Tonight's rugby news as Halfpenny announcement made and big call in Welsh match branded a 'disaster'
Tonight's rugby news as Halfpenny announcement made and big call in Welsh match branded a 'disaster'
The latest rugby news from Wales and beyond.
Leigh Halfpenny speaking to the media
(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd )
Your rugby evening headlines on Saturday, May 17.
Leigh Halfpenny exit confirmed
Harlequins have confirmed the departure of Leigh Halfpenny.
The news comes just one day after WalesOnline reported that the Welsh Rugby Union are understood to have approached Halfpenny over a coaching role for their summer tour of Japan - with the full-back set to take on the part-time role.
Halfpenny has been at Harlequins for one season and was part of a strong Welsh contingent that included Dillon Lewis, Wyn Jones and Jarrod Evans.
Lewis and Jones are heading back to Welsh rugby while Evans is staying in the English capital. It is understood that 36-year-old Halfpenny wants to continue playing but, crucially, this would not affect him going into a coaching role with Wales.
Since leaving Scarlets in 2023, Halfpenny spent a season in Super Rugby with Crusaders before joining Quins in the English Premiership. He retired from international rugby after the 2023 World Cup.
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Halfpenny is set to join second division French club Beziers ahead of next season, although nothing has been confirmed yet. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
A total of 18 players are leaving Quins at the end of the season, with Danny Care the key name among them all. The England star has spent 19 years with the club and will go down as a legend at Twickenham Stoop.
South African boss says red card a 'disaster'
DHL Stormers head coach John Dobson says Damian Willemse's red card against Cardiff is a "disaster".
The Springbok international had spent much of the season on the sidelines with an injury, but has been performing very well of late.
Willemse had enjoyed another fine game at full-back in the United Rugby Championship, but was shown a red card by referee Gianluca Gnecchi for a tackle on Cardiff's Gabriel Hamer-Webb.
Cardiff were already a man down, with Danny Southworth red-carded after half an hour played, when Willemse made contact with Hamer-Webb at the same time as team-mate Leolin Zas.
It was decided that Willemse had made direct contact with the head of Hamer-Webb and it was worthy of a red card.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Dobson vented his frustrations at losing Willemse at a key point in the season.
"I haven't seen it enough to comment on what the impact of Zas' tackle was," he said.
"It was our fault. I don't know if it was enough [for mitigation], he was stuck, he didn't get released by the inside man. I don't think he was trying to hit with the shoulder, think he was trying to turn.
"The implications, I'm sure, are going to be poor for us. I've got no doubt. We can't appeal until there is a decision; we can decide if we wait for a hearing or go straight to a judicial officer. If we do the latter, we may have more of a chance with the sanction, but there will be a sanction.
"I don't see them overturning that unless Zas has clearly caused the height to come down, but it's a disaster for us."
Wallabies suffer another injury blow ahead of Lions
Australia prop Allan Alaalatoa has added to the Wallabies' injury concerns ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour this summer, after he limped off for the Brumbies in their victory over the Reds.
Joe Schmidt is already sweating on Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i and Noah Lolesio after the pair were stretchered off last week.
The tighthead, who has captained the Wallabies in the past and would have been expected to start against the Lions this summer, was carried off by two physios with a calf issue.
'He had a tight calf coming into half-time and got a bit tighter when he was playing through that second-half,' Brumbies head coach Stephen Larkham told reporters after the match.
'We haven't had him fully assessed yet but we'll have an update on Monday.'
On Stan Sport, Larkham added: 'Our understanding is he sort of carried it into halftime and he was pretty keen to go on,' he said. 'Hopefully it's just a cramp as opposed to anything more serious.'
'He was in the change room, still limping.' Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
Dave Walder joins Exeter
By PA Sport Staff
Exeter have announced the appointment of Dave Walder as an assistant coach with immediate effect.
Walder joins the Chiefs following recent departures from the coaching staff of Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher.
Exeter are ninth in the Premiership, having won just four of their 16 league games, with the defeats including a record 79-17 loss at Gloucester in April.
The Chiefs have two Premiership fixtures remaining this season, visiting Harlequins on Sunday and then hosting Sale Sharks on May 31.
Walder is a former head coach of Newcastle, while he has also worked with Bristol and England Under-20s.
"I have known Dave a long time, and I really appreciate the work he put in for a lengthy period at Newcastle," Exeter rugby director Rob Baxter said.
"I thought he did a fantastic job there with relatively limited resources. He always brought out the best in the group that he had working with him.
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"More recently, he has been working with some of our England Under-20 players, and those guys have only had positive things to say about him."
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