![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0_GettyImages-2266625358.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe latest rugby stories making headlines on Wednesday, March 18.<\/p>\n
Henry Pollock (left)(Image: David Rogers\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
These are your latest rugby headlines on Wednesday, March 18.<\/p>\n
Pollock ‘becoming a liability’<\/p>\n
Sir Clive Woodward has demanded England coach Steve Borthwick sits down Henry Pollock to tell him “some home truths” after his show-boating and costly mistake against France.<\/p>\n
Woodward believes England’s inability to think clearly under pressure is killing any chance they have of reaching their potential, with Pollock a prime example. The England youngster celebrated Tommy Freeman’s late try wildly in Paris, goading the crowd who had booed him throughout.<\/p>\n
However, it all came unstuck soon after as Pollock threw a needless pass to hand possession back to France, who eventually won a penalty that saw them kick three points to take the game and the title in the final act of the match.<\/p>\n
Woodward, although a big fan of Pollock, says he is “becoming a liability”.<\/p>\n
Writing in his Daily Mail column<\/a>, he said: “England have to learn how to handle international rugby\u2019s pressure moments.<\/p>\n “They clearly aren\u2019t focusing enough on how to do this, as was shown by their ill-discipline (nine cards in five games, tying the tournament record) and the way they lost to France at the death. Intriguingly, the exact same thing happened a day later when England\u2019s Under 20s were beaten by France. It\u2019s down to Borthwick to sort this out. I know he knows how.<\/p>\n “For example, I would definitely sit down Henry Pollock for more than a chat. All players have to do their talking on the pitch. Pollock\u2019s baiting of the French crowd would have been fine if he had been on from the start and was delivering a world-class performance. But he hadn’t, and then he threw a silly pass which gave France the ball back, and from it Thomas Ramos\u2019 penalty won them the game.<\/p>\n “He is a brilliant player and I would want the real Pollock in the team, but not the current one who is fast becoming a liability. That has to change and quickly.”<\/p>\n JOIN OUR WALES RUGBY FACEBOOK PAGE <\/strong>Latest news, analysis and much more<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n France launch legal action<\/p>\n The French Rugby Federation (FFR) has filed a lawsuit after being hit by a cyberattack linked to a phishing campaign.<\/p>\n The federation, which has around 350,000 registered members, said on Tuesday that it had responded swiftly to the attack by deploying a series of security measures, including the temporary suspension of certain services and password resets.<\/p>\n While the phishing campaign targeted members, the attack did not directly affect the FFR’s IT systems, with a statement confirming that the federation’s central databases had not been compromised.<\/p>\n \u201cInvestigations are currently under way to determine the number of affected members and the nature of the data potentially involved in the incident,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n The federation also confirmed that it was referring the matter to France\u2019s independent data protection authority and the relevant government services.<\/p>\n In a message to members, the FFR added: “We strongly recommend, starting now, that you exercise the utmost vigilance in the face of any unusual communication (emails, phone calls, SMS) [and] never transmit personal information (usernames, passwords, license numbers, personal data, etc.) by email or telephone.<\/p>\n “The Federation reminds members that it will under no circumstances ask licensees to provide their passwords. [Also] change the passwords of the relevant federal accounts.<\/p>\n “The FFR attaches the greatest importance to the protection of the personal data entrusted to it and continuously implements measures designed to guarantee its security.”<\/p>\n The incident comes after the French football federation was also hit by a cyberattack last year, resulting in the theft of data relating to members.<\/p>\n Scotland ace to bow out on a high<\/p>\n By Anthony Brown, Press Association<\/p>\n Assistant coach Roddy Grant backed Jack Dempsey to bow out of Glasgow on a high after the influential Scotland back-rower\u2019s summer departure was confirmed on Tuesday.<\/p>\n The Australia-born 31-year-old will join Japanese club Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo in a move likely to have implications for his international career. Dempsey arrived at Glasgow from Waratahs in 2021 and has established himself as a key player for both club and country.<\/p>\n \u201cJack\u2019s been great for us,\u201d said Grant. \u201cHe\u2019s a great player. Unfortunately, he\u2019s not (going to be) with us. But it\u2019s pro sport and we wish him all the best.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s still a lot of big rugby to go. He\u2019s been really good for us this season and obviously for Scotland as well, but certainly now we come into this big block of games and he\u2019ll be focused on the real business part of this season.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s really competitive. In the big games, he always plays well. We\u2019ve certainly got a big chunk of big, important games coming up so I\u2019ve got no doubt whatsoever he\u2019ll turn up and deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n When fellow forwards Richie Gray and George Turner moved from Glasgow to Japan in recent seasons, it effectively ruled them out of contention for Scotland due to a clash in schedules. Grant said he had not a chance to speak to Dempsey, who won his 39th Scotland cap in Saturday\u2019s Six Nations<\/a> defeat by Ireland, to find out how his decision might impact his international future.<\/p>\n In a further development, it was announced Scotland prop Jamie Bhatti, who has notched 132 appearances over two spells at Scotstoun, is rejoining Bath in the summer.<\/p>\n \u201cJamie\u2019s played a lot of rugby here,\u201d said Grant. \u201cHe\u2019s been great for Glasgow, he really cares about the club. \u201cHe\u2019s a good man around the squad with a lot of experience. I\u2019ve only worked with him this season, but we wish him all the best.\u201d<\/p>\n It was announced earlier this year influential backs Huw Jones and Adam Hastings would be leaving Glasgow to move to France in the summer, while Tom Jordan was lured to Bristol last summer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a concern, it\u2019s reality,\u201d said Grant when asked about the number of high-calibre exits from the club. \u201cYou won\u2019t be able to keep everyone you\u2019d like to in this market really, compared to these other big teams or leagues. But certainly our retention is great and we\u2019re one of the best teams in the league (URC). But you can\u2019t control things you can\u2019t control. It\u2019s part of pro sport.\u201d<\/p>\n Grant revealed second-row Gregor Brown will \u201cnot be back any time soon\u201d after sustaining a hamstring injury in Scotland\u2019s victory over France. Fellow lock Scott Cummings, who suffered a calf injury in the same match, is likely to return next month.<\/p>\n Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our<\/strong> free daily newsletter here<\/strong><\/a> and our <\/strong>WhatsApp channel here<\/strong><\/a> for all the breaking news.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The latest rugby stories making headlines on Wednesday, March 18. 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