Here are the latest rugby headlines on Thursday, April 13.
Ospreys 'hopeful' of keeping Nicky Smith as Wales duo commit
The Ospreys are "hopeful" they can keep Nicky Smith away from the clutches of some of England's biggest clubs.
WalesOnline have been told the Wales prop is one of the hottest prospects on the market at the moment with the likes of Bristol Bears and Saracens, among others, interested in securing his services.
With regional playing budgets set drop and wages plummeting, it will be difficult for the Ospreys to compete with clubs outside of Wales to retain some of their most prized assets. But Wales' most successful region are quietly confident they can persuade the 42-cap international to stay at the Ospreys.
"From the things I've heard in meetings I'm hoping there'll be positive news that can come out soon regarding a lot of the players," Ospreys forwards coach Richard Kelly told a press conference on Thursday.
"With Nicky in particular, quality players are always going to get linked to other clubs and he's been quality for us this season. It's a compliment to Nicky there are so many people interested in him and I'm hopeful he'll stay around because he's a big part of who we are."
WalesOnline understands Wales back-row Jac Morgan and experienced outside-half Owen Williams have agreed deals to stay at the Ospreys.
While the Ospreys have a plethora of young talent who they believe can hit the heights in the years to come, Kelly insists it is vital they hold on to as many of their experienced players as they can.
"One of things I've noticed since being here is how much those senior players lead and how selfless they are with some of the younger guys," he said.
"We are very lucky a lot of those senior guys for us take on that role without being asked. Hopefully we will hold on to as many of them as possible because they do play a big part in the evolution of some of those transition players into the senior group."
Cardiff lose defence coach
Cardiff defence coach Richard Hodges will leave the club at the end of the season for an opportunity overseas.
He has spent the last 10 years with the club, first as academy manager and then defence coach. He also helped Wales Sevens to a World Cup title and Wales Under-20s to the Grand Slam.
Hodges said: “It’s with a heavy heart that I leave Cardiff. I have had a brilliant time here and have so many fond memories.
“This is a club who have assisted and supported my development as a coach through the age-grade and the international pathway to the first team and I will always be very grateful for that.
“It’s now time for a new challenge and adventure overseas for myself and my family. I will always be thankful to all of the coaches I have worked under and I wish Dai and the club all the very best for the future.”
Cardiff director of rugby Dai Young, said: “It is obviously disappointing to lose Richard but this is an exciting opportunity he wanted to take. He has spent a long time here with Cardiff and feels this is the next step in his career and we were happy to support him in that. We wish Richard and the family all the very best in the next chapter.”
'Wales can trouble England and test them'
Wales head coach Ioan Cunningham believes his side can truly trouble reigning Women's Six Nations champions England if they can get enough possession on Saturday.
The women in red will host the Red Roses at Cardiff Arms Park in front of a sell-out crowd of more than 8,000 as both sides go head to head and bid to make it three wins from three this tournament. You can read the full Wales team news here.
Last year's World Cup finalists and number one-ranked side in the world England, who have been pro since 2019, are the overwhelming favourites, but Wales go into the game in their strongest ever position as they reap the rewards of 15 months of professionalism alongside momentum from two thumping wins over Ireland and Scotland.
Victory would earn Wales the Triple Crown, while they have only beat England on two occasions previously.
"Closing the gap for me would mean we score tries against them," Wales boss Cunningham said. "They only concede on average five points. Getting a bonus point would be outstanding for us.
"Having said that, if we get enough possession I believe we can trouble England and test them. I really do. We've got some exceptional players on the field that have been performing well. It's giving them enough ball to be able to do that on Saturday.
"We'd always want [closing the gap] to be faster but I think it is closing. You only have to look at how we're scoring tries, the amount of tries. We've gone from scoring on average maybe 10 points a game to up to 22 points a game. To compete against the top four, I think you have to get up to that 25 points a game mark to give you a shot. I think we are there now."
As for a sold-out Arms Park, he said: "I love it. It's got a bit of an old-school feel to it, with the stand close to the field and you can hear the crowd. Hopefully if we continue to sell out we might have to look at a new venue but we're happy where we are at the moment."
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