Here are the latest rugby headlines on Friday, August 4.
Wales tribute to coach Rowlands
The Wales rugby team will pay tribute to former coach and Welsh legend Clive Rowlands ahead of Saturday’s match against England.
Players will wear black armbands on their anthem jackets and lead a moment’s silence in his honour. A tribute will also appear on the big screen, with everyone in attendance showing their respect with applause. More than 60,000 fans are expected to attend the game.
Wales captain Jac Morgan hails from Brynamman in the Amman Valley, a mere 10 minutes from Cwmtwrch, which was the home of Rowlands.
Morgan’s rugby journey started at Cwmtwrch RFC as a young kid, and the openside is immensely proud to have known Rowlands personally.
“I was fortunate enough to know Clive for years,” he said. “I played with his grandson for Cwmtwrch juniors. Every Sunday, he’d be down watching us boys play. To be able to know him and meet him has been great.
“I send my condolences to the family. What he’s done for the village and Cwmtwrch has been brilliant. He’s been such a role model for everyone who has come through there. It’s a sad moment. He had a great effect on us all.”
Rowlands, whose death was announced on Sunday, was at the helm as coach at the beginning of the Wales ’70s golden era, helping bring through genuine greats of the game like Barry John, Gareth Edwards, Gerald Davies, JPR Williams and Mervyn Davies among others.
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Halfpenny ‘the ultimate Welshman’
Wales contact area coach Jonathan Thomas has paid tribute to Leigh Halfpenny, describing him as the “ultimate Welshman” ahead of his 100th Test.
Halfpenny will finally reach the milestone against England after fighting back from a serious knee injury suffered in 2021.
Thomas said: “I was still playing when he first came into the squad, which shows how long he has been around. To be an international for 15 years is incredible.
“I think he suffered some real adversity early on in his career, and I think life is all about how you deal with the setbacks and the attitude you possess. The big thing when he first came in was how relentless he was in putting the extra hours in on the training field after everyone else had finished, around his kicking, his high-ball stuff, his contact work.
“The contact skill side of the back-three is much more important now, but 15 years ago it wasn’t high on the job description for back-three players, but even back then he was putting a huge amount of work in around his high-ball stuff and all of that.
“He has been the uiltimate Welshman, the ultimate team man. I’ve got three kids, and if you want to give them any anecdotes of what to look for, what to be like, it’s Leigh Halfpenny.”
Wales take on England in their opening game of the Rugby Summer Series. Fans can watch the game free by signing up to an Amazon Prime subscription here.
World Rankings set for movement
This weekend’s matches see the bulk of the Rugby World Cup teams in action and the possibility of significant change in the World Rugby rankings.
Ireland and New Zealand – the top two sides in the world – are unable to pick up any points in their respective games against Italy and Australia (due to the points difference between teams before home weighting is factored in), so there is an opportunity for France to make some headway.
Les Bleus lost second place to the All Blacks last weekend but will reclaim it if they manage any form of a win over Scotland at Murrayfield. Top spot is possible for France if they win and Ireland don’t manage to do any better than draw with Italy in Dublin.
France and South Africa could become the world’s top two sides, with Ireland and New Zealand falling to third and fourth, but it would take an unexpected set of results for that to happen.
In addition to a France victory, South Africa would need to beat Argentina by more than 15 points at the Vélez Sarsfield Stadium in Buenos Aires and hope that Ireland and New Zealand lose at home by the same margin.
South Africa will replace RWC 2023 hosts France in third if they win and Les Bleus lose – as long as the margin in one of the games is more than 15 points.
Scotland cannot pick up enough points to improve on fifth place but England can replace them there if the Scots fail to win and England beat Wales in Cardiff.
The lowest England can fall to in defeat is eighth, which is also their all-time low, while Wales will equal their lowest ever ranking of 10th if they lose by more than 15 points.
A big win for Argentina at home to the Springboks could send them as high as fifth but other results would have to go their way, too, for this to happen.
Having climbed back into the top 10 for the first time in nearly four years last weekend, Fiji can continue their ascent with victory against Japan in Tokyo.
A win for Fiji of any description will be enough for them to replace Wales in ninth if accompanied by a Welsh defeat in Cardiff.
Japan in 12th and Fiji in 10th will swap places if the Brave Blossoms build on last weekend’s win against Tonga and achieve back-to-back victories. However, there is the potential for Fiji to drop lower if Italy achieve a positive result against Ireland in Dublin.
Curry expected to be fit for warm-ups
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
England are confident that Tom Curry will play a role in their build-up to the World Cup as he recovers from a twisted ankle.
Curry sustained the injury in training this week and will be sidelined for up to a fortnight, potentially ruling him out of the opening two matches of the Summer Nations Series which begins against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
The Sale flanker is a certainty to be picked in Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad when it is announced on Monday, but England will take no risks with the fitness of one of their most influential players.
“We’re very hopeful (he’ll play this month). We don’t think it will be too long, but we’ll be smart with him as well,” defence coach Kevin Sinfield said.
Any concern over Henry Arundell’s hamstring injury has lifted after the explosive wing made a return to full training on Thursday.
England play the first of two Tests against Wales at the Principality Stadium fielding a line-up populated with players who are on the fringe of World Cup selection.
Only Freddie Steward, Marcus Smith, Danny Care, Ellis Genge and Will Stuart are assured of their places in the 33-man squad, while the others are hoping to make a final impression on Borthwick.
