These are your rugby headlines on Thursday, April 6.
We put pride back in jersey - Biggar
Dan Biggar says Wales restored some pride in the Wales jersey towards the end of a "difficult" Six Nations campaign.
Biggar is back with club side Toulon, enjoying the French sunshine after a bleak period for Welsh rugby on and off the field.
A long-running contract saga - now finally resolved - pushed tensions to breaking point during the tournament and it certainly had a bearing on performances on the pitch, something Biggar points to.
He added that it's been great to return to his club after all that unfolded and to now concentrate on the rest of season before turning attentions to the World Cup later in the year.
READ MORE: Exeter boss Rob Baxter confident Joe Hawkins can still play for Wales at World Cup
"It was a difficult Six Nations, a lot of problems on and off the field with the contract situation and the players, so it was difficult," he told Toulon's in-house media team. "We didn't get off to a good start.
"A lot of players had one way of thinking, a lot of players were here, a lot of players were there so we had to try and meet in the middle.
"I think everything has passed a little bit now and hopefully we can just carry on with just the rugby and focusing on the World Cup now whoever is selected. It's important for us to just focus on the rugby, forget what the problems. The last couple of weeks we played a bit better and put a bit more pride back in the jersey.
"It was disappointing, it was difficult but it's great to be able to come back to a place like this, come to work here everyday, with the sun, get away from that for the next few months and really look to challenge with Toulon over the next couple of months before preparation for the World Cup."
Mercer's red card on Wales star overturned
England international Zach Mercer has had the red card shown to him during Montpellier's Heineken Champions Cup game against Exeter dismissed.
The Montpellier number eight was sent off by Irish referee Andrew Brace early in the second half at Sandy Park for a dangerous tackle on Exeter and Wales forward Christ Tshiunza. It prompted groans from the crowd and much debate on social media on Sunday afternoon.
Montpellier lost the round-of-16 tie on try-count after the game finished 33-33 after extra-time.
"An independent disciplinary committee viewed footage of the incident and heard evidence by video conference from Mercer, who accepted that he had committed an act of foul play but did not accept that it warranted a red card," tournament organiser European Professional Club Rugby said.
"The committee decided that although Mercer had committed an act of foul play, the tackle did not warrant a red card. The sending off was therefore dismissed and Mercer is free to play."
Piutau to line up opposite AWJ, Faletau and Webb
Charles Piutau is set to make his final appearance on these shores against the Barbarians this summer.
The Tongan international is leaving Bristol Bears at the end of the season, with Japan set to be his destination.
According to the Mail, he'll be selected in a World XV, with former England coach Eddie Jones taking charge of the Baa-baas.
Jones is set to pick Wales stars Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau and Rhys Webb in his squad, alongside Danny Care, Dan Cole, André Esterhuizen, Joe Marler, Jonny May, Jack Nowell and Sam Simmonds.
Former Wales and New Zealand coach Steve Hansen will be in charge of the World XV.
Itoje calls for halt on exodus
Maro Itoje has called on Premiership Rugby to halt the player exodus to France as he refused to rule out moving overseas when his Saracens contract expires next year.
Itoje's clear preference is to remain in north London but he is concerned by the number of England internationals signing for Top 14 clubs in deals that begin when the World Cup is over.
Sam Simmonds, David Ribbans, Joe Marchant and Luke Cowan-Dickie are some of the players in the prime of their careers to have accepted the better financial rewards available across The Channel.
While Premiership clubs operate under a £5million salary cap, in France the limit is much higher at £9.4million.
England's restriction on picking players outside the Premiership is now coming under growing pressure, but neither the Rugby Football Union nor Premiership Rugby are willing to relax this rule as negotiations over the new Professional Game Agreement continue.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall recently called for joint contracts to be considered, allowing clubs to share the cost of their England players with the RFU and Itoje insists a solution must be found.
"First and foremost I love playing for Saracens. I love Saracens. In an ideal world I would love to spend the majority, if not the rest, of my career at Saracens," Itoje said.
"Saracens is a club that I love being a part of. I want to stay here, I want to stay in England, I want to keep playing my rugby in England.
"I think it's good for the game to have English players in England. I think it's good for the game to have a situation where the Premiership is thriving, English players are in England, the clubs have their English players...I think that's a situation where all parties win.
"But unfortunately, at the moment, we have a situation where for numerous reasons, there are a number of regulations and requirements that are making it more and more difficult for English players to stay in England.
"I think we're seeing an unfortunate trend at the moment. There are numerous quality English players in their prime who are going abroad, which has never really happened before in my playing career.
"Normally it's players at the end of their careers going abroad for a year or two. Most English players want to stay in England and play their rugby in England.
"We need to make it more attractive for the clubs to have English players. PRL needs to make it more attractive for the clubs to have English players.
"We need to find solutions to that problem. But all things being equal, I would love to be at Saracens."
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