Here are the latest rugby headlines on the eve of the 2022 Six Nations.
Pivac in talks with Davies
Wayne Pivac has revealed he held talks with Jonathan Davies after leaving him out of the matchday squad to play Ireland.
Davies failed to even make the bench for what would have been his 100th Test appearance despite injury to Willis Halaholo.
Josh Adams has been moved to start at 13, alongside Nick Tompkins. Centre Owen Watkin gets the place on the bench ahead of Davies.
Pivac said: "He’s also sitting on 99 Test matches and I had a good conversation with Jon earlier in the week talking about what we wanted to do this weekend and the reasons for that.
"He understands absolutely exactly where he’s at. He’s working very, very hard at his game to get that sharpness back. When you’ve only played a couple of games over a couple of months it is very hard to get that sharpness back. It’s very difficult to replicate games. You have to get out there and play.
"The levels we operate at in training are probably a little bit higher than he does in club rugby and he’s benefitted from that. We need him to keep working hard because as we know in this competition, there will be opportunities."
Giant prop convicted
France prop Mohamed Haouas has been convicted for his role in burglaries worth tens of thousands of euros.
Haouas was given an 18-month suspended sentence and fined €15,000 for the thefts which took pace at tobacco vendors in France in 2014.
The 27-year-old was left out of Les Bleus’ squad for this Sunday’s Six Nations opening match with Italy because of his trial, which has now concluded.
He spent four days in custody in June 2014 for his involvement in the theft of cigarettes, lottery scratch cards and tax stamps from outlets in and around Montpellier. The stolen goods were estimated to be worth tens of thousands of euros.
The giant prop was also accused of handling a stolen car at the time.
“It’s an exemplary journey for young people, and I realise that,” the prosecutor said.
“He wants to repay his debt and close this chapter,” she added.
Under questioning eight years ago, Haouas denied any connection with the burglaries but admitted to transporting cigarettes.
The allegations were based on CCTV footage and evidence given by police officers about one of the burglars, who “moved like a rugby player”.
His DNA was found on a headlamp at one scene.
Gilroy banned
Ulster winger Craig Gilroy has been banned for four weeks after his challenge on Scarlets' Tom Rogers was deemed reckless and dangerous.
Gilroy was shown a yellow card by referee Jaco Peyper in the first half of the match at the Kingspan Stadium for the tackle, which led to Rogers failing a head injury assessment.
He refused to accept the offence was worthy of a red card. Full story here.
Ireland wary of repeating error
Defence coach Simon Easterby admits discipline is at the forefront of Ireland's minds after last year's Guinness Six Nations campaign was derailed by a costly red card.
The Irish were on the back foot just 14 minutes into the 2021 championship following Peter O'Mahony's damaging dismissal in the 21-16 defeat to eventual winners Wales in Cardiff.
Title aspirations evaporated with a narrow 15-13 loss to France a week later but Andy Farrell's in-form side have not been beaten since.
Ireland once again begin the tournament against the Welsh and Easterby says it is critical players remain in control and within the law.
"Yeah, it's crucial," he said, ahead of Saturday's sold-out clash at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
"I think every team would see discipline as being right at the top of the agenda in terms of getting it right yourselves, forcing opposition to give you field position or chances to kick points through their indiscipline, so it's certainly at the forefront of everyone's mind.
"We have to work with the officials, players have a responsibility to do things in a legal manner; the game is tough enough these days without guys having to do things outside of normal.
"Those mistakes and those unfortunate times when a player gets his tackle entry wrong, or clean out entry wrong, or there's a challenge in the air, players and coaches try as much as we can to educate and try to mitigate and try to reduce the amount of chances of those things coming back to bite you.
"It's certainly at the forefront of everyone's mind."
Tuilagi starts Six Nations comeback
Manu Tuilagi will begin the task of proving his fitness to England after being named on the bench for Sale's Gallagher Premiership clash with Harlequins on Sunday.
Tuilagi has been out since limping off with a torn hamstring in the autumn victory over South Africa and will finally make his comeback at Twickenham Stoop.
England face Scotland on Saturday, making the round two appointment with Italy in Rome on February 13 the earliest possible opportunity to resume international duties.
However, the clash with Wales two weeks later appears a more realistic target for the powerful centre.
He is joined on Sale's bench by South Africa scrum-half Faf de Klerk, who has been out for three months because of hip surgery.
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