Here are your rugby evening headlines for Friday, May 20.
Wales star returns for season finale
Wales international back row Taine Basham returns to the starting line-up as the Dragons end the season going in search of their first home victory.
They face Emirates Lions in the final game of the United Rugby Championship season at Rodney Parade on Saturday, with Basham, fresh from being named in Wales' squad to tour South Africa, one of four changes made by Dean Ryan.
Ben Fry moves into the six jersey, as Basham slots in at seven, while No. 8 Ollie Griffiths captains the team. Harri Keddie misses the game through injury.
Read more: Ospreys v Bulls team news as Welsh side stacked full of international stars for crucial URC finale
A new-look second row pair will see Huw Taylor and Joe Maksymiw combine.
The final change is a call-up for Josh Lewis who plays at inside centre alongside Adam Warren in midfield. Jack Dixon, who had been tipped to be a Wales bolter this summer, is ruled out with injury.
Prop Chris Coleman, second row Max Williams, scrum half Lewis Jones, back row Lennon Greggains and full back Ioan Davies are named among the replacements.
Wales squad members Leon Brown, Ben Carter and Will Rowlands miss the final game of the campaign through injury.
“It’s a huge challenge facing any South African side,” said Ryan. “It's a slightly different test over here compared to in South Africa, but the model doesn’t change drastically.
“We’re expecting a physical contest up front, at scrum, drive and ball carrying. It will be interesting with them coming up for a one-off game.
“We want to finish positively for a whole host of reasons, none more so than some of those players are out there representing Dragons for a final time.”
Dragons: Jordan Williams, Rio Dyer, Adam Warren, Josh Lewis, Jared Rosser, Will Reed, Gonzalo Bertranou; Aki Seiuli, Elliot Dee, Mesake Doge, Joe Maksymiw, Huw Taylor, Ben Fry, Taine Basham, Ollie Griffiths (c)
Replacements: Taylor Davies, Lloyd Fairbrother, Chris Coleman, Max Williams, Lennon Greggains, Lewis Jones, Sam Davies, Ioan Davies
Faletau set for final Bath home game
Wales No. 8 Taulupe Faletau starts on his final home appearance for Bath this weekend.
The three-time Lions tourist will feature for the last time at the Rec before his move to Cardiff as Bath host London Irish. It comes at the end of what has been one of the most horrific seasons in the club's history. Bath are currently rock bottom of the Gallagher Premiership with a points difference of -289 after a series of humiliating results.
Dragons-bound Max Clark, England winger Semesa Rokoduguni and Valeriy Mozorov, who are also leaving the club in the summer, also play as Bath aim to climb off the bottom of the Premiership table.
Irish, currently in eighth place, are playing their final game of the season, while Bath still have a trip to Worcester following this weekend's action.
Dragons announce mass departures
The Dragons have announced 20 players will no longer be at the region next season.
Among those on the list are Welsh internationals Jonah Holmes and Dan Baker, with winger Holmes expected to join English Championship club Ealing after turning down a WRU wage offer.
The others are long-serving centre Adam Warren, wing Owen Jenkins, utility back Josh Lewis, scrum-half Dan Babos, full-back Will Talbot-Davies, centre Tom Griffiths, fly-half Evan Lloyd, props Greg Bateman, Mesake Doge and Harry Fry, plus locks Joe Maksymiw and Max Williams.
In addition, hooker Taylor Davies (Scarlets) and wing Jordan Olowofela (Leicester) will also depart after loan spells, while Welsh internationals Jamie Roberts, Richard Hibbard, Aaron Jarvis and Tavis Knoyle all left Rodney Parade earlier in the season.
You can read the full story here.
Toulon president explains criticism of Springbok star
Toulon president Bernard Lemaitre has explained his January criticism of Springboks talisman Eben Etzebeth as “a handicap” for the French club. At the time, the club looked destined for a relegation battle - only to turn things around since.
Lemaitre had taken issue with Etzebeth being expensive and often unavailable. However, since then, Etzebeth, who will join the Sharks next year, has proven crucial to turning the club's fortunes around since returning to the side.
Asked in the latest edition of Midi Olympique for his verdict on the Toulon revival, Lemaitre said: “It’s a magic trick… No, more seriously, there are a lot of objective factors in this return to the fore. Eben Etzebeth took over in February, Charles Ollivon and Baptiste Serin also.
“I won’t teach you anything by telling you that they are very important in the squad. The end of the Six Nations tournament also allowed us to recover Jean-Baptiste Gros and Gabin Villiere and behind that, Franck Azema was able to restore the players’ confidence,” explained the Toulon president, who then reflected on his criticism of Etzebeth.
“In reality, there was above all a misunderstanding when I indicated that the situation of Eben Etzebeth or Facundo Isa was a handicap for clubs like ours because these guys play five months out of twelve. I was talking about their situation, not about the quality of the men.
“We will be very careful,” he added about recruiting South Africans and Argentines in the future. “If we recruit them, they will be very high-level players with a winning mindset. This state of mind, Eben Etzebeth has it. He can’t stand being dominated and, in fact, showed it to Maro Itoje the other day.”
“Eben, to our great disappointment, decided to terminate his contract because he is in love, his wife works in the southern hemisphere and he wants to found a family.
“He’s a kid, Eben, a kid in the body of a colossus. I saw how unfortunate he was, during the Christmas holidays, for example, to be so far from his family. He’s a kid, including on the physical level, where the slightest ailment… Botha didn’t care about himself. Eben is more sensitive.”
Wallabies star spotted training with MLR club
Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper has been spotted training with MLR side, the LA Giltinis.
Cooper – currently plying his trade with Hanazono Kintetsu Liners in Japan – joined the MLR side for training, decked out in club gear. However, while it would appear the virtuoso fly-half could be set for another move, it's reported that the 34-year-old was simply visiting and isn't expected to leave Japan soon.
The fly-half made his long-awaited return to Test rugby last year, landing the winning penalty to hand the Wallabies an upset win over the Springboks after a four-year hiatus from the international scene.
