Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby news for Monday, October 10.
Biggar limps out of Saints clash
Northampton Saints boss Phil Dowson has played down concerns over Wales star Dan Biggar, after the fly-half limped out of their 40-36 win over Wasps.
Biggar, who was playing for the first time since announcing his intention to leave the club at the end of the season, had kicked two early penalties, before setting up his side's first try on the stroke of half-time.
READ MORE: What Wayne Pivac just learned from this weekend of rugby
But shortly after kicking over a third penalty just after the interval, Biggar was forced to leave the field, and looked in some discomfort, a sight that will worry Wales boss Wayne Pivac with the opening autumn test with New Zealand less than a month away.
However, Dowson is hopeful the problem isn't as serious as first feared.
"I think he's ok," he told BBC Radio Northampton. "He took a dead leg and he took something else, but I haven't chatted to the medics so I wouldn't know exactly."
Meanwhile, Sean Holley on Scrum V said he has told Biggar to move to Japan next season. Holley, who is Biggar's former coach with the Ospreys and a close confidant, said on Sunday evening: "What I'm telling him and what he might do are two different things! Firstly, his experience at Northampton has been brilliant for both parties.
"I went up to see him last year for a game and they worship him up there. It's just a salary-cap issue. Daniel has become a high-earner and rightly so, he has earned that. He has got to the top.
"My advice [to him] was to go to Japan, because he could play less games, have a cultural experience with his family. Speak to Shane Williams and get that information. France, I think he'd have to play a lot of games and they would flog him a little bit, they'd expect that. That would be tough on him at his age.
"That's the advice I've given him. Whether he takes it or not I don't know. Knowing Daniel he may end up going to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Major League Rugby in America. Whatever, he deserves it."
Asked about a return to the Welsh regions, Holley replied: "[They] couldn't afford him and I don't think Daniel would want to do that now. He has been there, done that, proven himself, moved on and he has switched his focus now to himself and his family. He has earned that right."
Hewitt set to go under the knife
Dragons star Ashton Hewitt is set to undergo ankle surgery - and could be out of action for around eight weeks.
The winger returned in September after 18 months out with a knee injury, only to suffer his latest blow during the 20-19 defeat to the Sharks last Saturday.
"Hopefully it'll be no more than eight weeks, but my bad luck's going to have to run out soon," Hewitt told Scrum V.
"It was sort of 50-50 whether I got it operated on and with the international break in the season, the physios and myself decided it would probably be wise to make sure we went with the safer option of operating on it.
"So I'm booked in on Monday to get it sorted out.
"But I won't be out for too long and won't miss many games, as I said, with the break in the season."
World Rugby buy RugbyPass in unprecedented move
World Rugby has purchased one of the sport's biggest news websites, RugbyPass, the global governing body has announced.
RugbyPass is chiefly a news website, but also produces podcasts and documentaries, and some believe the acquisition might lead to editorial interference. However, in a statement by World Rugby, they insist that is not the case, claiming: "World Rugby does not intend to change RugbyPass’s authentic and impactful editorial tone, ensuring independence from the international federation’s existing corporate channels."
RugbyPass Interim CEO Hazel Dodd said: “The acquisition of our digital brands and platforms by World Rugby is a win-win for both parties, strengthening our combined content creation capabilities and doubling our audience reach.
"RugbyPass is all about bringing fans closer to the game, telling the stories that matter in an authentic and entertaining way. With World Rugby’s backing, we will now be able to bring more of those stories to life, reinforcing our position in core markets and making in-roads into new rugby markets.”
Fans hit out at Dallaglio comments
Lawrence Dallaglio drew criticism on Sunday night for suggesting Wasps should be treated differently to Worcester if the club went into administration.
Wasps could see themselves befall the same fate as Worcester Warriors, who have entered administration, as they have been ordered to find £2m in the next week to pay for an outstanding tax bill.
And Dallaglio, who is widely regarded as one of Wasps' best-ever players, said on BT Sport ahead of the game with Northampton: “[The RFU] will say that any club that's in administration has to go the same way as Worcester.
“But the reality is, do you want to lose one of the biggest brands in club rugby, in world rugby and one of the brands that's been one of the most successful sides in the Premiership?
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. It's worrying times for all rugby fans. Each club is very different. I can't really comment on Worcester and the reasons why the RFU have decided to suspend them and push them towards the Championship. They can, of course, appeal that. Many of their players are now finding employment elsewhere."
The comments prompted quite the backlash, particularly from Worcester fans, pertaining to the propagation of using one rule for one team and another rule for another team.
Speaking further on Wasps' situation, Dallaglio added: "Wasps is a rugby club, but it's involved in five other businesses at the Coventry stadium. It's pretty obvious that for the last three years, all those businesses have been massively affected by Covid... as a result Wasps are in the situation they are.
"They have filed for administration; they are not in administration as we speak. There are a number of offers on the table from interested parties, some of those offers are for the stadium only, some of them are for Wasps and the whole business wrapped as one. All you can do is work towards finding one of those offers that's going to be acceptable.
"Everyone is working around the club to find the right solution for Wasps. Hopefully that will be a solvent solution, and not one where they are forced into administration. Then the RFU will have some decisions to make."
Flanagan urges Dragons to improve on the road
Dai Flanagan admits Dragons must improve their performances on the road, after watching them slump to a disappointing defeat at the hands of Benetton in Treviso.
The Men of Gwent found themselves 17-0 down during the opening 40 minutes of their URC clash, and while a better second half yielded a try for winger Rio Dyer and debut score from centre Steff Hughes, the Dragons couldn't avoid succumbing to defeat.
“After the first half we had to look at ourselves, we lacked a little bit of energy which was disappointing,” Flanagan said.
“Once we bought energy in the second half, we looked a different team - we talked about finding what we are good at.
“All credit to Benetton, they have got a style of play and they wear teams down.
“We can learn a lot of lessons about the way they play. They capitalised on our mistakes in the first half and out of nowhere we are 17-0 down.
“The energy and the effort the boys are bringing during the training week has been really good.
“We’ve found what we need at home the last few games and now we need to take lessons about how we travel, how we work together and how we produce better performances all-round.”
READ NEXT
- Fresh autumn injury blow for Pivac as in-form centre ruled out
- Sunday rugby news as Wales boss Pivac dealt yet another major autumn blow and Cardiff issue update on probe into players
- Nigel Owens: My new job in rugby and the illegal trend we've already spotted
- Inside the plight of Ashley Beck, the Wales centre left devastated and unemployed by top English club's crisis
- Justin Tipuric and Gareth Anscombe add to Wayne Pivac's injury worries as New Zealand showdown looms
