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Since the November tests ended the Welsh rugby rumour mill has gone into overdrive. As many predicted, the uncertainty created by the chaotic WRU reforms has driven top players to seek security abroad. Here are the biggest stories doing the rounds.
The rumour vultures continue to circle around Bridgend as talk of the Ospreys being the WRU’s sacrificial lamb intensifies. It has long been known that a number of players are out of contract this summer and in the last week multiple top stars have been linked with a move across the Severn bridge to the PREM.
The Times report that Dewi Lake & Jac Morgan’s moves to Gloucester are all but done deals whilst scrum half Kieran Hardy could join them if another Welshman, Tomos Williams, moves to Saracens as expected. Meanwhile, the BBC report fly-half Dan Edwards is attracting interest from Leicester Tigers whilst prop Gareth Thomas and back rower Morgan Morse are also the subjects of speculation.
For Ospreys fans, these rumours have poured misery on misery; their club is the subject of constant online speculation – all negative – and there has been no clarity coming from either their owners, senior leadership or the WRU.
As for the WRU itself, their whole justification for cutting a region is to concentrate talent and resources on the remaining 3. However, f the top talent from the cut side leaves the country, that plan has failed before it even started.
Rating: 7/10 – with each passing day, all of the rumours feel more likely.
Also in the Times is an article describing the fascinating developments around London Irish. The club has been saved by a consortium and is searching for a league to enter. According to the report, they have held discussions with the URC about replacing the cut Welsh Region.
The talks have gone as far as London Irish seeking legal advice on the matter, saying the RFU cannot legally stop them playing in the URC despite being an English team, but the mountain of red tape between them and the league is still a major hurdle. For instance, no English player playing in the URC would be eligible to play for England and the club could not receive RFU funding.
Rating: 3/10 – right now, it looks far too complicated to come off. A return to the PREM is a safer bet.
Wales rugby social media was set ablaze last week as a job advert was published for a ‘Technical Director’ at the WRU paying – according to the listing – up to £160,000 per month. The job description, which read like it was written by AI, said the person in this role would, among other things, be responsible for developing the Welsh rugby ‘DNA’.
The listing raised eyebrows as the assumption was that this is the job WRU Director of Rugby Dave Reddin should be fulfilling, feeding the narrative that Reddin’s rugby knowledge is sorely lacking. A few months ago, there had been reports in the press that the WRU were to appoint a ‘rugby specialist’ below Reddin which the organisation rubbished at the time. Now, it appears those reports were in fact accurate.
What makes the whole thing even more confusing is that the technical director, when they are appointed, will have already missed the boat on the appointment of the men’s & women’s head coaches, the respective assistant coaches and the cutting of a region. Arguably, this person should have been appointed first.
Rating: 10/10 this is happening, we can only hope they have someone good in mind.
A report in WalesOnline has linked Crusaders lock and New Zealand U20s international Tahlor Cahill with a switch to Wales. The 22 year old, who has 12 super rugby caps (10 from the bench) and qualifies for Wales through his family, is seen as unlikely to break into the All Blacks fold despite his impressive work rate around the field.
Any specific destination is pure speculation but with Taine Plumtree, Blair Murray and Fletcher Anderson having all joined the Scarlets from New Zealand in recent times (with previous examples including Welsh internationals Johnny McNicholl and Hadleigh Parkes) they seem the most likely candidates. If nothing else, they always need 2nd rows!
Rating: 8/10 – Once the story gets to this stage, the chances are it’s a done deal.