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The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world
These are your evening rugby headlines on Monday, January 26.
England alerted to ‘quality’ Wales star
England prop Joe Heyes has heaped praise on his Leicester Tigers teammate Nicky Smith, describing the Wales international as a “quality player” with an “unbelievable ability” in the scrum as they prepare to face each other in the Six Nations a week on Saturday.
Steve Borthwick’s side will kick off their tournament campaign at home to Steve Tandy’s men on February 7 and will be looking for a repeat of the last time they faced Wales, when they inflicted a record 68-14 defeat on the hosts in Cardiff on the final weekend of last year’s championship.
While many view England as tournament favourites and a win over Wales as a foregone conclusion, Heyes is all too aware of the threat that some of Tandy’s players can pose, having played both alongside and against Smith in recent times.
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Widely regarded as one of, if not the best scrummaging loosehead in the Gallagher PREM, the Wales international has plenty of admirers and will join Sale Sharks ahead of next season.
Heyes is among those who rate the 31-year-old highly, and knows exactly what his club teammate can offer Wales as he prepares to go head-to-head with him at the Allianz Stadium next month.
“We just said goodbye in the changing rooms,” Heyes told The Independent after Leicester’s win over Harlequins on Saturday. “That was a bit awkward. I didn’t know whether to hug or strangle him.
“We know where we’re going but we’ll keep it professional and try not to have any domestic conflict.”
Tighthead Heyes was given one of his darkest days of his career when he faced Smith, then with the Ospreys, in December 2022, as he was put through the wringer by the Wales star before being sent to the sin bin for persistent scrum offences.
“I had a bad experience against Nicky three or four years ago and I was yellow-carded,” the 26-year-old recalled. “I was like, ‘I’ve got him here’ but he would just pop his way back out of it.
“He has an unbelievable ability to go forward. Around the field as well, people don’t see it. He’ll chop everything, he’ll get over the ball. He’s a quality player. I think every prop has a bad day, and I’ve had a couple, but that was probably one of my bad days.”
Gatland thrown into All Blacks mix
Warren Gatland has seen his name being thrown into the mix for the next All Blacks head coach after New Zealand Rugby (NZR) revealed its criteria for Scott Robertson’s replacement.
Robertson was axed as head coach earlier this month after just two years in the role, following a damning end-of-year review and a reported falling out with senior members of his squad.
After days of speculation over who could succeed him in the role, NZR has now confirmed the process to appoint a new head coach, as well as the formation of a five-person appointment panel.
The panel features NZR board chair David Kirk, board member Kevin Mealamu, high performance expert Don Tricker and interim CEO Steve Lancaster, as well as a recently retired All Blacks international who has not yet been confirmed
In confirming the appointment process, NZR said the next national team boss would need to be a New Zealander with previous experience as an international head coach, with the narrow criteria leaving a handful of contenders eligible.
Crucially, it does not rule out the likes of Jamie Joseph, Dave Rennie and Vern Cotter, who have all been linked with the All Blacks job and have experience coaching Japan, Australia and Scotland and Fiji respectively.
It has also seen Gatland – who has not returned to coaching since stepping down as Wales boss during last year’s Six Nations – emerge as another potential option, although he is unlikely to apply for the role.
Former Wales and New Zealand head coach Sir Steve Hansen is another who ticks both boxes, while Ian Foster and Robbie Deans also fit the bill.
Defending NZR’s narrow criteria, interim chief Lancaster said: “It’s an acknowledgement that we’re midway through a World Cup cycle, two years out from the next World Cup and simply don’t have time for someone to find their feet in international rugby.
“We need someone who can hit the ground running and know exactly what they’re going into.”
George: England must evolve
By Duncan Bech, Press Association Rugby Union Correspondent
Jamie George insists England must evolve in the wake of a triumphant 2025 or risk seeing their Guinness Six Nations title ambitions crumble.
Steve Borthwick’s team are viewed by bookmakers as second favourites behind France to be crowned champions, with the rivals colliding in the climax to the tournament on March 14.
A run of 11-consecutive wins – dating back to the start of last year’s Six Nations – sees England enter their opener against Wales on Saturday week with a swagger, but George knows they can not afford to stand still.
“We’re in a good spot, there’s no hiding that,” said George, who last week announced he would retire after the 2027 World Cup.
“There’s a lot of confidence in the group and a lot of enjoyment about being in camp. That’s a good indicator that you will go on to play good rugby.
“We welcome the expectation because it’s a compliment for what we’ve done and what we’ve achieved over a short period of time, but it also keep us on our toes because we know we can’t be complacent and can’t rely on previous performances.
“We know that if we are the same team as we were for the last 11 games, it’s not going to be good enough, so our focus over the next two weeks is to become a better team. We have to set a new tone and new standard and play with a new intensity and in a way we’re proud of.”
Once Wales have been negotiated all eyes will turn to Murrayfield – the graveyard of England’s Six Nations aspirations in recent times.
They have not won in Edinburgh since 2020 and have lost in three of their last four visits, transforming their February 14 showdown against Scotland into a pivotal encounter that will test their minds as well as their skills.
“It’s probably turned into our biggest rivalry in the Six Nations,” George said. “We haven’t won in Edinburgh for a long time so it’s going to be a huge game for us. Hopefully we can get off to a start against Wales and then we’ll focus on Scotland.”
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