Warren Gatland has compared his new Wales captain Jac Morgan to former skipper Sam Warburton, ahead of the World Cup warm-up clash against England. Gatland has turned to 23-year-old Morgan as the man to wear the armband at the Principality Stadium on Saturday and a positive leadership performance is likely to make him firm favourite to gain the job for the tournament in France.

Like Wales’ Gareth Anscombe, Danny Care has unfinished business with the World Cup but refuses to hold back during England’s warm-up games even if it means repeating one of his career’s most crushing disappointments. Japan-bound half-back Anscombe was injured in a warm-up match against England at Twickenham four years ago and missed the 2019 tournament.

Leigh Halfpenny will finally win his 100th cap for Wales against England on Saturday in a team captained by Jac Morgan. Three players are at the other end of the spectrum and will make their international debuts – Keiron Assiratti (tighthead prop), Corey Domachowski (loosehead prop) and Max Llewellyn (centre).

Former Wales and British & Irish Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones says he “couldn’t turn down” the chance to join Top 14 side Toulon as cover during this year’s World Cup. The 37-year-old second-row forward is available after surprising many in bringing down the curtain on his stellar Test career – he played a world record 170 matches (158 for Wales, 12 for the Lions) – in May.

Former Ospreys forward Sam Underhill has been left out of the updated England training squad as head coach Steve Borthwick steps up preparations for the Rugby World Cup.

Gareth Anscombe has spoken about his excitement over a new rugby challenge in Japan, but insists he aims to continue his international career. Talking exclusively to Sportin Wales, the World Cup-bound Wales No.10 revealed he has signed a two-year deal with Suntory Sungoliath and will relocate to Japan after the tournament.

George North was barely out of short trousers when he made his debut as a teenager at the World Cup against South Africa in New Zealand. That was a dozen years ago, and the child prodigy has grown into one of the greatest players of his generation, underlined by two Grand Slams, two more Six Nations titles, two World Cup semi-finals, two tours with the British & Irish Lions and 44 tries in 113 games for Wales and two more in Lions Tests.

Alun Wyn Jones can help toughen up the Toulon dressing room, insists the French club’s director of rugby, Pierre Mignoni. The former Ospreys and Wales legend has joined Toulon on a short-term contract.

Head coach Mark Jones has named a starting side boasting five changes for the crucial Pool A encounter against France at Athlone Stadium on Tuesday 4th July in the U20 World Rugby Championship. (Live S4C, 3.30pm UK)

You can often judge a team by how they react to a narrow defeat, so look out for a positive reaction from the Wales U20s in South Africa on Thursday. At 1.00pm UK time, the Wales youngsters take on Japan in the World Rugby U20 Championship and they have not spent the last few days celebrating losing.

Warren Gatland is weighing up making Dewi Lake or Jac Morgan the Wales captain at the World Cup – or even both. The radical plan has been forced on the head coach due to diminishing options among the older guard who are dropping by the wayside weeks before the action starts in France.

Morgan Morse is ready to show why he is one of the most exciting prospects in Welsh rugby when he takes on New Zealand on Saturday. The Ospreys No.8 will be a key figure for Wales U20s when they begin their World Rugby U20 Championship campaign in South Africa.