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Wales Online
4 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Wales coach explains why rising Welsh talent has been completely overlooked this summer
Wales coach explains why rising Welsh talent has been completely overlooked this summer He is one of the best prospects in British rugby but won't be in action this summer Morgan Morse in action for the Ospreys (Image: Getty Images ) Wales U20s boss Richard Whiffin believes rising Ospreys star Morgan Morse will come back stronger after his shock omission from the summer tour to Japan. Morse is one of the brightest backrow prospects in the British game, with many pundits expecting the Ospreys backrower to tour with Wales this summer. The 20-year-old also remains eligible to represent Wales U20s in the U20s World Cup later this month but instead will get the summer off. "In terms of Morgan, he is being looked after," said Whiffin. "He was in the selection mix for the senior squad and Matt Sherratt has gone down the route of picking incredible experience in terms of Taulupe Faletau and Aaron Wainwright with more than 150 caps. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "In terms of the Welsh Rugby Union and Ospreys' point of view, we had the conversation last year in terms of that being his last Under-20s World Cup. "It was his third and he was already competing well in terms of URC. We had committed to that plan. Article continues below "He will probably be at home frustrated, but he will come back rip-roaring." Morse is a sensational talent with huge potential and it is only a matter of time before he breaks into the senior national squad. The powerful backrower scored a long-range try from deep inside his own half for the Ospreys against Cardiff on New Year's Day 2024. He is an explosive carrier who rarely fails to get over the gainline, is outstanding at the breakdown and has a number of big moments in games. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free And Whiffin expects Morse to take the season by storm for the Ospreys in 2025/26. "He will have a pre-season under his belt, which he has not had for the last three years, because he has been with us," said Whiffin. Article continues below "Everybody's development is different and he was an early developer. "He is the most capped Wales Under-20s player and certainly done his bit. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. "He will benefit from having a good rest period and pre-season with Ospreys and will push his international case even further next season."
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Lions call up new player in fresh squad update as star flies to Dublin amid injury scare
Lions call up new player in fresh squad update as star flies to Dublin amid injury scare Andy Farrell has called in another player as cover ahead of his side's first warm-up match against Argentina England star van Poortvliet has been called into Lions camp by Farrell Andy Farrell has called England scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet into his British & Irish Lions squad ahead of their first warm-up match against Argentina on Friday night. The 24-year-old Leicester Tigers star, who has won 18 Test caps since making his England debut in 2022, missed out on a place in Farrell's original 38-man squad but has now been drafted in as cover. It was announced on Tuesday morning that van Poortvliet was travelling to Dublin to train with the Lions before their clash with the Pumas in the Irish capital in three days' time. It comes hours after he was named in Steve Borthwick's England training squad for their match against a France XV at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday afternoon. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "Leicester Tigers and England scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet will this morning fly into Dublin to train with the Lions as they prepare for the 1888 Cup fixture against Argentina," a brief Lions squad update read. "Van Poortvliet will join as cover ahead of the Lions game on Friday. On Monday van Poortvliet was named in Steve Borthwick's 36-player training squad ahead of England's match against a France XV on Saturday. "The 24-year-old made his England debut against Australia in Perth in 2022 and has since won 15 caps for his country." Article continues below Van Poortvliet's involvement comes after Ireland scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park was withdrawn from Leinster's matchday squad shortly before their United Rugby Championship final showdown against the Bulls on Saturday. While the exact reason for the withdrawal has not been disclosed, the 33-year-old is understood to have been carrying an injury niggle from their URC semi-final win over Glasgow Warriors, which prevented him from training fully all week. "Unfortunately Jamison Gibson-Park has been ruled out this morning," read a short pre-match statement from Leinster on Saturday afternoon. "Best of luck to Luke McGrath who starts and academy scrum-half Fintan Gunne named on the bench." Gibson-Park, who is widely considered to be the one of the best players in the world in his position, is expected to start the first Test against Australia this summer barring injury. However, if he is unable to recover from the niggle, Wales' Tomos Williams or England's Alex Mitchell will be expected to take the starting jersey, with the Welshman potentially getting his first run-out in a Lions jersey against Argentina later this week. The introduction of van Poortvliet also comes after Farrell welcomed in 15 of the 16 players that were yet to join up with the full squad due to their involvement in the URC and Gallagher Premiership finals. Leinster stars Jack Conan, Tadhg Furlong, Ronan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy, Andrew Porter and James Ryan all entered camp in Dublin on Monday, alongside teammates Dan Sheehan, Josh van der Flier, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Garry Ringrose and Gibson-Park. They were joined by Bath duo Finn Russell and Will Stuart and Leicester Tigers forward Ollie Chessum. The huge boost in numbers in camp meant that England front rowers Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour returned to their clubs after training on Monday, having also been called in as cover for last week's warm-weather camp in Portugal. Article continues below As it stands, just one player is yet to join up with the rest of the squad, with Scotland's Blair Kinghorn still on Top 14 duties with French side Toulouse.
Wales Online
5 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Graham Price: My Wales team to play Japan as Sam Costelow should start
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info My very first tour with Wales was to Japan back in September of 1974, where we spent a week prior in Hong Kong getting used to the climate and removing jetlag, but it seems this time around they are manufacturing the circumstances from home. Back in those days, the amateur advice we were given was to do any exercise in our bathrooms with every opening shut and our hot taps on, so it was like a sauna. Hopefully, the advice the new generation are getting is much better as high level professionals. They have certainly been put through their paces by the looks of things. This tour will be all about fitness as Jones' Japan side will be able to get around the pitch and will be looking to play fast and expansive in this heat to tire and test the Welsh. Eddie Jones will also be wanting revenge as the last time a Welsh side played an Eddie Jones side he was sacked not long after. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby Looking at the squad that has been announced, 20 players have not yet hit double digits in a Wales jersey, which is an interesting decision by Sherratt considering they are facing a team just one place behind them in the global rankings and are only on a two-match tour. That could lead to some players not featuring at all. This is too short a tour, in my opinion, given the experience level of the squad is so low. Ideally they would have other matches lined up against club or provincial sides that allow them to acclimatise and build-up a bank of matches ahead of the Tests. When we used to tour against New Zealand we spent nearly four months out there playing national and provincial games. With this squad likely forming the basis of the Wales squad for at least the next five years or so, it could actually be a good thing the two most influential players whave are with the Lions. Too often Wales have been left relying on Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams to get them out of a rut and, with the injury of Dafydd Jenkins too, Sherratt and his team will have to find new leaders and ideas. The reshuffling of the squad in comparison to the Six Nations selection is down to players such as Ellis Mee failing to recapture their initial good form for Wales over the past few months, while the likes of Gareth Anscombe and Nick Tompkins are coming to the end of their international careers. This has given an opportunity to players such as Keelan Giles, Macs Page, and once again to Sam Costelow, who missed out on the Six Nations due to injury. I really do feel that Costelow should be given the start in the first match due to him being the most experienced outside half. It is a shame that the WRU have failed to appoint a head coach before the tour as it would have been a good chance to get his message into the squad ahead of the autumn and Six Nations campaigns. Another big problem with this is Sherratt may be instilling a different philosophy to the new coach, leading to a conflict of ideas in camp when he does arrive, presumably later this summer. This tour will no doubt be a difficult one based on climate, experience, availability of key players and the pressure to end 17-game unbeaten streak. However, if we can control the game at our pace and use Tommy Reffell to give a level of relief at the breakdown by doing what he has been so good at for Leicester, then we will be able to soak up pressure and slow the game down as and when we need to, play at our speed and on our terms rather than theirs. This can and should result in Wales ending this disastrous losing run in the first Test and leave Eddie Jones scratching his head ahead of the second Test. My Wales team v Japan 15 - Blair Murray (Scarlets), 14 - Tom Rogers (Scarlets), 13 - Joe Roberts (Scarlets), 12 - Ben Thomas (Cardiff Rugby), 11 - Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby), 10 - Sam Costelow (Scarlets), 9 - Rhodri Williams (Dragons); 1 - Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers), 2 - Dewi Lake (Ospreys), 3 - Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff Rugby), 4 - Ben Carter (Dragons), 5 - Teddy Williams (Cardiff Rugby), 6 - Aaron Wainwright (Dragons), 7 - Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers), 8 - Taulupe Faletau (Cardiff Rugby)
Wales Online
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Today's rugby news as Wales duo go for glory and South African signs for Welsh region
Today's rugby news as Wales duo go for glory and South African signs for Welsh region The latest rugby news stories from Wales and beyond Evardi Boshoff has signed permanently for the Ospreys (Image: Charle Lombard/) Here are your rugby morning headlines for Saturday, June 14. Ospreys seal permanent deal for impressive South African The Ospreys have signed South African centre Evardi Boshoff on a permanent basis following two successful loan spells. The 26-year-old initially joined the Ospreys on loan for the second-half of the 23/24 campaign, before spending last season on loan with them as well. Having made 23 appearances for the club, his performances quickly made him a fan favourite. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. 'I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to re-join the Ospreys," said Boshoff. "I'm looking forward to having a full season with this group and reconnecting with the fans who have been great since I first came here. 'I've really enjoyed life in Wales, the people here are so welcoming and the boys in the team have always made myself and Dan (Kasende) feel at home. This is a special club and it's a privilege to be a part of.' Ospreys head coach Mark Jones added: 'Evardi is both a talented and dedicated player who has already proven his ability at this level, so we're really appreciative that the Toyota Cheetahs have allowed us to sign him on a permanent basis. Article continues below 'I was really impressed with how he stepped up to the plate for us last season. With the injury to Owen (Watkin), he had to play a lot of rugby and with that came increased responsibility. 'We've seen in the past how much he can contribute on and off the field, and his return not only brings a familiarity to our backline, but also some valuable experience amongst it as well.' England stars set for Twickenham farewell as Wales duo target silverware Leicester Tigers have named an unchanged 23-man squad for Saturday's Premiership final against Bath at the Allianz Stadium as two Welshmen go for silverware. England duo Dan Cole and Ben Youngs will both make their final career appearance off the bench, while departing Tigers Julian Montoya and Handre Pollard both start. In the pack, in-form former Ospreys back-row Olly Cracknell partners Wales international Tommy Reffell and Hanro Liebenberg at the back of the scrum, with Lions tourist Ollie Chessum lining up alongside Cameron Henderson in the second-row. In the front-row, Wales prop Nicky Smith starts on the loosehead, with Joe Heyes the other side of captain Montoya. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free In the backs, Michael Cheika - coaching his final game for the Tigers after just one year in charge - has the likes of Freddie Steward, Adam Radwan, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Jack van Poortvliet on hand to strengthen their bid for the Premiership title. Star fly-half Finn Russell has overcome his injury concern to start as Bath go in search of a first Premiership title since 1996. The British and Irish Lions tourist was a slight doubt for the final after limping off in last Friday's semi-final win over Bristol, but he has been deemed fully fit to feature in the number 10 jersey. Welsh back-row addresses Test future Welsh back-row Carwyn Tuipulotu has addressed his Test future after committing to stay in France with Section Paloise. The former Scarlets No. 8 left Llanelli midway through the season to join the Top 14 outfit, signing a new deal with the club on Thursday to stay for two more years. Following his decision to stay in France, he admitted he still harbours ambitions to play for Wales. 'Right now, I am uncapped, which leaves me qualified to play for other nations like Tonga or England," he told RugbyPass. "It has always been an ambition of mine to play for Wales, but at this stage of my career is vital that I play more games, something that I wasn't getting on the Scarlets setup. "I hope I can shape up to be the player that Wales needs, as they need ball carriers and people who can take the ball forward.' He added: 'I do miss home, but obviously it was the right time to leave. I had gone a bit complacent, and I needed a new challenge. I want to change the perception that some fans have of me, to show that I can be the player they expected me to be. 'I would advise players who are in the same position as I was to take the leap and come to France if they have the chance. It is a great environment and experience. For me, I left my comfort zone and was able to enjoy rugby again. It was the challenge I needed to come out of my shell. I can now become my own man and player. Thanks to Pau, I have matured and became a different player.' Dawson urges Lions to tour France British and Irish Lions great Matt Dawson says they would be 'insane' not to organise a full tour to France. The Lions are understood to be open to expansion, but so far, that would appear to mean a one-off fixture against France ahead of the next tour to New Zealand in 2029. But former England scrum-half Dawson - who toured with the Lions to all three of the southern hemisphere giants during his playing career - says a full-on tour of France should be explored. 'If that doesn't happen at some stage that is probably going to be one of the greatest sporting misses ever,' Dawson told The Times. 'It would be insane not to do a Lions tour of France and to put it on the roster. I know that upsets the apple cart and there is significant revenue every 12 years for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa at the moment. But this is about broadening the game. 'The Lions in France could catapult the game globally into a different stratosphere. I think it could be that important, and hopefully the southern hemisphere sides will understand. Do we do it every three years? I don't know, but that would be the magic step for me. Article continues below 'All of a sudden it opens up the Lions to millions of people that have got no chance of watching the Lions. I bet you a lot of French people would love to go on a Lions tour. And imagine how many people from Britain and Ireland love watching on television but never in their wildest dreams could they think that they are going to go down to the southern hemisphere. [Going to France] would be off the charts. What a tour.'
Wales Online
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Wales discover Welsh-qualified New Zealand rugby stars and giant South African prop
Wales discover Welsh-qualified New Zealand rugby stars and giant South African prop Wales' exiles programme had identified some intriguing new names before being disbanded recently Hurricanes centre Riley Higgins is thought to be Welsh qualified (Image: Getty Images ) A couple of weeks ago the Welsh Rugby Union took the difficult decision to cut its Exiles programme. The WRU have replaced it with a system it feels is better placed to persuade the best Welsh-qualified players in England and beyond to represent Wales at senior international level. Whether this new system will be successful or not remains to be seen but the old exiles programme did play a big part in unearthing Welsh qualified players outside of Wales, from Will Rowlands to Nick Tompkins, among others. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Prior to the disbandment of the programme the Exiles had a number of players they were trying to persuade to go down the Welsh route or were at least investigating believed Welsh links. Here are a handful of Welsh-qualified players who should styill be on the WRU's radar. Riley Higgins The 22-year-old New Zealander plays for Super Rugby Pacific outfit the Hurricanes while he has also figured for the Wellington Lions in the Bunnings NPC. Article continues below Higgins can play 12 and 13 while he has also accrued minutes out on the wing but has only played four times this season in Super Rugby after breaking his leg. He is highly thought of in New Zealand rugby circles and made his Super Rugby debut before playing any NPC rugby, while he has also represented New Zealand U20s and an All Blacks XV. Higgins is an explosive centre who regularly breaks the line while he also possesses an excellent offloading game. He is believed to qualify for Wales through his grandmother and is another high quality player who should be monitored. Tahlor Cahill The 21-year-old has enjoyed plenty of game time for the Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific this season making nine appearances and was a replacement in last Saturday's 32-12 victory over the Queensland Reds. Cahill is an athletic forward, who can play at lock and the backrow, is an excellent lineout forward who is also a powerful carrier capable of making significant post contact metres. The Crusaders lock qualifies for Wales through a grandparent and was on the Exiles' radar. He has also represented New Zealand U20s and is highly rated by All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson, meaning Wales are up against it. But Cahill is already a high quality player who looks destined to play Test rugby so should be targeted as a potential option by Warren Gatland's long-term successor. Tahlor Cahil of the Crusaders (Image: 2025 Getty Images ) Josh Penney The 21-year-old outside-half was a member of the Waikato Chiefs academy but has been playing for Counties Manukau in the Bunnings NPC. It is thought he qualifies for Wales through his Welsh mother and is another player who was included in the Exiles' database. Wales have some real talent coming through the system at outside-half with the likes of Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, Math Jones, Harri Wilde, Harri Ford and Lloyd Lucas while both senior number tens Sam Costelow and Dan Edwards are very young. But Wales needs to build as much depth as it can and the same can be said for its four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets. Kaleb Kriek The 21-year-old South African tighthead packs a serious punch at 6ft 4in and 140kg. Kriek is Welsh qualified through his mother and is part of the Blue Bulls academy. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free It will come as no surprise to readers that Kriek had a reputation at age grade level of being a destructive scrummager while those who have seen him play also compliment his ball carrying. Tighthead prop is not exactly an area of strength in Welsh rugby, with Wales having struggled to replace the experienced Tomas Francis. Just because a prop is 140kg doesn't automatically mean he will cut it as a professional but given the dearth of high quality scrummaging tightheads in Wales somebody like Kriek is worth looking at. Robert Carmichael The 22-year-old second-row was born in Hong Kong to a Scottish father and a Welsh mother but moved back to the UK in 2019. Carmichael was a member of the Leicester Tigers academy and represented England U20s before making the move north to join Edinburgh in 2024. At 6ft 11in and 125kg Carmichael packs a physical punch and is an outstanding lineout forward who has played for the Emerging Scotland side. But he remains Welsh qualified and one of Wales' professional clubs could do far worse than signing Carmichael if he was willing. Beau Farrance The 24-year-old English-born tighthead has been a regular starter for Agen in the French PRO D2 but is believed to be Welsh qualified. Farrance is a powerful scrummager in a league which puts a huge emphasis on the set-piece. He started his rugby journey at Old Elthamians RFC before moving to France. Farrance is now in the Joueurs Issus des Filières de Formation (JIFF) category, which is very important for players wishing to get a professional contract in France. To become JIFF qualified, players must spend five years playing age grade rugby at any French club or spend three season's with a French professional club's academy by the age of 23. He's certainly a player the Welsh clubs should be monitoring. Kienan Higgins The 25-year-old is the older brother of Riley Higgins and also plays centre. Higgins senior plays his rugby for Hawke's Bay Magpies in the Bunnings NPC and is a solid performer at that level who looks capable of playing professional rugby in Europe if given the chance. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Robbie Deans and Mikey Jones Robbie Deans is a 20-year-old loosehead who is part of the Glasgow Warriors academy and has represented Scotland U20s. He is thought to have Welsh qualifications on his mother's side. Article continues below Mikey Jones is also a prop but plays for Edinburgh and also qualifies for Wales.
