These are the latest rugby headlines on Friday, May 12.
Cardiff coach joins URC rivals
Cardiff defence coach Richard Hodges will join United Rugby Championship rivals Zebre in Italy next season, it has been announced. The Welsh region announced in April that Hodges would be taking up an overseas opportunity, and it has now been confirmed as the Parma-based club.
Hodges has spent the last 10 years of his career within Cardiff's professional set-up, first as academy manager and then defence coach, and will now join Zebre head coach Fabio Roselli's backroom staff.
Hodges said: “Zebre have a clear strategy and a clear growth plan. I know how to facilitate this development process and I’m eager to take on this new challenge. It is an opportune moment to join the club: in the squad, there is an exceptional number of young athletes from the U20 system, many strong growth players and several talented and quality foreigners able to raise the standards. I was looking for a new challenge and I found it. There is a lot of work to do, and I can’t wait to get to work together with Fabio, all the staff and the players.”
Zebre sporting director Franco Tonni added: “Richard Hodges knows the (URC) competition inside out and the details useful for facing the critical phases of the season. In the days spent in Parma in the company of him and his young family, we were able to appreciate the amount of enthusiasm, competence and ambition that accompanies him and that he will make available to the club.”
Cardiff director of rugby Dai Young remains suspended following a number of complaints from employees.
Wales star in awe of 'ridiculous' Owen Farrell
Wales centre Nick Tompkins has sung the praises of Saracens teammate Owen Farrell, who he says could walk into a coaching gig right now and be one of the best in the Gallagher Premiership.
The pair start alongside each other on Saturday in Sarries' semi-final with Northampton Saints, with Tompkins at No. 12 outside fly-half Farrell.
After Sarries dramatically lost last year's Premiership final 15-12 to Leicester thanks to Freddie Burns' drop-goal during the dying seconds, 31-year-old Farrell has been central to a revamp at the club this season, with 28-year-old Tompkins insisting the England skipper has the qualities to thrive in the coaching arena now if he so wished.
“He’s phenomenal, honestly he could stop now and be a coach, easily, and he’d be one of the best in the league," Tompkins told the Evening Standard. “His rugby brain is ridiculous. It makes it intimidating just to be playing outside him. Because you’re probably wrong, if you try and say something about rugby. Because he’s probably correct and he knows a lot more than you!
“But he’s just one of the most impressive players I’ve ever worked with, his knowledge and his sheer motivation. His relentlessness, it’s just impressive. He can walk into a coaching gig whenever he wants, to be honest."
Sale boss ready for 'fire and brimstone' from Leicester
By Andrew Baldock, PA Rugby Union Correspondent
Sale Sharks boss Alex Sanderson expects reigning Gallagher Premiership champions Leicester to have "steam coming out of the ears" in Sunday's play-off clash. Sale have not reached English rugby's domestic showpiece final since 2006, when Jason Robinson was captain and fly-half Charlie Hodgson scored 23 points in a 45-20 demolition of the Tigers at Twickenham.
Leicester, though, are regular visitors. In the 17 years since Sale were last there, Tigers can reflect on eight appearances and five title triumphs. But they will arrive at the AJ Bell Stadium as outsiders, having finished 10 points behind Sale during the regular Premiership season and conceding 40 points on their last league trip to Greater Manchester in December.
"I dare say they are going to be frothing at the mouth, steam coming out of the ears, fire and brimstone," Sanderson said. "We've beaten them twice (this season), and I have heard that they want to play us. If someone had beaten me twice, I would want to play them."
Current Leicester head coach Richard Wigglesworth was the Sale scrum-half against Tigers in the 2006 final, and he is now tasked with plotting Sharks' downfall.
"I consider him a good friend," Sanderson added. "There is probably no-one in the Premiership who knows me better or who I know better. What I am going after in his team, he is probably going after in ours."
Sale welcome back the likes of Tom Curry and Nick Schonert, but Leicester wing Chris Ashton, who avoided a ban when he appeared before disciplinary chiefs on Thursday after being sent off last weekend, has not made Tigers' matchday 23, with four changes seeing Freddie Steward, Anthony Watson, Matt Scott and George Martin all starting.
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