Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby news from Wales and beyond for Saturday, July 2.
Tompkins 'blown away' by North
Nick Tompkins has been blown away by his centre partner George North in training this week.
The centurion is poised to make his return to the Test arena after an extended spell on the sidelines due to a serious knee injury after the 2021 Six Nations. The pair will link up in a new-look Welsh midfield at Loftus Versfeld following months of change in the 12 and 13 channels recently, and Tompkins is relishing the opportunity of sharing the field with the vastly-experienced North.
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He said: “It’s a testament to him as a bloke, the injury he had and for him to come into training and look as sharp as he does, it's really impressive and he’s straight into the team because of it. I’m sure there will be some nerves but they’ll go away and you’ll see what he can bring.
“He’s been brilliant, especially in training with some of the stuff he’s been doing, he looks like he’s not missed a beat. It’s massively exciting to be playing alongside him.”
Tompkins has had a handful of different centre partners in recent months, and has been sharing coffees with North and having regular chats around the team room so the pair become familiar but admits it has been tough.
“You really want to build up that rapport, get to know the person, what he likes, how he defends and how he attacks, what he likes to do,” he says, before adding: “It’s on us as centres to really lock this down and give no excuses to be swapped in and out. You can’t point the finger towards anyone else. I hope that’s what we can do because we need to start getting some consistency now as we build towards the World Cup. It starts [on Saturday].”
North faces 'big battle' in centre
Meanwhile, Ugo Monye believes George North will be "critical" to Wales' hopes of victory in Pretoria, adding that the Ospreys star faces a fascinating battle with South African Lukhanyo Am.
However, he expects the likes of Dan Lydiate, Taulupe Faletau and Josh Navidi to also have their say in any potential Wales success.
Speaking to the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast, he said: "I think George North at 13 is critical because Lukhanyo Am is one of the most outstanding centres over the last couple of years and he's certainly going to have a big battle there.
"[Damian] de Allende, we know exactly what he can do, but I think Nick Tompkins has had a very good season, so there's no real issues about what the backs do.
"Essentially, a backline can only be as good as the ball which the forward packs are able to deliver and we know that's an obvious area of contention and the battle lines are drawn there, but Dan Lydiate - one of the best chop-tacklers we've seen in the last decade in the northern hemisphere - he has a huge game.
"If he can get his choice of tackle right and power in his tackle right, then Tommy Reffell comes into the game, Faletau - world-class player, we know what he is. Then to bring on a Josh Navidi, he is effervescent in his type of energy and his relentless attitude in all which he does."
However, he remains pessimistic about a Wales victory, adding: "It is intriguing but it hasn't changed my mind as to what I think the outcome of the match is going to be."
Kolisi refusing to read into Italy defeat
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi says he is expecting a response from Wales following their defeat to Italy in the Six Nations. That shock loss in Cardiff has largely contributed to Wayne Pivac's side being written off ahead of the upcoming series with the Springboks, but Kolisi says his team won't be reading too much into that result.
"I don't celebrate that [Italy defeat] because we are not ones to be laughing at anyone," he said. "I played in a team that lost to Japan for the first time and we've lost against Italy.
"We've been there and we know what it feels like. We know what it takes to get out of a situation like this and what you will do to to get out of it. As much as they're in a tough situation, that can bring a side together.
"Knowing the Wales players, they are not going to be thinking about giving up any time soon. What better way to get out of a hole than playing against the number one team in the world?"
Folau endures nightmare return to international rugby
Israel Folau's return to international rugby lasted just half an hour as his Tonga team were thrashed 36-0 by Fiji in the Pacific Nations Cup opener in Suva on Saturday.
The former Wallaby was featuring in his first Test since he was sacked by Rugby Australia for posting social media posts claiming "hell awaits" homosexuals, back in 2019.
The 33-year-old turned out for Tonga due to a World Rugby rule change which came in this year whereby players can switch allegiance to a different international team after a three-year stand-down period from their last Test outing. Folau struggled to make an impact in front of 15,000 fans at Fiji's National Stadium, getting just one touch of the ball before being forced to limp off with his team already 19-0 down.
Indeed, the visitors were simply no match for the Fijians, who ended the contest by running in a total of five unanswered tries.
Hooper sends warning to England
Michael Hooper says Australia are ready to halt their dismal run against England in Saturday’s series opener in Perth. Eddie Jones has masterminded eight successive wins over the Wallabies since taking over as England coach back in 2015, although only one of those victories has come against current boss Dave Rennie.
England are nevertheless widely considered underdogs against the team Jones coached from 2001 to 2005, but Hooper expects the matches to go down to the wire.
“It’s motivation to win and turn the ledger," the captain said. "We have three games at home to do it. It’s been a long time since we’ve played these fellas out here so we’re excited about it. History hasn’t been in our favour for quite some time now against the English and we’re keen to rip in.
“This is the top rivalry. Having the Ashes at the back end of last year and this year, the whole of the Australian population gets behind the team whether they’re here or in England. It’s about bragging rights so it’s big for the fans and for us. There’s some great history between the two teams.
“They’re always a tough outfit. They’ve picked a powerful team with some real skill and experience. We’re expecting a tough time. We just need to get a couple of wins under our belt. In games of these magnitudes, it’s going to go back and forward and we need to stay in the fight, throw and absorb punches, get back on the front foot and attack these guys.”
Taylor honoured by Bangor University
Former Wales Women captain Rachel Taylor has been awarded an honorary degree at Bangor University. Taylor, who won 67 caps for her country, has gone on to become a highly-regarded coach since hanging up her boots and is performance coach at Sale Sharks Women. She has also co-founded a rugby academy, Rygbi 7/11, which aims to deliver quality coaching that focuses on enhancing pathways for female athletes.
Presenting Rachel with the honour, Professor Nicky Callow, vice-chancellor and head of college of human sciences, said: “As a player, captain, coach and member of women’s rugby union, Rachel has championed Wales and women in rugby throughout her career and her sporting achievements are outstanding.”
Taylor said: "It's been a real privilege to come here for an honorary degree, more so to experience and be part of the celebration with everybody else receiving their degrees. It has been a really difficult past couple of years, and to be part of this sort of giant celebration means an awful lot to me and my family."
Read next:
- South Africa v Wales exact scoreline predicted as prop needs 'game of his life'
- To comprehend the size of the challenge facing Wales in South Africa, you must first understand what the Springboks stand for
- The verdict on the shock Wales team to face South Africa as warrior returns and giants benched
- 'World-class' Wales giant emerges amid heroic late intervention
- 'He has a massive heart!' Springboks stars pick the Wales players they really rate
- Wayne Pivac reveals he hasn't slept properly for three months after what happened
- Wales team news v South Africa as George North and Dan Lydiate return with Tomas Francis left on the bench
