Here are today's rugby headlines on Thursday, April 6.
Rugby world in mourning amid tributes
A raft of current and former rugby players have expressed their sadness after the death of former Scotland and Lions prop Tom Smith was announced.
Smith passed away at the age of 50 on Wednesday after being diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2019. Thousands of tributes have been shared from all over the world, with many expressing admiration for a wonderful rugby player and decent man.
Former Wales and Lions prop Adam Jones said: "Very sad to hear about Tom Smith. Only played against him a few times, didn’t know whether to try to get one up on him(which I didn’t!) or to ask for his autograph. One of the greats."
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Scotland captain Stuart Hogg added: "Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Tom Smith. A true legend of the game, he will be missed by everyone. Thoughts are with Tom’s family and friends. RIP Tom."
Brian O'Driscoll, who toured with Smith on the 2001 Lions tour said: "So sad to hear of the passing of my old team-mate Tom Smith who battled his illness with courage and strength - just like he played rugby. A quiet but lovely man who was a hell of a player. Thinking of his family."
TV presenter Gabby Logan, who was friends with Smith and his family, paid a wonderful tribute, saying: "Rest in peace Tom Smith. A man of few words but when he spoke it mattered, when he played nothing else mattered, but when he was away from a rugby pitch only Zoe, Amelie, Angus and Edward ever mattered. Go well our lovely friend. We shall miss you."
Smith made 61 appearances for Scotland and six for the Lions, starting every Test match in 1997 and 2001.
'There has to be repercussions at Dragons'
The future of Dragons coach Dean Ryan has to be called into question if they finish the season with just a solitary win.
That's the view of former Wales international Tom Shanklin who insists there has to be repercussions for the region's disastrous season. Ryan's side have only beaten Connacht this campaign amid a series of heavy defeats and fan discontent.
During a live Premier Sports broadcast, Shanklin and fellow pundits John Barclay and Stephen Ferris were highly critical of the Dragons' recent efforts, which have seen them lose 55-20 to the Bulls and 51-3 to the Sharks on the back of a 64-3 humiliation against Munster.
Asked by fellow pundit Ferris if Ryan's job will be talked about if they finish the season with one win, Shanklin said: "It has to be. You can't go through the season with one win. There has to be repercussions, something has to change. He's been given time, there's been signings. But it might be part of the bigger picture. There's a lot of issues with rugby and the finance of the regions.
"They have the Scarlets home and away and then Zebre away, that could be one they can sneak. Normally you would say that's a given for URC teams but it's 50/50 at the moment."
Former Scarlets player John Barclay added: "They don't look like a team that's going out there (South Africa) and scrapping. It looks like the white flag is out a lot of the time." Ferris added that the Welsh side did not look like a team that was well coached.
Six Nations ref becomes a coach
Well-known Six Nations referee Romain Poite has landed a top coaching job at French giants Toulon, according to reports in France. Poite, 46, will hang up his whistle at the end of the season and take on a role with the Top 14 side.
Poite left the international arena in November last year but is still officiating in France's top division. He made his debut in 2006 and is third on the all-time list of test match appearances with 73, behind Nigel Owens and Wayne Barnes.
He follows fellow countryman Jerome Garces into the coaching world, with the aim of improving players' discipline.
Young star gets first pro deal
Wales Under-20s star Efan Daniel has signed his first professional contract with Cardiff Rugby. The hooker was signed to the region's academy as a 16-year-old in 2019 and was one of Wales' standout performers in the recent U20s Six Nations.
He said: “It’s a real proud moment for myself and my family and it feels like a massive achievement, especially for someone like myself who comes from the top of the Rhondda.
“I thrive on the competition for places, and there’s plenty of that for the number two jersey at the moment. That only motivates me more to grab that shirt and make it my own.
“I’m looking forward to making the step up and hopefully in the short term future I can have more opportunities to run out there in the jersey."
The former Treorchy Comprehensive School pupil came through the club’s pathway system and captained the Under-16 North side to the Regional Age Grade Championship in 2019. He previously represented Treherbert, Treorchy and Llantwit Fardre and made Cardiff his debut as a replacement in January's URC win over Leinster.
Cardiff’s Director of Rugby, Dai Young, added: “We are very pleased to hand a first senior contract to Efan and believe he can have a big future in the game. He’s a young, academy player who has really stood out during the past year and he deserved his first team debut last month, which would have come earlier, if not for injury, and did really well.
“He is a physical man, who carries hard and has a bit of an edge about him, while the fundamentals of his game are also sound and always developing. The dedication and determination Efan has displayed since I have been here has also been impressive and I am sure he will learn a lot stepping into the senior environment and working and competing with our other hookers."
Lancaster wants English head coach
Former England head coach Stuart Lancaster approves of the Rugby Football Union's strong preference to appoint an English successor to Eddie Jones because of the motivating power of nationality.
Twickenham has already begun the process of identifying Jones' replacement having backed the Australian to lead the team into the 2023 World Cup, after which his eight-year reign will end.
The plan is for the appointment to be made next summer with a view to the chosen candidate shadowing Jones during the global showpiece in France.
Chief executive Bill Sweeney wants an Englishman for the role and Lancaster, who was in charge from 2011 to 2015, agrees with limiting the geographic scope of the search.
"Within the coaching team, ideally, I wouldn't disagree that you'd want stability and ideally an English flavour," Leinster senior coach Lancaster told BBC Radio 5 Live's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
"I don't think they should all necessarily be English, but you should have an English flavour. And ideally, and I'm biased obviously, an English coach.
"I was proud, as we all were, to coach the national team and I felt a huge sense of responsibility to do right for the team, but also to do right for the country as well. I think you feel that deeply when it is your country. It is important.
"I don't think the whole coaching team has to be all English, a little bit of diversity in there wouldn't be a bad thing. But you definitely want an English feel to it and an English system."
