Here are the latest rugby headlines on Friday, December 23.
Gatland 'targets former England defence coach'
Warren Gatland is reportedly targeting former Harlequins boss Paul Gustard as his potential new defence coach.
Gustard, who performed the same role with England between 2016 and 2018 after a long and successful spell at Saracens, is currently defence coach at Stade Francais.
The Rugby Paper now report he is on Gatland's radar as the returning Wales chief holds talks over his backroom team ahead of the Six Nations. Rob Howley and Jonathan Thomas are understood to have been sounded out for roles, as reported by WalesOnline on Thursday. It remains unclear whether there is any future for Stephen Jones (attack), Jonathan Humphreys (forwards) and Gethin Jenkins (defence) in the national set-up.
The Rugby Paper also report Gatland could face competition from Gustard's hometown club Newcastle who are keen to sound him out.
Macleod relishing facing Wales rivals
Wales and Scarlets back-rower Josh Macleod is relishing the prospect of facing Wales rivals Justin Tipuric and Jac Morgan in the Boxing Day Welsh derby against the Ospreys.
Macleod, fresh from his first international appearances this autumn, lines up in the Scarlets in a back-row which also contains Sione Kalamafoni and Aaron Shingler. The Ospreys pack down with Tipuric, Morgan and the in-form Morgan Morris in their line-up.
Off the field, Warren Gatland will be a keen observer from back home in New Zealand ahead of picking his Six Nations squad in January.
Asked about his Ospreys rivals, Macleod said: “They are not bad are they? That is why we play the game to come up against the best boys in Wales, the best boys in the UK. As a back-row with the Scarlets we will put our best foot forward and hopefully come out on top. We are stacked in that sense as well and are fortunate it’s the first time we have everyone fit.
"Selection is tough and it pushes everyone across the back-row to perform better. From a team point of view that is what you want. We are expecting a big breakdown threat, we are expecting physicality, they carry the ball well, they are pretty much all-rounders, we are going to have to try and nullify that threat, we have spoken about it as a team, so may the best man win.”
Dragons RFC chief 'optimistic' of takeover deal
Dragons chairman David Buttress is confident he can complete the move to take the club back into private ownership from the WRU.
The Newport-based outfit have been owned by the WRU since 2017 when Newport RFC shareholders agreed to a deal with the Union which included the nine-acre Rodney Parade site. Buttress has been in talks to take over since 2019 but plans were hit by the Covid pandemic in 2020. The ongoing failure for the regions and WRU to reach a financial agreement for the pro game going forward has also been an issue.
The proposed deal will see the Dragons secure a long-term lease for the Rodney Parade stadium site and the WRU retain the land to the north of it which has the potential for development.
Buttress told the South Wales Argus: “We are still keen to do the deal and I am fully committed to it. It’s clear to me and others involved that taking the club private is a passion project and not in any way a rational, financially-driven one.
“Let’s be blunt, if it was then the amount of time and difficulty of this process would have led me to walk away in any other area of my business life. This is a passion project and we are as committed to it now as we were before Covid.
“Does everything in Welsh rugby take far too much time? Yes, it does. Have I come to accept that? Yes, I’m afraid. I am optimistic that when the PRB deal gets done, our deal gets done.
“Mike Wroe, who was my chief finance officer at JustEat, is leading on some of the financial aspects of the negotiation with the WRU. In terms of speed, he would tell me that we are very, very close in terms of the major items such as key principles surrounding the lease of Rodney Parade and ownership of the club. All of those things are there or thereabouts, that is the basis for my optimism.”
England 'won't be perfect' in Six Nations
Steve Borthwick is eager to unlock England's potential but has acknowledged his team will not be perfect for their Guinness Six Nations opener with Scotland in February.
Borthwick was named as Eddie Jones' successor on Monday and signed a five-year deal with the Rugby Football Union after a near-fortnight of speculation regarding his future.
The ex-Leicester director of rugby has little time to settle into his new role with the Six Nations a matter of weeks away and the World Cup in France due to begin in September, but after a poor 2022 where England lost six of their 12 Tests, he has promised to get Twickenham roaring again.
"There's a lot of potential in the players we have and I want to produce a team that delivers, so I'm going to devote myself wholeheartedly to try to help this team deliver and be a team that we can all be proud of," Borthwick insisted.
"Ultimately on that first game of the Six Nations are we going to be perfect? No. Is it going to be exactly how the team is going to play? No. It is going to be the start but what is absolutely clear is the team needs to go out there and it needs to fight.
"It needs to compete so when they walk out, I want this crowd roaring. I want that Twickenham roar. Our job is to play in a manner, fight in a manner and compete in a manner that keeps them roaring."
Read more:
Dragons v Cardiff team news as Wales openside returns for Six Nations audition
Ospreys v Scarlets team news as Jonathan Davies returns as captain and Alun Wyn Jones named on bench
Today's rugby news as player suspended and Cardiff announce popular flanker's immediate exit
New Welsh-qualified prop being mentored by Adam Jones a year after working on building site
Eddie Butler's son reveals family's loss, pride and the new grandson he never got to meet
