Here are the latest rugby headlines on Thursday, October 20.
Cardiff respond to Pivac comments
Cardiff have responded to Wales coach Wayne Pivac's eyebrow-raising comments about Rhys Carre in his autumn squad press conference.
Pivac revealed the prop has fallen short of conditioning targets he was set and claimed he wouldn't survive in the international arena unless he improves his physical shape. You can read his full comments here.
Cardiff defence coach Richard Hodges has now been asked for his take on Pivac's assessment, telling journalists: "Rhys is getting some good game time at the minute. He's got Corey Domachowski, Brad Thyer and young Rhys Barrett behind him. There is some genuine competition for that No. 1 shirt.
"Rhys has benefitted from playing week after week. The Welsh coaches are very much entitled to their opinion and if Rhys keeps performing like he did on the weekend, I'm sure he'll remain a part of their discussions going forward."
Asked about Pivac's assertion Carre's game is currently more about big moments rather than consistently intense performances, Hodges said: "He's a power athlete. There aren't many people as big as he is. There are some very good loose-heads across Wales but there are the likes of Gareth Thomas, who has obviously got the shirt at the moment.vBut if Rhys just keeps doing what he's doing, he's got work-ons like every single player in our squad has but he'll remain part of those discussions if he keeps playing as consistently as he is at the minute."
Hodges was then asked if he needs to improve his fitness, adding: "As a coach, my priority is to improve him as a player. Everyone will have opinions on Rhys on both sides of the ball. But if he can keep producing moments like he did for his try on the weekend and use his 138 kilos effectively, then there's not many other big men like him in Wales. He just needs to stay part of those discussions with Wayne Pivac and his group and I'm sure he is."
Lousi banned for a month
Scarlets star Sam Lousi has been banned for four weeks following his red card in last Saturday's win over Zebre.
Lousi, 31, was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Geronimo Prisciantelli in the 52nd minute. The Tongan international had denied the challenge was worthy of a red card, but that was rejected by a URC disciplinary panel.
Lousi's ban will be reduced to three weeks should he complete the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme.
Townsend explains shock Finn Russell snub
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend insists disciplinary issues played no part in his selection snubs for Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg. Russell has been left out of the squad for the Autumn Nations Series while Jamie Ritchie has replaced Hogg as skipper for games against Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina at BT Murrayfield.
Townsend challenged Russell to win his place back through form and claimed being stripped of the captaincy was in Hogg's best interests. Both were among six players who broke team protocol by going out for a drink during the Guinness Six Nations and were rested for the summer tour of South America. Of the six, only Russell and broken-jaw victim Sam Johnson are not in the latest squad.
Edinburgh's Blair Kinghorn, Adam Hastings of Gloucester and Glasgow's Ross Thompson will battle for the No. 10 jersey.
Townsend issued a simple "no" when questioned as to whether the disciplinary issue influenced his selection and further explained his choice of stand-offs.
"It's really to reward form and consistency," he said. "Blair has really developed as a 10 since he moved there over a year ago and had a really good tour, got better and better in the summer, and has played really well for Edinburgh this year.
"Adam has responded very well to being left out of the squad last season. He was going to tour but picked up an injury and has been in very good form for his club Gloucester this year.
"Ross hasn't played as many games but had an excellent season for Glasgow last year.
"For someone like Finn Russell, who has missed out on the squad and has played a lot of games for us in the past, it's a challenge for him to show his form and consistency over the next few weeks.
“I hope Finn responds positively. That’s obviously up to him. We want him to reach his potential. On his day Finn can be up there with the best 10s in the game. I don’t look too far beyond this campaign. We have a lot of faith and belief in the 10s we have picked.”
Pivac warns of 'dangerous' All Blacks
Wales boss Wayne Pivac believes that New Zealand's blistering finish to the Rugby Championship makes them a "dangerous animal" ahead of their northern hemisphere tour.
The All Blacks will arrive on European soil next month after dropping to fourth place in rugby union's world rankings. That was the direct result of a home Test series defeat against Ireland, followed by losing to South Africa before Argentina stunned them 25-18 in Christchurch.
Such a sequence of results put head coach Ian Foster under huge pressure but his players rode the storm, clinching the Rugby Championship title through successive victories over Argentina (53-3) and Australia twice (39-37 and 40-14).
Wales, Scotland and England are all on the All Blacks' November agenda, beginning against Pivac's team in Cardiff. New Zealand will bring with them a 32-Test unbeaten record at Wales' expense, with 24 of those victories being by 15 points or more. Wales have not toppled the All Blacks since December 1953. A seven-point defeat 13 years ago was the closest they have come to halting New Zealand's monopoly.
"We have looked at that All Blacks versus Australia game," Pivac said. "The pace of the game - it was a different game to what we are playing at the moment.
"We've got a hell of an adjustment period in two weeks just to play with the intensity and the speed they play at. They put 40 points on Australia and 50 points on Argentina. I think since the changes they have made in their back-room staff and they've settled on a squad, it looks a pretty exciting squad to me. Any team that can put 50 and 40 on those two sides are probably going to be a dangerous animal."
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