Here are the latest rugby headlines on Monday, May 15.
Wyn Jones' World Cup disappointment
Wales, Lions and Scarlets prop Wyn Jones has revealed his disappointment at being omitted from Warren Gatland's 54-man World Cup training squad this summer ahead of the tournament in France.
The 31-year-old experienced forward failed to even make the preliminary line-up having slipped down the pecking order after playing just three games for the Scarlets this year.
Gatland has opted for proven Wales internationals Gareth Thomas, Nicky Smith and Rhys Carre, also selecting Cardiff man Corey Domachowski and Scarlets prop Kemsley Mathias.
Speaking to S4C during Llandovery RFC's Welsh Premiership 16-13 semi-final win over Merthyr on Sunday, Jones - who just two years ago enjoyed a strong Lions tour of South Africa under Gatland - was asked about his omission.
S4C presenter Lauren Jenkins said: "Many are shocked not to see you as part of Warren Gatland’s squad, how disappointed were you, Wyn?"
"Very disappointed of course, but it is a part of this game," he replied. "I need to work hard on my own stuff and we’ll see what happens in the future."
Llandovery, of course, went on to secure a Welsh Premiership final which will be hosted by Cardiff at the Arms Park this Sunday, May 21 (5.15pm kick-off).
Ashton Hewitt reveals racist abuse on holiday
Dragons winger Ashton Hewitt has revealed a shocking racist incident he and his partner experienced on holiday.
The couple are on a post-season break in Marbella, Spain, with the Dragons man and Welsh Rugby Players' Association chair taking to social media to say: "When you’re at a bar on holiday, go to the toilet and in which time a guy feels the need to come and tell your girlfriend that her ancestors wouldn’t be happy about her being with you."
The post was met with support for Hewitt and condemnation of the comments made.
The 28-year-old from Newport has previously spoken about being angered at racist abuse aimed at him on social media, but said it would not prevent him from speaking out about social injustice.
Wales scrum-half ruled out for at least five months
Wales scrum-half Ffion Lewis has been ruled out for at least five months with a serious knee injury suffered in the final game of the Women's Six Nations, meaning she will not compete at the new global WXV tournament this autumn.
Lewis, 26, left the field in Parma just two minutes before the final whistle blew on Wales' 36-10 victory over Italy last month. The 33-cap scrum-half, one of the initial 12 players to become Wales' first professional women's internationals 18 months ago, said the outcome is "heartbreaking".
She will miss World Rugby's inaugural WXV competition, a new three-tier annual global women’s tournament. By virtue of finishing in the top three in the Six Nations, Wales qualified for the top tier - WXV 1 - and will compete alongside England, France and three of USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia in New Zealand this October and November.
The WRU's medical and strength and conditioning teams will manage Lewis' rehab and initial return-to-play programme.
Lewis said: "To say this is heartbreaking would be an understatement and to suffer the injury with only two minutes of the game left against Italy is a tough one to take.
"We have all worked so hard to qualify for the WXV tournament and to miss out is so disappointing when the squad has the opportunity to test themselves against the best teams in the world. But to have played my role in securing our highest world ranking and to finish the Six Nations on such a high is something I am immensely proud of and to be a part of this team’s journey has been a privilege.
"Unfortunately this is the reality of elite sport and injury is part of being a professional athlete. My focus and determination is to be diligent around my rehab, to come back a better and stronger player, with supporting the squad any way that I can."
Italy select prop banned for racist incident in World Cup training squad
Italy have selected Ivan Nemer in their preliminary Rugby World Cup training squad despite the prop currently being suspended for a racist incident.
The 24-year-old was banned until the end of June after sending Benetton team-mate prop Cherif Traore a rotten banana as a 'secret Santa' gift last year. Nemer said he was “deeply sorry” for a moment of “stupidity”, and was ordered to complete a racism awareness course. He has also been working on a migrants coaching programme run by the Italian union.
While Nemer is included in Kieran Crowley's 46-man squad ahead of the World Cup in France later this year, Traore - who won the last of his 16 caps in July 2022 - has not been named.
Former England squad member and Stade Francais player Paolo Odogwu is included, with the former Wasps back, who qualifies to represent Italy via his father, appearing to commit his allegiance to Italy. Warwickshire-born Harlequins lock Dino Lamb is another uncapped inclusion. Monty Ioane, who missed the Six Nations due to club commitments with the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby Pacific, is named in the squad.
Farrell adamant Saracens have always played with adventure in attack
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
Saracens may have broadened their horizons in attack this season but Owen Farrell insists they have always played with greater adventure than given credit for. One victory separates Saracens from a sixth Gallagher Premiership title after they crushed Northampton 38-15 in Saturday's semi-final at StoneX Stadium.
Director of rugby Mark McCall described it as "our strongest defensive performance for years", but it is in their willingness to attack that the club have evolved most significantly. Frustrated by last season's defeat to Leicester in the Premiership final, they resolved to show more ambition for 2022-23 and have flourished as a consequence with only Saints scoring more tries in the regular season.
Farrell has been at the heart of the buccaneering with assistance from Alex Goode and Elliot Daly, but England's captain denies that it is a radical change in direction for Saracens.
"There was always a perception about us before - and at times rightly so - that we were this team that just strangled teams and kicked everything," Farrell said. "But if you look back, in some of the finals we had against Exeter and Clermont, we played rugby.
"People were talking as if we didn't play rugby, as if we just kicked everything and used the driving maul. I don't know how people thought we won games, but we played rugby. We would have patches of it during the season and then go back to fundamentals.
"We were trying to bring more of it out and the bits that we showed in the past before have showed us that we were ready for doing more of it. It felt like we were ready to do it, so that's why we did.
"We've come from a place - and rightly so - that was built on solid foundations: a good kicking game and defence. And attack came off the back of that. That started a long time ago, even before I left school. That served us unbelievably well. I just feel we've been ready for a bigger jump this year. The key thing has been to take that into the bigger games and I'm glad we did that against Northampton."
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