Wales’ under pressure coach Warren Gatland could offer a tour spot to Australia to former rugby league star Regan Grace, despite the wing having played only two senior games of union. Grace was called into Wales’ training following Keelan Giles’ injury, and the Bath player immediately impressed, with Wales assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys describing him as an “X-factor” player.

Regan Grace has been described as an “X-factor” player following his shock call-up to Wales’ summer training squad. Former rugby league star Grace, who has only played two senior games of union, could now travel to Australia for a tour highlighted by Tests against the Wallabies on July 6 and 13.

Mike Phillips admits his time as a racehorse owner was “disastrous” but that will not prevent the former Wales and Lions rugby hero from helping Ffos Las Racecourse celebrate their 15th birthday this weekend. Phillips will deliver the wisdom and wit derived from a 12-year, 94-cap career with Wales – plus five more with the Lions – when he performs in a Q and A session at the course on Sunday.

Warren Gatland’s Wales team will get the first chance to challenge the reigning world champions South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday in a game that will at least have a silver lining for his side. Both teams have been brought in to add weight and appeal to the existing fixture between Fiji and the Barbarians that takes place afterwards.

Senior men’s head coach Warren Gatland has named the Wales XV to face South Africa away at Twickenham Stadium in the Qatar Airways Cup on Saturday 22 June (KO 2pm live on Sky Sports and S4C).

Former Wales fly-half Sam Davies says he has experienced a “rollercoaster” season before Grenoble’s French Top 14 promotion play-off having left the “mess” of Welsh rugby. The second-tier ProD2 club have been hit with two points deductions for financial problems and director of rugby Aubin Hueber has been put on gardening leave in Davies’ first campaign.

Justin Tipuric admitted the Ospreys were “ground down” by Munster after the only Welsh team to make the knockout stages of the United Rugby Championship fell to a 23-7 defeat in Limerick. The former Wales star captained an Ospreys team who put up an admirable showing against the champions, without ever looking likely to make it into the last four.

Toby Booth looks the kind of bloke who is not easily intimidated, and he will need all that defiance, and more, at Thomond Park in Limerick on Friday night. The Ospreys coach has also shown he knows how to defy the odds, which is why it is his team who are opponents for Munster in the first of the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals.

“Change” is the mantra of Keir Starmer and the Labour Party and it might equally be the slogan adopted by Warren Gatland this summer. Only, it’s not 14 years of Conservative government the Wales coach is trying to overhaul, but 14 Tests over the past 10 months.

Warren Gatland is relishing seeing uncapped Gloucester back Josh Hathaway’s potential at first hand after naming him in the Wales squad for summer Tests against South Africa and Australia. Aberystwyth-born Hathaway, who has represented Wales and England at under-20 level, offers options at full-back and wing for head coach Gatland.

Warren Gatland has promised to nurse his latest group of youngsters through their four-match summer series and to give some of his more experienced players a “kick up the arse”. Wales head to Twickenham on 22 June to face the world champion Springboks before travelling to Australia for a two-Test series against the Wallabies and a final fixture with Queensland Reds.

Toby Booth says his Ospreys will be taking on the best team in the URC when they face Munster at Limerick’s Thomond Park in Friday’s opening quarter-final. Booth’s side defied the odds to secure the final spot in the play-offs with a 33-29 bonus point victory over Cardiff on Judgement Day, after a succession of other results had gone their way over the weekend.