Here are the latest rugby evening headlines on Friday, July 1.
Biggar: 'Our youngsters have no fear'
Wales captain Dan Biggar believes his team's younger faces have no fear about facing the Springboks, but he readily admits that Saturday's first Test assignment against world champions South Africa at altitude in Pretoria is "about as tough as it gets".
Nonetheless, Biggar is upbeat about Wales' prospects across a three-match series, which begins at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld. Wales have never beaten the Springboks in South Africa, losing 10 previous encounters and conceding a total of more than 400 points. They also tackle Siya Kolisi's team on the back of a dismal home defeat against Italy which consigned them to a fifth-place Six Nations finish.
Biggar is at the helm of a team which shows eight changes from the Italy debacle, with the likes of full-back Liam Williams, centre George North and lock Will Rowlands all returning, while Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell makes his Test debut. For a number of others, too, it will be a first Springboks experience away from home.
"Obviously, a few of us were here last year when it was very different in terms of being stuck in a hotel for 23 hours of the day and an hour out for training. It was really tough work," he said of the Lions tour.
"When you have got young guys who perhaps haven't experienced what it is like to play against this side, you have nothing to compare it to and you have no fear because you haven't faced it, and I think that is a really good thing for us as a squad.
"There are a lot of boys who haven't experienced it and are just chomping at the bit to go out and get stuck into what is a world-class XV that the Springboks have named."
But there is also the realisation that Wales face an uphill battle. "We know the challenge that lies ahead," Biggar said. "It's probably up there with the biggest challenges in world rugby, playing the world champions, the number one-ranked team in their own backyard at altitude in front of 50,000 Springboks supporters."
Cardiff flanker's spell with English champions ends
Cardiff flanker Olly Robinson’s loan spell with Leicester has come to an end and he will be returning to the Arms Park for next season. The 30-year-old openside made seven appearances for the Tigers after linking up with them in January.
He is still contracted to Cardiff for another year. It remains to be seen whether a further loan deal at another club might come to fruition.
Robinson, the son of former England and Scotland coach Andy, has made 80 appearances for the Welsh region since joining from Bristol in 2017. He was named man of the match in the 2018 Challenge Cup final victory over Gloucester in Bilbao.
But he only had the one outing for Cardiff last season, in December’s Champions Cup clash with Toulouse when a host of players were in hotel isolation following the Covid-hit trip to South Africa.
There will be stiff competition in the back row next term, with Taulupe Faletau and Thomas Young coming on board to join the likes of Josh Navidi, James Botham, Ellis Jenkins, James Ratti, Josh Turnbull and Shane Lewis-Hughes, so Robinson’s opportunities could be limited making another loan deal a possibility.
Courtney Lawes says challenging Eddie led to captaincy
Courtney Lawes believes his willingness to challenge Eddie Jones convinced England's head coach that he should be appointed captain for the series against Australia.
Lawes will lead the tourists into Saturday's first Test in Perth after retaining the role he performed during Owen Farrell's injury-enforced absence in the autumn and Six Nations. Even with Farrell restored at inside centre having overcome his ankle issues, Jones has kept faith with the 33-year-old lock whose calm and thoughtful manner have stood out throughout a period of transition.
As a self-confessed "old geezer", Lawes insists he is comfortable pushing back against Jones if it is in the best interests of the team.
"Eddie wants to challenge himself. If I'm honest, I'm probably skipper because I think differently to him and I'm willing to challenge him as a leader. I think that's why he's kept me on," Lawes said.
"I'm a old geezer now and don't mind saying what's on my mind. I think he liked that approach. I'm more than willing to essentially get a feel of what the team needs. The coaches will have a feeling for what the team needs and then we'll come to a compromise from there, instead of it all being one way in terms of we just do what the coaches say. I've made a lot of the lads comfortable around the team and that's the team environment we want."
'Massive chance for Ireland in New Zealand'
Hooker Dan Sheehan expects New Zealand to be out for revenge but believes Ireland's players have a "massive opportunity" to cement places in the history books.
The All Blacks will run out at a sold-out Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday having had plenty of time to stew on successive defeats suffered last autumn, including a 29-20 loss in Dublin.
Andy Farrell's in-form tourists go into the three-match series on the back of being beaten just once in 13 Tests during the past 17 months. Yet the Irish have never tasted victory against their hosts on New Zealand soil and are set to play at a stadium in which the All Blacks hold a 46-match unbeaten record stretching back to 1994.
"We've been thinking about this game all year, especially after the autumn game," said Sheehan. "We're expecting a reaction and we're ready for whatever comes. I'm sure they want to get a bit of revenge on us for winning over in the Aviva. But our motivation is at top level as well. It's a massive opportunity for an Irish team to come over and win on New Zealand soil for the first time."
New Zealand have not played since losing to France in Paris, a week after their humbling at the Aviva Stadium.
Read next:
- South Africa v Wales exact scoreline predicted as prop needs 'game of his life'
- To comprehend the size of the challenge facing Wales in South Africa, you must first understand what the Springboks stand for
- The verdict on the shock Wales team to face South Africa as warrior returns and giants benched
- 'World-class' Wales giant emerges amid heroic late intervention
- 'He has a massive heart!' Springboks stars pick the Wales players they really rate
- Wayne Pivac reveals he hasn't slept properly for three months after what happened
- Wales team news v South Africa as George North and Dan Lydiate return with Tomas Francis left on the bench
