Here are your rugby headlines for Sunday, September 18
Springboks issue strong statement
World champions South Africa have hit out angrily at claims of 'failed tests for recreational drugs', which surfaced ahead of their Rugby Championship showdown with Argentina last night.
The Springboks' build-up to the game had already been disrupted after fly-half star Elton Jantjies and the team's dietician were sent home amid claims of an affair, which has been strongly denied.
READ MORE: Graham Price's beautiful tribute to Eddie Butler, the posh teen who won over Wales' hard men
South Africa Rugby then had to issue a strongly-worded statement on their official website over the fresh reports which had started to emerge before kick-off in Buenos Aires.
The statement read: "SA Rugby is aware that unsubstantiated allegations of failed tests for recreational drugs by Springbok players are circulating among members of the media. Disappointingly, these allegations have already appeared online despite the absence of any evidence to support them.
"SA Rugby has consistently advised inquiring media that no such reports have been received by SA Rugby or any player from the only authority permitted to perform such tests, the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport. SA Rugby does not conduct its own tests.
"Despite the absence of any such reports, players and management in Argentina have been contacted to 'tell their story', distracting and destabilising the entire camp in the build-up to today’s Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires.
"SA Rugby wishes to repeat that it has no evidence of any adverse analytical findings for any kind of drug – be it performance enhancing or recreational – by Springbok players and regards the publication or the threat to publish such allegations as a deliberate attempt to sabotage the team’s preparations."
Despite the unwanted disruption, the Springboks retained their hopes of winning the Rugby Championship with a hard-fought 36-20 bonus-point win. They led 22-6 at the break but had to withstand a Pumas second-half fightback to remain on course for the title ahead of this coming weekend's finale against Argentina again in Durban.
Another bonus-point win should be enough for the Springboks to seal the title ahead of New Zealand, who meet Australia in their own last game.
South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber said of the claims after the Buenos Aires match: “From my side, it was quite disturbing, especially the timing of it, five hours before a big Test match like this.
“I’m literally stunned that allegations like that can be made about this team because again we are tested as any other team is tested regularly, sometimes three times a week in South Africa.
“There hasn’t been one positive case since we’ve been together this year. So yeah, it is disappointing.”
Dragons boss lashes out after hammering
Dragons boss Dean Ryan hit out at his team after they crashed to a 44-6 opening-day defeat to Edinburgh.
The Scottish side ran in seven tries in 35 minutes to kick off their own campaign in style, subjecting Dai Flanagan to a painful debut as Dragons head coach.
The Dragons started the better team and were six points up inside 12 minutes thanks to two penalties from JJ Hanrahan, one of five summer signings in their starting line-up.
But it fell apart after that, prompting Dragons director of rugby Dean Ryan to say: "It wasn't good enough. From where we were in pre-season, we looked nervous in the first 20 minutes when we had some opportunities. The second half wasn't good enough. Too many basic mistakes. If we're going to get better, we need to have some hard conversations.
"We've got supposed talent in this squad, but I don't see it at the moment. I don't see the work rate that was needed or the desire to be in the right position. We need to hold some hard conversations about how that can happen in the first game of the season.
"It'll be interesting to see where players take it. I think there's a lot of people talking now and interesting what they do about it. There's a point with this region where senior players need to come together and take it in a strong direction.
"I don't think this is about tactically what we do in the middle third or anything else. This is about some key fundamentals that we're not getting right and we need to discuss those internally.
"We've got to play together, we've got to hold conversations together and we've got to go out and get better. Let's see how we do."
Scarlets dejection after Ospreys thriller
Scarlets boss Dwayne Peel admits his players were 'desperately disappointed' after being pegged back to a 23-23 draw in a dramatic finale against the Ospreys in Llanelli.
The visitors snatched a share of the derby spoils when replacement Jack Walsh kicked a last-gasp conversion following Rhys Davies' try. The Ospreys had earlier led 13-3, but the Scarlets roared into the lead and appeared on course for victory until the drama right at the end.
Scarlets boss Peel said: "The boys are desperately disappointed in the changing room. The disappointing thing is when we were 23-16 up and camped in their 22 we did not come away with anything. We had three moments in those final three minutes which cost us."
Ospreys coach Toby Booth said: "I have mixed feelings. There is a lot of pride in that. To muscle our way up the field to 80 metres to score and give us the chance of the draw is a massive credit to the players and their efforts.
"What we need to look at is when in the first half, when I felt we were in control, how we then went to 30 minutes when we weren't."
Jamie bowled over by Faletau debut
Jamie Roberts was blown away by the performance of Taulupe Faletau on his debut for Cardiff.
The Wales number eight produced a stunning display filled with majestic footwork and classy handling as he inspired the Welsh team to a 20-13 win over Munster.
Roberts, who was on punditry duty for the BBC, said: "It looks like men v boys sometimes. When Faletau is on song he looks like he is playing at a different level to anyone else on the pitch. What a debut. He's doing this on his first appearance for Cardiff."
Faletau himself said: "We're happy with the result. It is a starting point and we now want to build on it. It's important for us to get a win and put in a performance we could be proud of. I think we did that and the result was the icing on the cake.
Roberts was also impressed with young centre Max Llewellyn, who scored one try and set up another for Kristian Dacey with an angle and line break Roberts himself would have been proud of.
Roberts said: "He has been outstanding. He looks hungry. He's carrying hard, he's a big man who looks fit and looks strong. That line from Llewellyn [for the Dacey try] is world class."
England huge autumn blow
Flanker Sam Underhill is set to miss England’s autumn Tests because of a shoulder problem that requires surgery.
The Bath forward, who has won 29 caps, is expected to be sidelined for 12 weeks.
And such a spell out of the game would mean the 26-year-old not being available for England’s November appointments with Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. Underhill had concussion during England’s second Test victory over Australia in Brisbane two months ago, and he was ruled out of the series decider.
“Sam Underhill is to undergo surgery on a shoulder issue,” Bath said.
Underhill’s absence is a blow for England head coach Eddie Jones as the countdown to next year’s World Cup in France continues to gather pace. The openside flanker, who shone for the Ospreys, started the World Cup final when England lost to South Africa in 2019 and Jones will hope to see him fit and firing for the Six Nations Championship.
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