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Wales Online
a day ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Today's rugby news as giant new signing heads for Wales and James Hook demands WRU action after win
Today's rugby news as giant new signing heads for Wales and James Hook demands WRU action after win The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world Dan Edwards of Wales throws the ball to fans as the team celebrated (Image: 2025 Getty Images ) Here are your rugby morning headlines for Monday, July 14. Smith signs off and heads to Wales Ospreys-bound Ryan Smith has signed off his time with Queensland Reds. Smith, who stands at 6ft 6ins, recently faced off against the Lions and Jac Morgan in one of Andy Farrell's warm-up matches for the three-Test series against the Wallabies. The Australian is now heading for Wales to work under Mark Jones in Swansea, and he said farewell to his team-mates and supporters in heartfelt fashion. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. 'As a kid, I'd catch the train to Ballymore with my dad to watch from the hill when the Reds played. They were always the team I barracked for and that won't change,' Smith reflected. 'I never thought I'd pull on the Queensland jersey or even go to one training session for the Reds. Article continues below 'To get to play more than 50 games and captain my state is something I'm very proud of. I'm lucky my career has panned out the way it has. All the hard yards have been worth it to run out at Suncorp Stadium. 'All the rugby stuff has been awesome, a genuine dream come true. The part I probably didn't expect to be the best part is just the people you meet along the way. It's a special thing that bond between the guys beside you, who you play for and with.' Smith, 28, made his final appearance for the Reds against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium and said it was a 'super privilege". 'Suncorp Stadium has kinda been a special place for me so to have my final Queensland game be against the Lions was massive,' Smith added. 'My whole career I've tried to look ahead at the next step and tried to reach that next level. 'Ospreys is another challenge, another rung in the ladder of my career, a chance to learn a lot in the European competitions and a cool experience for my family.' Emerging star bullish after Wales 'written off' Dan Edwards said Wales showed tremendous character to hit back at their critics after being written off last week to earn their first Test win in 19 attempts. The Ospreys fly-half earned his first start for Wales and also earned rave reviews in the process, with many hopeful he can be the man to grab what has become a problematic No.10 shirt following the retirement of Dan Biggar. And the 22-year-old, who scored what would be the winning try, was bullish after victory over Japan, saying he and his team-mates proved the critics wrong out in Kobe. "It was good," he said of his first start. "More importantly, it was about getting a win today. I can't lie, I'm absolutely chuffed. Especially with everyone saying we didn't deserve to win last week and were writing us off. I'm absolutely landed. "We've come back and shown everyone why we're here. "It shows the character we've got. People wrote us off last week and people have been writing us off for however long. But that was a real statement that when it gets tough, we can pull through. "I think that'll take us in now to the autumn. We've all got time off - five weeks off now. I think it'll be great going back into our clubs. It's just that little bit of a boost that Welsh rugby needed." Hook: Use win as catalyst to enact change James Hook has told the WRU to use the ecstasy surrounding Wales ending their losing streak as a catalyst for building momentum and implementing a real plan for sustained success. Wales overcame Japan in Kobe to put an end to 21 months without a Test victory, prompting an outpouring of emotion from both players and staff in the Land of the Rising Sun. And while Hook concedes the "relief" was evident for all to see, he has told the WRU they must now put in place the structure which will see Test victories become far more commonplace in the future. "Relief, that's the word isn't it, relief. I saw Dewi Lake's interview at the end it's just pure relief," Hook told the BBC. "You could see it on the players and Matt Sherratt's face at the end, and they nearly threw it away in the second-half, but they found a way to win didn't they. "When Japan scored those two tries I said 'here we go again' but they found a way to win and that's all that matters in the end. "Come September we need a couple of key building blocks in place, we need a head coach. "The regions, whether we're going to lose a region, go down to two, go down to three, whatever it is, that needs to be sorted. "You don't expect it to happen overnight but something needs to be done in the next couple of months. "The autumn's going to be a tough campaign, New Zealand and South Africa aren't going to be quaking in their boots after that performance." Three more called up to Lions squad By PA Sport Staff The British and Irish Lions have called up Scotland trio Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham ahead of their series against Australia. The Lions' squad has swelled to 44 players with the latest additions, who are being brought in to provide cover that will prevent key Test personnel from backing up in next Tuesday's match against a First Nations & Pasifika XV. The eighth match on tour takes place before the second Test against the Wallabies in Melbourne on July 26. Prop Sutherland, hooker Ewan Ashman and wing Darcy Graham have all been summoned from Scotland's tour of New Zealand. Graham will link up with the Lions in Brisbane on Monday while Sutherland and Ashman will arrive in Melbourne on Sunday with Scotland facing Samoa in Auckland the previous day. Sutherland made two Test appearances for the Lions in South Africa four years ago. Head coach Andy Farrell named a 38-man squad in May but since arriving in Australia full-back Jamie Osborne, hooker Jamie George and prop Tom Clarkson have been added. Marcus Smith 'buzzing' about Owen Farrell call-up By Duncan Bech, PA Rugby Union Correspondent, Brisbane Marcus Smith is "buzzing" that Owen Farrell has joined the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia after the former England team-mates were reunited on the field in Adelaide on Saturday. Smith and Farrell were brought on at the same time in the 48-0 rout of an AUNZ Invitational XV and dovetailed impressively, forming the type of creative axis that was once valued so highly by England. It was Farrell's first appearance since he was called up as a replacement for the injured Elliot Daly and he produced some telling moments in attack, albeit against limited opposition. Both playmakers are hoping to be involved in Saturday's first Test against the Wallabies, with bench spots potentially available for those players who have the versatility to cover multiple positions. "I was buzzing to see Owen come. Playing with him over the last four years and learning off him over the last eight years has been super valuable for my development," Smith said. "I can't speak highly enough of Owen - the things he's taught me on and off the field - playing alongside him, training with him, learning from him. Article continues below "I can't thank him enough, so to be out there with him on the pitch was good fun."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Edwards praises character of Wales after Japan win
Wales fly-half Dan Edwards says the tourists proved their character by defeating Japan in 31-22 victory ended an 18-match losing Test run that had lasted 21 months, with Edwards scoring a try in his 16-point haul in his first international earned Wales their first Test win since beating Georgia at the 2023 World Cup and levelled the series following a 24-19 defeat to Japan in Kitakyushu."It was about getting a win, I'm absolutely chuffed," said Edwards."Especially with everyone saying we didn't deserve to win last week and were writing us off, people have been writing us off for however long. "We've come back and shown everyone why we're here. It shows the character we've got. That was a real statement that when it gets tough, we can pull through."It's also just that little bit of a boost that Welsh rugby needed." Plumtree magic Ospreys fly-half Edwards, 22, scored a crucial late try after some magic from replacement flanker Taine Plumtree who produced an outrageous reverse pass."Fair play to Taine, he was brave doing that," said Edwards"It was great just getting on the end of it and finishing it off."Plumtree outlined his thinking about pulling off the move."It was just one of the main messages that Jockey [Wales interim head coach Matt Sherratt] gave us was to be brave and express ourselves," said Plumtree."I think we were under an advantage. I heard Rog [Wales wing Tom Rogers] out the back so I pulled it back. Thank God it came through."Sherratt praised the adventure his players showed while under intense pressure."That last play summarises it for me," said Sherratt."It would have been easy to go to a safe lineout at the front. We have thrown to the back, run a more risky play. "And Taine Plumtree throws a reverse pass. I didn't intend for him to be that brave, but it worked."Plumtree came on for Cardiff flanker Alex Mann and was one of the second-half replacements who made an impact in the Kobe heat and humidity."As those bench players, you've got to bring energy to those starters," said Plumtree."You know the heat is incredible. It's tough being out there. "One of the jobs for us is bringing that level and trying to bring the boys up to finish off the game." Worth the wait for Giles Three new caps came off the bench in Ospreys duo Reuben Morgan-Williams and Keelan Giles, along with Dragons prop Chris moment was especially memorable for Giles who had his first taste of international rugby - nine years after being picked for his first now 27, was selected as an 18-year-old for the New Zealand tour in was an unused replacement in the narrow victory against Japan in November that year and also remained uncapped after being included for the trip to play Samoa and Tonga the following battling back from significant knee issues and hamstring problems, Giles was picked for the 2024 summer tour of Australia but had to pull out because of he has finally realised his dream."It's a massive day for me and my family," said Giles."They made the trip over, which made it extra special. It's unbelievable. "It's been a long time coming. It's almost like a full-circle moment, playing against Japan and being on the bench nine years ago against Japan and not getting on. "So it's an extra special feeling."Giles came on as a half-time replacement for the injured Josh Adams, who had scored a try and created one in the first half."I just wanted to get on the pitch no matter how many minutes I played," said Giles."A win has been a long time coming for fans of Wales. This group has worked extremely hard over the last couple of years. "To get that win, it's almost the monkey off our backs. It's something to build on now."The players have been feeling it, with 18 losses, the players felt it the most. "Now it's time to kick on and get more wins. We're looking forward to the autumn and the future."
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
The 88 seconds of bravery that ended Wales' 21-month wait for victory
The 88 seconds of bravery that ended Wales' 21-month wait for victory After what seems like an eternity, Wales bagged a win in Japan at the 19th time of asking Dan Edwards scores the crucial try for Wales to seal the game (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) The margin between victory and defeat, as Wales have learned the brutal way over the last 21 months, is remarkably thin. Last week, in Kitakyushu, Matt Sherratt's side were unable to hold onto a 19-7 lead in the blazing sun. Now, under the roof in Kobe, leads of 21-3 and 24-10 had vanished. Leading by two points heading into the final 10 minutes, just as they had the previous week, it felt like everyone knew how this was about to play out. Only those decked out all in red at Noevir Stadium were about to flip the script. After 18 consecutive Test defeats, dragging the national team to new lows in terms of the world rankings, they did it. Frankly, it mattered little how they got over the line. Having waited so long for a win, no one cared how it came. But, in all honesty, it was always going to be the case that Wales had to go out and properly win it in the final minutes, rather than just hold on and fall over the line. They'd essentially tried that the week before. It didn't work, with the conditions and fear paralysing Wales. Article continues below It's a familiar story. Throughout this run, Wales have been capable of moments early on in matches. Think Blair Murray's try against Fiji last autumn or Tom Rogers' effort against Ireland in the recent Six Nations. The problems have often come about once the match reaches its conclusion. It looked to be a similar tale this time around. From the off, Wales looked to push an extra pass to stress Japan. Aaron Wainwright, in for Taulupe Faletau, shone early on - showing great work rate to get a second touch as Wales' forwards strung passes together to make ground. There was a clear intent from Wales to shift the ball a little wider than Japan expected. From deep, an extra tip-on pass sets them nicely for Dan Edwards to kick on his own terms. Edwards' high contestable is tapped back by Rogers in the air, with Johnny Williams claiming it. The centre gets isolated and turned over, but Alex Mann - who has been tipped to switch to openside at some point by his coaches - gets over the ball to win it back. From there, the first instinct is to spread it wide. Mann pops it off the deck to Archie Griffin, with Wainwright, Dewi Lake and Josh Macleod getting the ball to Ben Thomas. With Murray and Josh Adams outside him, Thomas targets Japan captain's Michael Leitch's outside shoulder - just about beating the back-row before offloading to Murray. From there, the full-back has a simple two-on-one to put Adams away for his first try for Wales since September 2023. Having moved further ahead from a Kieran Hardy score off the back of some strong lineouts, Wales' third score is just as well-worked as the first. With Japan down to 14 men following a yellow card, they worry little about the fact that Nicky Smith is down receiving treatment after winning a scrum penalty - instead taking a quick lineout to Griffin at the front and working the ball into the centre of the pitch. That's exactly where Wales want it, leaving their options open to go either way. In the end, it's an 11-play they run - one phase infield, then one phase back the other way - with Edwards and Murray sweeping behind as late options. The handling is crisp, with Adams cutting back against the grain beautifully to set up Hardy for his second. Given Wales have had to focus their attention away from the attack in the last five weeks - given there was limited sessions with an almost entirely new coaching group - these are lovely scores. For a while, that seemed to be as good as it got for Wales. A familiar story, flashes of good play leading to an implosion. Defeat had become inevitable, a self-fulfilling prophecy. Last week, Wales seemed to be clinging onto the fact that the lead they'd built was too big to lose. They now knew better. "The messaging this week was we did a lot well for 60 minutes (last week)," said Sherratt afterwards. "So the things we put emphasis on this week were our first three phases. "About 30 or 40 per cent of your possession is lineout attack. I think the lineout at the end, we talked about being a bit brave with the ball. "We probably tried to hang onto a lead last week. So all the messaging at half-time, Dewi spoke brilliantly about going on to kick on and win the game." And then, in the short space of 88 seconds or so, Wales did just that. It all started rather innocuously. Full-back Murray had gone up for an Edwards' up-and-under, but Japan had claimed the ball just outside their own 22. With Wales' lead having been reduced from 14 points to just two, the tension was building uncomfortably fast. Japan's defence coach, former Springbok assistant Gary Gold, notices Murray is still up in the frontline as Japan recycle. He relays the message down to the sideline, letting them know there's space in the middle. Edwards, alone in the backfield, calls Rogers back to cover, but there's still a fair bit of grass to look after as Japan finally pull the trigger on putting boot to ball. However, Taine Plumtree - on for Mann - gets just enough pressure on Seungsin Lee for the fly-half to slice his kick out on the full. By now, Wales are exhausted - with Luke Pearce calling upon them to form the lineout as they take a breather. Murray is barely on his feet by the time Luke Belcher, on for Lake, is towelling off the ball ahead of throwing in. The week before, Belcher had endured a few lineout wobbles on his Welsh debut. He can't afford something similar. He doesn't, nailing a perfect throw to the tail. "That last play summarises it for me," explains Sherratt. "It would have been easy to go to a safe lineout at the front. But we throw to the back, run a more risky play, if you like." Plumtree, the man who Belcher finds at the back of the lineout, agrees. "That clarity is a massive thing come those pressure times in the game," he says afterwards. "Belch came on and threw a perfect lineout that almost got stolen. A few phases later, we scored." Plumtree pops the ball to Reuben Morgan-Williams, the Ospreys scrum-half on for his Test debut. Before now, he'd been deputising on the wing - but Wales have switched him to his preferred position, with Hardy covering out wide. Ben Thomas carries into the heart of Japan's defence from the lineout, with wings Rogers and Hardy in close support to clear out. Once again, Wales have set up a ruck in the middle of the field - exactly where they want. As Japan work to fold around, Wales go back to the touchline they just came from. The first two carries are executed well. Belcher and Macleod offer themselves up as decoys, with Wales' ruck support on hand to offer quick ball. With no one on the blindside, Morgan-Williams looks to have gone down a blind alley. But he holds the pass nicely, waiting for Belcher to arrive on his shoulder. The Cardiff hooker targets a weak shoulder, making inroads as Japan are again forced to work hard folding around. One more phase to the blindside and Wales are ready to come back the other way. Wales' work effort is superb. Both teams are out on their feet, but Wales are winning the little races. James Ratti carries into contact, with Thomas clearing out. There's a sniff of a jackal opportunity, but Belcher works hard to get off the floor and secure the ruck. Just behind him, Plumtree drifts across - getting beyond the ruck before the Japan defence does. Now, it's time for Wales to really get brave. Japan's fold is slow, with Wales outnumbering them in the open space. Rogers and Edwards both stand beyond Plumtree, with Murray and Keelan Giles outside them in acres of space. Japan's right wing Kippei Ishida is left isolated with several options to cover. With Edwards the deeper option, he - fairly - assumes if the ball does go wide, Plumtree will go out the back - so he bites onto Edwards. Instead, Plumtree throws a little flat reverse pass to Rogers - taking Ishida out of the game. "Just one of the main messages that Jockey gave us was to be brave and express ourselves," says Plumtree. "I think we were under an advantage." There wasn't. "I heard Rog out the back so I pulled it back," he adds. "Thank God it came through." Rogers wastes no time giving the ball to Edwards, with the fly-half getting over for his first Test try at a crucial time. Article continues below "Fair play to Taine," says Edwards afterwards. "Jockey said to be brave and, fair play, Taine was brave doing that." "I didn't intend for him to be that brave," Sherratt admits, "but it worked! In the end, with all the scars, it was going to take something a bit special to end this losing run. Wales were brave when it mattered most and got exactly what they deserved.
Canberra Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Canberra Times
Test torment over for Wales with Brave Blossoms win
But Wales used a Josh Macleod ruck turnover to get back into the Japan 22 and pressure and desperation earned a 74th-minute try for flyhalf Dan Edwards. The first-time Test starter converted his try and was a perfect five-for-five off the tee.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Test torment over for Wales with Brave Blossoms win
Wales have finally won a rugby Test and snapped an 18-match international losing streak, holding off Japan 31-22. The Welsh looked like they were going to blow it again when their 24-10 lead was cut to 24-22 by Japan with 17 minutes remaining on Saturday. But Wales used a Josh Macleod ruck turnover to get back into the Japan 22 and pressure and desperation earned a 74th-minute try for flyhalf Dan Edwards. The first-time Test starter converted his try and was a perfect five-for-five off the tee. The nine-point margin and sterling defence in sweltering heat were finally enough to get Wales to fulltime. "We knew it was 18 successive defeats but this is a young group and there's a lot more to come from us," Edwards told S4C channel. "It was amazing to score. I was just glad to catch the ball!. I'm just so glad we won." 🏴 What it means ❤️#WelshRugby #JPNvWAL — Welsh Rugby Union 🏴 (@WelshRugbyUnion) July 12, 2025 Wales had gone 644 days since their last win in October 2023 against Georgia at the Rugby World Cup. Their losing run left them tied with France's losing streak from 1911-20 as the longest by a major team in Test rugby history. Winger Josh Adams was a standout for Wales, scoring the opening try and setting up the second of a first-half double for scrumhalf Kieran Hardy before being replaced at halftime. Hardy scored in the 27th minute and again in the 35th, while Japan No.8 Faulua Makisi was in the sin bin, as Wales opened a 21-3 lead. But with Makisi back and a new front row on, Japan struck just before halftime with a try to replacement tighthead Shuhei Takeuchi. A 40m Edwards penalty after the break made it 24-10 then Japan came roaring back. Lock Warner Dearns scored at the end of a long attack started by his chargedown, and centre Dylan Riley scooped a dropped overhead catch by Edwards and ran from halfway to score between the posts. But Macleod's turnover started a last resurgence and the Welsh prevailed. They looked spent and clung to each other in celebration.
