Wales international Jamie Roberts is to seek immediate talks with the upper echelons of Racing Metro’s management, amid reports that the centre and his compatriot, Dan Lydiate, could be repatriated to their native Wales.

After failing to make the desired impact at Racing Metro, the Welsh duo will reportedly see their contracts with the Parisian club bought out by the Welsh Rugby Union.

The Welsh coach, Warren Gatland, tentatively hinted that the duo may want to return to Wales, but stopped short of concretely confirming their intentions.

When pressed on any proposed move, Roberts remained coy and said he was surprised to see the link home.

“I was as baffled as anyone this morning when I got up and I had text messages from my mates,” said the sixty time capped Welsh centre.

“It was the first I’d heard of it, I hadn’t got a clue.

“I’ll raise the issue with the coaches today or tomorrow and see what’s happened there.

“I’ve read a few quotes and it’s interesting to say the least. But it happens and I haven’t got a clue. Agents deal with all that sort of stuff.”

However, Wales Online understands that the WRU(Welsh Rugby Union) made their move to repatriate Roberts and Lydiate a number of weeks ago and they were enthused by Racing’s coach, Laurent Labit, declaration that the Parisian club, home to Lydiate and Roberts’ Lions team-mate Jonathan Sexton as well as their Welsh team-mate Mike Phillips, had already made succession plans upon the event of them releasing Roberts, who’s contract expires at the end of next season.

Article Source: Wales Online

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A clause in Sam Warburton’s dual WRU-Cardiff Blues contract dictates that the open-side can only make sixteen appearances for the Blues each season.

Warburton missed the Blues’ defeat to Ulster last weekend and it was originally thought that the former Lions’ captain absence was due to player management, but, today, the Arms Park club’s Director of Rugby, Mark Hammett, revealed that Warburton, under the terms of his new deal, can only represent the Blues on sixteen occasions per season.

However, Hammett, speaking to the BBC, stated that it was at Cardiff’s discretion when the twenty five year old would play and not the WRU’s, who pay 60% of Warburton’s salary.

“From game time there’s a figure of 16 games… we are not told when a player can or can’t play,”Hammett admitted.

“But we have agreed to negotiate and talk together with the player.

“So if we use Sam as an example, we talk with Sam, obviously the Blues and the Welsh Rugby Union to work out what is the best schedule for Sam – not just what’s best for Wales or what’s best for the Blues, but a combination.

“I’ve had those conversations around Sam with Gats [Wales coach Warren Gatland], with Sam himself.

“We’ve got to keep in mind because of the way rugby is there are injuries, there are illnesses, things like that so it’s a living document, it’s a best guess in a way.”

Source of information: Planet Rugby

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Warren Gatland wants to cull the number of oversea’s players in Wales

As per reports on Wales Onlines website, Regional Rugby Wales, the body which represents Wales’ four professional regional teams, Scarlets, Cardiff Blues, Dragons & Ospreys, wanted the WRU to ratify a rule that would allow each of their teams to play up ten non Welsh eligible players per game.

However, on the insistence of Warren Gatland, the Welsh coach, the number of non Welsh players cleared for playing for the Welsh regions during the Guinness Pro12 fixtures next season will be capped at eight, although this is predicated on at least two of those players expressing an interest to represent Wales via the residency rule further down the line.

Had the RRW request been granted, then there would only have been twenty vacancies for Welsh players during any given round of next season’s pro12-nearly half of what would have been allocated to oversea’s players.

Gatland insist’s that a select number of foreign players, with the requisite qualities would be welcomed with open arms but insisted that journeymen who would stunt the development of younger and potentially better Welsh players should not be considered by the regions.

In return for his stipulation, Gatland agreed to cut the Welsh score squad from 45 members to 38

In an interview earlier this year, the Kiwi stated that, in a perverse, vicarious way, the relative lack of finance available to the Welsh regions may be of benefit to the national team

“Because of the financial pressure the regions have been under, we have not seen so many overseas players or players from outside of Wales being here and potentially stopping these players coming through,”

Gatland added: “That’s been a big benefit for me as a coach in picking them. There’s no history with them in terms of losing to New Zealand or South Africa.

“They come in with an attitude of we might be young but we’re good enough. And that’s exactly what we’re looking for, it’s great.”

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