Here are your rugby evening headlines for Thursday, April 23.
Rees-Zammit missing for Bristol
Louis Rees-Zammit will miss Bristol’s clash with Newcastle Red Bulls this weekend, but the Wales full-back is nearing on a return from injury.
The 25-year-old missed last weekend’s 53–12 win over Gloucester with a knee injury picked up in training.
“Zam (Rees-Zammit) should be available for the Saracens game,” said Bristol boss Pat Lam. “Santi Grondona should be available for that as well. Steele Barker has unfortunately dislocated his shoulder.
“I will find out soon if he’s going to require surgery or not. So, the curse is on the second rows at the moment. It’s now past the deadline, which was on the 17th.
“I think we’ve still got a group that we can get out. We might have to play a few boys out of position, but you crack on, and the next guy steps up, and we go from there,” he said.
Wales star signs new deal
Scarlets captain Josh Macleod has signed a new deal to stay at the Welsh side.
The Wales back-row has made 148 appearances since making his debut in 2015, having taken over the captaincy from Jonathan Davies in 2023.
It’s not clear how long the 29-year-old’s new contract is.
“The Scarlets has shaped me as a person from the moment I joined the academy at 16,” said Macleod. “To be here now as captain is something I’ll never take lightly and it means a huge amount to me.”
He added: “This season has tested us but also brought the group closer together. We’ve shown glimpses of what we’re capable of against top sides in the URC and Europe.
“The challenge now is turning those moments into consistency.”
The five-cap flanker hopes to return before the end of the season after picking up a hamstring injury.
“It’s been frustrating being sidelined during the last couple of weeks,” said Macleod. “I’m not far away now and working hard to get back. Hopefully I can play my part towards the end of the season.”
After his new deal was announced, Scarlets interim director of rugby Nigel Davies called Macleod a “natural leader”.
“He drives standards and represents what we want this team to stand for,” said Davies. “Having players like Josh at the core of Scarlets is critical. He understands what it takes to perform and help build a team.
“He leads through his actions, is brave in how he plays and has the mindset to keep pushing standards.”
Rugby commentator dies
Popular New Zealand rugby commentator Jed Thian, known to fans as the Rugby Jedi, has died in Thailand.
Thian was recognisable to Welsh fans, having appeared on BBC’s Scrum V. His brother Andrew posted a statement on social media confirming the news.
“I have come to Thailand to be with my brother as he has passed away,” Andrew said. “I couldn’t tell everyone as I didn’t have his phone. Our family is so sad it hurts.
“Tomorrow he will start his journey home. Saturday I will place some of his ashes here in the sea where he loved.”
Andrew has also set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs and to bring his brother back to New Zealand.
Dragons not distracted by Europe as they look to end five-year wait
Head coach Filo Tiatia insists Dragons will not be sidetracked by their forthcoming Challenge Cup semi-final as they bid to end their lengthy wait for an away victory in the league.
The Rodney Parade outfit make a swift return to Parma on Friday to face the same Zebre side they overcame in the quarter-finals of the second-tier European competition. Following their trip to Italy, the Dragons will take on Montpellier on May 3 as they bid to reach a European final for the first time.
“It’s pretty easy to put it out of the mind,” said head coach Filo Tiatia. “The job at hand is versus Zebre and there’s an opportunity to put a performance in and climb up the table.”
Dragons have resisted the urge to rest key players at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, with nine survivors retained from the quarter-final starting line-up.
Key trio Aaron Wainwright, Ben Carter and Angus O’Brien are recalled after being rested for Friday’s heavy defeat to the Bulls.
However, the likes of Rio Dyer, Fine Inisi, Chris Coleman, Ryan Woodman and Harri Keddie are given the weekend off.
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Tight-head prop Dillon Lewis made his comeback from a calf injury off the bench against Bulls and earns his first start since 11 October, while scrum-half Rhodri Williams returns following a head injury.
“There’s a little bit of managing players, looking at who needs game time and who has earned the opportunity to put the jersey on,” said Tiatia. “We are trying to form competition within the group. We gave opportunities against Bulls and there are more this weekend.
“You are going to lose players to injury all the time and others need to be ready if there is an opportunity. It’s a contact sport, people get hurt and the next person needs to be ready to go.”
Dragons have not won away from home in the league since April 2022, when they beat the Scarlets. Their last league victory outside of Wales was in October 2021.
“We have to make our own luck and know what the challenge ahead is,” said Tiatia. “Zebre would have been disappointed losing the quarter-final but I remember vividly that some of their staff members were really clear about looking forward to us returning.
“We are looking forward to going to Parma and having a scrap.”
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