Here are some of the rugby stories making the headlines on Friday April 21.
Wales poster star Rees-Zammit on that shock Pivac axe
Wales wing wonder Louis Rees-Zammit has spoken in depth for the first time about his shock Wales axe and revealed how he has bounced back from that Six Nations woe.
The 21-year-old wing flier has responded to surprisingly being dropped by Wayne Pivac for the clash against England in February by regaining his international place and starring in Gloucester's push for European and domestic honours.
READ MORE: The full Wales casualty list ahead of South Africa tour
With the season having reached its business end, Rees-Zammit and Gloucester are fighting on three fronts - the Gallagher Premiership, European Challenge Cup and Premiership Rugby Cup.
Rees-Zammit, who was just 20 when he toured South Africa with Lions last summer, is an integral part of Gloucester's resurgence under head coach George Skivington. And it says everything about his character that he has responded so impressively from being left out of Wales' trip to Twickenham.
"Getting dropped happens to the best, so I took those learnings because I talked to a lot of the players in camp and they each said they had been in the same position," said Rees-Zammit.
"They just said, 'go away and prove why you should be in the team'. I tried to do that against Northampton when we played them at home, and I got back in the Wales 23 against France.
"That had not happened to me before, but to talk to the boys - the experienced players - really helped. We found the team out, I wasn't in it and I just talked to my close mates like Dan Biggar and Jonathan Davies - those players who have done it all.
"I had to go away and prove I could do it and take those learnings on board."
He said Pivac and the Wales coaches "wanted me to try to get my hands on the ball more and work harder. They wanted me to get in the positions to get the ball by working off my wing.
"I went away, came off the bench against Northampton and got the ball in my hands after two minutes and scored, which was good. When I get dropped or play badly, I've just got to learn from it.
"So many players told me that the only way to get back in the team is to work hard on what you've been told to work on. That is basically what I've tried to do."
Skivington talked up his Welsh star's attitude and dedication, saying: "He has had a very fast-tracked career so far, and found himself on a Lions tour at the age of 20. That's not how most careers start off. It is usually a bit more of a slog to get to something like that - if you get to something like that. Most of us don't.
"That Six Nations period was the first time he has had a real bump in the road. Being England-Wales and all the context around that, it was probably a bit of a shock to all of us. He was disappointed at first, but I was really impressed with his attitude. He came back, we had a good chat around it, and he just rolled up his sleeves.
"Everyone gets dropped, picked, dropped, picked, but when you are in the limelight like he is - one of the poster stars of the game - everyone knows when you have been dropped, so it's quite a tough thing to deal with, and he dealt with it really well."
Adams pens new Cardiff contract
Wales wing Josh Adams has signed a new contract to stay at Cardiff.
The British and Irish Lions flier has notched 13 tries in 25 Cardiff appearances since moving to the Arms Park from Worcester after the World Cup in 2019.
Adams will miss the rest of the United Rugby Championship season with knee trouble but is excited about his future in the Welsh capital. He is a doubt for Wales' three Test tour to take on world champions South Africa this summer.
"It's really frustrating to miss the remainder of this season, which has seen so much disruption," said Adams. "I came through the Six Nations and was really looking forward to having a run of games in blue and black, helping the team as much as possible.
"It was disappointing to pick up the injury, but I'm very happy here at the Arms Park and I was more than happy to sign a new contract. Moving back to Wales has been a great move for me and I also believe Cardiff is the best place for me to continue improving my own game."
Adams follows fellow Wales stars Seb Davies and Rhys Carre in committing his future to Cardiff, while Liam Williams, Taulupe Faletau and Thomas Young will arrive in the summer.
"There is absolutely no doubt about Josh's ability on the pitch, he is one of the best wings in the world and has proved it consistently on the highest stage," said Cardiff boss David Young.
"He is incredibly hard working, is very effective with and without the ball, is an absolutely lethal finisher and has the ability to create something from nothing.
"But he is also an important figure off the pitch as well. He is one of the leaders in our squad, who is growing in influence and is a brilliant role model for some of our younger players
"We are delighted that he has committed his future to us. He has had some great moments in a blue and black jersey and I am sure there will be many more."
Ryan's concern over Welsh regions
Dragons boss Dean Ryan has voiced his concerns over the lack of a clear strategy aimed at making the Welsh regions more competitive.
The four pro teams are in the bottom half of the United Rugby Championship table and they didn’t win a single European game between them on the field this season.
“It’s been well voiced that it’s a Welsh issue that we’ve got to work out how we get more competitive,” said Rodney Parade director of rugby Ryan.
“The URC has gone through the roof. It is getting better all the time. With the introduction of enormous provinces coming from South Africa and Ireland just getting better and better, we have to ask ourselves have we a strategy that moves us all forward?
“At the moment, I don’t feel we have. I don’t feel I understand what that direction is. I understand what the finances are, but I don’t understand how they connect to us being successful or competitive with other countries.
“It’s not just about finance, it’s strategy across everything from 15, 16, 17-year-olds into what competitions are going to support a developing player, what resources are around age-group sides, etc, etc, so that the constant push is to take regions into the future so they can be competitive.
“There are real challenges over how we ensure we keep moving forward. There is a need for an integrated strategy with the national team and the regions about how we are competitive, not how much funding we need but how are we answering being competitive with the other Unions.”
URC final venue announced
The inaugural United Rugby Championship Grand Final will be staged at the home ground of the highest-ranking finalist, competition bosses have announced.
The 16-team tournament - which involves sides from Wales, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and South Africa - is in its first season following the expansion of the former PRO14, with the top eight set to qualify for the opening round of knockout matches.
The teams who finish in the top four will be at home in the last eight, with league position then deciding who has home advantage right the way through to the final.
Pre-determined venues were used for the final between 2015 and 2019 under the competition's previous guises, with the Aviva Stadium and Celtic Park among those used, but the Covid-19 pandemic and the barring of fans from sporting events saw a return to merit-based stadium selection.
Leinster currently lead the URC by 10 points with three full rounds of fixtures left to play in the regular season.
"The reward of the highest-ranked team hosting the URC Grand Final gives even more to the competitive edge over the closing rounds of the league that will set us up for an incredible play-offs," said URC chief executive Martin Anayi.
Shock Wallaby departure on cards
Australia star Nic White is weighing up a bumper seven-figure offer to play in Japan, according to reports down under. In what is described as 'bombshell' news for Australian rugby, it is said the scrum-half ace could leave the Brumbies next year and potentially miss the World Cup.
White is seen as a key figure in Dave Rennie's World Cup plans and losing him would be a 'hammer blow' for the game in Australia, say local papers.
Rugby Australia are reported to be treating the White case as a priority in attempting to convince him to stay. White is expected to start for the Wallabies at nine against England when the two countries do battle over three Tests in July.
England hit by fresh blow
Eddie Jones has been hit by another summer tour blow amid doubts over No.8 Sam Simmonds' fitness for the three-Test trip to Australia.
Jones is already sweating on the availability of his Six Nations captain Courtney Lawes and Simmonds has joined the injury list. The Exeter ace is a doubt for the rest of the season with hip and groin problems and will see specialists in the coming days.
“We are still monitoring it,” said Chiefs boss Rob Baxter said. "There are some treatment options, a lot more is going to be known this week. It doesn’t necessarily need to be season over for him but we just need to assess everything correctly.
“So I don’t want to say he will definitely be back for England and I don’t want to say he will definitely be back for us at the end of the season because I don’t think it is as simple a prognosis as that.”
