Rugby Union News
Wales will field the same starting XV in successive matches for the first time since the pool stages of Rugby World Cup 2019 after interim head coach Matt Sherratt gave a vote of confidence to the side that went down 27-18 to Ireland in Round 3 of the Guinness Six Nations. “I thought the performance […]
The post Sherratt aware of Scots threat appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Both Gregor Townsend and Matt Sherratt have shown faith in the XVs who performed well in their most recent defeats
Neither of these two are where they want to be after three rounds. In the case of Wales, rock bottom cannot be worse than where they feared they might be; in the case of Scotland, fourth must be so much worse than they had hoped. And some might say deserve.
Eyebrows may rise, then, at the news that both coaches will more or less send out the same teams that featured in their respective defeats in round three. But Six Nations tend to have narratives more nuanced than those supplied by the table at any given moment.
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Having seen their hopes of challenging for the Celtic Challenge title go up in smoke with a 48-17 home defeat to the champions elect the Wolfhounds last weekend, Gwalia Lightning face another tough Irish test against the second placed Clovers in the final round. It has been another solid campaign from Catrina Nicholas-McLaughlin squad and […]
The post Hopkins and Richards return to boost Gwalia in final round appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Brython Thunder will be seeking a repeat of their 33-17 win last weekend over Glasgow Warriors as they look to end their second Celtic Challenge campaign on a high. The fact they are playing the same opponents, albeit at home this time, should fill them with confidence and Ashley Beck will no doubt be hoping […]
The post Brython targeting Glasgow double to end on a high appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
In a world run by bullies, with sports subsumed by greed, England v Italy – never mind Ireland v France – offers comfort
I recently caught myself telling someone I couldn’t wait for England’s Six Nations match against Italy on Sunday, which seemed a bit, well, enthusiastic. Clearly, rugby fans of all stripes will be salivating at Saturday’s key clash between Ireland and France. It’s a bit less usual to get excited at the kind of historical mismatch which, in the past, I might have watched as highlights, late in the evening, when I already knew the result.
Is it because I expect the action to be good? Uncertain. Italy pushed England close last year and dominated Wales in Rome last month, which salts the dish. The home team need a sizeable win – four tries for the bonus point – to stay in the title hunt, which raises the question of whether Steve Borthwick’s reformatted backline can finally cut loose and run in a cricket score. Or will Italy bounce back from a drubbing at the hands of the French and provide a last-minute Twickenham thriller for the third game running?
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● Wales have won three of their last four clashes with Scotland in the U20 Six Nations, however they’ve not won on the road against them since 2017 (65-34). ● Scotland have won four of their seven home games against Wales in the U20 Six Nations, including their last two in a row, all four of […]
The post Match stats: Scotland U20s v Wales U20s appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Wales will field an unchanged XV for the first time in 66 Tests on Saturday when they take on Scotland at Murrayfield after Matt Sherratt stuck with the starting lineup that gave a scare to the Six Nations title favourites, Ireland, in the last round.
The interim head coach, Sherratt, said he was “keen to let them go again” and the game will mark the first time since 2019 that Wales have put out the same XV.
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Senior men’s head coach Matt Sherratt has named the Wales team to play Scotland in the fourth round of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh on Saturday 8 March (KO 16.45h GMT, live on BBC and S4C). The starting line-up is unchanged from the third-round home encounter against Ireland two weeks […]
The post Wales name side for Scotland clash appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Taulupe Faletau is loving being back out on the pitch for both club and country. That is certainly good news for Cardiff and Wales and is likely to cause increasing problems for their opponents. When the 106-times capped No 8 starts really enjoying himself on the pitch then good things happen for the team he […]
The post Faletau still firing bullets alongside Wales’ young guns appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
While dropping Marcus Smith to the bench makes a sort of sense, Steve Borthwick’s selections still feel largely reactive
It was a beautiful day in Bagshot. The kind of afternoon made for chucking a ball around and contemplating a calculated risk or two. Slightly firmer pitches, the sun shining, a licence to thrill … if ever there was a week made for a player like Marcus Smith to go out and express himself from the start against an apprehensive Italy this was probably it.
So let’s just say the England teamsheet will have landed with a heavy thump in the Smith household and the offices of his agents, Roc Nation. It is only a few weeks since Netflix was projecting the 26-year-old as the poster boy – “the best hair in world rugby” – for their latest fly-on-the-wall documentary, with a shiny new Mercedes G-Wagon to reinforce his profile.
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Wales scrum half Rhodri Williams has signed a new contract that will keep him at the Dragons beyond this season. The 31-year-old breached a near 11-year gap between Welsh appearances when he came ont to face Australia in the Autumn Nations Series earlier in the season. His previous cap had come against Tonga in November […]
The post Williams boost for Dragons as he signs on for more appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Scarlets hooker Harry Thomas heads to Scotland for the fourth round of the U20 Six Nations hoping to stay top of the try scoring charts in this season’s tournament. The 19-year-old has already plundered four tries in the previous three outings and could have had two more had the TMO not ruled out one […]
The post Thomas sets his sights on Scotland appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Marcus Smith faces an uphill battle to regain his England place after Steve Borthwick sought to kickstart his side’s spluttering attack by axing the Harlequins playmaker, dealing a major blow to his British & Irish Lions hopes.
Borthwick dropped Smith for Sunday’s Six Nations fixture with Italy in a one-on-one meeting in England’s hotel bar and has offered him no assurances over his future place in the starting XV with Elliot Daly coming in at full-back. In his favoured position of fly-half, Fin Smith continues and with Fraser Dingwall replacing Henry Slade at inside-centre, Borthwick has picked five Northampton backs and highlighted the cohesion that brings.
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Head coach Richard Whiffin has confirmed his Wales U20 men’s matchday squad to face Scotland in the penultimate round of the 2025 U20 Six Nations at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh this Friday. (KO 7.15pm, S4C). Whiffin has made four personnel changes, as well as switching Tom Bowen from wing to full-back in a game where […]
The post Wales U20s name squad to face Scotland appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.