You rugby evening headlines for Sunday, May 15.
Dragons duo tipped for Wales call-ups
Dragons boss Dean Ryan has insisted two of his back-rowers must be under consideration for a Wales call-up on Tuesday.
Wayne Pivac will reveal his squad to tour South Africa early this coming week, with Harri Keddie and Ollie Griffiths timing their run of form well. Keddie has been a mainstay in the Dragons team all season, often captaining the side, while Griffiths has recently returned from his latest injury setback.
Both were impressive during the Dragons' defeat to Cardiff on Friday night and Ryan has thrown their names into the ring for a call from Pivac.
Ryan said: "Harrison Keddie and Ollie Griffiths have to be in the conversation for Wales. Those two turn up for us all the time, if this is the week for international conversations then they didn’t do themselves any harm."
READ MORE: Update issued on Lions documentary UK release date as it airs in South Africa
Springbok arrested
South Africa fly-half Elton Jantjies has been arrested, according to multiple local reports.
The 42-cap pivot is said to have been taken into custody at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Sunday morning after travelling home from a family holiday.
A statement from Colonel Athlenda Mathe of the local police force said: “A 31-year-old man has been arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) for malicious damage to property.
“The man was arrested upon arrival at ORTIA this morning at 08:50. The suspect was on an international flight from Dubai to SA when he allegedly damaged property belonging to the airline."
Jantjies' agent told News24 : "He is okay, we have been in contact over WhatsApp with Elton and gathering all information and getting a debrief on what happened."
A statement from SA Rugby read: "We've been informed of Elton's arrest, but we are still in the process of gathering more information and can't say anything at this stage."
Buttress 'confident' after constructive meeting
Dragons chairman David Buttress has insisted that Wednesday's crunch meeting of the Professional Rugby Board was 'constructive'.
The Board met to discuss proposals in the Oakwell report that assessed the options available to Welsh rugby. One of those was to axe a region, with the Dragons in the line of fire.
But Buttress struck an optimistic, and almost defiant, tone when he spoke ahead of Friday night's match against Cardiff.
"It’s been a difficult week but the meeting on Wednesday was super constructive," he said. "Off the back of what everybody has seen in the media, everybody realises that we have an enormous responsibility to make the right decisions that set Welsh rugby up successfully not just for the next year, but the next 10 years.
"I have made my position pretty clear. Everybody understands the most probability of success for Welsh rugby is to have four successful teams supporting the national team.
"The meeting was good and was definitely constructive. Was it difficult and are the challenges that sit within that room? One hundred per cent, I don’t think we should shy away from that reality, but there is a genuine intention that everyone wants to create the solution.
"I feel quietly confident after that meeting that we are going to end up in a good place."
