Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has continued to rest Ciaran Frawley following his involvement in Ireland’s tour of South Africa, opting instead for the Byrne brothers...
The Welsh national team maybe going through a chastening period but there is a rich seam of talent coming through
It's semi-finals Sunday at the World Rugby U20 Championship and following last Tuesday’s weather-affected schedule, the hope will be that all six matches will be played to an 80-minute conclusion unlike on match day three when there were just four and a half matches completed due to the heavy rain making pitches unplayable.
A year ago, 19-43 was the margin of defeat which left them contesting the fifth to eighth placings on match day four. That 24-point gap had closed on Tuesday afternoon, the Welsh losing by 18 in an 11-29 loss.
His exotic-sounding name is rooted in the Iberian Peninsula as both his parents hail from Spain, but he is very much a born-and-raised Welsh boy even though he can speak Spanish and the family used to head south from Cardiff twice a year on holiday.
The Spanish have the honour of opening the pool the DHL Stadium this Saturday, taking on a French team that didn’t fire on all cylinders in a Six Nations campaign that only merited third place.
The back-rower has timed him run to rude health perfectly to ensure he is fit and ready to lead Wales out when they take on New Zealand at Athlone on match day one.
The back-rower has timed him run to rude health perfectly to ensure he is fit and ready to lead Wales out when they take on New Zealand at Athlone on match day one.
The Welsh signed off on the recent Six Nations with a fifth place finish following home wins over Scotland and Italy and are now preparing for pool fixtures in Cape Town versus New Zealand, Spain and defending champions France.
Antoine Dupont may be a supremely talented player, but at this stage, the Frenchman is still chasing the greatness that Portia Woodman-Wickliffe holds.