11:34 AM BST Alun Wyn Jones returns to Wales’ starting line-up as captain against Ireland on Saturday, when the two teams contest their final Rugby World Cup warm-up Test. The 33-year-old will join Jake Ball in the second row with Aaron Wainwright, Justin Tipuric and Ross Moriarty forming the back row. Elliot Dee, Wyn Jones
Rugby
7:59 AM BST Eddie Jones has named an experimental side for England’s final Rugby World Cup warm-up Test, which comes against Italy Friday at St James’ Park. The head coach’s “mix and match” selection strategy sees Joe Marchant start at outside centre with Piers Francis at inside centre, while captain Owen Farrell plays at fly-half.
Edinburgh Rugby hooker Stuart McInally will captain Scotland at the World Cup in Japan this month after being chosen ahead of John Barclay and Greig Laidlaw by head coach Gregor Townsend Tuesday. Centres Huw Jones and Rory Hutchinson missed out along with forwards Josh Strauss, Matt Fagerson and Magnus Bradbury in the 31-man squad for
10:26 AM BST South Africa named a strong side Tuesday for their final World Cup warm-up match against hosts Japan, with head coach Rassie Erasmus viewing Friday’s contest as the perfect preparation for their tournament opener against New Zealand. Erasmus made wholesale changes to the squad from the victory over Argentina last month with captain
2:22 PM BST Ireland lock Devin Toner was the surprise omission from Joe Schmidt’s 31-man World Cup squad Monday, as Jean Kleyn edged out the experienced Leinster man less than a month after making his international debut. A near ever-present throughout Schmidt’s six years in charge with 67 caps, Toner’s lineout abilities were sacrificed for
7:10 AM BST Australia prop Sekope Kepu said on Monday he will retire from international rugby after the World Cup in Japan, bringing the curtain down on a Wallabies career that has brought him more than 100 test caps. Kepu became just the ninth Australian test centurion when he played world champions New Zealand in
12:33 AM BST Sonny Bill Williams believes he has the fitness and improved maturity to play a pivotal role in New Zealand’s hunt for a fourth Rugby World Cup triumph. The star midfielder will be the oldest member of the All Blacks squad in Japan at 34 and is in line to claim an unprecedented
2:10 PM BST Wales’ head coach Warren Gatland has announced his squad for the Rugby World Cup, with a number of surprise calls having been made. Cory Hill was included despite fears that he may miss the opening two games of the tournament due to injury, while Rob Evans and Samson Lee missed out. Rhys
11:49 AM BST South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth has denied any wrongdoing after an alleged racial assault at a bar last weekend as he met with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) following a complaint by a member of the public. Local media reports say a man was allegedly racially and physically abused in
11:41 AM BST Springboks winger Aphiwe Dyantyi faces a four-year ban from rugby after his ‘B’ sample tested positive for prohibited anabolic steroids, South Africa’s anti-doping body has said. Dyantyi had tested positive for metandienone, methyltestosterone and LGD-4033 on July 2 and asked to have his ‘B’ sample analysed, the South African Institute for Drug-Free