Leigh Halfpenny has been appointed full-time kicking coach with Cardiff, returning to the Arms Park after his duties with the Wales national squad for the first three rounds of the Nations Championship.
Halfpenny's return to Cardiff
Halfpenny said: “I am thrilled to join Cardiff on a full-time basis. It is a club that means a huge amount to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Arms Park as I continued my transition from player to coach last season.”
“There is a great group of players, who I enjoyed working with last season, and I believe I can add value to the group, while also helping the young players coming through.”
“It was a huge honour to work with Wales again this summer, I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to bringing that experience back to the club.”
Coach van Zyl's praise
Cardiff head coach Corniel van Zyl added: “I’m really pleased that Leigh is joining the backroom staff as kicking coach.”
“It is clear and evident from last year’s work that all of our kickers improved. He is so professional and diligent, in everything he does so now moving into a full-time role, I am excited to see the impact he will have.”
Halfpenny will split his time between the senior squad as a kicking coach and working as a skills coach within the academy set-up.
British & Irish Lions talks with Italy
The British & Irish Lions are in advanced talks to face Italy for the first time as part of their preparations for the 2029 tour of New Zealand, according to The Telegraph. The match would form part of the Italian federation's centenary celebrations and could be a curtain-raiser for the tour, taking place a week before a scheduled game against France on June 30. The Lions spokesman told Telegraph Sport: “Discussions around the schedule for the next Lions men’s tour are still ongoing and there is no confirmation of any fixtures at this stage.”
O'Gara on France v South Africa
Ronan O'Gara believes the standout game in world rugby at present is between South Africa and France, who are set to meet in the Nations Championship this autumn. O'Gara said on ITV: "It's the standout game in World Rugby at the minute, it's that big. And I think it's obviously so much better that it's in Europe with the fanatical French." He added that French rugby is in a good place, though they may view their narrow loss to New Zealand as a missed opportunity.
