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The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world
These are your evening rugby headlines on Thursday, January 15.
Rees-Zammit update issued
Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has issued an update on Louis Rees-Zammit, revealing that the Wales international was ruled out from his starting side to face the Bulls last weekend after failing a late test.
Rees-Zammit has been recovering from the head knock he suffered against Sale Sharks at the start of the month, with that clash leaving him too ill to return to the field despite passing a head injury assessment.
He flew out to South Africa with Bristol and Lam remained hopeful that the electric back would return to action at Loftus-Versfeld as he took part in training sessions.
However, Rees-Zammit was pulled from the starting team late in the day after failing to pass another head injury assessment, having shown symptoms following his last training session.
With Bristol facing Bordeaux in the Champions Cup this Sunday, Lam is now hoping to have the Welshman available for selection again after two weeks out, as he provided an update on his recovery.
“He is still going through the return to play process and training, and hopefully, he will be available for selection,” said the Bristol boss.
“Before we went to South Africa, it was only a seven-day turnaround of the back of it [the head knock], and there is an HIA3 test which he didn’t pass just before the game with the Bulls.
“One thing as a coach, I never mess around with where players are at when it comes to head injuries. Players’ careers and futures are more important to me,” he added.“Everyone is different, but if anyone has symptoms, it is just the turn of the next man to step up. Louis trained in our last training run [in Pretoria] but showed a few symptoms the next day, and Rich Lane stepped up.”
South Africa ‘hero’ dies
Tributes have been paid to South Africa ‘rugby hero’ Danny Adams following his death on Tuesday.
Adams represented the non-racial and anti-apartheid SA Rugby Union between 1965 and 1968, having been called up at just 19 years of age, and served as vice-captain during his three-year stint in green and gold.
After starting his career with Karoo Springboks RFC and the Central Karoo provincial side, he also represented Caledonian Roses and earned selection for Western Province, who he later captained.
Adams was also part of the Western Province team that triumphed over City and Suburban in the Rhodes Cup final in 1969.
Paying tribute, SA Rugby President Mark Alexander said: “By all accounts, Danny played the game with creativity, skill and flair, setting rugby fields across the country alight with his approach to the game, sadly at a time in our history when he didn’t receive the recognition he deserved.
“Like many heroes of yesteryear who could not compete on the same level due to the country’s laws at the time, we’ll never know what Danny could have achieved on the rugby field. Yet he proudly represented his club, province and SARU and we salute him for his service to the game.”
Mr Alexander added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Eleanor, their children, grandchildren, family, friends and loved ones in this time of grief. May you find solace in the memories of a great South African and a national rugby hero.”
Tiatia reinstates key players
Dragons boss Filo Tiatia has reinstated some big names to his team ahead of their crucial Challenge Cup clash with Newcastle Red Bulls on Friday, with Wales international Aaron Wainwright among those to return to the side.
Tiatia chose to leave out several key players, including Wainwright, for the Men of Gwent’s European clash with Benetton in Treviso last Saturday, in a match that they lost 74-21 and conceded 11 tries.
The result means that they now must beat Newcastle – who remain unbeaten in the competition so far – ideally with a four-try bonus point, and keep their fingers crossed that Perpignan’s clash with Lions on Saturday doesn’t end in a draw.
With their European hopes at stake, Tiatia has kept just four players who started against Benetton in his team to face Newcastle, with Ryan Woodman, Tinus de Beer, Rio Dyer and David Richards the only survivors from that match.
Wainwright, Ben Carter, Angus O’Brien, Che Hope and centres Aneurin Owen and Fine Inisi all return to the side, while Wyn Jones and Thomas Young also start and hooker Brodie Coghlan returns from a hand injury.
“We want to make the last 16 and we know when we’re at home we need to front up for the fans – all the players wearing the jersey all know the expectations,” said Tiatia ahead of the clash at Rodney Parade.
“We need to do justice to the jersey and then try and wear it for another week. That is earned, not given. I can’t wait for the players to get amongst it. After the disappointment against Benetton, it’s good to get back on the horse and get stuck in.”
S4C boss ‘confident’ of securing Wales matches
The chief executive of S4C has told MPs he is “confident” of securing the TV rights to Wales’ Nations Championship matches.
Steve Tandy’s side are involved in the new international tournament, which starts this year and sees the northern and southern hemisphere pitted against each other in a round-robin format.
Along with their fellow Six Nations teams, Wales face South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Fiji and Japan as their opposition when the inaugural tournament gets under way in July.
Last month, it was reported that ITV have agreed a deal to show every game in the new 12-team competition, but S4C boss Geraint Evans is confident of securing the rights to show Wales’ matches as well.
Giving evidence to Westminster’s Welsh Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Evans said the Welsh language channel would become “the only place” to watch all of Wales men’s international matches if it can secure the rights.
He added that he was “confident” of doing so “until 2028/29”, with S4C already showing all of Wales’ Six Nations matches, as well as the U20s competition.
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