These are your latest rugby headlines on Wednesday, March 22.
Rees-Zammit experiment backed
Nicky Robinson says he would like to see Louis Rees-Zammit continue in the full-back shirt for Wales.
Rees-Zammit was named in Warren Gatland's side to face France last weekend at 15, a position he's played before, although not on a regular basis for club side Gloucester.
The game in Paris was another opportunity for Gatland to experiment ahead of the World Cup in France later this year, and a number of players showed up well at the Stade de France, according to Robinson.
READ MORE: The new life of Regan King, the Scarlets legend who fought back from the brink
Looking at the positives of the defeat, he said on BBC's ScrumV podcast: "I thought Aaron Wainwright was the best I've seen him in a Welsh shirt. He was dynamic, physical, he carried the ball, we saw him in the game. I thought he was excellent.
"I thought Louis Rees-Zammit was great at 15. That might be something we see a bit more of. Every time he carried, he got us back over the gainline and back into the game.
"I thought Nick Tompkins and George North looked a bit better as a partnership. Defensively they still struggled there and that is a major area of concern. I think that's our biggest area of concern, our centre partnership moving forward because in other areas we look quite settled maybe barring one or two.
"But that centre bit, whether they go with Joe Hawkins and Mason Grady or Joe Hawkins and someone else I don't know, but those two did look quite impressive. Again, I thought Rio Dyer was good."
Llewellyn exit 'disappointing' for Cardiff
Cardiff centre Max Llewellyn's decision to sign for Gloucester next season and move away from Welsh rugby is "disappointing" but he can't be blamed for wanting to test himself elsewhere, according to Cardiff backs coach Matt Sherratt.
Powerful centre Llewellyn, who had been tipped by some pundits as an outsider to make Wales' Six Nations squad, will move to the Gallagher Premiership in time for next season. Aged 24, the son of 92-cap Gareth Llewellyn qualifies for both Wales and England and is a former Wales under-20 international.
His exit from Welsh rugby was first trailed by WalesOnline back in December, when contracts for next season were off the table, a situation which has since been rectified.
"It's disappointing when any good young Welsh player and good person, which Max is, decides their future is elsewhere," Sherratt said.
"I don't think we can blame him, because firstly Gloucester is a big club. It's a great place to go and develop his game even more. But also it's hard when a young player leaves because you can see such a big future. Max is also a good professional, he's good around the place, and gets on with people. He will leave a hole with us.
"There's another part of me, if I'm honest, just as a rugby fan that thinks 'good on him' for trying to experience something a little bit different in trying to test himself somewhere else. As you've seen before, you can always come back. So it is disappointing to lose him but it's pretty exciting for Max and to experience something new."
With Cardiff heading towards finalising their squad retention for next season, Sherratt hopes they can avoid more exits.
"I hope not," he replied when asked whether there could be any further departures. "Especially young Welsh players, because we've got to try and keep them where they are. It's been well talked about that the situation around the contracts being left so late. There's always going to be players who go somewhere else and rightly so. There's clubs over the bridge and in France and Japan that have probably seen an opportunity and being well-run businesses they're going to come in for your best talent.
"I do think there's a lot of pride in the game in Wales as well. And I do think the lure of playing for Wales and playing for your home region, it would be pretty sad if that disappeared. I don't think it has. It does mean something. There will always be players who are going to go, but I sincerely hope we can keep our best young players."
The fans' Wales Six Nations verdict: Have your say
Wales internationals available
Liam Williams is set to undergo a scan following Wales' Six Nations campaign but Wales internationals Mason Grady and Rhys Carre are available for Cardiff's Friday night fixture away to Zebre in the United Rugby Championship (7.10pm kick-off).
Wales squad call-up Teddy Williams is also on hand to feature for Dai Young's side, while Taulupe Faletau, Tomos Williams, Dillon Lewis and Josh Adams are set to return to training next week having featured heavily during Wales' Six Nations campaign.
Cardiff backs coach Sherratt said of full-back Williams, who missed Wales' finale against France: "He came in [on Monday]. I think he's having a scan. The initial thoughts were that it's nothing too serious. Hopefully towards the end of the week we'll have more clarity. We've got no firm info yet.
"Mason's had a good campaign. I know he didn't play in the last game, but it was good to see him get his first couple of caps, which will serve him well for us and for Wales in the future.
"Rhys wasn't involved in the last couple so he's itching for a game. But I think the overall mood was pretty positive. Performances as a team got better towards the end of the campaign. I think they've enjoyed the camp."
Elsewhere, Thomas Young, James Botham, Rhys Priestland and Liam Belcher are all available, but Rey Lee-Lo and Josh Navidi are continuing with rehab.
Farrell 'a hangover'
Former England star Jeremy Guscott says Owen Farrell should be removed as Steve Borthwick's captain, believing he is "a hangover" from the Eddie Jones era.
Farrell was named skipper for Borthwick's first Six Nations at the England helm but, like Wales, the Red Roses struggled to get going in the tournament, and were humbled at home by France in the penultimate match.
Ahead of the World Cup Guscott says Borthwick has some serious thinking to do over his leader on the pitch.
"Borthwick’s decision right at the beginning to name Owen Farrell as captain was either going to have worked incredibly well or it was going to go horribly wrong," he said. "He is a hangover from Eddie. There is a lot of Eddie in Farrell and that is what he probably saw when he became coach. The warrior that Farrell is, the great leader that he is, it is a hangover and without Farrell, they would move on.
“I figured they would move on quicker without that. It’s a legacy from Eddie. I’m saying we ought to rethink that. Is it going forward and are England progressing with him? How much longer is Farrell going to play? Post-World Cup the future is probably Marcus Smith and maybe George Ford. So many times, Owen gets the ball 30 metres away from the try line and his first instinct, it seems, is always to kick.
“It’s much better to see that one pass and then make the decision. Marcus’ instinct is to run. George Ford’s instinct is to scan and then make a decision to kick or run. Owen’s first decision seems to be to kick. His influence over the team is enormous and if he is on a high, it works. But at the moment, he just looks a little bit slower than he used to be, more reserved than he used to be, and he certainly kicks more than he used to.
“Borthwick has got enough time between this last game and the first warm-up game (in August) and the England camp to decide if Farrell is the right choice. Personally, I can’t say no he is not because I’m not in the camp so I don’t know the upside of Owen Farrell. But the playing side at the moment isn’t influential enough for him to be in the team and to be captain."
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