Back in 2013, Ardie Savea travelled to Europe as the All Blacks’ first non-playing apprentice. Coach Steve Hansen wanted to “introduce him to the way of the All Black life.” Eight years on and he is the apprentice turned master, although there was sufficient in the performance of Wales’ new boy Taine Basham on Saturday against New Zealand to suggest there is another back rower with the potential to learn quickly.

Wales have delivered a positive early assessment of their captain Alun Wyn Jones after he went off injured during the 54-16 hammering against New Zealand in Cardiff. Jones hurt the same shoulder that threatened to sideline him from this summer’s British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa before he made a startling recovery and started all three Tests. He went off just 18 minutes into the contest, causing concern ahead of Wales’ remaining Autumn Nations Series appointments with South Africa, Fiji and Australia.

I’m fed up of seeing Wales play second fiddle to New Zealand on the rugby pitch. It has got to such a sorry state that not even the fathers of most of the current Welsh players were born the last time we beat them! Fancy having to go back to sit on your Grampy’s knee to ask if he has any recollection of Wales beating the All Blacks in 1953.

It’s 68 years and counting since Wales last beat New Zealand. Mark Jones – who has recently returned from a spell living and working in Canterbury – says Wales are not merely up against 23 of the world’s best players on Saturday, but they are facing a sporting nation like no other, as he tells Graham Thomas. Former Crusaders coach Mark Jones has told Wales they must match the Sam Whitelock psyche if they are to have any hope of beating the All Blacks this weekend. Jones – who had a stint as defence coach with the Super Rugby champions – reckons All Blacks captain Whitelock typifies the attitude which keeps the Kiwis at the top of the global game.

New Zealand coach Ian Foster believes Wales’ selection issues have been “blown up a little bit” ahead of Saturday’s showdown in Cardiff. The All Blacks have won the past 31 encounters between the countries and look well placed to extend that record due to the home side missing a host of key players. British and Irish Lions forward Ken Owens was a late withdrawal for Wayne Pivac’s men, joining the likes of George North, Josh Navidi, Justin Tipuric, Willis Halaholo and Liam Williams on the sidelines.

By Steffan Thomas There is a lot on the line for Wales this autumn, but interestingly Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Steve Phillips has revealed plans for a new annual tournament that would add competition jeopardy to matches in the November and July windows. As things stand, northern hemisphere teams face those from the south […]

By Steffan Thomas The United Rugby Championship will take a month off after this weekend with the intention of not clashing with the autumn internationals. This break will give Dai Young, Dean Ryan, Toby Booth, and Dwayne Peel an opportunity to look at their wider squads. TRP understands Cardiff favour giving their players more exposure […]

Dai Young branded the decision to send off Ray Lee-Lo a “harsh” call but still heaped praise on his Cardiff team after they held off the derby challenge of the Dragons. The club’s director of rugby saw Le-Lo shown a red card for a high tackle on Sam Davies before Cardiff clung on for a 31-29 victory. It moved them up to seventh spot in the United Rugby Championship, with the Ospreys ahead of them in fifth and both the Scarlets and Dragons in the bottom half of the table.

Finally finding a way to beat the All Blacks after 68 years of heartache is all in the mind according to Wales’ most capped scrum half, Mike Phillips. Wayne Pivac’s Welsh side take on New Zealand in the opening game of their Autumn International Series on Saturday with the head coach already having hit the warning light by telling fans to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. You have to go back to 1953 for the last time Wales managed to beat one of their biggest rivals. Since then it has been one-way traffic with the Kiwis winning 31 in a row.

The top end of the Swansea Valley has been a hotbed breeding ground for sporting talent for years. Bleddyn Bowen, Robert Jones, Greg Thomas, Justin Tipuric and Ben Davies are just some of the stars the local schools have honed in various sports. The current crop isn’t bad, either – Wales and Cardiff City footballer Rubin Colwill and Ospreys centre Joe Hawkins, who plays against Munster on Saturday night, and who spoke to Graham Thomas. Joe Hawkins is keen to follow his old football rival Rubin Colwill onto the full international stage, but is happy to bide his time. Ospreys centre Hawkins and fellow 19-year-old Colwill – already a senior Wales football international after a breakthrough year at Cardiff City – used to play football against each other as 15-year-olds, until Hawkins gave his sole attention to rugby.

By Lucy Rees Wales have launched their new kit for the coming international rugby season, which they insist is “green” because of its environmentally friendly credentials. The new Macron kit is 100% green, in spirit at least. Wales has played in red since the first international in 1881, and that isn’t changing as ‘green’ is just […]

By Alex Bywater Cardiff Rugby and Wales full-back Hallam Amos caused a shock last week when he announced he was retiring from professional rugby at the end of the season aged just 27. Amos has been studying to become a doctor alongside his career at the highest end of the sport but will call it quits on his on-the-field career come the summer. Amos won 25 caps for Wales scoring six tries and he featured in two Rugby World Cups in 2015 and 2019 after making his debut against Uruguay in Cardiff in the first of those two tournaments.

By Steffan Thomas Wayne Pivac believes more exiles will follow Thomas Young’s lead and return to Welsh rugby.  Despite having only three test caps to his name Wasps back-row star Young was named in the Wales squad for this autumn’s tests against New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji, and Australia after signing a contract to join Cardiff Rugby next season.  And Pivac is confident the likes of Leicester’s Tommy Reffell, Bristol’s Callum Sheedy, Bath’s Taulupe Faletau, and Gloucester’s Louis Rees-Zammit will eventually join a Welsh region in the near future. 

By Steffan Thomas Gareth James has scaled the heights of semi-professional rugby in Wales and is one of the most prolific points scorers that level has ever seen. Having spent nine years as a semi-professional representing Narberth, Bonymaen, Neath, Llandovery, and Ebbw Vale James was rewarded with a Welsh Crawshays cap, while he was also […]

Rhys Priestland’s form has been given the thumbs up by Dai Young, just two weeks before Wales face the All Blacks. Cardiff No.10 Priestland kicked 13 points and steered his side to a hard-earned 23-17 victory over the Sharks which earned the approval of his coach. It meant the 34-year-old signed off a successful few days, having been recalled for Wales duty earlier in the week.

Scarlets defence coach Hugh Hogan made the move to West Wales from Leinster this summer after winning four consecutive Pro 14 titles and a Heineken Cup. But he is now looking to get one over his old team when they clash in Dublin on Saturday, as Tom Prosser reports. Hugh Hogan admits it was difficult to leave Leinster but says the opportunity to work with Scarlets legend Dwayne Peel was too good to turn down as he aims to emulate his success with Leinster here in Wales. “When the opportunity came up to speak to Dwayne about the job at the Scarlets, there were a lot of things that made sense,” explains defence coach Hogan, who spent eight and a half years in various coaching roles at Leinster.

Not everyone wants to follow their father into the family trade. But Ireland’s 27-times capped Rhys Ruddock – a former Wales U18 international – is curious to find out whether the coaching business suits him. He’ll be playing for Leinster against the Scarlets on Saturday night, then thinking about his next coaching session, as he tells Graham Thomas. Rhys Ruddock has taken his first tentative steps into coaching, with a certain Grand Slam-winner on speed dial for when he’s in need of advice. The Leinster and Ireland forward is contemplating a future after his playing days and whether or not he fancies becoming a chip off the old block – in this case his father, Mike.

By David Williams Ross Moriarty has returned from injury to lead the Dragons into action against the Stormers at Rodney Parade on Friday night. Director of rugby Dean Ryan has made three changes with Argentina scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou and second-row Ben Carter starting. Last weeks try scorer Jordan Williams starts at full-back and is joined […]

Christ Tshiunza may only have an hour of Premiership rugby under his belt, but the Welsh teenager could find himself playing against the world champion Springboks next month. The 19-year-old Exeter University student was the surprise package announced in Wayne Pivac’s Welsh squad for the four autumn internationals against the All Blacks, Springboks, Fiji and Australia. Born into a ‘French Christian family’ in the DR Congo, the 6ft 6in tall, 17st 7lbs giant came to the UK with his family when he was six.

Wayne Pivac believes Wales have a unique talent in Christ Tshiunza – whether or not he is unleashed on opponents this autumn. Tshiunza was the shock selection in Pivac’s squad for the autumn Tests, although the head coach suggested the 19-year-old may, for the moment, be coming along just for the ride. The 6ft 6in, 17st 6lbs forward, who was born in the Congolese capital Kinshasa but moved to Cardiff as a child, has only played four times off the bench for Exeter Chiefs, but he did make a few dents for Wales U20s last season.