Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby news for Monday, February 13.
Gatland urged to keep the faith with young guns
Jamie Roberts has urged Warren Gatland to focus on developing the next generation of Wales stars, with the prospect of Six Nations glory now all but over.
Gatland wielded the axe in his selection for the defeat to Scotland on Saturday, with experienced heads like Justin Tipuric and Alun Wyn Jones omitted, with youngsters Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza parachuted in. After two defeats, Wales now face England in a fortnight, and Roberts believes attention now has to turn to building up the levels of experience in the squad ahead of the World Cup.
"There are two ends of the spectrum here," he said while speaking on Scrum V. "We've got a very experienced core of lads in their early or mid-30s with nearly 100 caps.
"Then we've got a lot of young players, hugely inexperienced at this level. There's not too much in the middle ground, and you'd hope coming into a World Cup year you'd have players in their mid to late-20s, 30 to 60-cap players in the prime of their careers.
"That then creates a huge issue over the next three games. The Six Nations has gone now. It's not a tournament we're going to win.
"Does he roll the dice? Obviously he did with his selection at Murrayfield and I think he has to back those younger players now after a loss. It's an experience and those players have to learn from it. I think he has to back those players throughout the rest of the campaign."
Finn Russell admits renewed harmony with Gregor Townsend producing top form
Finn Russell put his sensational recent form for Scotland down to finding renewed harmony with head coach Gregor Townsend. The pair have had a strained relationship at times but the talismanic stand-off explained how a telephone chat in November, after he had been left out of the initial squad for the autumn internationals, has helped them get "on the same page".
Russell has looked back to his brilliant best since returning to the dark blue jersey for the mid-November Test against New Zealand, with his latest magnificent display coming in Saturday's Guinness Six Nations destruction of Wales.
"Before I came back in the autumn, Gregor called me on the Saturday or Sunday night," the Racing 92 fly-half explained. "I said to him before I came back in that I'd like for me and him to chat through a few things, not in terms of the stuff outside rugby, more the rugby side of it. There were a few things I may not have been happy with, or he might not have been happy with.
"It wasn't a case of clearing the air, it was more about us getting back on the same page and being open and honest with each other as to where he is at mentally with his game-plan and how he wants things to run, and me having my input and saying what I think as well.
"Me and Gregor are in a much better place now than where we were a year ago. We are on the same page and I'm allowed to express myself. Not that I wasn't before but I think the way that me and Gregor are working together is really helping me.
"I think Gregor and I get on better than we ever have done before. It's not just us chatting about rugby, him being the coach and me being the player. It's more just us chatting away and getting to know each other. We are both on the same page now and have a good relationship."
Russell admits he struggled with "fatigue" last season on the back of the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour but he feels that becoming a father in November, and the lifestyle changes that has involved, has also helped him get back on track.
"If I'm happy and playing good rugby I'll enjoy myself off the field and vice-versa: if I'm happy and enjoying myself off the field, I'll be playing good rugby," he said. "Last year was a poor season for me. I was probably tired and fatigued and didn't really change anything myself whereas this year, partly because of my partner being pregnant, I've had to change my lifestyle and everything around that, and my rugby's probably changed as well."
Traore opens up on racist Secret Santa 'gift'
Benetton star Cherif Traore has spoken out on the moment he was presented with a rotten banana by team-mates. The incident happened as part of a team 'Secret Santa' two months ago, and shocked the world of rugby.
Italy prop Ivan Nemer has been suspended until June 30 after giving team-mate Traore a rotten banana during the gift exchange.
Recounting the incident in a frank interview with the Daily Mail, he said: "Rugby’s my job, it’s my life, it’s all I have. I was angry. This isn’t an example for young people. My overwhelming feeling was disappointment.
"It wasn’t nice. It wasn’t easy for me to accept. There were lots of people in the room. The gifts were being passed around and I waited my turn. It was in a gift bag. Everyone was taking out their present and then they had to tell the room what it was. I opened mine to find the banana and I just couldn’t bring myself to say anything. I couldn’t look left, right or ahead.
"The person sitting next to me told the room what it was. My eyes were getting red and itchy, I was getting angry. I just wanted to get up and go home but I stayed out of respect for everyone else. The Christmas sack finished going around the room and then I went home. I didn’t want to see anyone, I didn’t want to speak to anyone. I was so angry. I couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning because I was so upset.
"Everyone always says it’s banter, a joke. Don’t get me wrong, I like having a joke but what happened was just too much. It’s not normal. It’s like they think you’re stupid, so they can say anything they want and get away with it because it’s just a joke."
Borthwick eyeing further improvement ahead of Wales test
England boss Steve Borthwick says his side have taken "steps forward" following their win over Italy at Twickenham on Sunday, but admits the team will need to improve further if they are to overcome Wales in Cardiff later this month.
England saw off a second-half comeback to claim victory over the Azzurri, handing Borthwick his first win in the hotseat.
"There were some small positive steps forward," he said afterwards. "Credit to the players for working really hard to make those improvements. We are trying to rebuild this team. We left some chances out there.
"Our ruck speed could have been better. When it went up, we stretched the defence more. We have to make sure we are consistent in that regard. We conceded some opportunities to the opposition in the late stages of the game again.
"We will have a good look at why as that is two weeks running now. We were in a winning position late on last week and let it slip so we will make sure we are better in the next game."
Willis reveals relief at bouncing back from injury hell
Jack Willis admits emotions perhaps got the better of him after he scored the opening try of Engand's 31-14 win over Italy. The 26-year-old suffered a sickening knee injury in the same fixture two years ago, sidelining him for a year, and was visibly animated in his celebrations after crossing the whitewash.
“I was thinking before the game about two years ago,” he said. “It was pretty much two years to this week that I did my knee here against Italy, so it was a little bit emotional leading up to the game.
“It was a long old time ago. I thought about how grateful I am to put the shirt on again, and be out here, after everything that happened with Wasps as well. It was devastating what happened at Wasps. I don’t think I’ll ever get over that. That will be a scar I hold forever.
“But you’ve got to focus week to week because if you try and think about the bigger picture it gets you down a little bit. I’m very lucky to be at a great club that are looking after me in Toulouse.
“I just feel incredibly lucky to be part of this group and hopefully I’ll get another shot in the next few weeks. Emotion took over a little bit after the try. There was a lot of emotion I feel to play in an England shirt, and I looked up and saw the crowd.
“To be honest there wasn’t much work left for me to do, the big boys got me 90 per cent of the way there! I was proud to touch down and look up to see that crowd, that was pretty special.”
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