Here are your rugby evening headlines for Thursday 27 April.
England hooker's French move still on
England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie's move to Montpellier is still on, according to Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter.
Reports from France suggested that the French champions could call off the transfer after the British and Irish Lion supposedly missed a medical after going drinking the night before.
"There's been something that's been massively blown out of proportion," Baxter told BBC Radio Devon.
"I think he's popping over to France again just to finish off a couple of bits the French would like to investigate around a couple of his injuries. But he hasn't failed a medical, he hasn't not turned up for a medical.
READ MORE: Wales international set to miss out on World Cup training squad unless he provides proof in six days
"I'm not saying it is completely pie-in-the-sky, because everything has a little bit of something behind it, but as far as he has not turned up and they've torn up the contract and thrown it away, that 100% is not the case.
"Did he have a drink in a bar at some stage? I would say probably yes, outside of that there's probably a fair bit of journalistic licence [that] has probably been added to a few things that have happened."
New All Blacks coach open to picking overseas players
Incoming New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson is open to selecting overseas players for the All Blacks.
Under the current policies, a player can not represent All Blacks while contracted to a team outside New Zealand, but those policies could change when Robertson takes over from Ian Foster after the World Cup.
“One thing they [NZR] have said to me is a bit of forward thinking and challenging the norm here. So we’ll have conversations,” Robertson said. “You’ve got to be a step ahead. If you’re a step behind and then changing rules, that’s when you get caught.
“So they will definitely be getting my opinion and my thoughts. I will present to the board and where I think the game is heading potentially. But a lot of that will happen after I get in the role.”
Shingler ready for last hurrah
Scarlets back-row Aaron Shingler says he hopes to end his professional career with some silverware as he heads towards retirement.
The Wales international will hang up his boots at the end of the season, with the Scarlets still in the hunt for the Challenge Cup. They face Glasgow in the semi-final this weekend, with Shingler hoping to get through that one and into the final in Dublin before the curtain comes down on his career.
"I think it will be emotional and I hope it is," Shingler told the Scrum V podcast.
"There is a lot going through my mind, it will be like an out-of-body experience.
"I stood up this week and told the squad how long I had been here and have actually only won one trophy.
"You don't get many opportunities and there are no more semi-finals for me, this is my last chance. I put them under pressure, when it's all or nothing, there is just a different mindset and this is all or nothing for me.
"If it doesn't happen then so be it, but if it does, it is such a great way to end."
Wales seeking to secure WXV qualification
Wales Women are intent on securing their place in the top tier of World Rugby's new WXV competition this autumn.
A third-place finish in the TikTok Six Nations would guarantee Ioan Cunningham's side the chance of playing in the WXV 1 - the top tier of the new global competition. That particular tier would be a cross-pool competition between the top three sides in the Six Nations and the Pacific Four Series.
Were they to qualify, that would see Wales competing with the likes of England, France and then three sides from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA. Heading into their final Six Nations match against Italy, Wales only need a single point to secure a top-three finish.
"Our goal at the start of the Six Nations was to have two wins heading into the final game against Italy," Cunningham said.
"We have made no secret of the fact that we have targeted three wins in this tournament.
"We have shown against two of the best sides in the world, England and France, that we can compete with the best, but know we need an 80-minute performance in Parma.
"Italy have won the last two games against us and are two places above us in the world rankings, but we are excited about the challenge ahead of us."
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