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BBC News
28-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Harlequins recall England trio for trip to Bath
England trio Marcus Smith, Fin Baxter and Chandler Cunningham-South will return to the Harlequins side for Saturday's match at Premiership leaders internationals sat out the 23-12 comeback victory against London rivals Saracens last weekend as they had a mandatory rest period following the Six win lifted the Twickenham-based club to fourth in the table with six games remaining."Great performance from everyone involved. I think there was an element of getting the tactics right and an element of grit and determination to stay in the fight," head coach Danny Wilson told BBC Radio London."The boys did that against a very good Saracens side at a venue where they would be 100% favourites."A win at the Recreation Ground on Saturday (15:05 GMT) would strengthen their grip on a spot for the end-of-season semi-finals."They're a very good side - [they have] unbelievable squad depth. The bench that they seem to be able to put out week in, week out is really impressive," Wilson said. Smith returns at fly-half with Benson on bench England prop Baxter starts in the front row alongside hooker Jack Walker and Titi Lamositele, with Irne Herbst and Stephan Lewies - captain for the day - in the second at number eight is flanked by Jack Kenningham and Tom Will Porter partners Smith at fly-half, with Luke Northmore and Oscar Beard at David and Argentina international Rodrigo Isgro on the wings and South African Tyrone Green at full-back make up the Care returns to the bench from injury alongside fly-half Jamie Benson, who came on to kick 13 points against Saracens. Full Bath v Harlequins teams Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer; Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Molony, Ewells, Hill, Read, BarbearyReplacements: Annett, Van Wyk, Du Toit, Pepper, Underhill, Carr-Smith, Butt, CoetzeeHarlequins: T Green; Isgro, Beard, Northmore, David; Smith, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, Herbst, Lewies, Kenningham, Lawday, Cunningham-SouthReplacements: Riley, Els, Jones, Launchbury, Hammond, Schmid, Care, BensonReferee: Anthony Woodthorpe
BBC News
21-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Is White a Lions starter & how do Scots gain grunt up front?
BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering some of your Scottish rugby asked: Imagine you were in charge of this Scotland team. What would you do to address the lack of grunt up front? Who should fill George Turner's shoes long term? Who should feature in the second row? And, as talented as they are as individuals, is the balance of the current back row wrong?Tom answered: If, and hopefully when, everybody is fit then Scotland's grunt factor will increase. Scott Cummings and Max Williamson will make a big difference, Gregor Brown isn't a massive man but he's got lots of dog in him and was terrific in Paris. I was hoping to see a bit of Cam Henderson in the Six second row will be fine once the injured players return. Down the line I see Cummings and Brown/Williamson as the first-choice partnership. Very happy with back row misses a beast and there's not a lot anybody can do about that in the short term. That said: Jamie Ritchie/G Brown/Luke Crosbie at six, Rory Darge/Andy Onyeama-Christie/Freddy Douglas at seven and Matt Fagerson/Jack Dempsey/Ben Muncaster at eight is very all were fit and firing I'd go Ritchie six, M Fagerson eight and Christie main problems are in the front row. Pierre Schoeman/Rory Sutherland is fine. The hookers are far from fine. Dave Cherry was, for me, the surprise packet of Scotland's Six Nations season. I thought he was excellent and the jersey is his now. Ewan Ashman has gone backwards and the rest of the hookers are unproven. Scotland miss Turner in a major back-up to Zander Fagerson is not international class. That's a huge concern. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty looks a very good prospect, but he's still a kid. There's no quick fix that I can asked: Curious to hear your thoughts on many pundits' Lions squads having Tomos Williams instead of Ben White? White is quietly the full package in all aspects and extremely consistent, while Williams is unspectacular in a Wales team of chronic losers. Should be no contest, no?Tom answered: I've picked my own Lions squad (version 347) and I have White and Williams in it along with Jamison Mitchell was the other one in consideration. Just because Williams has been struggling in a terrible Wales team doesn't mean he's a bad player. He's been excellent for history is full of great players who were in poor national teams but whose excellence blossomed when put in a heavyweight no further than 1997 - one of the great Lions tours of them all - Tom Smith, Keith Wood and Paul Wallace - the storied front-row - were playing for poor Scotland and Ireland teams at the time.
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Wales U20s captain Beddall to join Dragons from Tigers
Wales Under-20s captain Harry Beddall will join Dragons from Leicester Tigers for the 2025-26 Cardiff-born open-side flanker has signed a "long-term deal" with the Gwent head coach Filo Tiatia said: "We are excited that Harry is joining us and making his return to Wales."Harry had an extremely strong Six Nations campaign and is a player we have been aware of and who has a very bright future ahead of him."His work-rate off the ball is outstanding, his collision work is very good, and he has a strong mentality that means he can perform and stay at a high level, for someone who is still very young. "He's been absolutely awesome to watch representing Wales Under-20s and we're looking forward to getting him in our environment and helping him reach his potential in the seasons to come."Beddall shone at Rodney Parade in February as his total of 34 tackles helped Wales' young guns beat their Irish rivals in the junior Six 20-year-old was again a key figure as Richard Whiffin's side stunned England Under-20s at Cardiff Arms Park to deny the visitors the Six Nations title and a first Grand Slam since 2021."I'm excited to be returning to Wales and joining Dragons," said Beddall, who made his senior debut for Leicester against Coventry in the Premiership Rugby Cup last November."I want to thank Filo for giving me the opportunity and, with him being a former back row, I am sure he will be great to learn from."Being back with Hobbsy (Sam Hobbs) and OB (Matt O'Brien), who I worked with in Welsh age groups, will also be great."Having played with some of the boys at Dragons already, I can't wait to be back training with them."I'm already looking forward to getting stuck in with the boys in pre-season training."Before that Beddall and his Wales team-mates have the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, external to look forward to. That takes place in Italy from 29 June to 19 July.
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ireland duo Lowe and Osborne extend Leinster deals
Ireland internationals James Lowe and Jamie Osborne have signed new deals to remain at United Rugby Championship leaders Lowe joined Leinster from the Chiefs in his native New Zealand ahead of the 2017-18 is the second-highest try scorer in Leinster's history, just eight behind Shane Horgan's record of 69 Irish qualified, the 32-year-old is a key player for Ireland and helped them win back-to-back Six Nations titles, as well as the Triple Crown in who can play at full-back, centre or on the wing, came through Leinster's academy and made his senior debut in January 23-year-old made his Ireland debut against South Africa in July and scored a try in Cardiff as Ireland beat Wales to win the Triple Crown in this year's Six pair join Ireland backs Jack Conan and Ryan Baird in extending their contracts with Leo Cullen's side. Leinster are unbeaten in the United Rugby Championship after 12 matches and face Harlequins in the last-16 of the Investec Champions Cup in April.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Furlong to make Ireland return against Italy
Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong is set to play his first Test match since July when Simon Easterby's side meet Italy in Rome for their last game of the Six Nations. The visitors to the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday still have an outside chance of securing the title despite their loss to France in round four but will need to win and hope results later in the day go their way. Tight-head Furlong has been dealing with hamstring and calf injuries which caused him to miss the first four games of the championship, as well as his side's four Tests in the autumn. He has not played at all since Leinster's Champions Cup win over La Rochelle on 12 January. Interim boss Easterby also expects to have Mack Hansen back after the Connacht wing missed the loss to France with a quad injury. Garry Ringrose is available for Rome after suspension, although decisions on James Lowe and Ronan Kelleher will be made later in the week. Wing Lowe was a late change from the line-up to face France thanks to a back injury in the warm-up, while hooker Kelleher has been dealing with a neck issue. The game will be the final Ireland Tests for retiring trio Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray and Cian Healy.
