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These are your evening rugby headlines on Sunday, January 25.
Top talent says no Wales talks
Highly-rated former Welsh U20s international Bryn Bradley says he has not had any conversations with Wales over a senior call-up despite being tipped as a potential bolter for Steve Tandy’s Six Nations squad.
The 22-year-old Harlequins centre – whose mother hails from Newport – has long been touted as a future Test star for Wales, with his 6ft 4in, 17 stone frame and powerful ball-carrying ability earning him comparisons to the great Jamie Roberts in recent times.
While he is also English-qualified, Bradley has previously stated his ambition to wear the red jersey, having had “a Welsh shirt and a Welsh ball in the cot from day one.”
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Having been ruled out of the first eight games of the season through injury, the Quins star made a big impact for his side in their Champions Cup victories against the Stormers and La Rochelle, leading some commentators to place him as an outside bet for Tandy’s squad, which was announced on Tuesday.
But after not being included in the squad, in which Leicester Tigers wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb was the only new face, Bradley admits he wasn’t expecting to be involved having not held any talks with Wales over a potential call-up.
“I did not expect to be picked,” he told The Rugby Paper. “I have not had any conversations with Wales and am focusing on what I can do for Harlequins, grateful to be in a position to do so.
“Making the squad was not on my radar at the start of the season. I wanted to push on with Harlequins and am grateful to be in the spot I am now.”
Admitting he was targeting a place in Wales’ summer squad for the Nations Championship, Bradley added: “You keep an eye on it and playing in the new Nations Championship is a target, but that will only come through hard work and being consistent in training and in matches I get an opportunity in.
“Playing for Wales at U20 level in the World Cup in Cape Town was one of the best experiences I have had.”
Club hit by E.coli outbreak
Leicester Tigers head coach Geoff Parling has revealed an E.coli outbreak in the club disrupted his side’s preparations for their Gallagher PREM clash with Harlequins.
Parling’s side impressed with a comfortable 34-7 win at the Stoop, with a dominant performance from the Tigers pack helping them to victory after new Wales call-up Gabriel Hamer-Webb opened the scoring with a 19th minute try.
The nature of the win was made all the more remarkable given what had unfolded in the week leading up to the PREM showdown, with 12 players and four members of staff contracting E.coli after returning home from last weekend’s Champions Cup clash with the Stormers in Cape Town.
An E.coli infection can cause severe stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, while symptoms can also include a low fever and fatigue and last for around a week.
Revealing the setback after watching his side emerge victorious over Quins, Parling said: “I didn’t say it during the week but 12 of our lads had E. coli when we got back from South Africa. Four of our staff did.
“So, when we were training on Wednesday, I didn’t let anybody of the 42 traveling staff, including myself, enter the training building on Wednesday, because didn’t want to affect people.
“So obviously, again and again, this group at the moment is proven themselves to be adaptable, making no excuses, and I’m really proud of that performance,” he added. “The league does not lie. We work hard for one another, and look organised.”
Ospreys supporters release statement
The Ospreys Supporters’ Club has released a statement, saying plans are under way for “coordinated responses by supporters” following a dramatic week at the club
News first broke on Monday that the Welsh Rugby Union had chosen Ospreys owners Y11 Sports & Media as their preferred bidder to buy Cardiff, and the development has enraged fans with no guarantees given the Ospreys will still exist beyond next summer.
The following day saw some of the Welsh region’s players walk out of a meeting with CEO Lance Bradley, with head coach Mark Jones admitting the squad and staff got “nowhere near” the amount of clarity they were hoping for, as full training was also cancelled.
Ospreys fans staged a vocal protest in the 11th minute of their URC clash with the Lions on Friday night, holding up their phones with their torches on while booing and chanting ‘Ospreys, Ospreys’.
Now, the official supporters group says it is planning a coordinated response, having met with politicians and journalists in recent days.
In a statement, the group said: “To all Ospreys supporters, over this past week, the OSC have met with journalists, MPs, MSs and Councillors in numbers to discuss recent developments.
“Across social media, we are aware of the strong feelings and calls to protest in many different ways from passionate supporters.
“Please be assured that we are working on several things behind the scenes and plans are underway for coordinated responses by supporters. The more coordinated we all are, the bigger the impact.”
The statement continued: “The OSC committee are meeting tomorrow evening to discuss and will communicate to supporters thereafter. To paraphrase the great Dylan Thomas, we will not go gently into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. #OurBloodlsBlack.”
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