Here are the latest rugby evening headlines on Friday, January 28.
Gatland gets back to work amid coaching reshuffle
Warren Gatland is back at work in New Zealand following his year-long Lions sabbatical and is getting used to working alongside his successor.
Super Rugby side Chiefs go into the 2022 season with a re-jigged coaching structure; Gatland was brought in as head coach on a four-year deal in 2020 but after Clayton McMillan successfully took the reins while the former Wales boss was overseas, McMillan is now head coach with the two-time Lions head coach now director of rugby for the next two years.
Chiefs head coach McMillan has now revealed that Gatland is still having a hands-on approach - following a respectful distance while learning how the new head coach operated - and is around the team every day in the first details of how the new set-up will work.
"Gats is in here every day so this is not a part-time role for him," McMillan said. "We want him to be here, we want him to have an active role in everything we do. From my perspective, it’s been awesome.
"He’s just really… I wouldn’t say sat back, but he’s been really respectful in seeing how I operated because unlike the other coaches, he didn’t really get to see how I operated [last year]. It’s only taken a couple of weeks to all get into our groove and we’re all really happy. I’m really confident that his knowledge, his experience is going to serve us really well in the role that he’s got."
Forwards guru Neil Barnes has also left, so McMillan is taking a more hands-on role with the lineout, while David Hill is looking after defence with guidance from Gatland.
"The coaching team is getting on like a house on fire," McMillan added.
"Gats has come in and I think he’s pretty understated but he’s a smart man and we’ve all found our niche pretty quickly, really. We get along pretty well but we all challenge each other pretty hard and we’re all open to growing. The early signs are that it’s going to be a great relationship right across the board."
Gatland's first year in charge of the Chiefs started strong with three wins in five opening matches, but after a Covid-enforced break they lost all of their eight Super Rugby Aotearoa matches, but the following season won nine from 14 and narrowly missed out on the title.
The inaugural Super Rugby Pacific competition kicks off on February 18, with the Chiefs playing the Highlanders a day later.
Read more: Cardiff Rugby v Leinster team news as Wales star starts after recovering from injury
Ex-All Black Charles Piutau set for Tonga switch
Former All Black Charles Piutau is dreaming of taking Tonga to new levels at the 2023 Rugby World Cup after new World Rugby eligibility rules kicked in from January 1.
The new law allows a rugby international to represent the country of their or their ancestors' birth after a three-year stand-down period from their last international cap.
Piutau, rated as one the highest-paid rugby players in the world on a reported £1m a year, last played for the All Blacks in 2015 before heading overseas to play rugby, putting a stop to him increasing his 17 caps due to New Zealand's selection policy.
But the 30-year-old Bristol Bear now has his sights set on returning to the Test arena with Tonga, the home nation of his parents and the country he represented at U20s level in 2010.
"To represent Tonga and pull on a jersey, my brother's done that and captained the team, so I think to follow in his steps will be a huge honour for myself," Piutau told Pacific Beat.
"I know speaking to my parents, they would be really proud to see me put on the red jersey and represent the country of their birth."
Tonga are yet to qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, but are likely to end up in Pool B with reigning world champions South Africa, Ireland, Scotland and another European team who haven’t secured their qualification yet.
However, by the time the tournament comes around, we could yet be seeing more ex-internationals switch allegiance. A swathe of former All Blacks and Wallabies – Israel Folau, Malakai Fekitoa, Sekope Kepu, Adam Coleman, Vaea Fifita and Atu Moli have or will have become eligible for Tonga by the end of 2022.
"I've been in touch with a few players and I think that does help when they hear other players, not only myself, but the potential line-up that we could put together, and I think that brings a lot of excitement and makes guys, you know, want to take this step if they're on the fence," Piutau added.
Saracens boss to take short break for medical reasons
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall is to take a short break from the game on medical grounds.
McCall has been in charge at the club for the past decade, masterminding five Gallagher Premiership titles and three European crowns.
"For medical reasons Mark McCall will be taking a short break from being director of rugby at Saracens," a club statement read.
"People will always come first at our club and Mark will be given all of the support and time he needs.
"Meanwhile, we would ask that everyone respects Mark's privacy. Mark is obviously more than confident in the coaching team he has worked with for many years to temporarily take the reins."
McCall, a former Ireland international, remained at the helm throughout the salary cap scandal that saw Saracens relegated to the Championship for the 2020-21 season.
Saracens sit second in the Premiership table and could still qualify for the knockout phase of the Challenge Cup.
Scotland duo get final pre-Six Nations run-out against Ospreys
Darcy Graham and Magnus Bradbury are the only Scotland squad members who will start for Edinburgh against Ospreys.
Winger Graham retains his place in the Edinburgh team for Saturday's United Rugby Championship clash.
Read more: Ospreys team news as internationals return and 'awesome' youngster starts
Jamie Hodgson, Ben Vellacott and Mark Bennett have also been released from Scotland's Six Nations training camp to start on the bench in Wales.
Blair Kinghorn, Pierre Schoeman, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie and Hamish Watson drop out of the Edinburgh team following the 66-3 win over Brive while WP Nel and Stuart McInally also remain with Gregor Townsend's national squad.
Another of Townsend's squad, Nick Haining, remains on the unavailable list for head coach Mike Blair.
Blair has made nine changes in all and has still managed to bring back a number of internationals into his team with Jaco van der Walt, Henry Pyrgos, Marshall Sykes and Bradbury among those returning.
Also coming in are centre Matt Currie, who has been named vice-captain for the first time, full-back Henry Immelman, winger Emiliano Boffelli plus forwards Boan Venter and Connor Boyle.
Blair said: "It's great to head into this game off the back of a really encouraging win against Brive, where we did a lot of positive things in both attack and defence, however as a group we know that Ospreys will be a far tougher challenge, especially away from home.
"The Ospreys squad is filled with both experienced internationalists and exciting up-and-coming talent, while they'll be looking for a reaction following a couple of tough losses in Europe.
"There is lot of competition for places in the squad where guys are constantly putting their hand up in training, so we're excited to make a few changes to the line-up.
"A number of players have been given their opportunity in what is another massive league fixture for us."
Luan de Bruin, Luke Crosbie, Damien Hoyland, James Lang, Viliame Mata, Ramiro Moyano and Ben Toolis also remain out.
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