Latest news with #TommyReffell
Wales Online
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
World Rugby announce new rankings table as Wales salvage World Cup lifeline
World Rugby announce new rankings table as Wales salvage World Cup lifeline Wales have moved up in the latest rankings after previously slumping to their lowest ever position Ben Thomas (L) and Tommy Reffell (R) of Wales celebrate (Image: 2025 Getty Images ) Wales have climbed two places in the latest World Rugby rankings after ending their 644-day wait for a Test victory at the weekend. Saturday's 32-21 win over Japan halted a sorry run of 18 straight Test defeats for Wales, who had previously sunk below the Brave Blossoms in the rankings after sinking to 14th. That was previously the lowest Wales have ever been in the world rankings, and having seen off Eddie Jones' side in Kobe, the hope will be that there's now a platform on which to build a way back into the top 10. This overdue win means Wales have now eased their way up into 12th, ahead of Samoa in 13th, and just behind Georgia in 11th. That is significant as the top 12 teams will be in the top two seeding groups for the 2027 Rugby World Cup draw, which takes place later in the year. Wales celebrate at full time after beating Japan (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) If Wales were to slip below that again they would face a World Cup group of death in two years' time. Article continues below They return to action for a tough Autumn schedule before the end of the year, with Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa all lying in wait. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Australia are another big mover ahead of the first Test with the British and Irish Lions on Saturday, edging up from eighth to sixth, with Argentina (7th) and Scotland (8th), both slipping by one place. Scotland were beaten 29-14 by Fiji on Saturday, while the Pumas lost to England for a second consecutive week. South Africa still lead the way, with New Zealand, who thumped France, and Ireland second and third respectively, while France sit in fourth and England fifth. The only other movement in the top 20 sees Spain switch places with the United States to move up to 15th. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free Rankings in full: South Africa – 92.78 New Zealand – 91.72 (+0.74) Ireland – 89.83 France – 88.16 (-0.74) England – 87.64 (+0.93) Australia (↑8) – 82.08 Argentina (↓6) – 82.05 (-0.93) Scotland (↓7) – 81.37 (-0.98) Fiji – 80.50 (+0.98) Italy – 77.77 Georgia – 74.69 Wales (↑14) – 74.05 (+1.40) Samoa – 72.68 Japan (↓12) – 72.29 (-1.40) Spain (↑16) – 68.91 (+1.57) USA (↓15) – 68.45 (-1.57) Uruguay – 67.52 (+0.46) Portugal – 66.44 Tonga – 65.46 Chile – 63.20 Article continues below
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wales coach explains why he's benched two of Wales' best players for must-win Japan game
Matt Sherratt has explained the bold back-row call that has seen Aaron Wainwright and Tommy Reffell named on the bench for the first Test against Japan in Kitakyushu on Saturday. The pair have 84 caps between them, but Sherratt has turned to Cardiff blindside Alex Mann and Scarlets openside Josh Macleod to pack down with Taulupe Faletau in the back-row. Faletau accounts for 108 of the Welsh back-row's 115 Test caps - with it being one of the few places where Eddie Jones' inexperienced Japan boast more international appearances. Advertisement Few would have predicted a starting line-up without either Wainwright or Reffell ahead of this summer's tour. Wainwright was one of Wales' standout players in 2024, while Reffell seemed the obvious openside with Jac Morgan in Australia on Lions duty. "We wanted to reward players who had performed for their clubs," said Sherratt about naming Scarlets captain Macleod in his starting XV. "I think Josh and Johnny (Williams) have had really good seasons for the Scarlets. "Josh has had some real ups and downs in terms of injures. The last time he was in the squad was 2022. "As a Cardiff coach, I know that when he's picked, we always preview him. He's a really good player." Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia. Advertisement Sherratt has backed Macleod to continue his fine regional form after three years away from the Welsh jersey, while Mann - who tends to empty the tank for Cardiff, sometimes quite literally - is also afforded a Test recall after falling out of favour under Gatland. Crucially though, Sherratt believes having the experience of Wainwright and Reffell on the bench should prove crucial in the final quarter. "Obviously, we've had three weeks prep," added the Wales interim coach. "So it's really a mixture of recent club form, trying to get combinations together, what we've seen in training. "It's a new coaching group. The opinion of Danny (Wilson) coming in as forwards coach. Gethin (Jenkins) is pretty familiar with a lot of the players, but not all of them, is in as defence coach. Advertisement "It's trying to let the players start on a even field and select on what we've seen. What's added to that which is a really point is trying to spread experience out. "What we wanted to do is put experienced players on the bench. The likes of Aaron Wainwright, Gareth Thomas, Tommy Reffell. "We feel conditions will be tough to start, getting used to it. To have some real quality experience off the bench will be massive. "It's not a 15 we've picked, it's a genuine 23. We feel it's going to be an 80 minute performance we need. "What I've learned at Cardiff is not to throw all your experience on at once, because between 60 to 80 is where the crucial decision-making comes in." Advertisement While Wainwright and Reffell alone have 84 caps between them, with Wales' entire bench boasting 145 international appearances, Japan's replacements have just 19. They belong to just two players, with six uncapped players on the bench for Saturday's clash. The fact Sherratt has gone for a 6-2 split, giving Wales one extra fresh forward compared to Japan, could be crucial in the Kitakyushu heat and humidity. "We know Japan start very well," added Wales captain Dewi Lake. "The first 20 minutes of the game, they've been beating some of the best teams in the world, or been within three points. "So they start well in each half. We know in the conditions as well, that's when the bench becomes massively important after 60 minutes. Advertisement "We get fresh legs on the field and it's like a second team goes on almost to finish off the game. We've seen in rugby how important those finishers have been to reignite the game and finish it off."
Wales Online
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Wales press conference Live as Matt Sherratt names team for first Japan Test
Matt Sherratt has named his Wales team to take on Japan this Saturday in Kitakyushu, opting to hold the experience of Aaron Wainwright and Tommy Reffell back on the bench. Alex Mann and Josh Macleod are preferred to the experienced back-rowers, as Sherratt opts for a 6-2 split on the bench to deal with the expected heat and humidity on Saturday. There are just four survivors in the starting XV from the one that ended the Six Nations against England - with Nicky Smith, Taulupe Faletau, Ben Thomas and Blair Murray keeping their jerseys. Wales take on the Brave Blossoms at Mikuni World Stadium this weekend as they look to end a 17-Test losing run. Defeat to Japan would see Wales slide down to 14th in the rankings, falling behind Saturday's opponents as well as Samoa. Having named his side, Sherratt will now face the media - with that press conference set to take place at 7am UK time. You can follow all the updates from that in our live blog below. Japan: Takuro Matsunaga; Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Shogo Nakano, Malo Tuitama; Seungsin Lee, Shinobu Fujiwara; Yota Kamimori, Mamoru Harada, Shuhei Takeuchi, Epineri Uluiviti, Warner Deans, Michael Leitch (c), Jack Cornelsen, Amato Fakatava. Replacements: Hayate Era, Sena Kimura, Keijiro Tamefusa, Waisake Raratubua, Ben Gunter, Shuntaro Kitamura, Ichigo Nakakusu, Halatoa Vailea. Wales: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Ben Thomas, Josh Adams; Sam Costelow, Kieran Hardy; Nicky Smith, Dewi Lake, Keiron Assiratti, Ben Carter, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Josh Macleod, Taulupe Faletau. Replacements: Liam Belcher, Gareth Thomas, Archie Griffin, James Ratti, Aaron Wainwright, Tommy Reffell, Rhodri Williams, Joe Roberts. Live updates:
Wales Online
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Today's rugby news as 'relentless' Welsh star tears it up and coach twists knife into Wales
Today's rugby news as 'relentless' Welsh star tears it up and coach twists knife into Wales The latest headlines from Wales and around the world Leicester Tigers' Tommy Reffell put in 16 tackles against Bristol in a man-of-the-match performance (Image: Steven Paston/PA Wire ) These are your latest rugby headlines on Monday, April 21. 'Relentless' Wales star tears it up Wales international Tommy Reffell delivered a man-of-the-match performance as Leicester Tigers defeated fellow Gallagher Premiership title hopefuls Bristol 36-19 on Sunday. In a victory that saw Michael Cheika's side climb above Bristol, Sale and Saracens into second place in the table, the visitors to Ashton Gate ran in five tries with wings Adam Radwan and Ollie Hassell-Collins, scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet, full-back Freddie Steward and lock Cameron Henderson all getting on the scoresheet. While he didn't get on the shortlist, Reffell stood out in an impressive display up-front from the Tigers, proving a constant thorn in Bristol's side as he dominated at the breakdown, stopping his opponents in their tracks and winning a total of three turnovers. A huge defensive shift from the 25-year-old back row, who returned to Cheika's starting side for the visit to Ashton Gate, also saw him make 16 tackles, more than any other player made while he was on the pitch. Reffell was duly awarded the TNT Sports' Player of the Match award, with former Wales captain Sam Warburton hailing his countryman as "relentless". Article continues below However, some commentators have gone even further with their praise, with Planet Rugby of the opinion that he could be a "dark horse" to make this summer's British & Irish Lions tour. Reffell will now be key to Leicester's title hopes with four matches - against Harlequins, Sale, Bath and Newcastle - left to play of the regular season. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Coach twists knife into Wales Ireland head coach Scott Bemand was left frustrated despite his side recording a 40-14 bonus-point victory over Wales in the Women's Six Nations, claiming that his side could have put "50 or 60" points on the board. Despite taking the lead at Rodney Parade on Sunday, Wales suffered a fourth successive defeat of the campaign as the visitors ran in six tries, meaning they are now staring down the barrel at back-to-back Six Nations Wooden Spoon finishes as they prepare to face Italy next weekend. However, despite his side getting a big win under their belts, Bemand claimed after the match that they could have inflicted further punishment on Sean Lynn's Welsh side as he admitted to feeling "a little bit flat" about the result. 'Look, we've won a second on the bounce away from home, so always reflect on your victories,' the coach said. 'We said doing the same as what we did last year, two wins in the competition with the three [matches] that we probably should win away. We've managed to achieve that. 'I think there's bits of performance out there that I actually feel a little bit flat about because I think we've left a lot of points out there. 'I'd hoped to lay down a bit of a statement victory and I think that we had probably 16, 18 minutes at the end there where we could have kicked on and that could have been 50, 60," he added. 'With the young group there was a whole piece of occasion around here and handling playing a Wales group that, you know, are brilliantly Welsh. They were always going to make the breakdown hard and we kind of allowed that to happen.' Owen Farrell Lions verdict issued Former England internationals Ben Kay and Ugo Monye have given their verdict on Owen Farrell's chances of making this summer's British & Irish Lions tour. The Racing 92 fly-half is one of the most experienced options that his father and Lions boss Andy has at his disposal for the tour of Australia, but is out of form for his club side and, by his own admission, not quite back to full fitness. However, the appointment of Johnny Sexton to the Lions' coaching staff has raised questions over whether Farrell could in fact make his fourth Lions tour, with the ex-England skipper highly rated by his former Ireland rival. But giving his take, Monye was not convinced that the unlikely call-up will happen, with the tour coming "a little too soon" for the 33-year-old. "A fully fit Owen Farrell, with a season full of games, I think he definitely goes," said the TNT Sports pundit. "I watched him against Connacht for Racing 92 in the semi-final of the Challenge Cup last week. He came off the bench and played 30 minutes, spiral bombs, he played really well. "But afterwards he said 'I'm trying to get my fitness, I'm trying to get back to full fitness.' And you don't want to be trying to get back to your full fitness at this stage of the season, so the Lions may come a little too soon." Asked for his opinion, Kay claimed there could still be a role for Farrell, outside of the finalised squad. "I could see him being the first reserve, as either a 10 or a centre, just to get him out there and come in," he added. "If you lose a couple through injury, who else would you want to come in and go straight into a Test team?" Springbok hooker dies Former South Africa international Gys Pitzer has died at the age of 85. The hooker played 12 matches for the Springboks and featured in their 1968 series victory over the British & Irish Lions. However, his career was cut short by injury the following year, having spent three weeks in a Swansea hospital after injuring himself during a tour of Britain and Ireland. Tragically, his death follows those of his wife Rina and grandson Gys Jnr last year. Tributes have poured in for Pitzer, with SA Rugby president Mark Alexander remembering him as "an integral part of South African rugby history" who "played alongside legends and contributed to memorable victories". Article continues below 'His commitment to excellence on the field was matched by his dedication off it - whether as a teacher, coach, or mentor to young players," Alexander added. 'Beyond his achievements on the field, Gys will be remembered as a remarkable husband, father, and grandfather. His legacy is one of leadership, kindness and deep love for the game and his fellow man. 'Gys endured profound personal loss last year with the passing of his wife, Rina, and grandson, Gys (Jnr), in 2024. His remaining family, friends, and the rugby fraternity will deeply miss him, but his contributions will forever be honoured. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time. May they find strength in his memory and comfort in knowing his legacy will live on.'
BBC News
25-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Back row Reffell signs new Leicester Tigers deal
Wales flanker Tommy Reffell has signed a new deal with Leicester Tigers to keep him at the club next 25-year-old made his 100th start in Friday's 33-0 East Midlands derby win at played for Wales at the 2023 World Cup and has won 27 caps in total, four of them during the recent Six Nations."This club has given me so much and I've achieved a lot of my goals here, so I just want to keep earning that faith they've shown in me through what I do on the field," said Reffell, who came through the Tigers youth forwards Emeka Ilione and Tom Manz have also agreed contract extensions with row Ilione, 22, has made 38 senior appearances for the Tigers, 16 of them this season, while also studying medicine at the University of Nottingham."Emeka has taken massive strides in his development this season," said general manager Richard Wilks. Manz, 23, made his Premiership debut against Gloucester earlier this season.
