Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby news for Tuesday, February 14.
Gatland told to change tactics
Former Wales winger and Grand Slam star Mark Jones believes Wales should move away from trying to be a ball-playing team and instead go back to a power game and try to emulate France.
Wales have lost their opening two Six Nations matches, against Ireland and Scotland, for the first time since 2007, with the size of Warren Gatland's task in turning around their fortunes becoming all the more clear in recent weeks.
"It looks to me like Wales are trying to play a fluid game, moving the ball back and forth across the field," Jones told the Scrum V podcast. "I don't think the selection at the moment gives us the ability to do that. We only have two natural ball-players, I think, with Biggar and Joe Hawkins on the weekend. You need at least three. Ireland are lucky they've probably got four or five.
"I think we need to go back to a bit more of a power game with the players that we've got and be a bit more direct, and try and play a more simplistic game but get our athletes into the game. Rather than trying to out-pass a team, like an Ireland, let's be a bit more like France, a bit more pragmatic, a bit more direct. Let's play off our defence a little bit more."
He admits a lack of cohesion is understandable given a new coaching staff and, against Scotland, a raft of changes among the forwards, but believes Wales look unsure of what they're meant to be doing.
"When I look at Wales playing at the moment, there's a massive gap," he said. "We're not quite sure how we're trying to play the game, and if you're not sure how you're trying to play it's very difficult to throw yourself into your role within it.
"The one thing that was very clear with Gats the first time around is he made the game very simple, you knew exactly what your role was and then obviously the coaches under him delivered your role and made you very clear on what your role was."
England hoping for triple boost ahead of Wales Test
England are hoping for a boost to their squad ahead of the Six Nations clash with Wales in Cardiff, with Tom Curry and Courtney Lawes set to return to club action this weekend.
Both players captained England under previous boss Eddie Jones, but injury has so far kept them out of this year's Six Nations campaign. Indeed, Lawes hasn't yet made an international appearance all season due to a thigh issue.
According to The Telegraph, the duo are expected to play for their respective clubs in the Premiership this weekend, with Lawes himself stating he is aiming to be back for the trip to Cardiff a week on Saturday.
“I’m doing well,” he told Times Radio. “It’s been one of those seasons where I’ve not been able to stay on the field. When I first did my calf, everyone was thinking it could be a pretty long injury, six to eight weeks, maybe a bit more. Luckily, I tore it on the lower end, so it’s [only] a grade two. I should be back, hopefully, for Wales.”
Meanwhile, Sale fly-half George Ford has recently returned, and could be another option heading into the third round of fixtures.
Borthwick expecting 'tough' Wales challenge
England will arrive in Cardiff sitting third in the Six Nations table, with Wales currently bottom, and it's fair to say both sides are currently in the middle of a transitional period under their respective coaches.
The visitors may well start out as favourites in the eyes of some onlookers. But with Wales enduring a difficult start to this campaign, England boss Steve Borthwick insists he's still wary of the coaching acumen of his opposite number, having worked with Warren Gatland on the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour.
“I look at Warren and I have incredible respect for him as a coach,” he said. “I had the opportunity to coach with him in 2017 and the way he coaches is superb so I have a lot of respect for him. The fact he asked me to coach with the Lions in 2021, he must think there is something I can do well as a coach. He will set up his team really well. It is a brilliant challenge. It is going to be a tough challenge.”
Ireland sweating on Beirne injury
Ireland lock Tadhg Beirne is set to see a specialist to determine the extent of the leg injury he suffered during Saturday's win over France.
Beirne was seen leaving the Aviva Stadium on crutches, after being forced off during his country's 32-19 victory. Head coach Andy Farrell said the injury "did not look great" for the Munster man, who has started his country's last 14 Tests.
Ireland have retained a 25-man squad for this week's two-day training camp ahead of the first fallow weekend in the tournament, with captain Johnny Sexton another concern, having picked up a groin issue during Saturday's game.
Meanwhile, hooker Rob Herring is undergoing return-to-play protocols after suffering a head injury following a high tackle from French prop Uini Atonio, who has since been cited.
Cian Healy, Tadhg Furlong, Robbie Henshaw and Jamison Gibson-Park are also undergoing rehabilitation from their respective injuries.
Keith Earls, Jordan Larmour and Jacob Stockdale are among the 12 players released to play for their provinces.
RFU urged to bring women into Red Roses coaching set-up
Outgoing England boss Simon Middleton says the time has come for the Rugby Football Union to "really go after female coaching". Middleton will step down from the position he has held since 2015 at the end of the upcoming TikTok Women's Six Nations.
The 57-year-old, whose successor is set to be announced following the championship, feels a new voice is needed in the role.
While he is not involved in the ongoing recruitment process, he has urged the RFU to focus on bringing women into the coaching set up.
"From an English point of view, now is the time to really go after the female coaching," said the former dual-code player. "You've got a generation of players and a lot of them have lived through almost a decade of professional rugby.
"I know the contracts haven't been full-time for that long but there's been a significant influence in terms of what professionalism looks like within the programme.
"A lot of players have lived through that now, so they are very well-prepared to step into coaching, if they choose to. From that point of view, there is some excellent coaching potential and we've got to grow that side of it."
Middleton guided England to World Cup finals in 2017 and 2022, where they were beaten by New Zealand on each occasion. He has led the Red Roses to five Six Nations titles, including four Grand Slams, and set a record-breaking 30-match winning run last year.
His imminent departure was announced last week following conversations with RFU performance director Conor O'Shea.
England begin their Six Nations title defence by taking on Scotland on March 25 in Newcastle, before finishing their campaign against France on April 29 at Twickenham. Middleton, who is keeping his options open regarding his own future, believes making the women's game more competitive is one of the major challenges facing the sport moving forward.
"We've got to close the gap in a lot more sides, tier one and tier two, and make sure the next World Cup (in England in 2025) and certainly the World Cup after that becomes far more competitive, and the Six Nations and all the other tournaments," he said.
"Closing the gap across the various nations is really important. It's got to be [about] investment because it's a simple fact that if you want to develop a programme you have to add expertise, you have to add resource into there and to do that, you've got to invest into the programmes. That's what the RFU have done, that's what France have done continually, that's what New Zealand did. If you get more games more competitive then it becomes self-perpetuating."
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