Steve Tandy has been urged to talk Gareth Davies out of international retirement after the veteran scrum-half helped guide the Scarlets to a dramatic 27-26 victory over Benetton.
Davies' comeback display
With the Scarlets trailing 21-7 at the break, director of rugby Nigel Davies opted to replace Dane Blacker with Davies at half-time. The 36-year-old was outstanding, with his game management and experience pivotal in the Scarlets' comeback victory.
Former Wales hooker and Bridgend head coach Scott Baldwin insists he should be on Tandy's radar. "If I’m Steve Tandy, thinking ahead to a RWC 12 months away," said Baldwin on social media platform X. "I’d be having a conversation with Gar Davies about coming out of retirement similar to Britz for the Boks 2019. Doesn’t need to play between now and then, been there and done it. Both experienced and still top end player."
In response to another poster on X who credited Davies' big tournament experience, Baldwin said: "100%, can’t coach three World Cups of experience standards and knockout nous." He added: "The impact he had tonight was huge, clearly a player that brings a belief to others when he’s out there."
Faletau's late withdrawal
Wales great Taulupe Faletau was a late withdrawal ahead of Cardiff's 29-5 defeat to Leinster in Dublin. The 35-year-old was named to start but had been carrying a niggle in the lead up to the game and was pulled out, with Taine Basham drafted into the starting XV.
Cardiff showed spirit but were comprehensively beaten at the Laya Arena, and head coach Corniel van Zyl insists it is crucial they learn from it ahead of taking on Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup next weekend.
"It’s frustrating because you come against the best defensive system and you try to stick to what we’re trying to do, which is normally good," he said. "But it’s also the benchmark. We know what it’s going to take to compete with this top team, so it’s good stuff to learn from."
"Hopefully, we can take some stuff we learnt under pressure tonight into next week. Obviously, challenging times, but that’s why we’re here. Great occasions, great time for us to get better," he added. "And that’s ultimately what we want to do: grow as a team, grow as individuals, and then grow as a club."
Van Zyl was proud of the character shown by his side against the defending champions. "The big thing is we fought back at the end," he said. "We still lost the second half, but there are definitely positives to take. You think about Semisi Paea’s debut, think about Matty Young playing his second game. You think about Taine Basham coming in basically two minutes before kick-off, Rory Thornton coming into the team. So there are still a lot of positives to take," he said. "We just have to learn from it and move on."
Itoje's 'new lease of life'
Saracens head coach Joe Shaw insisted Maro Itoje’s summer break has given him a "new lease of life" after watching the England captain star in a 30-7 victory over Bristol. Itoje was named man of the match in a bonus-point Gallagher Prem rout of the Bears at the StoneX Stadium as he continues to benefit from being stood down from England’s July tour.
The 31-year-old played blindside flanker rather than his customary position of second-row and reacted to the positional switch with a high-energy performance full of high-impact defending. Shaw said: "Maro was unbelievable. England and the club have given him a new lease of life by giving him the summer off. It’s the first one he’s had since he was 19."
"He had a full pre-season with us. He’s been able to stay with his family and properly recover from what was a long season during which some things happened in his personal life," Shaw added. "He’s as fresh as a daisy. He’s training so well. His body’s in good nick. It’ll benefit not just us, but it’ll benefit England in the long run going into next year’s World Cup."
Itoje was well supported by fellow seasoned campaigners Owen Farrell and Ben Earl while Noah Caluori and Jack Bracken brought youthful energy to the wings, scoring one try each. Shaw is backing Caluori and Bracken, who are both 20, to shine together for England in the future. Caluori made his Test debut on the July tour, while Bracken is uncapped.
"They are bright stars. We know Noah scores tries, he’s world class in the air and this was his first game since coming back," Shaw said. "Jack has something which scares everyone – electrifying pace. They are try-scorers. They are big men. They can beat people. England are spoilt for players on the outside – as we are at our club – but why can’t they play for England? They are both bright stars who could turn into superstars."
Bristol boss Pat Lam revealed he rested Pedro Rubiolo, AJ MacGinty and Steven Luatua for the trip to north London rather than risk them getting injured on Saracens’ artificial pitch. Lam said: "They came off big injuries last year and so it wasn’t worth putting them on that pitch. If we were playing the game at home or if it was a semi-final, they would have played."
