These are your rugby headlines on Monday, January 1.
Lydiate addresses worldwide future
Wales veteran Dan Lydiate says ‘what will probably be will probably be’ as he addressed his worldwide future forward of the upcoming Six Nations.
The 36-year-old was a part of Warren Gatland’s Rugby World Cup squad this autumn however noticed his game-time in France restricted, that includes simply as soon as as he lined up towards Portugal within the pool levels.
Since returning to the Dragons after the event, he has confronted one other harm setback, struggling a fractured rib and a dislocated finger throughout November’s conflict with Leinster. It was the latest blow for the flanker, who has sustained numerous accidents within the twilight of his profession, with a horror knee harm and a damaged arm sidelining him since his return to Test rugby in 2021.
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But having recovered from his rib harm, Lydiate is again in motion for Dai Flanagan’s males on Monday as they face the Scarlets in one other Welsh derby. And as he goals to get a number of extra video games underneath his belt, the ahead insists he’s not trying previous the “right here and now” as one other Six Nations looms and hypothesis round his worldwide future grows.
“I’ve been out for 5 weeks now,” he stated. “Obviously I went to the World Cup which was an amazing expertise however I did not have a lot game-time, fact be advised. I performed towards Portugal and possibly missed out on possibilities to play within the different video games by means of how effectively the again row was going. That’s simply the character of the beast.
“Coming again, then enjoying in that Baa-baas recreation and choosing up an harm towards Leinster, it has been a bit fragmented since I’ve been again – however I simply wish to consider the right here and now, attempting to build momentum for the Dragons. I by no means look too far forward because it at all times comes again to chew me. What will probably be will probably be, I’m simply right here to play effectively for the Dragons and hopefully we’ll do this on the weekend.”
Wales starlet grabs his second
Bath did not get the top to 2023 that they’d have hoped for as they fell to a 35-22 defeat by the hands of Leicester Tigers, however there was a second to savour for Welsh teenager Louie Hennessey.
The Wales U20 star grabbed his first ever Premiership attempt for the guests at Welford Road, diving underneath the posts with eight minutes remaining after some high quality build-up play by Max Ojomoh. While it was solely a comfort rating, it got here in in what was solely Hennessey’s second Premiership match – and the 19-year-old was completely delighted to get on the scoresheet.
While an unlikely comeback regarded to probably be on at one level, Leicester’s lead was finally an excessive amount of for Bath to chase, having wrapped up the bonus level earlier than the half-time whistle.
The attempt could have boosted Hennessey’s confidence going into the brand new 12 months, nonetheless, having impressed with Wales this 12 months, each within the U20s Six Nations and the World Rugby U20s Championship. He was certainly one of two Welshmen named within the NextGen XV World U18 Dream Team in 2022, as he shone for Hartpury College of their ACE League title-winning marketing campaign.
His highly effective operating and offloading skills have seen him earmarked as a future full Wales worldwide, with one sensational move towards Ireland earlier this 12 months leading to a rating that offload king Sonny Bill Williams described as “poetry in movement”. You can watch that attempt right here.
Scotland star main doubt for Six Nations
Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith stated he was “heartbroken” after flanker Rory Darge suffered an harm that appears set to rule him out of the upcoming Six Nations.
The 23-year-old was compelled off throughout the Warriors’ 1872 Cup conflict with Edinburgh within the URC, having injured his knee. While extra work is to be accomplished within the coming days to find out the severity of the harm, he now seems to be unlikely to play a task in a lot, if any, of this 12 months’s event which kicks off in February.
It comes after Darge missed final 12 months’s Six Nations after present process surgical procedure on an ankle harm, as he spent a lot of the season on the sidelines earlier than successful a place in Scotland’s Rugby World Cup squad.
“I’m heartbroken for the guy, it looks like a serious injury,” stated Smith after his facet fell to a 19-14 defeat to their arch-rivals. “We hope it isn’t, for us and for Scotland, however we’ll know extra throughout the week.
“It’s his knee, sadly. He tried to steal the ball on our try-line and so they simply cleaned him out from the facet, just like what occurred with him at Scotstoun a 12 months or so in the past.
“There is still a lot of medical work to be done around it and we’ll get a better assessment then.”
‘No strain’ on Feyi-Waboso as choice looms
By Andrew Baldock, PA Rugby Union Correspondent
Exeter rugby director Rob Baxter says there will probably be no strain from the Chiefs about the place Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s potential worldwide profession ought to lie. The uncapped 21-year-old, who’s certified to signify Wales and England at Test stage, may conceivably characteristic throughout this season’s Guinness Six Nations Championship.
Wales boss Warren Gatland and his England counterpart Steve Borthwick will undoubtedly have famous Feyi-Waboso’s blistering kind, showcased by tries in recent Gallagher Premiership video games towards Newcastle and Bristol. Borthwick watched from the Ashton Gate stands because the Exeter wing repeatedly threatened Bristol’s defence and additional enhanced a box-office repute.
Gatland, in the meantime, will announce his Six Nations squad in simply over a fortnight’s time, with Cardiff-born Feyi-Waboso regarded as firmly on the New Zealander’s radar. He has agreed a brand new long-term Exeter deal, whereas he has additionally launched into medical research on the metropolis’s college.
“He is aware of there is no such thing as a strain from us,” Baxter stated. “Obviously, I’m English and I assist England. If he picks England, nice. But we by no means put any strain on (Wales forwards) Dafydd Jenkins or Christ Tshiunza. They got here to us with out being capped, and there has by no means been a strain component from us about the place their profession ought to lie.
“There will not be any strain from us. Those will probably be choices Manny will make for himself.”
Baxter is already a member of the Feyi-Waboso fan membership, seeing him flourish following his arrival from Wasps after the Coventry-based membership went into administration.
“All he has acquired to do is play rugby and get expertise, and the world is his oyster then,” Baxter added. “His rugby profession will probably be what he chooses it to be. The alternatives are going to be there for him if he works exhausting at his recreation.
“The actuality is he might want to keep comparatively injury-free for durations, he might want to get an honest quantity of game-time for durations, he might want to steadiness his finding out along with his rugby programme as he goes alongside and never get burnt out by one or the opposite, so there’s a lengthy approach to go.
“We’ve had with him us for a 12 months or so now, so he’s not an entire novice, however in Premiership phrases he’s. The benefit of him is he’s eager to get higher. He would not appear to be a man who suffers so much with nerves and strain.
“He is comparatively chilled-out, and when it comes all collectively he’s simply going to develop and turn out to be a really, superb participant. He has acquired nice tempo, energy and steadiness. He half-missed a deal with in coaching and began to do a back-roll, and as he rolled over he did a hand-spring off the ground and landed on his ft.
“You take a look at it and go ‘how have you ever simply accomplished that?’ But he would not even know the way he has accomplished it, he’s only a very gifted athlete in quite a lot of methods.”
