Latest news with #NeilJenkins
Wales Online
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Neil Jenkins writes a message to Leigh Halfpenny after being replaced by him and everyone is blown away
Neil Jenkins writes a message to Leigh Halfpenny after being replaced by him and everyone is blown away Leigh Halfpenny will be joining Matt Sherratt's coaching ticket this summer in Japan Wales legends Neil Jenkins (left) and Leigh Halfpenny (Image: Instagram/Jess Halfpenny ) Wales legend Neil Jenkins has penned a poignant message to Leigh Halfpenny as the former Harlequins player gets set to take on his mentor's role this summer. WalesOnline reported earlier on this week that Halfpenny was set to be included in Matt Sherratt's coaching ticket for their two-Test tour of Japan next month, with the news confirmed by the Welsh Rugby Union on Thursday. Halfpenny's contract with Quins has now elapsed but it is understood the former Scarlets, Ospreys and Cardiff man will be taking up a contact with France with Béziers next season. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. However, before that, he will tip his toes further into the coaching pool with a national team role alongside head coach Sherratt, defence coach Gethin Jenkins, scrum consultant Adam Jones, assistant forwards coach T. Rhys Thomas and forwards coach Danny Wilson. With the WRU going in a different direction, it means Warren Gatland's trusted lieutenant and Wales mainstay Jenkins will be staying at home this summer, but the hero paid a suitably heartfelt tribute to his student with a message and photo on Instagram. "Supporting my boy, always!" he wrote online. "Good luck for the summer tour son, very proud of you." Article continues below In the comments section of the post, Halfpenny's mother responded with a three heart emojis, while his wife Jess did the same, with others blown away by the sentiments expressed by Jenkins. "What a man you are for this post Jinx," wrote one, while another added: "Class is permanent, passing the baton on, thanks Neil and good luck Leigh." Leigh Halfpenny and Neil Jenkins pictured in 2021 (Image: © Huw Evans Picture Agency ) Jenkins and Halfpenny have worked together with the national side for years, with the kicking legend imparting his wisdom on the Gorseinon product, helping him become one of the best goalkickers in world rugby. Upon being announced as a member of Sherratt's team, Halfpenny quickly paid his own tribute to Jenkins. 'To be asked to work with the men's national squad this summer is a huge honour and I'm very grateful for the opportunity," said Halfpenny. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free 'I really enjoyed my experience coaching with the U20s a few years ago and I'm looking forward to continuing my development in this area over the next few weeks. "Neil Jenkins has been a massive influence on me throughout my career. "He's one of the best that there has ever been and I've been privileged to have learnt so much from him and I hope I can take that knowledge forward into this role. 'I'm still finalising my plans beyond the summer and hope to update more on that front soon. Article continues below "In the meantime, I can't wait to get into camp and join up with Matt, the rest of the coaching team and squad next week.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Wales to add Halfpenny to coaching staff for Japan series
Wales will confirm former full-back Leigh Halfpenny will be added to the coaching team for next month's trip to will work under interim head coach Matt Sherratt for the two Test tour as kicking coach, a role that has been occupied by Neil Jenkins for almost 20 will also be joined in his backroom staff by his Cardiff defence coach Gethin Jenkins, Harlequins duo Danny Wilson (forwards) and Adam Jones (scrum), and Gloucester's Rhys coaches who were part of Warren Gatland's backroom staff, including Jonathan Humphreys, Mike Forshaw, Alex King and Rob Howley, will not be involved in would be involved for the first time as the kicking coach and is expected to be involved full time from next 36-year-old former British and Irish Lion has left Harlequins and is expected to continue playing by joining French second division side Beziers next who has been an important mentor for Halfpenny during his career with the pair remaining close, is currently helping Wales Under-20s before the Junior World Championship starts later this month. Sherratt will again act in the caretaker role he adopted during the Six Nations after Gatland resigned in Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) performance director Dave Reddin is leading the hunt for Gatland's permanent Japan, Wales will look to end a record run of successive 17 Test losses, having not won an international since October 2023 in a run that includes two successive Six Nations Wooden will play the Test matches against Eddie Jones' Japan side in Kitakyushu and Kobe aiming not to slip from their lowest ever position of 12th in the world first Test, at Kitakyushu's Mikuni World Stadium, will take place on 5 July in the city where Wales held their Rugby World Cup training camp in second Test will be played at Kobe's Noevir Stadium – which features a retractable roof – seven days later.
Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Two Wales players on Lions tour is embarrassing but completely justified
As if we needed a reminder of just how low Welsh rugby has fallen, here we have it. Since 2001, Wales have never had fewer than 10 players on tour. In 2013, that number reached a peak of 15 meaning a Welsh representation of 41 per cent. And now? Just two. And those who have made it are unlikely to be involved in the Test side. Australia is an awfully long way to go to hold tackle pads. The 'bin juice' of the squad, to use rugby parlance. It is a sad state of affairs. Lions folklore has Welsh contributions coursing through its veins. As a 37-year-old, the first tour I remember is the 1997 triumph in South Africa. Neil Jenkins sticking the boot into the Boks with Scott Gibbs running riot in midfield. Thursday throwback! Neil Jenkins in 1997 vs South Africa hits the middle of the middle! 💪🏻 — School of Kicking (@SchoolofKicking) December 22, 2022 Four years later, five Welshmen were in the matchday squad against Australia for the first Test. Even Sir Clive Woodward's shambolic trip to New Zealand in 2005 saw Welshman Gareth Thomas end the tour as captain. Then in 2009, Jamie Roberts was man of the series in the most brutal tour in recent memory. Stephen Jones was top points scorer and Shane Williams tied with Tom Croft for most Test tries, whilst Mike Phillips was at his bristling best. The last time the Lions faced Australia, they might as well have just been called Wales. George North and Alex Cuthbert were joint-top try scorers, Leigh Halfpenny was top points scorer and the team was captained by Sam Warburton. Warren Gatland made the still controversial call to drop Brian O'Driscoll in favour of Jonathan Davies, and the rest is history. Man of the series that tour? Leigh Halfpenny. And what about four years after that in New Zealand? Man of the series: Jonathan Davies. Captain: Sam Warburton. Lion #778: Jonathan Davies 🦁 Two Tours, including a Players' Player of the Series performance in New Zealand in 2017 ⭐️ — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) January 5, 2024 Indeed, three of the last four player of the series awards have gone to a Welshman. Only Maro Itoje bucks the trend after picking it up last time out. Although the heroes were still Welsh. Alun Wyn Jones made a genuinely miraculous comeback to captain the team, Dan Biggar led the points tally and Josh Adams scored eight tries. But here in 2025, the Welsh boys better be good value on the behind-the-scenes tour documentary or they risk becoming a tricky quiz answer in years to come. Personally, Lions tours are usually a rare period in time when I get close to feeling British over Welsh. Not quite, but close. This, the Olympics and anything celebrating the allied war efforts makes the lack of Welsh representation on the Union Flag almost bearable. But I'm not sure I'll be able to stomach supporting the Lions this time around. Usually I'd be all in. But that's because I've got skin in the game. This time, with no Welsh player likely to be in the Test team, can I really stand there and cheer for the Irish, Scottish and English? It'd be like picking sides in The Old Firm. Who cares? Every year since 2009, me and my University of Worcester RFC comrades have got together to watch the first Test. When George North famously wagged his finger in Will Genia's face before dotting down, I was at the bar at The Railway in Penarth, South Wales. We were a few beers deep, and the place erupted. Pints went everywhere. Strangers hugging each other. Welsh, Scottish, Irish – even English. It did not matter. Just euphoric, sporting bliss... at 9am, I should add. Rugby enemies becoming friends is the unexplainable allure of the Lions. Players and fans alike uniting to stand toe to toe with a new enemy. It's powerful. But I fear it will not be this time. Because part of that togetherness is all the nations being needed, and needing each other. This summer, the scene in the Railway will not be repeated... because the Lions do not need the Welsh this time. Their presence Down Under will have no bearing on the Test series result. The brutal truth is it would be exactly the same if Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams were battling to save Welsh rugby from extinction in Japan rather than achieving the pinnacle of their careers in Australia.
