Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby headlines for Friday, March 3.
Welsh regions braced for star names to leave
Welsh regions are braced to lose a number of big-name stars as they acclimatise to budget cuts from next season.
Cardiff, for example, will see their annual budget slashed by £2million from £7.2m to £5.2m. Director of rugby Dai Young says the club cannot match the offers being made from elsewhere with Liam Williams, Josh Adams and Jarrod Evans targeted, who are being targeted by a club in Japan, Lyon and Harlequins respectively. The WRU can actually veto moves of Wales internationals if it so wishes, which you can read more about here.
"I expect us to lose a number of players, that's the market," said Young. "There are a lot of standout players, those recognised as leading players for us, who have very competitive offers on the table from other clubs. They're around the type of figures they are currently on, but we simply can't match those offers for them to stay. A number of those players would prefer to stay, but we can't be competitive."
Wales and Dragons back-rower Ross Moriarty is the subject of interest from Bayonne, but has been offered new terms in Newport.
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth told a press conference on Thursday that an unnamed player has already indicated he will leave. "There are going to be some departures for sure," he said. "Some of those have been forced upon us and some by choice because it's taken too long. I've already lost one player, who I won't name, who would've been nice to keep, but they have got an option and they've gone elsewhere. That's an unfortunate casualty of this scenario."
Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said earlier this week that they are making formal contract offers but he expects players will leave.
The Professional Rugby Board, made up of representatives from the four regions and WRU, and Welsh pro sides have not yet come to a formal agreement on a new six-year funding deal for Welsh rugby, which has been months in the making, causing a delay in new contracts being handed out amid a lack of clarity on future finances.
Acting WRU chief executive Nigel Walker said on Monday, February 27, that an agreement would be in place in a "matter of days" but Scarlets chair Simon Muderack revealed earlier this week that he only received the relevant paperwork last weekend.
Dragons star ruled out of rest of season
Dragons centre Jack Dixon has been ruled out for the rest of the season, having undergone successful surgery on an ankle injury.
The 28-year-old picked up the problem during the United Rugby Championship clash with Leinster in Dublin last month, and boss Dai Flanagan has confirmed the player won't be involved again this season. Dixon spoke publicly in the days leading up to the injury about his concern over his future amid the contracts freeze, being out of contract at the end of this season.
The region say he will will now begin his rehabilitation and recovery process over the coming months. Formal Dragons contracts are not yet ready to put in front of players, but Dixon has been offered terms.
"He had an operation last Friday so Jack's season will be over,” said Flanagan. "Sadly, that's part of the game. He spoke really emotionally in his last press conference, but when you watch him play, he did not back down from anything, which says a lot about him and what the region and shirt means to him. We will look after Jack.”
Meanwhile, Elliot Dee and back-rower Harrison Keddie could well be in contention for Saturday evening's clash with Connacht.
“Elliot and Harri are a lot closer now,” said Flanagan. “Hopefully they can be in the match day squad this week and that will give us a lift. Elliot is an international hooker so it will be really good to have him back in the mix. But we should also appreciate what Brodie [Coghlan] has done. He’s been excellent in this spell; he summed up what a Gwent hooker should be with his approach to the game."
Young urges Cardiff to keep URC fate in their own hands
Dai Young has told Cardiff to ensure they keep the end of their URC season in their own hands, ahead of Saturday's clash with Ulster.
The Blue and Blacks welcome the Ulstermen to Arms Park one point short of the play-off places, following on from an impressive win over Benetton, and Young hopes his side can continue pushing to keep them in the conversation come the end of the season.
“It was a good win against Benetton," he said. "I was really pleased with the way we played and we’d probably have to step it up again to get the result on the weekend.
“We know this is an important game for us, and if we can get something out of this game and get a result then it will keep us in the mix. There’s no point worrying about what’s to come in two games or so, because the next two games are massive for us to give us a chance of getting anywhere near it.
“If we come the wrong side of the next two results, the only way we’ll be in the mix is if all the results go our way. So let’s keep it in our hands and let’s try and get something out of this game. Obviously a five-pointer like we did against Benetton would be fantastic but a win would be a really good result for us.
“The players have been excellent in training and they were excellent in that game against Benetton. I don’t feel that we’ll get anything different this weekend.
“I can only speak volumes for their professionalism and how they’ve put the current situation behind them and shown that they’re rugby players who want to do a good job. Yes they’ve got anxiety and some of them have got futures where they don’t know where they’re going to be, but certainly when they walk across the whitewash for training or for games they’ve been excellent."
New injury blow for Halaholo
Wales and Cardiff centre Willis Halaholo has suffered a fresh injury blow which could rule him out for the rest of the season. The 32-year-old back has not played since suffering a hamstring injury in October 2022 against Stormers.
Now he has suffered an Achilles problem in training, and Cardiff are awaiting details of the extent of the injury. Halaholo is out of contract at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Cardiff director of rugby Dai Young said "It's a bit early to give confirmation, but it does look like it's another Achilles injury really, which, if that's the case would put him out for a while. But certainly he's not available for this week when we were hoping he was going to be."
Young added: "Hopefully it isn't as bad as it looks, but if it is an Achilles injury... there's only a couple of months left of the season anyway so that would be his season done. And you've got to feel for him because he's had a nasty injury with his hamstring and so on and he's worked his socks off to get back."
Wales determined to shut out 'external noise'
Assistant coach Jonathan Thomas says there will always be "external noise" as Wales approach the final fortnight of a Guinness Six Nations campaign that has produced far more questions than answers. Wales head to Rome for an appointment with Italy on Saturday week that is likely to decide which country props up this season's Six Nations table.
It is 20 years since Wales last finished bottom of the pile but successive defeats against Ireland, Scotland and England have left them scrambling around the basement. With reigning Six Nations champions France their final opponents in Paris, victory over the Azzurri is essential to hopes of Wales avoiding the wooden spoon.
Off the field, it has also been a difficult time with the threat of a players' strike engulfing the build-up to England's Cardiff visit before compromises were reached with Welsh rugby powerbrokers on subjects like Wales' 60-cap selection rule and fixed-variable contracts.
"As we all know, there has been some adversity for the players in the last few weeks, so that has been challenging for them," Wales assistant coach and contact specialist Thomas said. "I have been involved with English rugby for the last few years and there is huge adversity with the clubs there. It's where rugby is a little bit at the moment.
"Rugby goes through these cycles. My first (Wales) cap in 2003 was off the back of a disappointing Six Nations. The players threatened to strike. It is almost a little bit like history is repeating itself. There are peaks and troughs, politics come into it now and again. Is it ideal? No.
"It's important we stay focused. There is external noise - that is always going to be the case - but it is important that you worry about the things you can control."
Wales have lost 12 of their last 15 Tests, including a home defeat against Italy a year ago, while they last won a Six Nations game in February 2022. There are just five Tests left before Wales' World Cup opener against Fiji in Bordeaux, so time is not on their side ahead of that global showpiece.
Ireland optimistic over Ringrose, McCloskey and Lowe
Ireland's coaching staff are optimistic Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey and James Lowe will be fit to face Scotland after the trio sat out training on Thursday. Ringrose withdrew on the eve of Saturday's 34-20 Guinness Six Nations success over Italy due to a minor calf injury, while fellow centre McCloskey and wing Lowe sustained similar issues in Rome.
Loosehead prop Cian Healy, who is yet to feature in this year's championship because of a hamstring problem, also did not take part in the open training session against Ireland's Under-20 side at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. But captain Johnny Sexton, tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong, scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and centre Robbie Henshaw were all fully involved ahead of Ireland's trip to Murrayfield on Sunday, March 12.
Forwards coach Paul O'Connell allayed fears about the absentees. "I don't see any problem with those four guys who didn't train today but we're just trying to look after them," he said, according to the42.ie.
Sexton watched the Stadio Olimpico triumph from the stands as he nursed a groin issue sustained in the round-two win over France, while Furlong (calf), Gibson-Park (hamstring) and Henshaw (wrist) have so far been unavailable to head coach Andy Farrell.
Ireland head to Edinburgh seeking to remain in Grand Slam contention on the back of bonus-point victories over Wales, Les Bleus and Italy.
Morgan announces retirement
Former England forward Ben Morgan is to retire from professional rugby at the end of the season. The 34-year-old joined joined current club Gloucester in 2012, after leaving the Scarlets, and has played more than 180 times for the Cherry and Whites.
Morgan also made 31 appearances for England , including two outings at the 2015 World Cup.
"Playing for my home club over the last 11 years has been a huge privilege," Morgan, 34, said. “Playing for my home club over the last 11 years has been a huge privilege, and I will be retiring with memories that I will look back on with a great sense of pride."
Farrell set for Top 14 move
Ireland international Chris Farrell is set for a move to the Top 14 after being released from his contract by Munster.
According to the Irish Mirror, Farrell is on the verge of making the move across the English Channel, having previously plied his trade for three years at French side Grenoble between 2013 and 2017. He then returned to Ireland with Munster in 2017 and would go on to make 71 appearances during a six-year stint at Thomond Park.
A statement released by Munster Rugby on Thursday afternoon confirmed Farrell's departure, saying: "Munster Rugby and the IRFU can confirm that Chris Farrell has been released from the province to pursue a new playing opportunity."
Munster head coach Graham Rowntree said: “We wish Chris and his family all the best with his move and thank him for everything he has done during his time with us.”
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