Here are the latest rugby headlines on Thursday, July 14.
Biggar faces crunch test
Wales are holding a pivotal training session early this morning, with Dan Biggar's final Test fate hanging in the balance.
Biggar remains hopeful of taking the field as captain for the series decider against South Africa, but he will have to prove he has overcome his shoulder injury as Wayne Pivac holds one final session before naming his team later.
It's believed Biggar has had minimal involvement in training so far this week and his fitness remains a concern with the Wales coaches. If he doesn't make it, Gareth Anscombe will step into the number 10 jersey, with Rhys Patchell coming onto the bench.
READ MORE : Wales team expected to include Dillon Lewis as Pivac ponders scrum-half change
Dylan Lewis is expected to recover from his own arm injury and start at tighthead prop, while Tomos Williams could yet be preferred to Kieran Hardy as starting scrum-half.
The team is announced at 11.30am and can be followed live here.
Former Wales international and WRU chief dies
Denis Evans, Welsh Rugby Union secretary for almost four years in the 1990s, has passed away aged 86.
The former Wales international held the reins during a challenging time for Welsh rugby on and off the field.
One of his close personal friends, Paul Selway-Swift, said Evans had been someone he’d been pleased to know over a long period of time.
Scunthorpe-born Evans took over as WRU secretary on January 2, 1990, succeeding David East. It was a lively period for the game in Wales, with the national team struggling to cope with the loss of players to rugby league and Evans attempting to overhaul the union’s administration.
He was sacked from his post in October 1993 for alleged ‘grave misconduct’ amid claims by a WRU disciplinary sub-committee of unauthorised expenditure, though he always denied any allegations of impropriety, saying he “simply went about my job as chief executive” and insisting he had done nothing dishonest and that the vast majority of 18 allegations against him were unproven.
Brought up in the village of Trefil, the three-quarter had played for Ebbw Vale and Llanelli, winning his sole Test cap while with the Scarlets, on the wing against South Africa in 1960. In all, there were a 100 appearances for the west Walians, including 40 tries.
Jenkins predicts big future
Wales defence coach Gethin Jenkins has been mightily impressed with new boy Tommy Reffell and firmly expects him to win many caps for Wales.
The Leicester Tigers flanker has been the find of the tour, winning the man-of-the-match award in the victorious second Test. Jenkins likes what he sees.
“It’s been seamless," he said. "He was outstanding in his first cap and then he built on that last week. I think he’s humble enough to know that there is another challenge this week, to get himself fit and ready and hopefully put in a third great performance.
"He’s fitted into the group really well, he’s taken it in his stride, he’s a grounded boy and I’m looking forward to seeing him play many games for us in the future.”
Jenkins' comments come after similar praise for Reffell from Bryan Habana and Ugo Monye.
Vunipola turned to psychologist
Billy Vunipola turned to daily sessions with a psychologist to be told the home truths he needed to hear to reignite his England career.
Vunipola will start Saturday's series decider against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground after his 16-month spell in international exile ended in Perth two weeks earlier.
A combination of injuries to number eight rivals Alex Dombrandt and Sam Simmonds and his own return to form for Saracens upon their return to the Premiership propelled him back into Eddie Jones' squad.
But a year ago his Test prospects were looking bleak when he met with Jones in a pub in St Albans and was told he needed to rediscover his mojo, a statement that was initially rejected by the powerful back row of Tongan heritage.
"I disagreed with Eddie, but looking back now he was right. That's where this kind of all started. And I'm glad it did," Vunipola said.
"I've never really believed in psychologists before but after talking to Eddie I felt like I needed someone to tell me the honest truth. And I found someone who was class.
"We talked nearly every day for six or seven months. One of our first conversations was me complaining about being relegated and he basically just said, 'what can you do about it? ' I said, 'nothing'. And he said, 'what can you do about your rugby', and I was like, 'everything'.
"And that was the start of my journey. I still talk with him here and there. He was a massive help. It had to be the right person and from the start we hit it off. I thought he was class.
"I'll give you an analogy. He said that I climbed up the mountain, I was really hungry to get to where I wanted to get to. And I got to where I wanted to get to. And now everyone's still climbing and I'm just here.
"He basically said if you stop now, you will regret it for the rest of your life. And if you carry on then who knows what could happen? When he put it in those words, I was ready to throw it all in with him."
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