These are your rugby headlines on the morning of Sunday, June 12
Pivac sweats on Biggar as he's forced off
Wales face an anxious wait on the fitness of skipper Dan Biggar after he was forced off injured in Northampton's 27-14 Gallagher Premiership semi-final loss to Leicester at Welford Road.
The 100-cap fly-half appeared to hurt his back attempting a charge down in the first half, pulling up in discomfort. He carried on playing, but eventually had to call it a day on 51 minutes.
READ MORE: Andy Powell hits back at Alex Cuthbert
Biggar had slotted two penalties before the break and then had a hand in a try from full-back Tommy Freeman. It was unclear whether the back spasm or a knee issue was the reason for his departure from the field and Wales boss Wayne Pivac will be waiting for the official diagnosis from the medics.
The Wales players meet up soon for their three-Test tour to South Africa, with Biggar having been chosen to lead the team ahead of Alun Wyn Jones.
Biggar is one of three fly-halves named, with Rhys Patchell and Gareth Anscombe the others. Patchell limped out of the Scarlets' final game against the Stormers with a hamstring injury, shortly after coming on as a substitute, while Anscombe has yet to get up to speed at Test level following his own knee problems
Winger Alex Cuthbert was another scare after missing the Ospreys’ crucial final game of their United Rugby Championship campaign at home to the Bulls with a hamstring problem, although his coach Toby Booth called it “a slight niggle” .
Cuthbert is one of a number of players from the 33-man Welsh tour squad who ended the season sidelined by injury, others including Patchell, Josh Adams, Wyn Jones, Tomos Williams, Ryan Elias and Will Rowlands.
Wales are definitely without Ken Owens, Justin Tipuric, Ross Moriarty, Aaron Wainwright, Uilisi Halaholo, Leigh Halfpenny and Johnny McNicholl and will be desperately hoping Biggar's problem isn’t too bad and he will be able to lead Wales into battle.
The first Test against South Africa is at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld on Saturday July 2, with further games to follow in Bloemfontein and Cape Town.
In Biggar's absence, table-topping Leicester took charge of their clash with Northampton and meet Saracens in next Saturday’s Premiership final at Twickenham. Sarries beat reigning champions Harlequins 34-17 in the first semi-final, with Welsh internationals Nick Tompkins and Aled Davies crossing for tries.
Skinstad: Wales players should head to SA
Former Springboks skipper Bobby Skinstad feels Welsh players could benefit from having a spell playing rugby in South Africa. The ex-back row, who moved in the opposite direction himself by spending a season with the Dragons, feels such new experiences can be very beneficial.
“If Wales have say five quality outside-halves, but only four teams, they could farm out one of those players to a South African franchise. Wales benefits and someone gets to go to Cape Town. The player benefits, the team benefits and the national Union benefits,” he said.
Skinstad feels the fact the two countries are now involved in the same domestic competition - the United Rugby Championship - provides real opportunity on this front.
“I genuinely think it fixes the situation where players are out of sight out of mind. If a Welsh guy goes over to Japan, nobody sees him. Now he can play in another part of the world, but the same tournament. It has to work. It makes sense. I know common sense isn’t that common, but we have to look at this and say it’s better for the player and it’s better for the teams,” he said.
The 42-cap Skinstad has also been responding to comments from former Wales and Lions captain Sam Warburton who has said the URC doesn’t make sense and “looks like a random mix and match of clubs”.
“Sometimes things have to look haphazard for a while before they get straightened up," he said. "I have no doubt the format of the URC will start to put more pressure on domestic-only leagues in Europe. I think this league will be the best place to play rugby.”
Vermeulen absence explained
Duane Vermeulen will miss the Springboks' matches with Wales because of a knee injury, it has been reported in South Africa.
The absence of the veteran World Cup winner was one of the headlines when the squad was named over the weekend, at the same time as the Bulls and Stormers were setting up a South Africa dominated United Rugby Championship play-off final.
However, it has since emerged Vermeulen, who often has blockbusting games against Wales, is injured.
His No.8 place in the Tests will go to either Kwagga Smith at No 8, or exciting youngsters Elrigh Louw and Evan Roos. Jasper Wiese is a further option.
Ford dedicates win to Youngs family
George Ford dedicated Leicester's gripping Gallagher Premiership play-off victory over Northampton to the Youngs household after Tigers ended a nine-year Twickenham wait.
A minute's applause took place before kick-off against Northampton at Welford Road in memory of Tiffany Youngs following the tragic news about her earlier in the week. Her husband Tom retired in April following a career that saw him captain the Tigers and make more than 200 first-team appearances.
Ford scored 22 points from a try, conversion, drop-goal and four penalties, and he created a second-half touchdown for Freddie Steward on his final Leicester home appearance before joining Sale later this summer.
"Some things are bigger than rugby, and what the Youngs have been through, nobody can imagine, to be honest," Ford told BT Sport.
"That effort today, from everyone here at Welford Road, was for the Youngs family."
May back and ready to sizzle
Jonny May enters the final phase of his career determined to enjoy every moment after a spell recovering from a knee injury sharpened his appetite for the game.
May missed England's Six Nations campaign with a torn meniscus that was initially caused by a kick to the back of the leg by Gloucester team-mate Ruan Ackermann in early January.
Four months later and the electric 32-year-old wing is hoping to force his way back into Eddie Jones' plans in time for Sunday's fixture against the Barbarians and the subsequent tour to Australia.
"I'm probably in the last quarter or so of my career now and the goal is to keep leaving no stone unturned, keep exploring, keep being curious and try and enjoy myself a bit more," May said.
"You realise when you are injured that you feel sorry for yourself for playing 80 minutes every week sometimes because it is tough. Be happier, enjoy it and rip in and be the best I can.
"There are always silver linings and opportunities when you are injured to have a rethink about things, re-evaluate, have a break and then to be grateful again.
"The bottom line is I'm as hungry as always and desperate to just be a student of the game and constantly search for ways and little tweaks to get better. Just to be a happier person and a better rugby player."
