Davies: Tandy's Centre Selection Is Wrong
Former Wales centre Jonathan Davies has publicly questioned Steve Tandy's midfield choices for this weekend's clash with the Springboks, asserting that the head coach has made the wrong decision. Tandy has selected five different starting centre partnerships since taking over last summer. Despite appearing to settle on Scarlets duo Joe Hawkins and Eddie James, who started seven consecutive games together during a strong Six Nations campaign, Tandy has reverted to the pairing of Ben Thomas and Max Llewellyn for Saturday's match in Durban.
Davies, speaking on Scrum V: The Warm Up, stated: "Ben and Max were the preferred centre partnership way back last November and get an opportunity. Do I think it's the right choice? I don't. I would have liked to see Eddie move to 12 and play Max at 13. Eddie's best position is 12 and he has ball-playing ability that he hasn't shown a lot in his first few caps for Wales. Max is another physical presence with a bit more experience to stay at 13."
Anscombe Weighs In on Wales' Attack Struggles
Former Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe also offered his perspective on the centre selection, noting: "Matt Sherratt likes that second ball-player at 12. At the moment Wales are lacking a bit of go-forward. It's nice to run connected shape and it can look good in training, but at the minute the attack is struggling to get forward and is spending a lot of time zig-zagging between the 15-metre lines. If you are not winning the middle part of the field and getting gain line, those edges on the side never open up."
With the powerful Springboks pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende lining up in midfield, Davies believes Tandy's selection could prove costly.
Argentina Vow to Compound England Misery
Argentina forward Joaquin Moro has declared that the Pumas are determined to deliver another painful defeat to England when the two nations meet on Saturday. The encounter comes just four days after Argentina's football team defeated England 2-1 to book a place in the FIFA World Cup final, adding extra significance to the rugby clash in Santiago del Estero.
Despite England winning all five meetings under head coach Steve Borthwick, Moro believes the current mood in Argentina elevates the stakes. "It's amazing for our country," Moro said. "If you go out to the streets across Argentina all this week, you see the white and blue jerseys everywhere. It was a special day on Wednesday because of the semi-final, and it's a special month because of the World Cup. The passion of the country comes out now more than at other times, and that means our game against England will also be special. It's always a hard game against England, but this time I think it will be a little more so."
Six Nations Star Completes Switch After Ban
Virimi Vakatawa will make his debut for Fiji against Scotland in the Nations Championship this weekend, four years after his international career with France was abruptly ended. In 2022, Vakatawa's professional career was declared over after medical examinations revealed a heart abnormality. However, after being cleared to play again, he signed for Bristol Bears. Having won 32 caps with France, he met World Rugby's eligibility rules to switch national teams to Fiji last year, as more than 36 months had passed since his last French cap in July 2022.
Vakatawa replaces Kalaveti Ravouvou in the Fiji lineup following the Flying Fijians' 73-8 defeat to England last weekend. The 34-year-old told the BBC: "Playing international rugby is something that I knew I was not going to be able to do. From that day [of being barred from playing in France], I thought it was over. Maybe I thought I can still play in club rugby, but this is huge to come and represent my country Fiji. When I was selected, I was surprised. When you play for Fiji, you have to be good, because there are talents everywhere. It is an honour and a privilege for me to be here and to be part of this environment."
Wales Lock Signs New Deal
Wales Women second row Alaw Pyrs has signed a new contract with Gloucester-Hartpury. The 20-year-old, who has featured for Wales in the last two Women's Six Nations and last year's Women's Rugby World Cup, made her debut for the Premiership Women's Rugby side last season after featuring for Celtic Challenge side Gwalia Lightning in the 2024/25 campaign.
Pyrs expressed her delight: "I'm really pleased to be staying at the club. Having studied at Hartpury, this club has always felt familiar to me, but being part of the group this past season has shown me just how special it is. The people, the environment and the standards everyone sets every day have helped me grow so much as both a player and a person. I still feel like I'm only at the start of my journey here, so I'm excited to keep developing, keep challenging myself and hopefully help the team create even more special memories together."
Gloucester-Hartpury's head of rugby, Dan Murphy, added: "Alaw has continued to grow every time she's pulled on a Gloucester Hartpury shirt, and it's been fantastic to see her development mirrored on the international stage with Wales. What stands out most is her appetite to improve. She's incredibly coachable, embraces every challenge and has the mindset to keep pushing herself."
