The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world
Here are your rugby headlines for Tuesday, April 29.
Exeter suspend coaches in extraordinary move after hammering
Exeter have announced that they have suspended coaches Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher “pending a full review” after their disastrous 79-17 loss to Gloucester.
After the game, TNT Sports cameras captured CEO Tony Rowe shouting as the players stood in a circle coming to terms with what had unfolded. The Chiefs, who have won just three league games all season, conceded 13 tries as Gloucester kept themselves firmly in play-off contention, one point behind fourth-placed Bristol.
The Exeter team was captained by Wales’ Dafydd Jenkins, while Scarlets-bound Joe Hawkins was also in the side. After the match, director of rugby Rob Baxter said Rowe was “entitled to fire everybody” after the shambolic display. 25% OFF DEAL NOW: Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby
Now, the Premiership club have announced they will suspend coaches Hunter and Hepher “pending a full review of the match and the 2024/25 season to date.”
Rowe said: “No final decision regarding the club’s coaching structure going forward has been made, and it would be improper to make any further comment until all internal procedures have been completed.”
In the interim, Baxter will step into a front-line coaching role to oversee the remainder of the season.
Commentators left stunned by Williams genius
The latest piece of Tomos Williams genius left TNT commentators stunned at the weekend.
Williams looped a pass over five defenders to Jake Morris, who stubbed a grubber through behind the backline for Santi Carreras. The Argentine then found Williams, who had picked a clever inside line and he ran in clear to the try line to touch down.
He’s been in some form for the Cherry & Whites this season and it has led to many believing he will be on the plane to Australia with the Lions, with Andy Farrell announcing his squad next month.
When Williams looped that pass out to the wing, the commentator, Nick Mullins, audibly laughed at the effortlessness, before exclaiming: “What a pass.”
Sam Warburton said: “That’s five defenders on one pass! It was an extraordinary pass.”
Williams was named man of the match after the Chiefs mauling.
It comes just weeks after the former Cardiff man pulled off a basketball-style pass to assist in a score against Bristol.
Huge twist in Twickenham fate
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
Chelsea are likely to face opposition from the local council if they request to play their home games at Allianz Stadium while redeveloping Stamford Bridge, according to the Rugby Football Union.
The Premier League club are looking to expand their current capacity of 40,343 by either rebuilding their existing ground or moving to a new site in west London.
Twickenham has previously been viewed as a possible temporary home when Chelsea have drawn up redevelopment plans, and the move would generate income for the RFU at a time when it is considering its own stadium improvements and is contending with record losses.
While the RFU would be open to an approach from the Blues, chief executive Bill Sweeney suspects the relocation would not be approved by Richmond upon Thames Council.
“The licence would allow it to happen and there have been conversations previously about Premier League clubs coming here. Richmond council, Richmond borough, is more concerned about that,” Sweeney said.
“It would be a big financial number, but I know Richmond borough would definitely have a conversation about that.
“I just think, in terms of impact on local residents, numbers of fans and so on, they’d be a little bit more sensitive. It may depend on which club it is.”
Sweeney caused a stir in March when he suggested that England may be forced to relocate from Twickenham to Milton Keynes or Birmingham because of licence restrictions over staging concerts.
Major events such as Beyonce concerts – which the RFU has missed out on in the past – are seen as a key revenue stream to help fund the planned £663million redevelopment of Twickenham, due to start in 2027.
However, Richmond upon Thames Council limits the number of non-sporting events that can be held at the 82,000-capacity ground to three a year, with a maximum crowd of 55,000 in attendance.
“We’re making great progress with that,” Sweeney said. “The conversations with Richmond council have been positive.
“They see the value that we bring to the area and they understand why we need to have more non-rugby events when you compare it to Tottenham, Wembley, the O2. They can see why we need those non-rugby events to make the thing viable.
“We’ve always said our preference was to remain here. Not just for cultural reasons and the history, but because hospitality and ticketing are 50 per cent of our revenue.
“And from a geographical point of view, this is a really important part of the country to be in.”
England bolster coaching lineup for summer tour
Lee Blackett and Byron McGuigan will join Steve Borthwick’s England coaching team for the July tour to Argentina and the United States.
Bath attack coach Blackett will fill the vacancy created by Richard Wigglesworth’s secondment with the British and Irish Lions while Sale’s McGuigan will help out with the defence.
“Lee has a proven track record of developing teams that play smart and effective attacking rugby. Byron brings an energy and strong understanding of the game that underpins an aggressive defence,” Borthwick said.
Blackett and McGuigan will return to their clubs at the end of the tour, which consists of two Tests in Argentina and one in Washington.
TMO decisions to be broadcast live in Champions Cup
The EPCR have announced they will broadcast the referees’ decisions over stadium public address systems for the Champions Cup semi-finals and for both finals in Cardiff next month.
It will allow fans in attendance to hear the real-time discussions and reasoning behind decisions made between the referee and the television match official.
Referee microphones are already broadcast into stadiums during international fixtures including the Six Nations and are currently being trialled in the United Championship and Premiership.
Inclusion in the Champions Cup semi-finals marks an important step forward in bringing transparency to the club game.
“Allowing fans to hear how decisions are made on the pitch will enhance the matchday experience and help educate spectators in real time,” Tony Spreadbury, EPCR’s head of match officials, said.
“It’s an exciting step towards making the game more accessible to newcomers, and we’re thrilled to introduce this feature during such a pivotal stage of the competition.”
