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The latest rugby stories from Wales and beyond at the end of a busy week
These are your evening rugby headlines on Friday, January 9.
Louis Rees-Zammit stood down
Louis Rees-Zammit has been declared unavailable for Bristol Bears’ clash with the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday, as the Wales wing continues to go through the gradual return to play process after receiving a blow to the head last weekend.
The 24-year-old was withdrawn from his side’s win over Sale following the knock and, while he passed an HIA, he felt too unwell to return to the field. Despite this, he travelled with Bristol to South Africa, with director of rugby Pat Lam saying he expected the Welshman to “be all clear to play” at Loftus Versfield on Saturday.
“Rees looks good,” said the Bears boss earlier this week. “He is just finishing off the last few protocols, but he should be all clear to play, and he is pretty confident he will make it, so he should be there.”
However, despite Lam’s hopes, Rees-Zammit has now been left out of the matchday squad to face the Bulls, with Rich Lane instead starting at full-back in his first start of the campaign.
“Louis Rees-Zammit is unavailable as he continues through the GRTP process,” an update from Bristol read. “Rich Lane comes in at full-back to make his first start of the season, having returned from injury off the bench against Newcastle Falcons a fortnight ago.”
Elsewhere in the matchday squad, George Kloska returns to the starting side at tighthead, with Max Lahiff packing down at loosehead and Joe Batley returning from suspension to partner Pedro Rubiolo in the second row.
Kieran Marmion starts at scrum half, with Joe Owen set to make his 50th appearance for the club from the bench, which also features internationals Ellis Genge, Harry Randall and Matias Moroni.
Bristol Bears: 15. Rich Lane, 14. Noah Heward, 13. Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12. James Williams, 11. Kalaveti Ravouvou, 10. Tom Jordan, 9. Kieran Marmion; 1. Max Lahiff, 2. Gabriel Oghre, 3. George Kloska, 4. Pedro Rubiolo, 5. Joe Batley, 6. Santiago Grondona, 7. Fitz Harding (c), 8. Viliame Mata.
Replacements: 16. Harry Thacker, 17. Ellis Genge, 18. Jimmy Halliwell, 19. Joe Owen, 20. Ben Grondona, 21. Harry Randall, 22. Sam Worsley, 23. Matias Moroni
Cardiff make wholesale changes
Cardiff head coach Corniel van Zyl has made wholesale changes for the visit of French giants Racing 92. Van Zyl has made eight changes to the team which lost to the Ospreys on New Year’s Day.
Backrower Taine Basham makes his first appearance since December while second-rows Rory Thornton and George Nott come into the pack. Scrum-half Aled Davies, centre Cornel Smit, wings Iwan Stephens and Tom Bowen, along with full-back Jacob Beetham come into the back-line.
Prop Corey Domachowski and utility back Rory Jennings are named among the replacements.
Cardiff started their Challenge Cup campaign with a loss in Paris against Stade Francais before beating Ulster at the Arms Park. They will qualify with a round to spare if they beat Racing and Ulster knock-off the Cheetahs in Amsterdam.
“Nothing is ever going to go the way we want all of the time, it’s how we react to that now,” said Cardiff backrower Alex Mann. “That’s the biggest challenge for us and there’s nothing better than having Racing here on a Saturday afternoon.
“They’re a historic club with some excellent players, so it’s perfect for us to go out and show what we can do. These occasions at the Arms Park are the ones you want to play in, it’s nothing but excitement from us.”
Cardiff: Beetham; Stephens, Smit, B Thomas, Bowen; Sheedy, A Davies; Barratt, Belcher (capt), Assirattin, Nott, Thornton, Mann, Basham, Lawrence.
Replacements: D Hughes, Domachowski, Sebastian, McNally, Botham, Bevan, Jennings, Millard.Racing 92: Prisciantelli; Ravutaumada, James, Ashvetia, Donguy; Gibert, Carbonneau; Njocke, Leota, Bamba, Kpoku, Joseph (capt), Baudonne, Zinzen, Dayimani.
Replacements: Tarrit, Julien, Kharaishvili, Taofifenua, Albuisson, Tagitagivalu, Labarbe, Espeut.
Dragons aim to build on festive form
The Dragons are looking to build on their New Year’s Day victory over the Scarlets by toppling Benetton in Treviso.
Filo Tiatia’s side are buoyed by a strong run of form which has seen them beat Lyon, Connacht and the Scarlets in recent weeks. A victory over Benetton would also give them a good chance of qualifying for the round of 16 in the Challenge Cup.
“A challenge for us is to prepare really well and play well away from home,” said Tiatia, whose side host Newcastle in round four of the group stages. “Benetton are a physical side and we have to be on it around winning the collisions and being smart when we see opportunities.
“They haven’t conceded a maul try this season, so are well coached in that department, and will be very desperate this weekend after their loss to Edinburgh last weekend.”
Tiatia has decided to rest a number of key players after a bruising festive period. There is a start for promising full-back Huw Anderson who is joined in the back-three by Ewan Rosser and Rio Dyer while Joe Westwood and David Richards are the centres.
Scrum-half Rhodri Williams captains the side with Tinus de Beer wearing the number 10 jersey. Rodrigo Martinez, Oli Burrows and Cebo Dlamini make up the front-row with Levi Douglas and Matthew Screech in the second-row.
Ryan Woodman, Harry Beddall and Shane Lewis-Hughes are in the back-row
Benetton: Gallagher; Lynagh, Odogwu, Fekitoa, Ratave; Umaga, Uren (capt); Spagnolo, Gasperini, Ferrari, N Cannone, Ruzza, Izekor, Zuliani, L Cannone.
Replacements: Bernasconi, Chaparro, Zilocchi, Scrafton, Snyman, Lamaro, Garbisi, Marin.
Dragons: Anderson; E Rosser, Richards, Westwood, Dyer; de Beer, R Williams (capt); Martinez, Burrows, Dlamini, Douglas, Screech, Woodman, Beddall, Lewis-Hughes.
Replacements: Coghlan, Morris, Hunt, Langton-Cryer, Young, M Lloyd, J Lloyd, Owen.
Ospreys target European knockouts
The Ospreys travel to Zebre Parma on Sunday needing just a point to secure qualification for the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup.
Mark Jones’ side are unbeaten so far in the competition having overcome both Connacht and Montauban. But they are in search of more than qualification with the Welsh club targeting a home round of 16 tie at the Brewery Field in Bridgend.
The top two seeds will ensure a home run all the way through to the final in Bilbao.
“You would never say that you can’t win away from home in Europe, and if we end up with an away seeding we would still back ourselves,” said coach Richard Kelly. “But we know that historically having home advantage against the best teams makes a huge difference.
“The support and atmosphere in Bridgend lifts the players, so if we can give ourselves that opportunity it’d be amazing.”
The Ospreys are boosted by the return of scrum-half Reuben Morgan-Williams after being forced to field just the one number nine (Kieran Hardy) in their matchday squad against Cardiff due to injuries.
In one of four changes to the starting XV, Dewi Lake has also been elevated back into the number two shirt while second-row James Fender and No 8 Morgan Morse also start. South African centre Evardi Boshoff has also been parachuted into the starting XV and will partner Keiran Williams in midfield.
Jack Walsh, Iestyn Hopkins and Keelan Giles make up the back-three, while Dan Edwards and Hardy are the half-backs. Up-front, Garyn Phillips, Lake and Tom Botha are the front row with Ryan Smith teaming up with Fender at lock. James Ratti and Harri Deaves join Morse in the back-row.
“It has been a fantastic two weeks and the boys have really relished the opportunity to go up against players they know pretty well,” said Kelly. “They have really gone to the well for each other and that shows how close they are and how much effort they will put in for each other.
“Zebre have had wins this season against Montauban, Lions and Edinburgh so are a pretty good team, especially at home. We are under no illusions about what sort of challenge it will be out there.”
Zebre: Montemauri; Belloni, Bertaccini, Mazza, Gesi; da Re, Fusco; Hasa, di Bartolomeo, Nocera, Canali, Krumov (capt), Bianchi, Locatelli, Ferrari.
Replacements: Quattrini, Buonfiglio, Pieretto, Ortombina, Odiase, Dominguez, Zanon, Stavile.
Ospreys: Walsh; Hopkins, Boshoff, K Williams, Giles; D Edwards, Hardy; G Phillips, Lake (capt), Botha, Smith, Fender, Ratti, Deaves, Morse.
Replacements: L Lloyd, S Thomas, Hire, L Jones, G Evans, Morgan Williams, Watkin, Kasende.
