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images )
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Hogg gets devastating news
Former Scotland captain Stuart Hogg could spend the rest of 2025 on the sidelines after suffering a devastating season-ending injury while in action for Montpellier. The back, who joined the Top 14 side after coming out of retirement last summer, was forced off in the second half of their clash with Perpignan on Saturday, after being on the receiving end of a heavy tackle from winger Tavite Veredamu while making a catch.
It has now emerged that the 32-year-old suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, which is set to keep him out of action for between six and nine months.
He underwent surgery on Tuesday, with Montpellier sharing an image of the Scottish international sitting up in his hospital bed following the operation.
'Stuart suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during the second half of the MHR vs USAP match,' the French club confirmed in an injury update. 'He underwent successful surgery on Tuesday. We wish him a speedy recovery!'
In a statement, Hogg said: "Not how I envisaged my season in Montpellier ending. To say I'm gutted would be an understatement. Injuries are part of rugby, and unfortunately, I've managed to pick up a bad one. Ruptured achilles. Operation was a successful one this morning in Saint Jean Hospital. Time to rest up before cracking on with the rehab.
"My aim now is to support the team in whatever way I can and remain as positive & optimistic. I will be back from this."
The injury comes after Hogg - who was sentenced to a community payback order last month after admitting to abusing his estranged wife Gillian - had found a new lease of life in the south of France as a fly-half.
The former Scotland full-back was making his 11th league start in the No.10 jersey when he suffered the season-ending injury, having helped to lift his side up to ninth in the Top 14 table and one point off the play-off positions.
Wallabies announce new head coach
By John Besley, PA
Former Ireland assistant coach Les Kiss has been announced as the next head coach of the Wallabies.
He will succeed current coach Joe Schmidt at the conclusion of the 2026 World Nations Cup.
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh called the 60-year-old Australian's appointment the 'desired solution'.
'I did joke (with Les) … saying 'welcome home' but it's great to have someone who's been embedded in the system for a long period of time, understands the history of Australian rugby, and has spent time offshore,' Waugh said.
'We've ended up in a really elegant solution here which provides certainty.'
After reaching the highest levels of rugby league in his playing career, Kiss assisted Declan Kidney in guiding Ireland to their first Grand Slam in 61 years in 2009.
He stayed with the Irish national system until 2014 when he became interim director of rugby at Ulster, eventually transitioning to the role full time in 2015.
Kiss was appointed head coach at London Irish in 2019, guiding the team to promotion and consistently strong results in the Premiership until the club fell into administration in 2023.
He then took over as head coach of the Super Rugby side Queensland Reds.
Kiss said he will see out his contract with the Reds before officially taking over the Wallabies role.
Furbank out of huge Euro match
By Andy Sims, PA
Northampton captain George Furbank is out of Saturday's Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Leinster. The England full-back marked his return from the broken arm he suffered in December with a try as Saints powered past Castres 51-16 in the quarter-final.
But Furbank is still feeling the effects of having metal plates inserted into his arm and will miss this weekend's blockbuster in Dublin. Director of rugby Phil Dowson said: 'George won't play this weekend. He's struggling to get over that arm break and getting back into contact is hard for him. He keeps getting whacked and it's going numb and it's very painful.
'I don't think that's unusual for an arm that's been plated. He's clearly desperate to get back in, particularly for a game like this, but unfortunately it's too soon.'
Dowson was unable to say whether Furbank will play a part again this season, or if he would be available should the Lions come calling this summer.
'It's week by week really.' added Dowson. 'He's not a soft lad but it's clearly very painful, and worst-case we don't want to make it any worse.
'We're trying to manage that conservatively with the stresses of time running out as well.
'I think it's very variable but my impression is it takes a while to get back into it. There's not a huge amount of meat around that part of the body if you're swinging it around and landing on it in a tackle or other people are landing on it.
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'I couldn't tell you what's going to happen. I've asked the physio about 485 times if he can play and the physio has said no every time. I'll ask again next week.'
Saturday's showdown is a repeat of last season's semi-final, which Leinster won 20-17.
Saints have almost no chance of making the Premiership play-offs in defence of their title, so the Champions Cup is realistically their last chance of silverware this season.
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