Here are your rugby evening headlines for Thursday, 14 April.
Navidi back as Adams won't be seen in Cardiff jersey again
Cardiff will welcome back Wales flanker Josh Navidi for their Challenge Cup clash with Saracens this weekend.
The back-row ace was missing for their back-to-back derbies with the Scarlets after picking up a groin injury against Glasgow. However, he'll be back for the trip across the border this Sunday - but hooker Kirby Myhill misses out.
READ MORE: What became of the lost generation of Wales rugby stars who walked out
"Josh will be fine for this week. We're glad to have someone of Josh's calibre back for a really big game," said boss David Young.
In less good news, Young also confirmed that winger Josh Adams won't be seen in a Cardiff jersey again this season, although he will not need surgery for a knee ligament injury picked up in the first game against the Scarlets. While Adams' chances of touring South Africa with Wales this summer seem slim now, Young said it's not out of the question.
"We won't see Josh in a Cardiff jersey this season. He's in a splint, but there's no operation required or anything like that," said Young. "It's a medial ligament injury. He'll be out for at least six to eight weeks so we won't be rushing him back.
"The first few weeks are always difficult to say whether it'll be six weeks or eights weeks - we're probably still no clearer on that. He'll have a brace on for a couple of weeks and then we'll see how we progress from there.
"He's certainly not going to be seen in a Cardiff jersey this season. That doesn't mean he's not going to be available for the summer tour. That's something they'd have to decided closer to the time."
Dragon pens new deal and challenged to break into Wales squad
Dragons director of rugby Dean Ryan has challenged Rhodri Williams to hit new heights after signing a contract extension with the region.
Williams, who turns 29 next month, has signed a fresh two-year deal at Rodney Parade. Since joining the Dragons from Bristol in 2018, he's become a mainstay of the side - with his form even putting him back on the radar of Welsh coaches after an eight-year exile.
His last cap came in 2014, but in the past 12 months, he's been called into two Welsh squads. The first time saw him pull out injured ahead of the summer Tests against Canada and Argentina.
The second occasion was as injury cover for Wales' Six Nations match against Italy this year. And while he's yet to add to the three caps he won between 2013 and 2014, Ryan has challenged him to use the Dragons as a springboard to breaking up the established trio of Tomos Williams, Kieran Hardy and Gareth Davies.
“Rhodri has had those experiences of going into Wales camp but it's not an accident that he has not stayed in the squad or got a place in the team,” said Ryan.
“He has to use the regional game to grow the areas that are useful in the international environment.
“He has had a taste of it and needs to challenge himself over the next couple of years to get himself in the mix.”
Diamond blasts Challenge Cup clash a 'shocker'
Steve Diamond says arranging Worcester Warriors' Challenge Cup last 16 match in Lyon has been a “shocker” as it clashes with West Ham’s Europa League second leg.
The Irons take on the French club on Thursday night and it means that, as a result, flights have been hard to arrange with the players and management having to be booked onto two different planes from Heathrow. Diamond himself is heading to France from Manchester. Given the nature of the tournament and when the pool stages finished, Worcester only discovered the day and kick-off time of their match on Sunday.
Diamond admits the build up to Friday's rugby match has been far from ideal, saying: “ It’s been a bit of shocker but there is no point whinging about it and we are on our way. I think they are going to have to look at the format of the competition and no doubt they are doing that.
"We can only give it our best shot and I can tell you one thing we won’t be doing is box kicking and we are going to have a go. Games in the Premiership are not that exciting at the moment and only Harlequins are setting things on fire and that is the way to follow and play a bit of rugby.
“The players had a week off coming off the Newcastle game which was the right thing to happen and then we were in limbo until Saturday night not knowing if we were playing or not.
"You have to throw into the mix that West Ham are playing in Lyon tonight and so there wasn’t a readily available source of flights. The team manager and players left from Heathrow, I am going from Manchester and other staff will go from Heathrow later tonight. It is a challenge and we have got nothing to lose because I didn’t expect us to be in this knock out stage."
Kiwi legend lined with Wallabies coach job
Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos says that it is not guaranteed that Dan McKellar will take over from Dave Rennie as the next Wallabies boss. McKellar joined Rennie’s coaching team last year, to go alongside his work at the Brumbies, but will leave the Canberra outfit and go full-time following the end of the current Super Rugby Pacific season.
That has led to suggestions McKellar is being groomed to be the next Australia head coach once Rennie departs. Former New Zealand lock Brad Thorn has also put his hat in the ring, saying that he would be ‘honoured’ to take on the role, but Marinos insists that nothing has been decided.
“No, it’s certainly not a done deal,” he told AAP. “We have a Wallabies coach and we are happy with our coach. There is no ‘heir apparent’.
“You’ve got to have succession but Dan’s coming in with a point of difference from a forward’s perspective and adding that value.
"Absolutely (Thorn is a contender); at no stage have we said it’s a closed shop or made a pre-determination.
“We believe Dave is the right man to take us forward but it’s about building the resources around us so that, you never know, if anyone needs to take over they’re in a good position to do so.”
