Here are the latest rugby headlines on Tuesday, October 18.
Josh Adams scare
Wales are sweating on the fitness of star winger Josh Adams despite him being named in a 35-man squad ahead of the autumn internationals.
Adams displayed his razor-sharp finishing ability in the win over the Dragons last weekend, scoring the game's opening try, but left the game early in the second half with a hand injury. He looked in a fair amount of pain as he trudged to the sidelines and has been sent for a scan to assess any damage.
Cardiff are expecting the results of that scan in the next 24 hours and if there is serious damage then it would throw his participation in the November Tests into real doubt.
"Josh Adams came off with a bang on his thumb or wrist area," said Cardiff defence coach Richard Hodges. "He has had a scan and we are awaiting the results of that. The scan is to see whether there is anything going on in there and we will wait to see those results which are tonight or tomorrow [Wednesday], I think."
Wales squad named
Dan Biggar has not been included in Wales' 35-man Autumn Nations Series squad amid continued assessment on a knee injury.
Biggar went off during Northampton's Gallagher Premiership victory over Wasps nine days ago, with Saints stating his condition would be reviewed by a specialist ahead of an autumn schedule that Wales kick off against New Zealand on November 5. He is not expected to play any part in the series.
Wayne Pivac's group includes five uncapped players and a recall for full-back Leigh Halfpenny, who has not played Test rugby since he suffered a serious knee injury 15 months ago.
Candidates to take over the captaincy would include former skipper Alun Wyn Jones, plus recalled and fit-again pair Ken Owens and Justin Tipuric.
The uncapped players selected by Pivac are Dragons wing Rio Dyer, Ospreys centre Joe Hawkins, Scarlets half-backs Sam Costelow and Dane Blacker, plus Scarlets flanker Josh MacLeod.
Biggar apart, players unavailable through injury also include full-back Liam William and prop Wyn Jones, in addition to back-row forwards Josh Navidi and Taine Basham. You can read about the full squad here.
French giants make move for Biggar
Biggar may be absent from the Wales squad, but his future is the subject of mounting speculation.
The Rugby Paper report Racing 92 have now moved ahead of Toulon and Pau in a bid to sign him from next season, with Finn Russell set to leave.
The French giants are expected to step up their bid in the coming weeks. It is also being reported by Midi Olympique that Wales strength and conditioning coach Paul Stridgeon has been lined up for a move to Racing after next year's World Cup.
Jones to have surgery
Wales and Scarlets prop Wyn Jones has sustained a knee injury which will restrict him to the sidelines for "some time", Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel has revealed.
Jones, who started the Scarlets' 36-12 win over Zebre on Saturday before coming off after 51 minutes when Peel refreshed his front row, requires surgery after undergoing a scan on Monday.
Ex-Wales and Lions scrum-half Peel said of the 30-year-old forward: "Wyn flagged his knee was sore post-match and came in on Monday not in great shape with his knee. He's had a scan and is going to be out for some time. I think he needs a bit of a clearout of his knee.
"That's disappointing for him, obviously, for us as well. Not much can be done about that, it's one of those situations.
"I don't expect him to be fit over the next couple of weeks, if at all during the autumn break. I don't entirely know if it's going to be a week or two, a couple of weeks or longer."
Scarlets are preparing to head to Galway where they will face Connacht on Friday in the URC (7.35pm kick-off).
Rose banned at World Cup
Wales forward Donna Rose has received a two-week ban after being cited for foul play during the World Cup in New Zealand.
She will miss Wales' final pool game against Australia on Saturday, but her suspension will be halved if she completes World Rugby's coaching intervention programme. That would mean Rose being available for the quarter-finals if Wales progress to the knockout phase.
She was cited for making contact with an opponent in a ruck above the line of the shoulders against New Zealand, World Rugby said. Rose appeared before an independent disciplinary panel, and has a right of appeal.
Wales will be guaranteed a last-eight place by beating Australia, but even if they lose, Ioan Cunningham's team could still qualify as one of two best third-placed sides.
Wasps stars 'bawling their eyes out'
Wasps players were in tears when the news was broken to them they were being made redundant. The entire playing and coaching staff are out of work amid the financial collapse of the club, who have joined Worcester Warriors in administration.
The players were gathered together at a meeting on Tuesday as the financial implosion of one of England's most successful teams came to a head.
Andrew Sheridan, one of the appointed administrators, told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast: “Telling people is always very tough but what really struck me was that it is such a tight-knit family and it was like losing a family member. There were a lot of tears and a lot of men – international rugby players – bawling their eyes out. You could see the emotion. It was pretty tough.”
Rugby bosses will face a parliamentary committee next month to address the game's financial crisis. A total of 167 Wasps staff members lost their jobs on Tuesday. Both Wasps and Worcester have been suspended from the Gallagher Premiership, which now contains just 11 teams.
Officials from the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby are now set to appear before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee next month, to answer questions on the problems facing those clubs and the wider sustainability of the game. A precise date is still to be confirmed.
Read more:
Wayne Pivac Q&A: Why I picked Macleod over Thomas Young and Dyer over Keelan Giles
Wales' autumn rugby squad in full as five uncapped players named and captain Dan Biggar out
Today's rugby news as Wales captain steps away from game 'sad and angry'
Revolutionary new rugby ball to be used in autumn internationals and change fan experience
