Here are your rugby evening headlines for Friday December 16.
Dragons star glad he left England for Wales
Dragons centre Max Clark says he is glad to have bucked the trend when it comes to transfers across the Severn Bridge.
At a time when a number of Welsh players could be heading to England, Clark is delighted he went the other way to leave Bath and head to Newport this summer.
Insisting the move has pushed him out of his comfort zone, he seems to be enjoying his time in Wales as he looks to start laying down markers for Test selection.
“Sometimes as a player you want to be playing every week, but if you are honest with yourself, the competition around you can only make you better,” he said before the Dragons' Challenge Cup clash with Pau, which is being broadcast on S4C.
“For me, I really need to take my chances with both hands. Earlier on in my career I had some very good players around me, like Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Joseph, but I’ve also been unlucky with injuries.
“So, it’s an exciting time for me, personally, with the European games and the Welsh derbies coming up. These are the games all the boys want to be involved in. I’ve heard a lot of good things, so I really want to put my best foot forward.
“I’ve made no secrets about my desire to step up into the international set up. But that starts from me playing well for the Dragons and playing as much as I can for the Dragons. Hopefully, from there we can wait and see about that.”
Dragons v Pau in the EPCR Challenge Cup is on S4C on Saturday, 5.15pm. Kick off 5.30pm.
Polly Barnes speaks out over abuse
The wife of referee Wayne Barnes has spoken out over the shocking abuse that has been directed at her by rugby fans in recent weeks.
Describing it as a "a new low", Polly Barnes says that fans threatened to kill her children and burn down her house.
“I’ve seen some things in the last few years, but receiving direct messages from rugby ‘fans’ threatening to kill your kids & burn your house down with your family in it over a few on-field decisions is a new low for me, my family & a plague for our entire game. It must stop now,” wrote Mrs Barnes.
“Now my mates know why I train so hard at karate! (Half a joke; not even funny) It’s not been the best few weeks, but the saddest thing is that that isn’t new. We need to examine how we behave in our sport before we claim to be superior to others.”
Morgan ready for acid test
Uncapped Ospreys No. 8 Morgan Morris is set to face the reigning French rugby player of the year this weekend with plaudits from coach Toby Booth ringing in his ears.
Zach Mercer was named the Top 14’s best player after helping Montpellier to their maiden French championship title. Antoine Dupont and Gregory Alldritt were also on the shortlist, but the multi-skilled No. 8 Mercer took the gong.
Now Morris is poised to face him in the Heineken Champions Cup clash in southern France on Saturday evening.
The hard-working No. 8 from Swansea stood tall in defeat against Leicester last weekend and has rarely failed to deliver for his home region, with Booth identifying him as one of Ospreys’ leading players during his time at the club.
“It’s another opportunity to mark yourself against the best," said Booth. “I know Zach Mercer well from my time at Bath. He’s a very influential player for them and he’s French player of the year. He’s a guy who influences games."
Worcester rescue deal rejected as Wasps secure Championship place
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
Wasps will take their place in the Championship next season after their takeover was approved by the Rugby Football Union, but Worcester will not be joining them unless they find new buyers.
Atlas Worcester Warriors Rugby Club Ltd, the consortium led by the club's former chief executive Jim O'Toole, has seen its bid rejected on the grounds of its refusal to meet the conditions set by the RFU.
The English game's governing body said it will instead work with Worcester's administrator Begbies Traynor to enable alternative bids in the hope of preserving professional rugby at Sixways.
An RFU board meeting on Friday morning ratified the regulatory assessment of the prospective owners, which was undertaken by the 'Club Financial Viability Group'.
Included within this were reviews of financial information, considerations of the bidders and their business plans for the clubs and external background checks in order to understand the level of risk involved.
Wasps and Worcester entered administration earlier in the season, resulting in their expulsion from the Gallagher Premiership.
If approved by the RFU, any new buyers would be able to relaunch the club in the second tier Championship, thereby ensuring their survival as professional entities.
The consortium seeking to buy Wasps, which includes members of Wasps Legends, were given the green light subject to several conditions being met.
These include financial commitments to ensure that the club remains funded, the lodging of a significant bond and the swift payment of rugby creditors.
However, Worcester's buyers said they were unwilling to meet the conditions requested of them, including not disposing of the land around the stadium and swift payment of rugby creditors.
A RFU statement read: "The RFU Board was also not satisfied with the information provided, in particular relating to the financial position of the buyer and their ability to continue to fund the club and to deliver on the business plan provided which included significant development at the Sixways site."
Harlequins postpone 'Big Game' amid rail strikes
Harlequins' annual 'Big Game' at Twickenham has been postponed until next year due to the rail strikes.
Their Gallagher Premiership clash with Bristol on December 27 will now be played at their usual home ground, Twickenham Stoop, while their March 4 fixture against Exeter will be played at the home of English rugby. As such, both Quins and Exeter are unlikely to have front-line England stars available given the clash falls between Round 2 and 3 of the Six Nations.
Harlequins state that, although December 27 has not been designated for industrial action, mainline services into Twickenham station will not operate at all on the event day.
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