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Wales Online
4 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Tonight's rugby news as Wales collapse against England and Farrell sweats on injured Lions stars
Tonight's rugby news as Wales collapse against England and Farrell sweats on injured Lions stars The latest rugby news stories from Wales and beyond Sion Davies of Wales is tackled by Connor Treacey and Ben Redshaw of England (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency ) Here are the latest rugby headlines on Friday, June 6. Wales in late collapse against England Wales U20s conceded five tries in the final 13 minutes as England U20s ran out 47-14 winners in a World Cup warm-up at Pontypool Park. There were only five survivors from the side which beat England U20s in the final game of the U20s Six Nations, but Richard Whiffin's team held a 14-7 lead at the interval. Outside centre Elijah Evans opened the scoring before openside flanker Caio James powered over from short-range, with Harri Ford converting both tries. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. But England hit back in the 25th minute when backrower Reggie Hammick barged his way over the line with Josh Bellamy adding the extras. Whiffin made mass substitutions after the break and second-row Luke Evans got sent to the sin bin for a technical offence. England's pack began to gain the upper hand, with flanker George Timmins smashing his way over the line. Article continues below Wales wing Aidan Boshoff was then cruelly denied a try from 45 metres because he was deemed to be offside when he received the ball. The hosts fell apart after that and England extended their lead through a penalty try which also saw Wales tighthead prop Jac Pritchard sent to the sin bin for illegally collapsing the maul. Hammick then claimed his second try for England, with Bellamy adding the extras. England piled on the misery as Tyler Ofiah - son of rugby league legend Martin Offiah, ran in an interception try from 70 metres out. There were further tries for Jonny Weimann and Nic Allinson. Farrell sweats on Lions Leinster have lost two more of their British and Irish Lions call-ups to injury, with both Josh van der Flier and Hugo Keenan missing for the United Rugby Championship semi-final against Glasgow Warriors. They join fellow tourists Tadhg Furlong and Garry Ringrose on the sidelines just two weeks before the Lions' first match, as Leinster continue their bid to avoid a fourth successive season without silverware. Ireland international Robbie Henshaw is also missing through injury. Keenan and van der Flier both picked up injuries in their BKT United Rugby Championship play-off quarter-final victory over the Scarlets last Saturday, which could well have Lions coach Andy Farrell concerned ahead of the tour of Australia. The Lions travel down under later this month, ahead of their three Test series against the Wallabies in July and August. Back-row van der Flier was forced off after 30 minutes against the Scarlets, with the former World Rugby player of the year failing to recover from a hamstring injury. Full-back Keenan misses out due to a calf injury. The Lions take on Argentina in Dublin on June 20 - a week after the URC final - before playing their first game on Australian soil against the Western Force in Perth on June 28. URC Player and Coach of the Year announced Leinster and Springboks second row RG Snyman has been crowned United Rugby Championship Players' Player of the Season. The award is voted for by the captain and vice-captains of the 16 URC teams, with the 30-year-old following in the footsteps of Leinster hooker Dan Sheehan and Munster fly-half Jack Crowley by winning it. He joined Leinster from rivals Munster last summer and has been a huge presence as the Irish giants topped the regular season table and beat the Scarlets to earn a place in the URC semi-finals. Zebre's Massimo Brunello is the surprise winner of the Coach of the Year award after guiding the Italian side to five wins and a draw this season CEO of BKT Europe Lucia Salmaso said: 'Massimo has done a wonderful job this season with Zebre Parma, guiding them to some famous wins against tough opposition. 'He has demonstrated excellent leadership in his first season at the helm, creating history with Zebre's first away win in four years. In creating a custom ring for him as the BKT Coach of the Season, we want this achievement to live long in the memory. 'Congratulations to Massimo on his fantastic work this season, and we wish him all the best in the future.' Wales' Ioan Lloyd won the Golden Boot award, while Cardiff's Harri Millard was top try scorer and Cam Winnett took the Ironman prize for the most appearances. Full list of URC Awards Winners 2024-25 Gilbert Golden Boot: Ioan Lloyd (Scarlets) OFX Top Try Scorer: Harri Millard (Cardiff Rugby) Tackle Machine: Ruben van Heerden (DHL Stormers) Ironman: Cam Winnett (Cardiff Rugby) Playmaker: Tom Farrell (Munster Rugby) Elite XV: Jamie Osborne (Leinster Rugby), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby), Tom Farrell (Munster Rugby), Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Blair Murray (Scarlets), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers), Craig Casey (Munster Rugby), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls), Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets), Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster Rugby), Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby), Jac Morgan (Ospreys), Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors), Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls) Next-Gen Player of the Season: Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls) Innovation Award: Hollywoodbets Sharks Try of the Season Powered by Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers) South African Vodacom URC Player of the Season: Sacha Feinburg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) BKT Coach of the Season: Massimo Brunello (Zebre Parma) Players' Player of the Season: RG Snyman (Leinster Rugby) Huw Jones to miss out again as Warriors face Leinster in URC semi-finals By PA Sport Staff Glasgow centre Huw Jones will again miss out as Warriors travel to Dublin to face Leinster in the BKT United Rugby Championship semi-finals. Jones has been missing for several weeks with an Achilles problem and has failed to make the 23-man squad for the Aviva Stadium encounter despite some optimism over his fitness from Scotstoun earlier in the week. Forwards Matt Fagerson, Jack Dempsey and Zander Fagerson all miss out again as expected but were progressing well in their recoveries earlier in the week. Head coach Franco Smith has made just two personnel changes following the 36-18 triumph over Stormers last weekend, which took the defending champions into the final four of the competition. Former Scotland Under-20 international Fin Richardson comes into the starting line-up at tighthead prop as Murphy Walker drops out of the 23. Adam Hastings is recalled at fly-half to spark a reshuffle in the back division. Tom Jordan moves to inside centre, where he will partner Sione Tuipulotu. Stafford McDowall drops to the bench. Warriors are making their third trip to Dublin inside two months and will need to make further improvement. Glasgow were thrashed 52-0 by Leinster in April in the Champions Cup and lost 13-5 in the Irish capital in the final match of the regular URC season. Article continues below Smith told 'Leinster are the standard setters in this competition. They finished top of the standings for a reason, and have consistently out-performed teams across the course of this season while showing their strength in depth. 'It is a challenge that we know we will need to be at our best to meet, and the players are focused on the task at hand. 'Training this week has been sharp and competitive, with every player working hard for each other to put this squad in the best possible position.'
Extra.ie
6 days ago
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Ireland captaincy can drive Craig Casey's game to a new level
Craig Casey has always been an ambitious and driven character. Since he was a boy, becoming a professional rugby was his ultimate goal. He rose through the ranks of Ardscoil Ris and through the Munster and Ireland age grades. He helped the Ireland U20s to a Grand Slam in 2019 and made his senior debut for Munster a few months later. It only took 18 months for an international debut to follow – alongside Ryan Baird, from the bench, in a Six Nations clash with the Italians in Rome. Craig Casey of Munster celebrates after scoring his side's second try during the United Rugby Championship match between Connacht and Munster at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar, Mayo. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile Casey has become a central figure at Thomond Park in recent years. He has long been the established first-choice scrum-half at Munster. Yes, time caught up with Conor Murray but Casey's compelling form had a huge amount to do with the changing of the guard. Now 26, he is primed for the next phase of a meteoric career. His promotion to the Ireland captaincy for the looming summer tour was a huge vote of confidence from the management. Of course, there is plenty of mitigation. The experience in this senior squad has been gutted due to Lions call-ups, injuries and retirements. Yet it still speaks volumes that the management turned to Casey to lead this young squad through assignments in Tblisi and Lisbon. The captaincy is something of a consolation prize for the Munster scrum-half. The knee injury he suffered during a Champions Cup pool game in December derailed his season and ultimately his Lions ambitions. Casey sat out the Six Nations and watched on as Jamison Gibson-Park, Alex Mitchell and other Test rivals pressed their claims to be included in Andy Farrell's summer plans. Even though he missed the championship, the Limerick native still watched the squad announcement with a degree of hope. He may have missed the big Six Nations audition but his form for Munster had been strong since his return from injury. And he has a lot of credit in the bank with Farrell. Craig Casey of Munster leaves the pitch on crutches after the Champions Cup Pool 3 match between Castres Olympique and Munster at Stade Pierre Fabre in Castres, France. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Alas, he didn't make the cut. You can be sure he's high on the standby list, though. When Casey was asked about missing the cut at a sponsorship gig a few weeks later, he didn't drift into platitudes. He was gutted to miss it and and felt he was right in the mix. Casey is a confident character who has possessed had a deep-rooted self belief. It's got him this far and it will be fascinating to see how he develops with the extra responsibility of the national captaincy. This tour may have an off-Broadway feel about it, but there is plenty to be gained. Farrell will be keeping tabs on development and Paul O'Connell will have an extensive post-tour report ready for the gaffer when he's back in the day job come November. It should be no surprise that Casey got the nod to lead this youthful group. He is a player who always leads by example. He shares many traits with Peter Stringer, one his rugby idols growing up. Casey has the same lightning-quick pass and the same relentless engine. The sight of him on the field doing extras long after training is a regular sight, be it the UL campus in Limerick or Abbotstown. Farrell liked his energy and enthusiasm from the get go. This is an insatiable character who lives and breathes the game. In terms of sheer intensity, he's probably the closest thing to a Johnny Sexton in the current international setup. On the eve of his first cap in 2021, Sexton himself saw similarities with another insanely committed character. Ireland players Craig Casey and Keith Earls during the national anthem before the Autumn Nations Series match between Ireland and Argentina at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile 'I don't think I have ever come across anyone like him,' the former Ireland captain said at the time. 'It kind of reminds me what I read about Jonny Wilkinson – that is the only person I can relate him to. It is inspiring for the rest of the group and for someone like me, at this stage in my career, I like to be last off the pitch and I am never last off the pitch with him around. He has been brilliant.' No doubt, Casey will see plenty of game-time on tour. This could be a springboard to a massive campaign next season. Gibson-Park will be returning to Ireland camp as a potential Test Lion but Casey will feel he is now reaching a level where he can genuinely begin to challenge the Leinster scrum-half for a starting spot. Now that Murray has left, he is set to become an even more important character in the Munster setup. Clayton McMillan is arriving from New Zealand with a fresh vision. The Kiwi will build things around Casey and Jack Crowley. That will be his jumping off point. For now, Casey can reflect on another big milestone in his career. Who knows, it might even become a regular gig down the line. He will be in a rare position on tour. Casey is one of the few on board who has little to prove. Every other department looks wide open. The absence of so many frontline frontrowers has created a much-needed window of opportunity to the next generation of hookers and props. It feels the Georgia game – at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium on July 5 – was organised simply to stress test some of Ireland's fledging props. We're going to find out a lot about the likes of Jack Boyle, Michael Milne, Thomas Clarkson and Paddy McCarthy in Tblisi. Lock and the backrow are brimming with ambitious players, too. Will this be the summer when Ryan Baird and Cormac Izuchukwu kick on and become proper options at international level? Ben Murphy has been winning rave reviews at Connacht all season. The young scrum-half is a perfect example of a player leaving the Leinster system and thriving at a rival province. Hopefully it will inspire a few more to make the move out west, especially with Stuart Lancaster arriving in Galway soon. Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley and Ciaran Frawley are quality options at No10 who will all feel that the pecking order is not set in stone. Hugh Gavin, Tommy O'Brien and Shayne Bolton are a trio of backs who can do the same. It should be an exciting summer and with Casey at the helm, they have a leader who can show them the way.
Wales Online
03-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Scarlets announce signing of young Wales international from rivals Ospreys
Scarlets announce signing of young Wales international from rivals Ospreys The 23-year-old has impressed this season but is leaving to join close rivals in Llanelli Tristan Davies is leaving the Ospreys (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) The Scarlets have signed former Wales U20s backrower Tristan Davies from Welsh rivals the Ospreys. The 23-year-old has played 16 games for the Ospreys since making his debut in 2022, starting in the Challenge Cup ties against the Lions and Montpellier this season, along with the URC matches against the Scarlets in Llanelli and Cardiff on Judgement Day. The 6ft 4in Davies played his junior rugby for Bryncoch RFC and was capped by Wales U20s during the 2020-21 campaign as a No. 8. 'We are looking forward to welcoming Tristan to Parc y Scarlets this summer. I have been impressed with his physicality in the games he has played for the Ospreys this season, he has really taken his opportunity, both in the URC and Europe," said Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel. 'He carries well, puts a big shift into defence and has a great work ethic. He will add to a strong group of back-row forwards we have at the club.' Davies is the Scarlets' fifth signing ahead of the 2025/26 season joining Dane Blacker, Ioan Jones, Joe Hawkins and Jake Ball as new additions. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Article continues below 'I'm really excited for the opportunity ahead," said Davies. "I love what's being built at the Scarlets and the direction the team is heading and believe I can bring my own style of play to the group and add to what is already a very strong outfit. 'I'm extremely grateful to Peely and Cubby for giving me the chance to join this exciting playing group and work on improving my game. Article continues below "I've always admired the Scarlets' style of play and the support at Parc y Scarlets is always top class — it's a tough place for opposition, so I'm happy to have that kind of backing on my side now. 'I'm also very thankful for the past few seasons at Ospreys and everything I've learned there, but I'm really looking forward to the future at the Scarlets.'
Wales Online
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
The Welsh-qualified talent in England the WRU should be targeting as exiles programme scrapped
The Welsh-qualified talent in England the WRU should be targeting as exiles programme scrapped The WRU has scrapped it exiles programme Former Wales U20s lock Jonny Green (Image: Gareth Everett/Huw Evans Agency ) The Welsh Rugby Union are currently devising a way to replace its Exiles programme with the retention and repatriation of players at the forefront of its thinking. One look at Wales' senior squads this year can identify players who were tracked by the exiles programme before getting capped, with the likes of Will Rowlands, Nick Tompkins, Blair Murray, Ellis Mee, Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas and Taine Plumtree such examples. As part of the One Wales strategy the WRU will focus on the 'retention and repatriation' of Welsh-qualified players which has already begun with England U20s full-back Ioan Jones a prime example after signing for the Scarlets from Gloucester. There is also the Wales Pathway Players programme (WPP) where a group of up to 60 players of national interest between the ages of 15 and 24 have been identified as potential stars of the future. A large chunk of those will be dual-qualified players based in England. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. But with the Exiles programme gone the WRU need to put a lot of resources into monitoring dual-qualified players based outside of Wales, especially given the fact many are pressurised by Gallagher Premiership clubs to represent England at both age grade and senior level. It is worth noting the Exiles programme did not only monitor those who are dual-qualified but any Welsh player based in England. Article continues below Here are just a handful of players the WRU should be monitoring. Jonny Green Powerful second-rows who stand at 6ft 7in and over 18 stone don't exactly grow on trees in Wales. The 21-year-old graduated from the Wales U20s programme last season and is currently plying his trade for English giants Harlequins. Green, who originally hails from Haywards Heath in West Sussex, qualifies for Wales courtesy of his mother's side of the family who all come from west Wales. He has had a lot of game-time for London Scottish in the English Championship, while he has also got some minutes for Harlequins in the Premiership Cup. Green is part of the WRU's WPP programme and seems committed to Wales but this has been the case with other players in the past who have gone on to play for England. Kane James The Exeter Chiefs backrower is viewed as one of the best prospects in the English game and played a pivotal role in England U20s getting crowned world champions last summer. James is a dynamic forward with the perfect blend of athleticism and physicality. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free The 20-year-old hails from Haverfordwest but played most of his junior rugby for St Peters in Cardiff before heading to Exeter Chiefs. James is triple-qualified for England, New Zealand and Wales. Persuading James to represent Wales at senior level should be a priority for the WRU. Osian Thomas The 20-year-old second-row, who can also play in the backrow, is a member of the Leicester Tigers academy but has been getting minutes for Nottingham in the English Championship. Thomas is a powerful carrier but his point of difference is his athleticism and handling, especially in the wide channels. He has already represented Wales U20s but is dual-qualified so could represent England again in the future. Thomas is highly regarded at Welford Road and is another player who was monitored by the Exiles system. Alex Ridgway The 18-year-old was a member of the Scarlets U18s side which won the Regional Age Grade U18s competition last season but moved to Bath after opting to study at Beechen Cliff School for sixth form. Ridgeway was also a standout player for Wales U18s in the Six Nations U18s Festival in Italy last season, putting in a number of eye-catching displays. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. The backrower is an explosive carrier capable of getting over the gainline, while he was prominent both in defence and at the breakdown for Wales U18s. A big future awaits and is exactly the sort of player who should be included in the WRU's WPP programme. Gethin O'Callaghan The 20-year-old hails from Cardiff and has played for Wales U19s. O'Callaghan is a powerful and explosive centre with an excellent offloading game and has been part of the Bristol Bears academy. The centre is a prime example of why relationships with Welsh-born players must still be kept warm by the WRU after he was named in a 50-man England U20s EPS squad at the start of the season. Article continues below Even though representing England at age-grade level does not tie a player to the Red Rose it doesn't do Wales any favours.
Irish Independent
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Ahead of Wednesday's All-Ireland U20s football final, coach Decky Byrne says: ‘Louth are going to have to be at their very best' to compete with Tyrone
One of the biggest games in the history of Louth GAA will take place in the Box-It Athletic Grounds in Armagh this Wednesday (May 28) when the U20s take on reigning champions Tyrone in the All-Ireland final.
