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Watkin is set to make his return to action this weekend(Image: Chris Fairweather\/Huw Evans Agency)<\/p>\nThe latest rugby news from Wales and around the worldWatkin is set to make his return to action this weekend(Image: Chris Fairweather\/Huw Evans Agency)<\/p>\n
These are your evening rugby headlines on Monday, December 8.<\/p>\n
Wales star to make long-awaited return<\/p>\n
Wales international Owen Watkin is set to make his long-awaited return from injury this weekend, having spent the last 11 months on the sidelines. The 29-year-old centre hasn’t played since rupturing ligaments in his knee <\/a>during Wales’ 45-0 defeat to France in the Six Nations<\/a> at the end of January, but is now set to return to action for the Ospreys<\/a> as they face Mountauban in the European Challenge Cup on Saturday.<\/p>\n Watkin, who has 43 caps for Wales, was involved in the pre-match warm-up ahead of Mark Jones’ side sealing a 24-21 comeback win against Connacht on Sunday and could now feature in the south of France this weekend.<\/p>\n He could be joined in the matchday squad by No.8 Morgan Morris, who was also part of the warm-up ahead of the Connacht game having been absent for the past eight months due to foot and calf injuries.<\/p>\n Issuing an injury update on the duo, head coach Jones said: “Owen is progressing really well, both him and Morgan Morris were in the warm-up and they will be around some conversations on selection over the next few weeks.<\/p>\n “That’s exciting for us, it’s good for them and good for Welsh rugby in general to get those boys out there. Owen is an international player and Morgan is an international-quality player in my eyes who just needs an opportunity.”<\/p>\n Watkin’s return will also be welcomed by Wales coach Steve Tandy, particularly with centre Max Llewellyn emerging as a doubt for the Six Nations after leaving Gloucester’s win over Castres on crutches at the weekend.<\/p>\n England stars unhappy with Etzebeth ban<\/p>\n Former England international Ben Youngs has criticised the suspension handed down to South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth for his eye gouge on Alex Mann, insisting that a firmer statement needs to be made by the game’s governing body.<\/p>\n Last week, it was confirmed that Etzebeth had been banned from rugby for 12 weeks, having clashed with Mann in the final moments of the Springboks’ 73-0 mauling of Wales in Cardiff<\/a> at the end of last month.<\/p>\n A disciplinary panel had initially agreed a mid-range entry point of 18 weeks was an appropriate sanction, but factors such as Etzebeth’s previous disciplinary record were then applied in mitigation, with the ban reduced to 12 weeks.<\/p>\n While it means that the veteran lock won’t be allowed to play rugby again until the end of March, Youngs has expressed his frustration over the sanction handed out, arguing that Etzebeth’s previous record should not be factored into what was determined to be an intentional act.<\/p>\n Discussing the incident on For The Love Of Rugby<\/a> podcast, the former scrum-half told co-host Dan Cole: “When you look at it as a whole, I\u2019d say 18 weeks sounds about right. You make contact with someone\u2019s eye and they have basically said that it was intentional; it has to be 18 or more. It does.<\/p>\n \u201cThe big issue here, or certainly where people\u2019s frustration is, is the fact the mitigating factors include previous records that then reduce it down to 12. That shouldn\u2019t count in this case.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have gouged someone in the eye; 18 weeks sounds about right. That is a hefty ban for something you should never ever do on a rugby field. 18 weeks seems okay. Most people would go, \u201818 weeks, yeah, about appropriate\u2019. But to reduce it down to 12, that shouldn\u2019t be reduced because of previous.<\/p>\n Youngs added: \u201cIf you make a high tackle or maybe do a spear tackle and you sort of slip, then I get there is mitigating factors in terms of have they got a clean record previously, how many tackles have they made in their whole career and only have had X-amount of bans?<\/p>\n \u201cWith something like an eye-gouge, you can\u2019t mess around with a thing like that. For it to be reduced on previous records, I don\u2019t agree with that part. For a lot of people, 18 weeks, they would have gone, \u2018Yeah, about right\u2019.<\/p>\n “You have identified it is intentional \u2013 well then there is no mitigation in terms of what you have done previously. You have done that intentionally, so yeah, 18 weeks, I would have gone \u2018That sounds about right\u2019. Twelve weeks? That is short of what it should be.\u201d<\/p>\n Agreeing, former England prop Cole added: \u201cIf it was reckless and got reduced down, fair enough, but because it was deemed intentional, to then reduce it down on previous, not just in this case but in general, as soon as it is deemed intentional it should just stay as the ban.\u201d<\/p>\n Legend sets sights on new challenge<\/p>\n By Press Association Sport Staff<\/p>\n Kevin Sinfield has set his sights on the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford as the finishing line for next year\u2019s fundraising challenge for motor neurone disease charities.<\/p>\n Rugby league<\/a> great Sinfield declared \u201cmission accomplished\u201d after completing the final leg of of his 7 in 7: Together venture when arriving at Headingley Stadium on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n Over the past seven days the former Leeds and England captain has run seven ultramarathons \u2013 around 185 miles in total \u2013 to raise an additional \u00a31.15million for MND treatment and research.<\/p>\n It was Sinfield\u2019s sixth endurance challenge, having been inspired by his former Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow, who died in 2024 after living with MND for four and a half years.<\/p>\n He has now raised over \u00a311m since Burrow was diagnosed with the muscle wasting condition in 2019 and the 45-year-old is planning a poignant end to challenge seven, which was Burrow\u2019s shirt number.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first thing I did when I got on the coach last Sunday when we were on our journey down to Ipswich was to speak to Tristan, who plans our routes, to say to him, \u2018next year this is what I want it to look like\u2019,\u201d Sinfield told BBC<\/a> Breakfast. \u201cCan you start to work out distance over seven days and what that looks like \u2013 so that\u2019s pretty much planned.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to go a little bit earlier and the plan is to finish at the Super League Grand Final, which will be on October 3, and almost finish back where we started.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first challenge was in the north, in Leeds and Oldham where I\u2019m from, but to bring it back to Rob and back to rugby league heartland\u2026 hopefully we\u2019ll run right across the M62 and back to Old Trafford.<\/p>\n \u201cThe great thing is the momentum is getting stronger and better. We didn\u2019t know how much fuel it would have left but someone\u2019s thrown a couple of extra pieces of coal on there so we\u2019re looking forward to next year.\u201d<\/p>\n Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. 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