By Lucy Rees Wales Women’s Keira Bevan is hoping to put her skills to the test against Canada when the two sides meet at Cardiff Arms Park on Sunday. After being out for a year coming back from injury, the scrum-half is looking forward to being back in the squad. “All being well, this will […]

Wayne Pivac insists he has not left Wales and Lions star Jonathan Davies stranded on 99 caps. Scarlets centre Davies was left out of the Wales squad to face Australia on Saturday, but Pivac moved quickly to dispel suggestions that the 33-year-old’s Test career is already over. Cardiff centre Uilisi Halaholo, who tested positive for coronavirus last month and spent 10 days isolating, will partner Nick Tompkins in midfield against the Wallabies.

Australia will concentrate on setting solid foundations when they face Wales in Saturday’s final autumn Test series weekend, according to Wallabies star James O’Connor. The Aussie No.10 says his side must aim to provide a firm set-piece platform if they are avoid a third successive defeat to Wales for the first time since 1975. Both nations will go into the Principality Stadium clash desperate for a victory that would turn around perceptions of fraught November campaign.

By Paul Jones Jonathan Humphreys believes Ryan Elias has been a huge positive for Wales this autumn and insists the experience of playing the best sides in the world will stand them in good stead moving forward. Scarlets hooker Elias produced two outstanding performances against South Africa and Fiji respectively.   And Wales forwards coach Humphreys, who was a top international hooker in his playing days, is confident Elias will go from strength to strength after his experiences this autumn. 

By Steffan Thomas Welsh rugby has been told it must continue to bring its best players back if they are to achieve continued success at test level. This week former Wales centre Jamie Roberts became the latest high-profile figure to criticise the Welsh Rugby Union’s controversial 60 cap selection policy. The Dragons midfielder accused the WRU of blackmailing players with less than 60 caps to remain at one of the four Welsh regions.

By Steffan Thomas Y-11 Sports & Media, the majority shareholders at the Ospreys, are weighing up a move to buy the Melbourne Rebels.  The Hong Kong based sports marketing group bought a 75.1 per cent stake in the Ospreys in May 2020 creating a new holding company Ospreys International Group. They claimed at the time that all the financial benefits from the transaction would be put back into the Welsh side. 

By Tom Prosser Wayne Pivac was full of praise for his star speedster Louis Rees-Zammit after he scored a crucial try in Wales’ 38-23 comeback win over Fiji on Sunday afternoon. “That’s what he can do and you can’t coach that,” raved Pivac. “That just shows what an impact express pace can have.

By Hannah Blackwell Carys Phillips has admitted it had been a long two years before the comeback game she marked with a hat-trick of tries for Wales. The former Wales captain – mysteriously overlooked since her father Rowland and the Wales Women set-up parted company – scored three tries in Wales’ superb 29-19 victory over […]

Liam Williams doesn’t know if the infamous pitch invader cost Wales victory over South Africa – but he reckons he knows who would have come off worse had they collided. The Wales full-back had to check his stride and wheel around a man wrestled to the ground by two stewards late on during last week’s clash in Cardiff. “It’s just not on, especially in the middle of a game,” says Williams, reflecting on the embarrassing security lapse at the Principality Stadium.

By Paul Jones Wales play the third game of their Autumn Nations Series campaign when they tackle Fiji in Cardiff on Sunday. After defeats against New Zealand and South Africa, Wayne Pivac’s team will look to bounce back ahead of hosting Australia next weekend. Here, we look at some of the key talking points heading into the game.

Alex Cuthbert has been backed to deal with any flak which may be fired his way when he returns for Wales this weekend after four years away. The Ospreys wing will make his first appearance in a Wales shirt since 2017 as one of five changes for the Test against Fiji on Sunday. His most recent and 47th cap came against Georgia in the autumn series four years ago, during a period when he had become a target for booing from some fans, unhappy with his continued selection, as well as personal abuse on social media.

By Paul Jones Gareth Baber is looking forward to being back in Cardiff this weekend, even if his aim is to make it a jolting Sunday afternoon for most in his home town. Baber will return as coach of Fiji with an aim to spring a surprise by making it three defeats in successive autumn […]

Christ Tshiunza has been backed to make a big dent against Fiji on Sunday if the teenage forward comes off the bench to win his first cap for Wales. The 19-year-old Exeter Chiefs back row star, who has already created a sense of anticipation after breaking into Wayne Pivac’s squad after just a handful of matches, is poised to make his debut at the Principality Stadium on Sunday. Tshiunza has been named among the replacements, while the starting side includes Alex Cuthbert, a former Wales regular on the wing, but who has not figured in international rugby for four years.

Dear Callum or Mr. Pitch Invader, I hear you like a beer or two and are up for a laugh. Well, I wondered if you fancied following up your pitch-invading antics at the Principality Stadium the other day with another sporting challenge.

Ellis Jenkins’ return to Test rugby for the first time since 2018 didn’t end with a win, but now the Cardiff flanker wants to build on his fantastic display against South Africa. Jenkins suffered a horror knee injury when the Springboks were again the opposition in Cardiff three years ago and he spent more than 24 months on the sidelines. But he is back in the Wales squad this autumn and produced a superb performance in his first match with some trademark turnovers and contact area work.

Ioan Cunningham has told his Wales women’s team they still have plenty of room for improvement ahead of their clash against South Africa this weekend. The head coach saw his side earn a big win on Sunday night at Cardiff Arms Park with two tries from Jasmine Joyce helping them to a 23-5 victory over Japan. But Cunningham, the WRU women’s head coach, reckons his players can raise their standards further, especially when it comes to not giving away so many penalties.

Wayne Pivac said he did not know if Wales would have scored had a spectator not invaded the pitch during his team’s dramatic 23-18 defeat by world champions South Africa. Wales were ultimately beaten by Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx’s 73rd-minute try and a later Elton Jantjies penalty in the Cardiff rain, but they were drawing 15-15 when the second-half incident happened. The hosts were attacking through substitute Liam Williams when the spectator ran onto the pitch only a few metres away from him and inside South Africa’s 22.

Saracens hooker Kat Evans has been backed to justify her selection after being handed a debut chance for Wales against Japan on Sunday. Evans is the only new cap in the team named by head coach Ioan Cunningham for the first of the team’s three autumn Tests. Scrum-half Keira Bevan partners Elinor Snowsill at half back in her first international appearance since facing England in March 2020.

By Tom Prosser Taulupe Faletau says he is “looking forward” to returning to Welsh regional rugby after agreeing to join Cardiff Rugby from Bath. The 30-year-old will remain at Bath for the rest of the season and will then return to Wales after completing a five-year stint across the border. Faletau has been a dominant force at number eight since bursting onto the international scene in 2011.

“Those who want to be professional rugby players, can be full time professional rugby players.” At first glance, a bland statement that summarises a seemingly straightforward concept. When applied to the Wales Women’s senior side, however, it represents a seismic moment in the 34-year history of a group long plagued by mismanagement and neglect.