Rugby is starting to wake from its summer slumber, with a number of friendlies taking place before the start of competitive action.
So, what has the weekend brought? A notable departure from the Wales scene has been documented, while there are concerns over the border, not least among the Welsh players at a troubled English club.
There were also some notable individual performances on the field. We take a look at the rugby winners and losers:
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WINNERS
Olly Cracknell
His move from London Irish to Leicester Tigers may have gone a shade under the radar when it was announced, but Olly Cracknell made an impressive start at his new club at the weekend, with two tries marking his first appearance in Tigers’ colours. The east Midlands club won 35-26 on the road against Jersey Reds.
Back-rower Cracknell proved one of their star performers. A Wales squad member in 2017 without winning a cap, he was known for his tough and uncompromising play while at the Ospreys. His tackling was hard-hitting and his willingness to put his body on the line earned him the respect of his fellow players and Ospreys supporters.
He wasn’t especially noted for his try-scoring, but there was a brace of touchdowns for him in a three-minute spell in the Jersey sunshine.
The first score saw Cracknell finish beneath a pile of bodies, then he pushed his way across near the posts. Neither score is expected to challenge for try of the season in England, but it was a nice way for a player who some in these parts seem to have forgotten about to open for the east Midlanders. It would be a surprise if he didn’t fit in exceptionally well in his new surroundings.
Mark Davies
It's goodbye to Carcass, then, after 30 years and some 350 Wales international matches under 11 national coaches. For sure, the national set-up won’t be the same without Mark Davies.
He has been looking after generations of Wales players in his long-standing role as team physio. Now, one of Welsh rugby’s most popular figures is set to call time on his career from next week at the age of 64.
“I glanced in the mirror once too often and saw my sell-by date," he told The Rugby Paper. "In cricket parlance it feels a bit like walking off the field at Lord's after making a triple century. I consider myself very lucky. The decision to retire is mine. I realise I've had a longer run than I could have wished for but the job is much more active than it used to be and there comes a time when you have to be honest and put your hand up.
"I've accumulated a number of ailments over the years which has required a new knee, hip and shoulder. They don't replace the joints in your feet the way they do knees and hips. I've had a number of fusions in both feet, so long gone are the days when I had four good wheels on my wagon. They are boney problems which is a bit ironic in view of my nickname.
"Somebody called me 'Carcass' way back in primary school in Maesteg because some bright spark thought it summed up my anatomical state. I was skin and bone at the time and it's stuck ever since.”
He added: "I have the kind of precious memories which no amount of money can buy.”
Capped three times by Wales in the early 1980s, the former Nantyfyllon and Swansea flanker enjoyed a stellar playing career, with his time on the so-called first-class scene seeing him make more than 250 appearances for the All Whites as an immensely powerful back-row forward. Training in his local gym in Nantyffyllon, he looked quite capable of bench-pressing the entire building, such was his strength. He skippered Swansea and was part of a formidable back row with Paul Moriarty at blindside and John Thomas at No. 8.
As a physio with the Welsh Rugby Union, Davies was respected by players for his professional expertise and for his ability to empathise with them as a former player and international himself. He will be missed. Hugely. Undoubtedly, he leaves as a winner.
John Plumtree
It hasn’t taken the former Swansea RFC coach long to find a new role after his abrupt exit from the job of forwards coach with the All Blacks. Plumtree and ex-Scarlets coach Brad Mooar paid the price for New Zealand's series defeat by Ireland.
But ‘Plum’, as he was affectionately known during his time in Swansea from 1997 to 2001, has now secured a fresh posting after contacting NPC team Manawatu. He is said to be working free of charge, so the assumption is we may be dealing with a moving story here, but at least he is up and running again.
“He reached out to me to see if he could have a hand in taking the distraction away of the last two or three weeks,” Manawatu head coach Peter Russell told Stuff. “He wanted to get back on the grass and get coaching, because that’s his passion. I’d be bloody stupid if I didn’t [take up his offer].”
Many in south-west Wales, in particular, will be pleased to see Plumtree responding so positively to his All Blacks disappointment. He proved quite the hit in Swansea, steering the Whites to two league titles and a Welsh Cup final triumph over Llanelli in 1999. During that time, they played some wonderful rugby. More than that, their head coach at the time was never less than approachable and easy to deal with. On the rare occasions he did have issues with anyone, he would let them know and the matter would be quickly done with. From a media point of view, he ticked all the boxes.
Harri Deaves
He is the latest one to roll off the openside flanker production line in Wales, and he continues to look the genuine article. In the Ospreys’ 41-14 win over Hartpury, the youngster peeled off a number of turners and generally appeared the part as he supported intelligently, broke up opposition attacks with his tackling and proved a menace at the breakdown.
He usually stands out because of the yellow head guard he wears but he would be hard to miss, anyway. He may need to bide his time at the Ospreys with Justin Tipuric and Jac Morgan for company, but he can learn from both and is a young player with immense promise.
Tom Smith
It was only a friendly, but Bridgend Ravens' new head coach Tom Smith will be pleased to have marked his first outing in charge with a win over Merthyr. Former Ospreys' back rower and Cardiff Rugby forwards coach Smith took over at the Brewery Field in the summer and the word is he has wasted no time making a favourable impression.
Being a grounded sort, he will not read too much into his club's 26-24 success at The Wern, but, still, it augured well, with new signing Luke Price catching the eye at fly-half, the defence looking well-drilled and Stuart Floyd Ellis standing out in the centre.
LOSERS
Worcester Warriors’ squad
It’s hard not to feel sorry for all employees at Worcester Warriors after news that the club have been handed a winding-up petition by HMRC over an unpaid tax bill amid speculation the Sixways outfit could be liquidated unless matters are settled soon.
That adds up to worry for everyone who is on the Warriors’ wage list, including the likes of Welsh players Ashley Beck, Owen Williams, Harri Doel and Marc Thomas. A number of Wales Women's stars also ply their club trade for the Warriors in the Premier 15s, including Sioned Harries, Alex Callender, Natalia John, Ffion Lewis and Carys Phillips.
The club’s fate has yet to be determined yet, so there is still a dot of hope the story will end well for all concerned. But the signs do not look promising.
WRU executive
The Welsh Rugby Union’s performance director Nigel Walker could be forgiven for feeling a shade deflated after seeing a move to reduce the Indigo Welsh Premiership to 10 clubs reportedly rejected by the governing body’s Community Game Board (CGB), featuring representatives from amateur clubs.
The WRU executive, including Walker, had been keen to see the semi-pro league streamlined in order to improve standards and create a finishing school for regional youngsters. Their plan would have seen the 10 teams chosen based on geography and various other criteria, with ring-fencing funding introduced for a number of years amid no relegation or promotion.
But it doesn’t look as if it’s going to happen, yet anyway, with the Community Game Board opting to run with the original plan to increase the size of Welsh rugby’s second tier to 14 teams from 2023-24. You can read more about how Nigel Walker's plan is set to be blown apart here.
The news has not seen Champagne corks popping in every corner of Welsh rugby, with some wondering why the division immediately below the professional level in Wales is the responsibility of the community board rather than the Professional Rugby Board.
Former Wales wing Shane Williams hasn’t held back in his assessment of the situation, writing in his column in The Rugby Paper : "The Community Game Board, which has the WRU Board chairman as its chair, is stuck in the dark ages. Their recent decision-making has taken us back to the bad old days of back-of-fag-packet resolutions and medieval thinking.
"Our aspiring young internationals deserve better than this. They need a system that supports their aspirations and gives them the chance to develop to become the best version of themselves. There are lots of examples of future internationals cutting their teeth in the Premiership, but a better competition would be even better for their development.
"At the moment, the Premiership is suffering death by a thousand cuts and isn't being given the chance to thrive. It is a question of rule by the lowest common denominator, rather than higher standards and ambitions being able to properly challenge its clubs, coaches and players.”
The "medieval" thinkers who Williams talks about have yet to respond. None of which is Walker's fault, but the ex-Wales wing must be wondering exactly what happens next.
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