These are your rugby headlines on Friday, September 23.
Ken Owens returns
Wales and Scarlets hooker Ken Owens is set to play his first game of rugby in 11 months when he turns out for Carmarthen Quins in the Welsh Premiership on Saturday.
Owens, 35, has been out of action with a back injury for 11 months but has been named to start against Swansea this weekend.
Read more: Wales have seven options to replace Liam Williams as Anscombe and Adams switch both possible
His last fixture was in October 2021 for Scarlets against Leinster in the United Rugby Championship. This Welsh Premiership appearance will act as a stepping stone as he returns to match fitness ready for the URC.
It would be Owens' fourth World Cup should he make it to France 2023 with Wales. After initially being selected for Wales' autumn opener against the All Blacks last October, he withdrew and has not played since.
Thomas lands new job
Former Wales back-row Jonathan Thomas has landed a new job.
Thomas left stricken side Worcester Warriors at the start of the year and he has now been revealed as the new forwards consultant at Championship side Ealing Trailfinders.
"I’m really pleased to be here at Ealing and everyone at the club has been so welcoming, that I feel like I’ve been here for ages," said Thomas. "From speaking to Wardy [Ben Ward] it just felt like a really natural fit. I’ve played in this league before, I’ve coached in this league before and so I know how tough the Championship is and hopefully I can make a positive difference."
Director of rugby Ben Ward said: "I’m really pleased to have been able to recruit someone of JT’s quality and know-how to help aid our coaching team. He is an incredibly exciting coach with Premiership experience and also the knowledge of how to get a team promoted from the Championship after being part of the Bristol staff that did so. He’s already slotted in well to our set-up and I know the boys are learning a lot from him."
O'Gara hit with six-week ban for abuse
La Rochelle coach and former Ireland star Ronan O'Gara has been handed a six-week ban for abusing a match official during his side's 23-21 Top 14 win over Lyon earlier this month.
O'Gara had been suspended last season for a similar offence therefore this ban was increased by a fortnight, but his subsequent admission of guilt saw the extension removed. He now won't be seen on the touchline until October 31.
The official LNR statement read: “Mr Ronan O’Gara has been found responsible of ‘action against a match official’ and more particularly of ‘disrespecting the authority of a match official. It is on the higher degree of the scale of gravity, meaning a suspension of six weeks.
“After taking into account the aggravating circumstance (his disciplinary record), the penalty was increased by two weeks. After taking into account the mitigating circumstances (acknowledgement of guilt, conduct before and during the hearing), the sanction was reduced by two weeks. Mr. Ronan O’Gara is suspended for six weeks. Consequently, Mr. Ronan O’Gara’s suspension will end on October 31, 2022.”
Wales fly to New Zealand for World Cup amid inequality admission
Ioan Cunningham's Wales squad are en route to New Zealand for the Women's Rugby World Cup, with their opener against Scotland kicking off their campaign on October 9.
Cunningham named his 32-player touring party earlier this week, and now the group have travelled to New Zealand just over two weeks before their first group match, hoping to fit in some sort of friendly or training session against USA in the meantime.
But as for how Wales Women are travelling — in premium economy class — Welsh Rugby Union performance director Nigel Walker admits there remains a way to go in removing inequalities between the women's and men's Wales teams. The usual long-haul mode of travel for men's tours is business class.
"The women are not going business class," he explained. "In Rugby World Cups you get a contribution from the governing body. We have used that contribution and booked flights accordingly.
"If you wanted to look for inequality between the men’s and women’s game, you wouldn’t have to look too far.
"We are trying to close that gap and we recognise that we have got a way to go, but the Welsh Rugby Union is committed to this women’s programme. But you highlight one of the equalities which currently exist."
Nevertheless, Wales Women have headed to New Zealand just over two weeks before their opener and have some time to acclimatise. "Yes but you are right to raise it," Walker added. "I could list the inequalities - I’m not going to do that - we have got a way to go but we have made a reasonable start.”
Cunningham's squad is now made up of 32 contracted players, and Walker believes Wales Women have had similar support to the men in their World Cup preparations. “Given the starting point, because the maturity of the men’s game is completely different from the women’s game, no stone has been left unturned in the last nine months in particular, to prepare this team to perform with distinction in New Zealand," Walker said.
“In terms of preparation, the players have said their preparation has been better than anything they have experienced. The coaching team and support staff have worked wonders, but the players have thrown themselves into preparing as well as they can. There will be no excuses but I would caution that we have been a professional outfit for nine months.
“We know, in performance sport there are no guarantees, but we are hopeful and confident we have done everything possible to prepare this team to perform to the best of their ability.
"We have made progress, yes we are expecting them to acquit themselves well in New Zealand, but there are other countries that have had a bit of a head-start on us. We are closing the gap. We are confident we will close that gap and we are confident we will do well in Auckland, but people need to have a sense of perspective as well.”
Flanagan's rallying cry
Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan says his side must do better after their eye-opening start to the season.
The Rodney Parade side were thumped by Edinburgh in the first round of fixtures in the URC and Flanagan knows only hard work will placate their proud supporters.
“We were all disappointed with our inaccuracy and we’ve been working hard to put that right,” he said. “It’s a hard-working group here and they have reacted positively. They know they can be better and it's important we show that on the weekend. We must move forward, and we must move forward quickly.
“We need to put up a much better showing, but also we need to make people around this region proud of what we're representing. There are good people in the region, in every club in the region, and our club needs to represent that.”
It's Munster in Newport next up for the Dragons on Sunday (3pm) in what will likely be another tough afternoon for Flanagan's boys. But last season's poor record at home is fuelling them this time around, he said.
“First and foremost, it's about putting some wrongs right, and Rodney Parade is a factor, and we need to build on that,” he said.
“I don't think anyone in the region is happy with how it was last season. We have got our first opportunity this weekend to change that. I've been on the opposition and it's a tough, tough crowd to play in front of. When you make a mistake, they are on top of you. If the home team get anything, they celebrate. We need that this weekend more than ever.”
Former England coach in talks with Racing
Former England coach Stuart Lancaster is in talks with French club Racing 92. Current Racing director of rugby Laurent Travers is set to take a role higher up in the team and appeared to confirm talks with Lancaster when quizzed about it on Thursday.
"I'm going to be clear, a lot things are written, a lot aren't true," he said. "There have been talks and there are talks, we're not going to hide it."
Should Lancaster leave Leinster it would be a huge blow for Irish rugby. The 52-year-old has done stellar work with the province since his appointment and his departure would open up a huge void.
Leinster's head coach Leo Cullen said of the link : "So we are in a period of speculation, shall we say, and we can't comment on other people's speculation, but there has always been things going on in the background.
"We are very lucky that we have a very strong group, some great people in our building and that’s credit to a lot of the work that goes on over the last number of years, so we are very lucky in that regard.
"But the reality is there is lots of other clubs who look at the talent, whether that is players or coaches, we have, and that is something we have to deal with all of the time and people make different decisions at different stages.
"And we are trying to talk about one person specifically who has been and amazing since he came into Leinster. So that's just part and parcel of the business we are in."
READ MORE:
Five Wales internationals are injured at the Ospreys as destructive back-rower returns
WRU demand strong Wales results this season as time for experimenting over
Cardiff leave out Faletau as young giants team up
Australia claim World Rugby admit Mathieu Raynal got time-wasting call wrong
