Here are the latest rugby headlines on Tuesday, November 15.
Nigel Owens slams Rassie
Nigel Owens has condemned Rassie Erasmus' actions after the South Africa director of rugby published a series of videos on social media which appear to question decisions taken by referee Wayne Barnes in the Springboks' 30-26 defeat to France last Saturday.
Erasmus, who has only recently returned to match-day activities following a World Rugby ban for his infamous hour-long video criticising Nic Berry from the first South Africa v Lions Test last summer, shared a clip of a breakdown which led to Ireland's second try in South Africa's 19-16 loss along with five videos from the encounter with Les Bleus.
Competition: Win one of four pairs of tickets to see Wales play Georgia courtesy of Dove Men+Care
Welshman Owens has been left dumbstruck by Erasmus' actions towards Barnes, who went past Owens to officiate his 101st Test match at the weekend.
“I saw these come up and I was thinking ‘is this his genuine profile? Is he doing this?'" Owens told the Telegraph Rugby Podcast. “To me, we don’t need that in the game and I’d have thought he’d have learned his lesson by now, if it is him doing this. There’s a procedure in place. If you’re not happy about decisions, or you have questions about decisions – as every coach would have – referees can’t get everything right, there is a process to go through.
“Once you start putting things out there on social media questioning decisions, that’s not what this game is about, I don’t think. I don’t think this is right and I don’t like it. Go through the proper channels, and as long as everyone is open and honest and transparent… that is the way forward, not [to do it] on social media. If the process is not working, then there needs to be an honest review and discussion around how we can make a process work so that everybody is happy with it."
LRZ nominated for try of the year
Wales flyer Louis Rees-Zammit has made it on to the shortlist for the men's try-of-the-year award for 2022.
The Gloucester winger's touchdown against South Africa back in the summer, in a high-scoring 32-29 defeat, was a feast for the eyes as the ball moved through the backline via Kieran Hardy, Dan Biggar, Nick Tompkins, George North and Liam Williams before it is zipped out to Rees-Zammit.
The winger then puts on the afterburners and leaves Lukhanyo Am trailing in his wake as he sped into the corner to touch down. Rees-Zammit's score is one of five tries up for the award.
Another score which will be familiar to Wales supporters is Edoardo Padovani's effort against Wayne Pivac's men in the Six Nations earlier this year. It came after Ange Capuozzo's electrifying break through the Welsh defence before he put Padovani in for the try which ultimately downed Wales.
Lalakai Foketi, Rodrigo Fernandez and Chris Harris are the others who are up for the award.
Hansen hits out at commentary 'disgrace' and wants law change
Former Wales and All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has dubbed the commentary for Scotland v New Zealand a "disgrace", revealing he watched the match with the sound muted before his former team eventually won 31-23 at Murrayfield on Sunday.
“I found listening to the commentators last night a disgrace – the way they were talking about the players and the game. In the end I just turned it off and watched it in silence,” he told Stuff's podcast The Podium. “At the beginning when we scored, we’re 14-nil up or whatever it was, and [they’re saying] everyone is playing like champions and [then when Scotland came back] they’re into them.”
“This wouldn’t happen in the women’s game, and we’ve lost our way in the men’s game when it comes to how we watch it and commentate on it. If we could change some of that it would be great because we all take the lead off the people giving the messages.”
Hansen, whose daughter Whitney played a part in the Black Ferns' coaching staff on their way to a World Cup final win at the weekend, also thinks rugby's chiefs should look to change the rules around mauls after both the Black Ferns and Red Roses used lineout drives to score several tries during the final at Eden Park.
“Six tries in the final of a world tournament through throwing the ball into the lineout and mauling tells you it’s too easy to do it," he said. "It’s very hard to defend them. We scored two ourselves. You can’t blame England for doing it; you can’t blame New Zealand for doing it. I think they need to change the rules a little bit.”
Injuries to Dan Lydiate and Will Rowlands reduce Wales options
Wales will be without Dan Lydiate and Will Rowlands for the rest of the Autumn Nations Series. Both were forced off during Saturday's win over Argentina and an update from the Welsh Rugby Union on Monday revealed flanker Lydiate had suffered a broken forearm while lock Rowlands is sidelined with a shoulder issue.
Lydiate had started the 20-13 success over the Pumas at the Principality Stadium a matter of days after the death of his father John, but is now set for a lengthy spell on the treatment table.
Show your support for Wales
Head coach Wayne Pivac has called up locks Dafydd Jenkins and Rhys Davies as replacements for the injured duo with fixtures still to come against Georgia and Australia later this month. Teenager Jenkins has made seven appearances for Exeter and been a regular for Wales' Under-20s while Ospreys' Davies was part of last year's Autumn Nations Series squad.
Wales are due to hold a press conference on Tuesday where we will likely learn more of squad injuries ahead of this weekend's Test against Georgia.
Jaz to feature in World Sevens Series
Wales speedster Jasmine Joyce has returned to the GB Sevens set-up after representing Wales at the Women's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Ioan Cunningham's side were knocked out at the quarter-finals stage by eventual winners New Zealand, and Joyce, 27, now looks set to prepare for appearing on another world stage: the World Sevens Series.
She has announced on social media that she has returned to the GB set-up, with Wales, England and Scotland combining to form GB men's and women's teams for the 2023 series. The sides previously joined forces in 2021 in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics amid funding cuts.
It remains to be seen what this will mean for Joyce's involvement on the Wales XVs front in 2023.
Wales will maintain male and female sevens programmes to develop players and coaches, while Wales, England and Scotland will compete separately for Commonwealth Games and Sevens World Cups. GB's women secured fourth at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, while the men claimed silver at Rio 2016.
Sexton nominated for world player of the year
Ireland pair Johnny Sexton and Josh van der Flier have been nominated for the World Rugby men's player-of-the-year award, while boss Andy Farrell has been short-listed for coach of the year.
Fly-half Sexton, 37, won the award in 2018 and has had another outstanding year, leading Ireland to the top of the world rankings after their historic series win in New Zealand, plus victory over South Africa earlier this month. Flanker Van der Flier, 29, has been another dynamic performer for Ireland, scoring four tries in nine Test matches.
Springboks centre Lukhanyo Am and France captain Antoine Dupont, the current world player of the year, are on a four-man shortlist.
Farrell, who masterminded Ireland's stunning Test series triumph against New Zealand in July, which saw his team rise to world number one, is among four contenders for the coach's award. He is joined by England women's head coach Simon Middleton, New Zealand women's supremo Wayne Smith and France boss Fabien Galthie. The Red Roses won 30 successive Tests under Middleton's direction, although that run ended in a World Cup final defeat against New Zealand on Saturday. Galthie oversaw France's first Six Nations Grand Slam since 2010 earlier this year.
Elsewhere, Henry Arundell's impressive arrival on the international stage with England has seen him nominated for the World Rugby men's breakthrough player-of-the-year award. The London Irish back scored a try just six minutes into his Test debut when England faced Australia during their summer tour. Ireland wing Mack Hansen and hooker Dan Sheehan have also been nominated, together with exciting Italy back Ange Capuozzo.
In the women's breakthrough category, England prop Maud Muir is among the contenders. Muir featured in all 13 of England's games this year, including a late substitute appearance during the World Cup final in Auckland. The World Rugby awards ceremony takes place in Monaco on Sunday.
READ MORE:
Welsh rugby's Judgement Day returns after three years as details announced
Louis Rees-Zammit happy with Wales debut at full-back as he reveals Leigh Halfpenny help
