These are your rugby headlines on Sunday, February 18.
Wales star in discuss with rivals
Wales star Taine Basham has held talks with the Scarlets and is needed by numerous English golf equipment.
As first reported by WalesOn-line’s Inside Welsh Rugby publication, a tug of conflict is growing for the again rower, who must surrender his worldwide profession if he had been to depart Wales. Sale Sharks, Northampton Saints and Saracens are all eager, however the 25-cap rule makes the Scarlets the favourites at this level.
Although the Dragons want to preserve Basham, Welsh rugby’s tight finances constraints, plus the very fact they’ve secured offers to maintain Aaron Wainwright and Rio Dyer, means it is going to be troublesome to maintain everybody.
Sources within the Southern Hemisphere additionally declare 24-year-old former Waratahs lock Max Douglas, who at present plies his commerce for Japanese outfit Yokohama Canon Eagles, is a goal of the Scarlets.
Welsh rugby star faces ban
Cardiff Rugby star Rey Lee-Lo faces suspension after being proven a crimson card throughout his facet’s URC defeat to Connacht.
Matt Sherratt’s facet had been dealt an early blow at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday night time, as Lee-Lo was despatched off after simply quarter-hour for a excessive sort out on Shayne Bolton. The centre might don’t have any actual complaints in regards to the determination, having made head-on-head contact with the Connacht participant.
Consulting his TMO, referee Andrea Piardi stated: “It’s a excessive degree of hazard and I can not see any mitigation. I imagine the quantity 12 may be decrease. Red card.”
Cardiff ended the primary half with 13 males after Lopeti Timani was proven a yellow card for one more excessive sort out, and finally fell to a slender 12-16 defeat to the Irish province. If Lee-Lo might be suspended and in that case, how lengthy he’ll serve, stays to be seen with the veteran star set to study his destiny this week.
Ex-Ospreys participant in police attraction
Former Ospreys star Andy Newman has appealed to thieves to return his Heineken Cup winner’s medal after it was stolen from a protected inside his home.
The 46-year-old former lock, who spent three years in Swansea making 75 appearances and scoring six tries, earned the medal whereas taking part in for Northampton Saints in 2000. His facet beat Munster by a single level in a tense ultimate at Twickenham, with Paul Grayson’s three penalties guaranteeing a 9-8 win.
Newman, who was capped by Wales at Under-21 degree and ‘A’ grade, stated the theft was “annoying” as he had hoped to move the medal on to his youngsters, having solely lately acquired the medal again from his father, who taken care of it for 20 years. Northamptonshire Police have confirmed they’re investigating the housebreaking on February 1 and have appealed for witnesses, the BBC studies.
“I do not put on it, but it surely’s annoying for my youngsters and household that it has been taken, as a result of that is the type of factor you move on additional down the road,” he stated. “For anybody else, it is most likely not price very a lot.”
“If they wish to anonymously pop it in an envelope and donate it again, that may be charming.”
Dupont chasing ‘holy grail’
France hero Antoine Dupont has underlined his dream of successful Olympic gold at this 12 months’s Games, describing it because the ‘holy grail of sport’.
The talismanic scrum-half introduced after final 12 months’s World Cup that he would miss the Six Nations in an effort to be a part of the French Olympic Sevens group and practice forward of the worldwide competitors in Paris later this 12 months. There is an opportunity that he might also miss subsequent 12 months’s Six Nations with a transfer to Japan rumoured to be within the pipeline, however for now Dupont is concentrated on ending prime of the rostrum.
“We all have iconic recollections of the Games from watching them on tv and to aspire to a medal is already fantastic,” he stated in a video posted on the French Olympic group’s social media channels. “It fairly merely represents the holy grail of sport.
“There are fairly a couple of modifications [in sevens],” he added. “It could be the similar sport however the ideas of the sport are completely different, as are the bodily and athletic profiles, so I’m now within the full section of apprenticeship.”
