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Louis Rees-Zammit last played for Wales at the 2023 World Cup but is expected to be named in the Wales squad today(Image: (Photo by Alex Livesey\/Getty Images))<\/p>\nThe latest rugby news from around the world on Tuesday, October 21.<\/p>\n
07:37, 21 Oct 2025Updated 08:55, 21 Oct 2025<\/p>\n
Louis Rees-Zammit last played for Wales at the 2023 World Cup but is expected to be named in the Wales squad today(Image: (Photo by Alex Livesey\/Getty Images))<\/p>\n
These are your morning headlines on Tuesday, October 21.<\/p>\n
Tandy to name Wales squad<\/p>\n
Steve Tandy names his first Wales squad today as he announces his picks for the autumn internationals.<\/p>\n
The Wales coach is expected to turn to some new faces, as well as recall some players who fell out of favour with previous permanent coach Warren Gatland<\/a>. The likes of Ross Moriarty and Callum Sheedy have been pushing hard to resurrect their international careers, while 19-year-old winger Tom Bowen could be the headline selection after his stunning start to the season.<\/p>\n He has five tries already, and former Wales star James Hook believes his time has come. “I don’t buy this argument that you have to ease young players in. He’s 19, George North was only 18. I think Wales, more than ever, need some excitement to get up for and Tom Bowen has been brilliant.”<\/p>\n Young Ospreys<\/a> back rower Morgan Morse is also pushing strongly for a first call-up.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, we should see the return to the Wales fold of Louis Rees-Zammit<\/a>, who is expected to be named despite suffering a foot injury playing for Bristol a couple of weeks ago. That issue is not expected to rule him out of the autumn, with Wales’ first match on November 9 against Argentina.<\/p>\n You can follow the Wales autumn squad announcement live here.<\/a><\/p>\n England star won’t be picked again<\/p>\n England head coach Steve Borthwick won’t be picking Tom Willis again this season despite his \u00a3160,000 enhanced Elite Player Squad contract.<\/p>\n The No 8 is heading to France next season, having signed for Bordeaux Begles. In the meantime, he remains eligible for international duty but the 26-year-old has been left out of Borthwick’s autumn squad.<\/p>\n Instead, he will look to those who are available for the 2027 Rugby World Cup<\/a>. Willis, meanwhile, will still receive his \u00a3160,000.<\/p>\n \u201cTom told me his decision late last week, gave me a call and talked about some of the reasons [why] he made the decision he has made to play in the future overseas,” Borthwick revealed<\/a>. “That was a private conversation so I am not going into those reasons but he knows how highly I rate him as a player and a person and I wished him well.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he also understands why I have decided all the time we have should be invested in players who are going to be at the World Cup in two years\u2019 time. We are aiming to win a World Cup for England, we want to win now and we want to win that World Cup in two years\u2019 time.<\/p>\n \u201cTom is not going to be part of that World Cup, given the decision he has made and he understands that, he understands the decision I made. He thought long and hard and found it a very tough decision to make so I wished him well. I think he\u2019s a wonderful rugby player and a great bloke.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve talked about the importance of the number of times a team gets to play together, and the situation with England that the players are spread over a number of clubs. A handful of nations have that. Other nations have just a few clubs that they come from. The time we have together is crucial.<\/p>\n \u201cI have talked to you about the number of Test matches we have between now and the World Cup. I want us to win the World Cup but I also want us to win now. I am not trying to make a differentiation. The decision has to be that we invest in players who will be in the team for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Willis’ unavailability could well see Henry Pollock become an option at No 8.<\/p>\n Smith branded ‘utterly ridiculous’<\/p>\n Wales international Nicky Smith has been described as “utterly ridiculous” for his display in Leicester Tigers’ dramatic win over Bath at the weekend.<\/p>\n Smith was on the scoresheet for the Tigers and he enjoyed a right old battle with opposite number Will Stuart at Welford Road. The game was decided by the final kick, with replacement fly-half Billy Searle earning the home team a 22-20 victory.<\/p>\n Smith’s performance has seen him included in Planet Rugby’s team of the week<\/a>.<\/p>\n They wrote: “Ethan Burger was so close to working his way into this team after a tasty outing for the Chiefs, but Wales international Smith was utterly ridiculous at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Saturday. He simply tore through Will Stuart in the scrum, pushing the Lions Test star back at a rate of knots we haven\u2019t seen for some time, and he grabbed a nice try for his efforts too.”<\/p>\n Harmony in Ireland camp despite divide<\/p>\n By PA Sport Staff<\/p>\n There is \u201cgreat harmony\u201d in the Ireland camp despite a fractious clash between Leinster and Munster at the weekend, according to assistant coach John Fogarty.<\/p>\n Leinster have dominated the rivalry but Munster won Saturday\u2019s United Rugby Championship encounter, which featured several bouts of pushing and shoving and multiple injuries, 31-14.<\/p>\n Speaking at a press conference in Dublin, Fogarty said: \u201cThere was a good laugh among the players. The Leinster players will be disappointed, I\u2019m sure.<\/p>\n \u201cYou come into Irish camp, you start to get your head around the fixtures. (Head coach) Andy (Farrell) had a chat this morning, the page has turned unbelievably fast.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a great harmony among the players in camp. They\u2019re good friends, they\u2019re good mates and you don\u2019t want to lose to your friends. That rivalry is alive and well, and long may it continue.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good for Irish rugby. All the provinces are performing well. There is no issue here with us, we\u2019re excited to get into a green jersey, get on a plane tomorrow and start to dream big about this November and whatever\u2019s after that.\u201d<\/p>\n The contest proved costly for Munster pair Edwin Edogbo (concussion) and Brian Gleeson (elbow), who have both been ruled out of the trip to face New Zealand in Chicago on November 1.<\/p>\n Farrell has, though, added uncapped Munster centre Tom Farrell and Leinster back Jimmy O\u2019Brien to his squad for the All Blacks encounter and Quilter Nations Series.<\/p>\n Connacht wing Mack Hansen has also been ruled out after suffering an aggravation to a foot injury late in Connacht\u2019s loss to the Bulls.<\/p>\n Bundee Aki (hip) and Robbie Henshaw (groin) will travel to Illinois with the squad on Tuesday but will continue to be assessed.<\/p>\n The Chicago encounter is a rematch of Ireland\u2019s historic 2016 meeting with New Zealand in the same city where they recorded a first victory over the All Blacks after 111 years of trying.<\/p>\n Fogarty said of Hansen: \u201cHe\u2019ll be very disappointed. It\u2019s a huge November and a huge opportunity to play against the best in the world so any player that\u2019s not going to make it is going to be disappointed. And so are we, we think he\u2019s a world-class player.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s exciting, the guys coming in, Tom Farrell and Jimmy. I\u2019m taking some credit for Tom, I coached him at Under-20s with Leinster. I told him I was trying to get him in for a long time now so I\u2019m glad he\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n Scarlets announce friendly<\/p>\n Scarlets<\/a> will travel to south west London for a friendly against Harlequins in November.<\/p>\n The match at The Stoop will take place on Friday, November 21 with a 7.45pm kick-off confirmed. The game has been arranged to give injured players game-time in order to get up to speed during the autumn internationals.<\/p>\n At present Dwayne Peel\u2019s injury list is lengthy.<\/p>\n Ahead of the defeat to Lions at the weekend, Max Douglas, Tristan Davies, Tom Rogers, Jake Ball, Josh Macleod, Sam Lousi, Kemsley Mathias, Ryan Elias, Eddie James, Jac Price, Osian Williams, Will Evans and Dom Kossuth were all unavailable for the west Walians.<\/p>\n * Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. 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