{"id":693568,"date":"2026-01-13T17:22:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T17:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/693568\/"},"modified":"2026-01-13T17:22:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T17:22:12","slug":"lions-set-to-face-france-and-welsh-star-agrees-english-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/693568\/","title":{"rendered":"Lions set to face France and Welsh star agrees English deal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The latest rugby news from Wales and<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_JS376908576.jpg\" loading=\"eager\"  \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Maro Itoje, the British &amp; Irish Lions captain, celebrates with team-mate Jac Morgan\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Maro Itoje, the British &amp; Irish Lions captain, celebrates with team-mate Jac Morgan(Image: David Rogers\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">These are your headlines on the evening of Tuesday, January 13<\/p>\n<p>Lions to face France<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Reports in the French media state the British &amp; Irish Lions will face off against France for only the second time in their history in 2029.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The tourists traditionally play a warm-up match on home soil before heading to the southern hemisphere &#8211; they will tour New Zealand in three years&#8217; time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But before they go, Midi Olympique report that the French Rugby Federation has given the green light to hold a match against the Lions in Europe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The only and only time the two sides have faced other in 1989 ended in a Lions win 29-29 at the Parc des Princes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A clash against Les Bleus has long been rumoured and will surely generate a great deal of interest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Other warm-up games for the 2029 tour could also take place in America, ahead of the World Cup there in 2031.<\/p>\n<p>Carre agrees new deal<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Saracens have agreed a new deal with Wales star Rhys Carre, it has been reported..<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/sport\/rugby\/rugby-news\/jiffy-offers-help-wru-wales-33206038?utm_source=whatsapp&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=communities\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Reports emerged over the weekend<\/a> that Carre was &#8220;locked in talks&#8221; with the London club, with his contract up at the end of the season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/sport\/rugby\/rugby-news\/wales-star-set-reject-french-33071675\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">WalesOnline reported last month<\/a> that Carre had turned down interest from French Top 14 clubs in favour of staying with Sarries, and that has now come to pass, according to <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/rugbyunion\/article-15456771\/PREM-Rugby-transfers-news-Springbok-Gloucester-Saracens-Georgia-England.html\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">MailOnline<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Carre, who was recalled to Steve Tandy&#8217;s Wales squad last autumn after being in the international wilderness under <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/all-about\/warren-gatland\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Warren Gatland<\/a>, had been a target for Mike Tindall&#8217;s rebel league R360, which was due to launch later this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">That has now been delayed until 2028, prompting many players to rethink their future plans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The former <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/all-about\/cardiff\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Cardiff<\/a> prop looks likely to be named in Tandy&#8217;s upcoming <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/all-about\/six-nations\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Six Nations<\/a> squad when it is announced next week.<\/p>\n<p>Skivington set to get help<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake&#8217;s new club Gloucester looks set for a shake-up at management level.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Director of rugby George Skivington has been under pressure at Kingsholm after a poor first half of the domestic season. The Cherry &amp; White sit ninth after nine games, four points above bottom club Newcastle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/rugbyunion\/article-15456771\/PREM-Rugby-transfers-news-Springbok-Gloucester-Saracens-Georgia-England.html\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">MailOnline report<\/a> the club are looking at &#8220;management restructure&#8221; to ease the burden on Skivington, with Richard Cockerill and Bath\u2019s head of recruitment Rob Burgess named as potential candidates to help out in the West Country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Morgan and Lake will head over the border for next season, <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walesonline.co.uk\/sport\/rugby\/rugby-news\/coach-says-jac-morgan-dewi-33180596\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">with Skivington holding &#8220;very honest&#8221; conversations<\/a> with them both before they penned deals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;These aren&#8217;t stupid people who are signing for the club, like they&#8217;re proper people who want to do something,&#8221; <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/articles\/cn8jxzkmg1yo\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">said Skivington<\/a>, who will also welcome former England scrum-half Dan Robson as a replacement for Saracens-bound Tomos Williams ahead of next season. &#8220;I&#8217;ll be very honest about what&#8217;s going on this season, where we are, but also map out the plan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;So when you sit with these guys [signings] and go, look, here&#8217;s the reality, we&#8217;re not going to fluff it up for you, but this is the squad that we have next year, this is the talent within in it &#8211; a lot of that is not on the field right now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;You just be honest about it and explain where we want to take the club and where we see the shortfalls of the club.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The latest rugby news from Wales and Maro Itoje, the British &amp; Irish Lions captain, celebrates with team-mate&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":693569,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4102],"tags":[4151,79,16,15,14260],"class_list":{"0":"post-693568","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-rugby","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-wales-rugby-team"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115888950089419531","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=693568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693568\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/693569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=693568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=693568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=693568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}