Here are the latest rugby headlines on Tuesday evening.
England star questions Wales and Williams
England international Chris Ashton has questioned Liam Williams' emotional conduct during the first Test against South Africa and suggested Wales were not desperate enough in the final heartbreaking minute of the match.
The Springboks snatched victory at the death in a niggly, confrontational encounter when Tomos Williams' long box kick saw Willie Le Roux and Lukhanyo Am run from 22 to 22 to put the home team in position to win the game with a late penalty.
Ashton, speaking on the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast, says Wales didn't do enough in that final play, and he also called into question Liam Williams and Dan Biggar's emotional involvement in the match.
After Jamie Roberts had suggested 13-man Wales' kick chase was too narrow in the decisive moment, Ashton said: "The chase wasn't actually that skinny, you know. They've only got Le Roux and Kolbe. It didn't scream to me 'we are desperate to win this game'. He should have been tackled, he shouldn't have been allowed to get the pass away. In the middle, it [the desperation] wasn't there. To allow a player like Le Roux to run across the pitch and throw a 20-metre pass is just non-negotiable."
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Ashton then asked Roberts if he thought Biggar and Williams had got too caught up in the occasion and allowed themselves to be distracted.
"Do you think Dan Biggar and Liam Williams are too emotional sometimes?" he asked. "Is it a ploy to stand up to South Africa or are they being distracted by the emotion they put into the game? Liam Williams, especially, is such a great player but I felt we hardly saw him in the game. All I saw him was pushing, messing around and skirmishing. I want to see him in the game and I don't know if it distracted him or not."
Ashton, speaking before the Springboks named a much-changed team, is predicting a big backlash from hosts after their own poor performance, saying: "I'm sorry to say it has to be South Africa. They can't play that badly again. With Pollard back as well it is frightening where they can go to."
Springboks tear up team
South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber has made 14 changes to his starting line-up for the second Test against Wales in Bloemfontein.
Experienced lock Eben Etzebeth, who will earn his 99th cap in Saturday's clash, is the only member of the XV that began the Springboks' 32-29 success in Pretoria last weekend to retain his place.
Nienaber has named a fresh-looking side that includes two uncapped players in outside back Kurt-Lee Arendse and number eight Evan Roos.
Leicester-bound World Cup-winner Handre Pollard returns at fly-half in place of the out-of-form Elton Jantjies and takes over the captaincy from Siya Kolisi.
Former world player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit is also back in the team after recovering from a shoulder injury.
Hooker Malcolm Marx, prop Vincent Koch and utility back Damian Willemse are the only other players who were involved last week to be included in the latest squad, with all three named among the replacements.
Prop Ntuthuko Mchunu, lock Ruan Nortje, utility forward Deon Fourie and scrum-half Grant Williams are further potential debutants from the bench.
South Africa: Warrick Gelant; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi; Handre Pollard (C), Jaden Hendrickse; Thomas du Toit, Joseph Dweba, Trevor Nyakane; Eben Etzebeth, Marvin Orie; Marcel Coetzee, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Evan Roos.
Reps: Malcolm Marx, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Vincent Koch, Ruan Nortje, Rynhardt Elstadt, Deon Fourie, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse.
England without May
England wing Jonny May is set to miss Saturday's second Test against Australia as he continues his recovery from the episode of Covid that ruled him out of the series opener.
Still reeling from the loss of Tom Curry for the rest of the tour due to concussion, England are resigned to being without May for their attempt to keep the series alive at Suncorp Stadium.
May tested positive for Covid on arrival in Perth and was forced to spend seven days in self-isolation, which ended too late to feature in the 30-28 defeat at Optus Stadium.
The 32-year-old was expected to be restored to the wing at the expense of Joe Cokanasiga but he has been unable to train fully since leaving quarantine, placing his involvement in the remainder of the series in doubt.
"It was a long seven days for Jonny! He's been back on his feet today (Tuesday) running, but he didn't join in with the team. It will be a graded return to full training for him," defence coach Anthony Seibold said.
"We tried to include Jonny while he was in isolation, so sending him the team meetings, the backs meetings.
"We've used him as a really experienced Test player. We have a really young group in the backs so he's been bit of a resource for those guys."
Sexton fit to play
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton has been declared "good to go" for Saturday's second Test against New Zealand.
Sexton was taken off with suspected concussion during the first half of his country's 42-19 defeat to the All Blacks in the series opener in Auckland.
Ireland assistant coach Mike Catt confirmed the 36-year-old will be available for selection in Dunedin.
"Johnny is fine," Catt said on Tuesday.
"Johnny's fit, Johnny has passed every test that he needs to pass, so from our point of view he's good to go."
Sexton, who turns 37 next week, was not allowed to return to the Eden Park pitch on Saturday after slipping and colliding with New Zealand captain Sam Cane.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said after the game that his skipper had passed a second head injury assessment and refused to rule him out of the remainder of the tour.
Joey Carbery, who provided fly-half cover last autumn and in the Six Nations, came off the bench to once again deputise for Sexton.
"He (Sexton) is a massive cog in there but I think Joey came on and did well," said Catt.
"We got back up again and this is what touring is all about, our ability to adapt to what gets thrown at us and I think we've done that pretty well, so let's hope it continues."
Pick your Wales team to play South Africa here
South Africa to play club teams
South Africa have announced they will play English club sides when they tour the northern hemisphere this autumn.
As well as matches against England, France, Ireland and Italy, a South Africa Select XV will play Bristol Bears in a midweek match on November 17. Discussions are also underway about two more clashes with club sides during the tour.
“Our traditional year-end tour is taking shape, and the fact that we have confirmed one of the SA Select XV games already is great news,” coach Jacques Nienaber said.
“The SA Select XV games will provide us with a chance to cast our net wider and give players as much game time as possible as the 2023 World Cup in France draws nearer.
“We only have a limited number of matches left before we kick off our World Cup campaign in September next year, and we need to use every opportunity we can to give the players game time to develop our player combinations and build squad depth.”
Wales do not play the Springboks this autumn, instead facing New Zealand, Georgia, Argentina and Australia.
