These are your rugby headlines on Thursday, December 15.
Peel warns of tough calls ahead
Dwayne Peel has warned there are tough decisions ahead after news that Welsh rugby’s freeze on player contract negotiations is set to end in January, with conditional offers to be allowed.
While all concerned will be pleased that uncertainty will ease, players being released by their regions will experience acute disappointment and coaches will be involved in breaking the news. But at least there is a dot of progress.
READ MORE: Welsh players to be offered conditional contracts while recruitment freeze continues
“There are positive noises,” said Scarlets head coach Peel. “We spoke about it this morning [Wednesday] as a group. There is still a bit of work to do but we can start looking at stuff now and planning properly which is really important for both sides, players and staff.
"January is going to be busy, and from now until January. For us we have an idea on guys we want to retain but there will be budgetary constraints. The reality is the budgets and numbers of players will come down. There are going to be some tough decisions to be made, so it's about making the best interests of the club and the region. There is an eye for now and an eye for the future and what's going to happen before that.
"This one's a big job with an announcement coming up and all four regions will have to make tough calls. We will do it with a view to what is best for us and we want to be competitive. How we go about it will be the challenge.
"The conversations will be had about wanting to keep the player from the contract side of things. As the announcement has alluded to, there will be a lot of contracts made on the premise the deal gets finalised.
"The big thing for us is the security for players and everybody understanding there will be tough calls that need to be made and at least people know where they are then. There is a lot to do but at least we can start getting things in order now."
Phillips responds to Stone Age barb
WRU chief executive Steve Phillips has deemed Sam Warburton's labelling of the governance of the game in Wales being from the Stone Age as "unfair".
After Wales were beaten by Georgia last month in Cardiff, former Wales skipper Warburton penned a damning column in The Times criticising the state of the game here in Wales, stating it needed "the biggest reform in its history", adding "it is a governance structure that is stuck in the Stone Age. Unless that changes, very little else will change".
But Phillips believes the Stone Age assessment is unfair.
"I think so," he said in response on Scrum V. "You've got to isolate the issues. Everybody tries to join up the same thing. Governance as an independent subject: do we look at it all the time? Yes. Can we improve? Yes.
"But is that the link to why were the Wales first team not winning? Why were we not settling with the PRB? They're very, very different things. You need the context of it. There's no linkage, to me.
"Can the WRU look to improve its governance? Yes, of course it can, it's an ongoing process. But is that the root cause of some of the other challenges we're having? I don't think so."
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Elias pleased ‘dark’ period coming to end
Scarlets and Wales hooker Ryan Elias gave an insight into the stresses Welsh rugby players had been under as he welcomed news that Welsh rugby’s impasse on contract negotiations is about to be broken.
Conditional offers are set to be allowed in the new year after a bleak period of uncertainty for players.
"Hopefully, there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel because up until now it's been quite dark in terms of not knowing exactly where the game is going in Wales,” said Elias.
"It is frustrating for the players because we are halfway through December and the uncertainty is never nice. There is enough pressure in the game, anyway, and if you are a player out of contract, it's not ideal.
"Hopefully we can get things sorted and players can get some clarity so they know what they are doing.
"I am one of those players who are out of contract and things to pay for like mortgages, etc. You want to be able to know where you are financially and there has been a lot of uncertainty until now. It seems as if everybody has got together and kind of on the same page so moving forward the next step would be negotiating and going from there.”
Elias should have no problems securing himself a fresh deal at the Scarlets, though he stressed he had concerns for team-mates who might not be so fortunate.
"It is worrying, yes, but I also feel quite confident in myself as well. I have been playing a fair bit of rugby with Wales and Scarlets but I know there will be some players out of contract who aren't in that position,” he said. "I don't know what the negotiations will look like when we get down to it. I am still under contract at the moment and have a job to do so you have to stay focused and leave the agents take care of the other bits."
England duo sign new deals
England internationals Jamie George and Elliot Daly have signed contract extensions with Gallagher Premiership leaders Saracens.
Hooker George has made 263 senior appearances for Sarries after graduating from the club's academy, winning five Premiership titles and the Champions Cup on three occasions along the way.
Versatile back Daly, who is pushing for an England recall following his standout form this season, arrived from Wasps in 2019 and is closing in on half a century of appearances for the team.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall was delighted to have retained the services of the influential pair.
"Jamie represents everything good about the club," McCall said. "His influence on the group both on and off the pitch is enormous. Elliot is a huge part of our group. He brings a fantastic amount of energy every day to training, his performances have been consistently outstanding and we are thrilled he has extended his stay at the club."
George, who has 72 England caps, and Daly, who has 56, were World Cup finalists in 2019, as well as each being selected for the last two British and Irish Lions tours.
"When making this decision, I reflected back on what an incredible journey it has been with some truly inspiring people," said 32-year-old George. "The thing that excites me most going forward is that there is so much more to come and I am very passionate about being a part of that."
Daly, 30, said: "I have loved every minute of being part of this club. The coaches and players are building towards something special and I'm so happy to be part of the journey moving forward."
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