The latest rugby news stories from Wales and beyond
Morgan Morse of Wales(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
Here are the latest rugby headlines on Friday, May 16.
Morgan Morse in line for Wales call
Ospreys youngster Morgan Morse has been told his time has finally come to step up into the Wales senior squad.
The 20-year-old number eight has long been identified as having a serious future at the top end of the game after standing out at Wales Under 20s level despite being first picked when he was just a 17-year-old schoolboy. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
He has since left the under-20s programme behind despite being eligible and has shone for the Ospreys this season, including some huge moments that have raised his profile even further.
Morse is now in line for a first senior call-up against Japan this summer, with BBC Scrum V pundit and WRU board member Jamie Roberts telling him his time has come.
Roberts said on the latest Scrum V episode: “I think it’s his time. If you look at Taulupe Faletau’s age, we really need to search for the next number 8 incumbent. I’m not writing Taulupe off at all but if we fast forward to 2027 and what we need at that World Cup to peak, someone like Morgan Morse we should be giving 15 to 20 caps before then.
“He has got all the tools. He’s done the under 20s, he’s already graduated to regional rugby and shone there.
“This is the perfect opportunity to get him involved. This tour has to be about winning, it can’t be a development tour, especially with only two players away with the Lions, so the need to play their strongest side but they also need to keep an eye on the future with a sprinkle of the next generation. I think Morgan Morse is key to that.”
Williams out of tour but not finished yet
Liam Williams will miss Wales’ summer tour of Japan but says he still has a lot to give as he hopes to find a new club.
The 34-year-old is still recovering from the knee injury he suffered in the opening match of the Six Nations and has seen his time at English club Saracens ended prematurely. He is now keen to carry on playing for another couple of seasons and has ambitions to get into coaching.
Williams is seven caps short of his Wales century and hopes to be able to reach that milestone, even if July’s two-Test tour of Japan has come too soon for him.
“I think I’ve still got some more left in the tank,” he told the BBC.
“The knee feels good and my aim is just to get fit and back on the pitch with a new club.
“I understand I’m not going to play 30 games a season at my age, but I am more than willing to go into the trenches with the boys for a couple more seasons.
“The first thing is for me is to play and then maybe help some of the younger guys through, whether it be on the pitch or with off the pitch stuff,” he said.
“Something I am looking at for the future is coaching or doing some consultancy work, especially with players in the back three.
“I’d like to get to the 100-cap milestone but the first thing is to get fit and back on the field.”
As for what comes next, Williams says it would be nice to get a spot with one of the Welsh regions but is open to anything.
“We’re pretty open-minded,” he added.
“Obviously it’d be nice to stay in Wales and help some of the youngsters through, whether that be in the national squad or our regions.
“We don’t really have a preference, so we will just see what happens and if any clubs are keen.”
Wales star faces new injury frustration
Wales international Max Llewellyn faces fresh injury frustration with his return to action for Gloucester pushed back again. The powerful centre suffered a hamstring injury at the end of March after coming back from Six Nations duty, but it was hoped he would return to action for the Gallagher Premiership side a few games before the end of the season, as he entered the final stages of the rehabilitation process.
However, with the Cherry & Whites preparing for the penultimate game of their league campaign against Newcastle on Friday, Llewellyn still isn’t available for selection with his recovery continuing to take longer than first anticipated.
While it is expected that Llewellyn will be back to full fitness by the time Wales depart for their tour of Japan in July, he could well have played his last game of the season for Gloucester in what head coach George Skivington admitted was a “frustration” for his team.
Issuing an update on Llewellyn’s fitness, he said: “It’s a bit of a frustration for us, but he won’t be available this week either. That’s a bit slower than we’d hoped.”
It comes after Skivington admitted last week that the Welshman’s recovery had stalled, having initially hoped his player would be back and available for their clash with Harlequins.
“Max is doing his rehab bits, I’m not sure if he’s going to be available this week at the moment,” the coach said ahead of their 38-19 defeat. “I’m not as confident as I was anyway”.
Major English rugby change as relegation play-off announced
By Rebecca Johnson, PA
A six-team promotion play-off for the right to play in the top flight will take place in the newly-rebranded Champ Rugby league from next season.
The second tier of English rugby will be known as Champ Rugby from the 2025/26 season and will consist of 14 teams, including the 12 current Championship sides, along with Richmond, who have been promoted from National League One, and Worcester.
Teams will play each other home and away over 26 rounds of the regular season.
Clubs who finish in the top six will qualify for the play-offs, starting with quarter-finals between the third to sixth-placed teams followed by semis for the winners of those against the top two ranked sides.
The winner of the final will be crowned Champ Rugby champion and will face the bottom team in the Gallagher Premiership in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off. The winner will play in the top flight the following season, subject to meeting the minimum standards criteria.
Tier 2 board chair Simon Gillham said in a statement: “We are excited to announce the structure of Champ Rugby, which will bring a highly-competitive and gripping conclusion to the season, providing both aspiration and jeopardy.
“We have worked closely with the clubs and stakeholders on developing a compelling league format that rewards ambition and plays a key role in growing the sport, supporting both player and club development.”
Despite finishing top of the Championship this season, Ealing Trailfinders were denied a shot at promotion after not meeting the minimum standards, but Gillham suggested the criteria could be revisited in future.
He told reporters at an online briefing: “There still will be minimum operating standards.
“Without telling tales out of turn, we’ve had discussions and an oral commitment that we will be revisiting those minimum operating standards for next year, because, quite frankly, the way things happened this year was not satisfactory as far as Tier 2 was concerned. We definitely need to revisit that.”
When asked what could be done to help bridge the gap in funding between the Premiership and Champ Rugby, Gillham added: “That’s something we’re discussing right now.
“We’ve started exchanges with the RFU (Rugby Football Union) and Premiership. It’s absolutely right that the current gap in funding makes it difficult for someone who goes up then to stay up.
“The way it’s structured at the moment means it’s a problem, but things can be renegotiated and we very much will continue to push forward the idea for a strengthened Championship. That means funding as well.
“I think one of the first things we’ve got to do as a Championship, and what we’re doing now, is to make our claim stronger, get all the clubs together and work as a collective.”
Edinburgh plan to ruin Welsh play-off hopes
By Gavin McCafferty, PA
Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt hopes momentum and a sell-out home crowd can help drive them into the United Rugby Championship play-offs.
Edinburgh sit in 10th place in the URC table ahead of their final league match against Ulster at the Hive Stadium on Friday night.
They need to jump two places to secure a quarter-final spot and Champions Cup rugby but are four points behind Scarlets and just two behind each of Benetton, Munster and Cardiff, with their four rivals for the top eight all facing different opponents.
Everitt said: “Last weekend’s gritty victory in Galway was a testament to the resilience and character within this squad and it provides us with real momentum as we head into tomorrow night’s match against Ulster.
“The passion and energy of our supporters at Hive Stadium have been incredible, and that atmosphere will be absolutely crucial in driving us forward once again. To be playing in front of third consecutive sell-out crowd will be simply amazing – it underscores the connection we have with our city.
“We know we are playing for Edinburgh, for our supporters, and we are determined to deliver a performance they can be proud of.”
Edinburgh welcome back winger Harry Paterson after concussion and Scotland centre James Lang has brushed off the injury that forced him out of the victory over Connacht. He replaces Mosese Tuipulotu, who misses out with a knee injury.
Long-serving pair Jamie Ritchie and Mark Bennett return to the matchday 23 for what could be their final home appearance.