These are your rugby headlines on Friday, October 28.
Rowlands 'world-class' right now
Dragons coach Simon Cross has labelled Will Rowlands "world-class" as his side prepares to face Zebre on Saturday shorn of their Wales players (5.15pm kick-off).
Locks Rowlands and Ben Carter, prop Rhodri Jones, hooker Bradley Roberts and wing Rio Dyer are with Wales for the autumn series and Cross believes their influence has been marked, adding he is excited to see who steps up in their absence.
“The Welsh boys have been brilliant, but the squad has actually been brilliant,” said defence coach Cross. "Will Rowlands has led by example, he is absolutely world-class at the moment, but Ben Carter was also outstanding against the Ospreys. I felt they were the two best second rows on the pitch.
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“Dai [Flanagan] has rotated quite a few players over the course of the last four or five games and we have people who are match-fit, who have played decent chunks of games and have won games.
“I am excited that some of these boys are going to get more of an opportunity this weekend. I think we will see some big performance from these boys. It gives opportunities for others to stake a claim and the competition in training has been outstanding. We had a really good training session on Thursday and we are excited about trying to back up last week's result.”
Priestland backed for Wales fly-half berth
Cardiff fly-half Rhys Priestland is being backed to take his club form onto the international stage for Wales over the coming weeks.
The playmaker was the star of the show last weekend when Dai Young's men stunned the United Rugby Championship defending champions Stormers 30-24, when Priestland put on a masterclass by scoring 20 points and setting up two tries.
Now in camp with Wales, Priestland will be vying for the No. 10 jersey for the curtain-raiser against the All Blacks on November 5 with Gareth Anscombe, who like Priestland can also cover full-back, and Scarlets young gun Sam Costelow, who has been in fine form under Dwayne Peel.
Cardiff backs coach Matt Sherratt said of Priestland: "He was brilliant. Tactically and how he managed the game, the technique of his kicks off the floor and out of hand was unbelievable. He really deserved it. He's shown what a good person he is over the last two or three weeks by playing at 15 when really he is a 10. He's played very well there, done a lot of work for the team, so he deserved to get the rewards he got by playing at 10 and playing so well. Hopefully now he can springboard that into the Welsh set-up.
"In my eyes, Rhys is a 10 that can cover 15 and I'm sure that's what the Welsh coaches see him as as well, especially after his last game here. Is it a bonus he can play 15, with obviously Liam Williams is missing, yeah it is but so can Gareth Anscombe. I think he's there as a 10 first and foremost."
No. 10 rival Anscombe won't have played rugby for five weeks by the time New Zealand arrive in Cardiff, sparking concerns the 31-year-old will be undercooked. The 32-cap player suffered a rib injury playing for the Ospreys against Glasgow Warriors on October 1, the victim of a charge at a ruck from the opposition’s replacement hooker George Turner, and Ospreys boss Toby Booth has revealed Anscombe had just starting training before being called up by Wales.
While Costelow has been in fine form, many would feel throwing him in at the deep end against the Rugby Championship title holders may be unwise given his lack of experience on the international stage.
Door open for Finn Russell
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend says the door remains open for axed Finn Russell after he was left out of Townsend's autumn international squad last week and told to show "form and consistency".
"The door is not closed on any player,” said the Scotland coach. “Opportunities come through injury. That’s unfortunate, but it is an opportunity for someone outside the squad. The door is open to all our players.”
Racing 92’s skills and kicking coach Philippe Doussy expressed the club's shock and surprise earlier this week over Russell's omission, which Townend addressed: “I would imagine the Gloucester coach would have been stunned if Adam Hastings hadn't been in the squad and the Edinburgh coach would have been stunned if Blair Kinghorn hadn't been in the squad given their form this season.”
Asked if there was anything personal in the Russell situation, Townsend said: “No, not at all.”
England and Scotland to have names on shirts
England and Scotland players will have their names on the back of their shirts for the first time during the upcoming autumn series. Wales did the same in the mid-2000s and this weekend, when Scotland face Australia at Murrayfield, the home team will have their names printed on their jerseys.
The Times reported last month that Six Nations teams were discussing the imitative in an attempt to the widen the appeal of the game. The same publication report Wales won't be doing the same this autumn but could consider it for next year's Six Nations campaign.
England will have names on shirts for their clash with Argentina at Twickenham on November 6.
Diamond launches Worcester bid
Former Worcester chief Steve Diamond has launched a bid to rescue the club and get them back into the Gallagher Premiership in four years.
Worcester went into administration earlier this month owing millions and the men's side was suspended from the Premiership and are facing relegation at the end of the season.
Diamond is leading Sixways Village, a consortium which includes former Leicester chief executive Simon Cohen.
“My goal is to create a sustainable business that is able to compete back in the Premiership within the next three or four years, and allows professional rugby to thrive in Worcester,” said Diamond, who would be chief executive of the new venture. “It took us a month to put the plan together and we presented it last week to the RFU and the PRL (Premiership Rugby). Now a decision needs to be made and hopefully that decision is for the right organisation to put Worcester Warriors back on the map.”
Worcester and Wasps women's teams have been given permission by the Rugby Football Union to continue playing after their futures were thrown into doubt after the companies controlling the men's sides entered administration. But they are now both able to play their Allianz Cup ties on Saturday and remain in the Allianz Premier 15s. The RFU was satisfied that funding and insurance was in place for future matches to go ahead.
Interim funding for Worcester women has been secured from a local company to keep the club playing until at least Christmas. They can continue to play at Sixways under a temporary licence while administrators attempt to sell the club.
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