Here's your rugby headlines for Wednesday, December 21.
Cardiff captain warns more players will leave Wales
Cardiff captain Josh Turnbull has warned more players are will follow Will Rowlands and Max Llewellyn in leaving Wales at the end of the season.
Speaking on the Scrum V podcast, Turnbull admitted that the current freeze on player contracts would continue to result in departures as he insisted more money was needed for the regions to compete. He added that bosses have emphasised "stability" as their aim, but said that approach does "not excite" him.
"The game needs more money for the regions to be competitive," he said. "And that's not just Cardiff, but all four regions to be competitive.
READ MORE: The Rhys Webb interview: Warren can turn Wales around and I have unfinished business
"And if they're competitive, Welsh rugby is competitive. I think at some point, you can't turn around and say to a player 'look, we want you to stay in Wales, but we've only got this much money' and there's a 60-cap rule in play and this that and the other - it's a little bit of restraint of trade, that is - so I wouldn't be surprised in the next few weeks if we see more players leaving like Max Llewellyn."
He added: "It is a difficult situation and I do feel for some of those boys who are out of contract."
He added: "I've been pretty open with all the players in the squad and said 'look, if you've got any issues, please come and speak to me'.
"We've had a number of meetings with Richard Holland, our CEO at Cardiff, although the picture that's painted is pretty bleak at the moment and it's not a comfortable place to be.
"What I can't understand is how they're using words like 'stability' where actually, if I'm talking on a Cardiff front now, we go well this year and we're competitive, then why are you saying 'we need to have stability for the next couple of years'?
"It's actually going backwards if anything because ultimately we want to be competing at the top end.
"You're telling the player now who's out of contract 'oh, the next couple of years is about stability and how we're going to manage everything'. (It) doesn't sound exciting to me."
Jones wants one more job
Eddie Jones insists he wouldn't do anything differently following his dismissal from England and says he felt change was coming.
The Australian was sacked earlier this month just nine months out from the World Cup, with Steve Borthwick appointed his successor. He says he has received 40 messages from players thanking him for his efforts.
The former England boss told BBC Radio 4: "I could feel the change in the wind. You know, when you've been coaching for a while you feel when your support is starting to wane.
"I wouldn't do anything differently. I was quite confident that we were on the right track, leading up to the World Cup. And I still have that belief. But if others don't share that, then that's their decision."
Jones added he was disappointed to leave the post because "they have a great bunch of boys" but revealed he still wants to "do one more job" and confirmed talks with other federations.
He added: "It's not about coaching an England rival, it's about I want to add to the game. I love the game, I love coaching."
Asked if he had spoken to Rugby Australia, Jones said: "Be a discerning reader, never believe what you read in the papers."
Qatar hold talks over hosting Lions Test in 2025
Qatar have reportedly held talks about staging a British and Irish Lions Test match in 2025.
MailOnline report that the Qatar Rugby Federation are keen to capitalise on the success of the football World Cup by bringing other sporting events to the country.
A Lions match would be one way with of bringing rugby to Qatar, with a place on the Sevens circuit another. The bid would involve hosting a one-off game - similar to how Hong Kong hosted a clash between the Lions and Barbarians in 2013.
"The success of the World Cup has shown that we can stage the biggest international events in this country," a source involved in the talks told MailOnline.
"Qatar is already due to stage the 2030 Asian Games and there's talk of an Olympic bid in 2036 so we're focusing on growing the Olympic sports. Rugby Sevens fits with that model and we have the infrastructure to stage global events.
"A full rugby World Cup would be beyond us, but we could definitely stage a one-off Lions Test and a Sevens tournament. Sevens only needs one stadium and is completed in three days."
Laporte suspended as French Rugby president
Bernard Laporte has been suspended as French Rugby Federation president as he fights a two-year suspended sentence on corruption charges.
Laporte has been banned from holding any position in rugby for two years, but his lawyer confirmed he would appeal the ruling, meaning the former France coach could keep the FFR presidency for the time being.
He refused calls to resign from the French sports minister and the FFR’s own ethics committee, but he has now accepted a suspension. He will remain president but will be suspended until a final ruling in his case, with an interim being appointed. He will no longer be able to take part in decision-making bodies or sign any commitments on behalf of the body.
Uncapped Welsh duo named in Champions Cup team of week
Uncapped Wales duo Kieran Williams and Rhys Davies have been named in the Champions Cup team of the week after the Ospreys' historic win over Montpellier.
Toby Booth's side upset the odds to down the French champions in their own backyard, with centre Williams and second-row Davies making the XV picked on the basis of statistics provide by Oval.
Williams averaged 2.5 metres per carry and made all of his nine tackles in a try-scoring performance, while Davies made 14 tackles, made two metres per carry, beat one defender and managed two turnovers.
READ MORE:
The Rhys Webb interview: Warren can turn Wales around and I have unfinished business
Tonight's rugby news as tragic World Cup player dies and Eddie Jones admits mistake
How the Six Nations is expected to finish now Warren Gatland is back
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