These are your rugby headlines on Thursday, December 28.
Jiffy makes scathing Dragons evaluation
Wales legend Jonathan ‘Jiffy’ Davies has mentioned that “loads” of the Dragons’ squad aren’t adequate to be skilled rugby gamers after they had been humiliated by Cardiff of their Boxing Day derby.
Dai Flanagan’s aspect had been thumped 55-21 at Cardiff Arms Park on Tuesday because the Blue and Blacks ran in 9 tries in entrance of a packed crowd. Seven of these got here within the first half, with doubles for Rhys Carre, James Botham and Tomos Williams sending the hosts into the break 45-7 up.
While the Dragons confirmed a bit extra combat within the second half, scoring 14 factors to Cardiff’s 10, the consequence was settled nicely earlier than the half-time whistle sounded, with a dismal displaying by the guests seeing them utterly outfought and outperformed by their rivals. Get the latest rugby information despatched straight to your inbox free of charge with our day by day publication.
Flanagan admitted after the sport that the defeat was the bottom second of his profession and that he’s now below strain to show outcomes round so as to hold his job. But Jiffy says that it’s the gamers the coach has at his disposal which are letting the group down, as he took to X, previously Twitter, to put in writing: “Loads of gamers not adequate to be professional… have a look at the outcomes over the previous few years.”
The 61-year-old made the remark in response to a video of former Dragons man Andrew Coombs tearing into his former aspect’s efficiency whereas on punditry obligation for the BBC’s derby protection.
Asked what he manufactured from the first-half displaying, Coombs replied: “They’re very misplaced and Dai Flanagan wants to fireside some bullets at half-time, I feel. There are a whole lot of gamers out on that park who’re underperforming, massively letting the group down.
“Half-time, you are 45-7 down, I truthfully do not understand how you come again from this. You must ring some adjustments. Someone like Dan Lydiate is on the bench, get him on, get him knocking Cardiff gamers round and attempt to convey the group with him.”
Fellow pundit Sean Holley added: “The Dragons had been devoid of any form of organisation. Their set-piece, they gave penalties away, they misplaced lineouts, they missed tackles. That cannot occur at this stage.”
Former Wales star James Hook mentioned: “At occasions, it seemed just like the Dragons simply did not need to be there.”
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Returning star sends Gatland well timed reminder
Wales worldwide James Botham gave Warren Gatland loads to consider together with his significantly spectacular efficiency on his first match again from harm.
The flanker scored two tries and was an influential determine taking part in his first recreation of the season towards the Dragons on Boxing Day, admitting “we couldn’t have had a greater consequence”.
The 25-year-old defined it was implausible to get the consequence, however jokingly admitted that the day prior to this’s pigs in blankets might have hindered him at factors.
“It’s good to be again. We couldn’t have had a greater consequence. The Christmas dinner was undoubtedly lingering round at one level nevertheless it was was good,” he mentioned. “We’ve been working 12 weeks onerous to get again and it is all paid off. It’s good to be again operating and all the pieces and feeling nice.
“When you get pleasure from it, you play for one another, you play for the badge, play for everybody and even the followers, you have to play for them as a result of they arrive in and also you need to make them have an pleasurable expertise and are available again. It was nice. Everyone purchased in and we obtained the consequence.”
Speaking concerning the tries, he added: “I used to be assured on each. I truly did not know what they had been taking a look at first to be sincere. It’s a kind of issues the place you form of do it, you’re within the zone after which making an attempt to rejoice however then it will get stopped as a result of clearly the TMO.
“But they were both tries and it was great to be back and that’s the main thing. Playing with the boys and my mukka Rhys Carre, he got two tries as well, Tomos, the boys were flooding through.”
Dupont might miss two Six Nations tournaments
France might be with out Antoine Dupont for the subsequent two Six Nations tournaments, with the talismanic scrum-half set to take a break after competing at subsequent yr’s Olympic Games.
The 27-year-old will miss the upcoming championships after confirming his swap to Rugby Sevens for the Paris Olympics, becoming a member of up with the programme at the beginning of the brand new yr. Dupont is s set to be concerned in Sevens collection occasions in February and March, briefly returning to Toulouse in the direction of the top of the season, earlier than switching again to the Sevens programme in time for the Olympics in July.
However, studies in France recommend that the Toulouse star might go away French rugby altogether when the Games finish in August, with a short-term transfer to Japan a real risk. With the season operating from December by to June, such a transfer would offer Dupont with a welcome restoration interval, in addition to a probably profitable contract.
But it might additionally seemingly imply that he could be dominated out of a second successive Six Nations, not turning into available for choice for Les Bleus once more till the autumn of 2025 having missed half of the World Cup cycle.
Toulouse coach Ugo Mola has advised that Dupont might transfer on from the Top 14 after the Olympics, whereas the membership’s president Didier Lacroix admitted in an interview with L’Equipe that the scrum-half taking a break was “potential”
“”If he’s washed out [after the Games] and has the impression of not having lower for some time, we must ask ourselves the query of his restoration.”
