The first injury of the Lions tour has been confirmed, and it is an unfortunate one for Wales fans.
While plenty have been ruled out before travelling to Australia, this one is the first on the actual tour.
Scrum-half Tomos Williams came off early with a hamstring injury in the Lions’ first game in Australia against Western Force, with many people wondering how severe it would be when he exited the pitch.
People’s worst fears have been confirmed as the Lions have since announced that he will miss the remainder of the tour.
As one of only two Wales players selected for the original squad, it leaves Jac Morgan as their only representative.
Scotland’s Ben White is his replacement, due in part to the fact that he was in New Zealand when the news struck, so geographically it made sense.
Many thought that the Toulon player should have been selected in the original squad, but he finally gets his chance.
The World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy began this weekend, with one strange moment getting some attention on social media.
In Georgia v Ireland, the referee gave a front row player from both sides a yellow card at the same time.
Bachuki Baratashvili and Alex Mullan were both carded due to repeated infringements at scrum time.
It came after the referee got sick of both front rows resetting the scrum, and he decided to make an example of Baratashvili and Mullan both at once.
They were the only two cards of the game, so it is safe to say that it instilled some discipline into both teams.
Top 14 Produces Classic Final
French rugby is often regarded as having the best domestic system in the world, and it is hard to argue against that after an absolute classic of a final.
Bordeaux-Begles and Toulouse battled it out in Paris in front of a crowd of more than 80,000, with the streets of Bordeaux and Toulouse also filled with fans who couldn’t make the trip.
Not only was it a great spectacle off the pitch, but the two teams delivered fireworks on it.
It ebbed and flowed and was played to such a high level that it looked like a Test match, ending in a 33-all draw after 80 minutes, after Maxime Lucu’s 80th-minute penalty equalised the match.
Two Thomas Ramos penalties in extra time finished the game off and made sure that Toulouse secured their third title in a row.
Jack Willis and Blair Kinghorn’s celebration
Jack Willis and Blair Kinghorn were shown sharing a passionate kiss after the Top 14 final, much to the amusement of fans online.
Plenty saw the funny side of it and described it as rugby camaraderie at its best.
Social media seemed to enjoy the moment as it was a different kind of celebration from the ones that fans have become accustomed to.
Others took the chance to mention that they should be heading to Australia for the Lions tour together, after Willis was snubbed by Andy Farrell while Kinghorn was selected.
Henry Pollock justifies hype
There was plenty of good and plenty of bad in the Lions’ big win over Western Force.
One of the positives was the performance of young maverick Henry Pollock.
The dynamic back row showed maturity far beyond his years and the skill to match.
He rattled a few Force players with some gamesmanship, which not everyone will agree with.
But his defining moment was his marauding run that led to a try assist for the youngster, when he broke free and offloaded to Tomos Williams to finish.
His chip and chase was also brilliant in the second half, which came in the build-up to Joe McCarthy’s try.
Also awarded a yellow card, it was trademark Pollock in the best way possible.
Tigers announce O’Connor
Leicester Tigers have confirmed six new signings ahead of the 2025/26 season, including former Wallabies fly-half James O’Connor.
This follows the departure of 14 players, including stars like Julian Montoya, Handre Pollard, Jamie Shillcock, and Josh Bassett.
Club legends Ben Youngs, Dan Cole, and Mike Brown also retired.
O’Connor has just won a Super Rugby title with the Crusaders and comes to the club with plenty of calibre.
Following Handre Pollard’s exit, the Tigers had been scrambling to find a new fly-half, but now they have found their man, they can start properly building for next season.
New head coach Geoff Parling was said to have been a big factor in O’Connor’s decision, having played under him for the Wallabies at the 2019 World Cup.
Billy Searle and Orlando Bailey are the two other fly-halves who were signed this week for Tigers.
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