Here are the latest rugby headlines on Tuesday, February 28.
Wales kicking game plan defended
Former Wales international Nicky Robinson has defended Wales' tendency to kick in their 20-10 defeat to England at the weekend.
Welsh legend Jonathan 'Jiffy' Davies was among those to bemoan Wales repeatedly kicking the ball to England full-back Freddie Steward, but ex-Cardiff man Robinson has defended the policy and says Wales didn't particularly over-kick.
Robinson, 41, told the Scrum V podcast: "The kicking strategy was fine and actually if you watch it back Wales didn't particularly over-kick. Not many sides run the ball from their own 40 around the halfway line off poor ball.
"The issue is Wales aren't crossing the gainline enough to then go 'we can play'. If you get front-foot ball you can play and I'm sure they'd be happy to do that. But if you go backwards or it's slow ball, you have to kick. The way defence is set up in international rugby, sides do that.
"I thought on occasions we didn't get enough balls back from that. Kicks were maybe a bit too long or we didn't get up and get those balls back. It was pretty simple for Freddie Steward
"The top carriers were actually Leigh Halfpenny and Freddie Steward for both sides, which just shows both sides were quite happy to kick to the opposite full-backs.
"I didn't think the policy was wrong. You ideally want to kick and get the ball back, then you can attack from that. Or when you win those battles at some point, then you attack. Wales had opportunities, they just weren't good enough when we got those balls."
He argued there was not a lot between the opponents in Cardiff, saying: "Both pretty negative, but England did probably what they had to do, coming away from home and saying to Wales 'go on then, if you're going to beat us you're going to have to out-kick us' which they didn't do, 'and you're going to have to create something because our defence is pretty strong', and Wales just couldn't quite do that."
Fans choose Wales' top performers
Taulupe Faletau has been hailed as Wales fans' top performer in the defeat to England, with try-scorer Louis Rees-Zammit and replacement centre Nick Tompkins close behind.
Fans voted in their thousands via a WalesOnline poll since the final whistle on Saturday.
Faletau resumed the No. 8 berth having been on the bench for the round-two defeat to Scotland, he wasted little time reminding all of his worth with a charge-down and then the first of two turnovers, plus some determined carrying.
Rees-Zammit helped hoist Wales into the lead 45 seconds into the second half by intercepting Max Malins’ pass and racing 50-odd metres for a well-taken try, while Tompkins made himself busy when he came onto the park in the second half.
'Players will leave Wales if offered significant pay cuts'
Welsh Rugby Players' Association chair and Dragons wing Ashton Hewitt says he expects players to leave Wales if they are offered significant pay cuts by the regions.
New contracts are set to be on the table this week following a lengthy contracts freeze this season despite the Professional Rugby Board and four regions not having come to an official agreement on a new six-year funding framework for Welsh rugby.
If players are offered new deals, many will be facing a pay cut as salaries are pushed down in Wales. Twelve Cardiff players were last week told that there would only be enough to pay each of them £30,000 going forward.
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Hewitt said: "Yeah, it's something that I've heard, and you know it just goes to show the impact that the mismanagement of the game has had and at the end of the day players have taken the brunt of it.
"I haven't had any conversations at my region of that significant of a cut, but you know the cuts and the reduction in wages are pretty consistent across Wales, not that drastic, from any conversations that I've had. But as players we're all going to have to make sacrifices in that area. It's just a shame that it's got to this stage and that the finances of the game are in the state that they're in."
As for the prospect of players leaving Wales to avoid considerable salary drops, he said: "You'd expect so, because you know the calibre of player that some are getting these offers, based on the reports, you know it's a drastic reduction in pay and it just goes to show the importance of future planning and making sure that players want to remain in Wales and getting the finances sorted so that we can retain those players."
Marler signs new Harlequins contract
England prop Joe Marler has signed a contract extension to remain with Harlequins for an undisclosed length of time.
Marler, 32, joined their academy in 2009 and has made 260 appearances, winning two Premiership titles and the 2011 Challenge Cup along the way.
"I love this club, I love the fans and I love pulling on this jersey," Marler said. "I feel honoured and privileged to have been able to do that for so long and hopefully be able to retire from the game at this wonderful club where it all started for me."
Marler won the last of his 79 England caps against France during last year's Six Nations.
Marcus Smith in danger of being frozen out by England
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
Marcus Smith is in danger of being frozen out for the last two rounds of the Six Nations after his omission from England's latest training squad raised the prospect of George Ford making his comeback. Smith has been left out of a 26-man group that has gathered in Brighton for the second fallow week having begun the tournament as starting fly-half before being limited to brief bench cameos against Italy and Wales.
While head coach Steve Borthwick has played down the significance of his exclusion, the 24-year-old is the only member of the 23 picked for Saturday's victory in Cardiff to be sent back to his club. It places in doubt his involvement against France at Twickenham on Saturday week, but Borthwick insists that Smith would profit from a run-out for Harlequins.
"The decision was that Marcus would benefit from game time at his club and having that match sharpness," Borthwick said. "I'm not picking a squad for France. We're not in Test week, we're in a training camp week.
"George played for his club at the weekend and this is an opportunity for Marcus to go and play. Marcus had very limited game time against Wales (14 seconds) because of the nature of the game, so I thought this was a step forward for him.
"On a weekly basis you're making a decision on what is the right thing for the player this week to be then ready to play for England. For all our players, I'm making those decisions. For some it's to go and get game time, for others it's to be in the training camp here."
Ford could now add to his 81 caps in what would be his first appearance for England since last year's Six Nations and first start since 2021. The 29-year-old had fallen out of favour under Eddie Jones and then injured his Achilles in the 2022 Gallagher Premiership final, after which he left Leicester for Sale. He has only recently made a comeback that totals 151 minutes across three appearances for the Sharks.
England's 26-man training squad — forwards: O Chessum (Leicester), D Cole (Leicester), B Curry (Sale), A Dombrandt (Harlequins), B Earl (Saracens), E Genge (Bristol), J George (Saracens), M Itoje (Saracens), C Lawes (Northampton), L Ludlam (Northampton), D Ribbans (Northampton), K Sinckler (Bristol), M Vunipola (Saracens), J Walker (Harlequins), J Willis (Toulouse).
Backs: H Arundell (London Irish), O Farrell (Saracens), T Freeman (Northampton), G Ford (Sale), O Lawrence (Bath), J May (Gloucester), A Mitchell (Northampton), H Slade (Exeter), F Steward (Leicester), J Van Poortvliet (Leicester), A Watson (Leicester).
Potential of Lions Women's tour 'limitless'
By Andrew Baldock, PA Rugby Union Correspondent
Former England international Shaunagh Brown has hailed the possibility of a British and Irish Lions women's tour joining a sport where the potential is "limitless". Brown believes that findings of a Lions feasibility study have provided "a massive green light" for women's rugby to keep growing on the world stage.
"Why wouldn't we want a Lions tour for women?" Brown told the PA news agency. "In the men's game, it is the ultimate honour. For me, as an elite athlete, you always want more. We have been given this massive green light and there is something to aim for.
"All of the home unions have professional playing contracts, to an extent. What they look like is a different question, but it is the start. Every project has to start somewhere. If and when a Lions women's tour happens, all players have strong potential of being professional. We will be a force to be reckoned with."
Brown feels that a women's tour would need to be a standalone event, rather than in tandem with the men, whose next trip is to Australia in 2025.
Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said: "It is extremely positive that a British and Irish Lions women's tour is possible in the future. While there is much to be considered, we are committed to taking the findings of this feasibility study and working closely with our unions, as well as other stakeholders in the coming months."
France and Ireland to clash in box office start to 2024 Six Nations
France and Ireland are to meet in a box office start to the 2024 Six Nations that will see the world's top two teams collide on February 2. The location for Les Bleus' games has yet to be decided but will not be at the Stade de France because of the venue's use in the Olympic Games that are taking place just a few months later.
For 2022 and 2023 the fixture has been the showpiece of the tournament with Ireland sitting atop the global rankings and France - the current champions - close behind them in second. The 2023 World Cup hosts complete their Six Nations with a home match against England, who once again see their strongest opponents saved for the final two rounds.
Steve Borthwick's men will warm-up for their 8pm showdown with France on March 16 by facing Ireland at Twickenham a week earlier.
"A constant of the Six Nations is the drama, unpredictable storylines and rivalries playing out over five unmissable rounds of fixtures. This is what drives the sheer excitement fans have for this great championship," chief executive Ben Morel said. See the full 2024 Six Nations fixtures here.
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