The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world
Here are your rugby headlines for Sunday, June 15.
Sam Davies heartbreak after play-off defeat
Sam Davies was left heartbroken once again after his Grenoble side were narrowly beaten by Perpignan in the play-off match for a spot in France’s Top 14 next season.
Grenoble were defeated in the Pro D2 play-off final against Montauban last week, however they were granted another opportunity for promotion in what is called the ‘Top 14 Access Match’ – a play-off between the runners-up and the 13th-placed team in the Top 14.
However, Wales international Davies, who has been sensational for Grenoble this season, was unable to steer his side to victory, with Perpignan coming out 13-11 winners.
Perpignan made a flying start, with Tavite Veredamu crossing the line in just the third minute. Grenoble thought they had hit back through winger Wilfried Hulleu, but the officials correctly ruled out two potential tries. Thomas Lainault eventually got Grenoble on the board, and a Davies penalty nudged them into an 8–7 lead at halftime.
The second half remained tense and tactical. Tommaso Allan restored Perpignan’s advantage with a penalty in the 65th minute, only for Romain Trouilloud to level things up ten minutes later. But Allan had the final say, slotting over a decisive kick two minutes from time to seal the victory and secure Perpignan’s place in the Top 14.
For Grenoble, it’s back to the drawing board — yet again — with questions continuing to mount. It’s their third promotion play-off defeat in a row. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Wales prop’s dad left in tears
Uncapped Wales player Garyn Phillips has revealed that his father was in tears after his call up.
The Ospreys front row was one of six players called up by Matt Sherratt who have never played international rugby. Teammates Keelan Giles and Reuben Morgan-Williams were also given the call.
The three Swansea-based players featured in a recent interview on the Welsh Rugby Union’s social channels, with Phillips explaining what it was like getting called up for the first time.
“I was sat on the settee with my missus,” began Phillips. “The first person I told was my old man, gave him a ring and he was a bit teary on the phone. I gave my old girl a call then.”
Speaking about how he has settled in to camp, Phillips explained that knowing the Ospreys boys has helped him to integrate.
“I’ve played with a lot of the boys before in the U20s and U18s,” he continued. “Obviously familiar with Nicky (Smith) and Gar (Thomas) as well. It’s been pretty easy to settle in.” Join our WalesOnline rugby WhatsApp community here.
Leinster crowned URC champions
By PA Sport Staff
Leinster lifted their first trophy since 2021 after a convincing 32-7 BKT United Rugby Championship grand final win over the Pretoria Bulls at Croke Park.
The wet weather failed to deter an attendance of 46,127 – a record for a league decider in Ireland – as Leo Cullen’s men became the first table-topping team to win the title in the URC era.
Despite Jamison Gibson-Park’s pre-match withdrawal, Leinster roared into a 19-0 half-time lead with tries from captain Jack Conan, Jordie Barrett and Josh van der Flier.
Beaten finalists in 2022 and 2024, the Bulls crossed in the 50th minute through replacement Akker van der Merwe to cancel out a Sam Prendergast penalty.
Prendergast took his haul to 10 points and replacement Fintan Gunne’s closing try was fittingly converted by the Gloucester-bound Ross Byrne.
Conan pointed the way for the hosts with a fifth-minute try, crashing over following an initial maul and Prendergast quickly converted.
Departing All Black Barrett got his right boot to Luke McGrath’s deft dink in the 13th minute, opening up the Bulls’ back-field to brilliantly score beside the posts.
Van der Flier emerged through a maul to make it 19-0, as penalties continued to prove costly for the Bulls.
The South Africans finally got some momentum, battering away before Willie le Roux was guilty of a poor kick and then a forward pass.
Although Prendergast opened the second-half scoring, the visitors hit back when Van der Merwe drove over for Johan Goosen to convert.
It remained 22-7 with the Irish province failing to capitalise on a tap penalty, while Prendergast pushed another one wide.
The young fly-half was back on target in the 67th minute and Gunne then scored from a neat wraparound move – a fine finish to the campaign for Leinster’s 12 British and Irish Lions representatives.
‘Sky’s the limit’ for Bath after ending 29-year title drought
By Rachel Steinberg, PA
Bath captain Ben Spencer declared “the sky’s the limit” after his side ended a 29-year wait for a Premiership title and secured an historic treble with a 23-21 triumph over Leicester at Allianz Stadium.
Leicester came up just short of a fairytale farewell for scrum-half Ben Youngs and prop Dan Cole, who have both called time on their careers after this season and were introduced after the break.
Bath held on after a late Tigers surge narrowed the deficit to two points – despite going down to 14 men after Cole was controversially sent to the sin bin – through a late Emeka Ilione try to raise the Twickenham tension.
“Just relief, pride,” said Spencer, when asked to sum up his feelings. “This has taken a lot of hard work from a lot of people. Relief not just for me, but for the players, the staff, and the fans. The fans are a massive part of why I joined the club.
“I think the future of this club is unbelievably bright, no matter who pulls on the shirt. I can’t speak highly enough of the guys coming through. Their work ethic is second to none, and as long as we keep our feet on the floor and wanting to get better, the sky’s the limit for this team.”
Bath’s tries came from Thomas du Toit and Max Ojomoh on what became a brilliant afternoon for Scotland’s Finn Russell, who overcame early frustrations to kick 13 points, also teeing up Ojomoh after snatching an interception from inside his own half.
Jack van Poortvliet opened the scoring with a try for Leicester, while second-half tries from Solomone Kata and Ilione nearly sparked a comeback.
Handre Pollard added three Leicester conversions but the World Cup-winning South African fly-half will rue what might have been after a rare penalty miss.
Tigers twice had men sent to the sin bin – departing captain Julian Montoya late in the first half, while Cole’s swansong concluded unceremoniously with a controversial yellow.
Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan said: “Our whole focus this season was on winning the Premiership. We gave ourselves that goal, kept that within the circle.”
The South African coach said he would now pause for a moment of reflection before focusing on next season.
He added: “The day you stand still is the day somebody catches you. You must always train like number two because the other guys are coming. The best is yet to come.”
Leicester head coach Michael Cheika – to be replaced by Geoff Parling – will leave this summer at the end of his one-year contract, in addition to Argentina hooker Montoya, Pollard and former England back Mike Brown.
And although he felt he would get himself “in strife” for disclosing what he felt about some of the decisions that went against his side – vowing to take it up with the RFU’s officiating chief Paul Hull as a “final bit of banter” – Cheika was delighted by his team’s resilience and felt the future of the club was bright.
He added: “I feel like if we can take those things that are intangible around belief and the standards you need to have to be able to compete, then it won’t be long before they are on that podium themselves.”
