Today's rugby news as coach calls for Six Nations play-off and stars replaced ahead of France v Wales
These are your rugby headlines on Monday, January 20.
Coach calls for Six Nations play-off
Georgia head coach Richard Cockerill has again called for the Six Nations to implement promotion and relegation to give sides like his a chance of making it to European rugby's top table.
The former England forwards coach has been vocal about how his team deserve a chance to be included in the competition, with Georgia dominating the second tier for years. While the Six Nations is happening, they face the likes of Portugal and Romania in the Rugby Europe Championship and have won 16 titles in the past 25 years, losing just 13 games in that time.
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Last year, Cockerill and Georgia called out Wales for an unofficial play-off match after Warren Gatland's side finished rock bottom of the Six Nations table having failed to win a single game. It was their first whitewash since 2003 and things have not got easier since, having lost every Test they played in 2024 and heading into the new campaign on a 12-game losing run.
Back in Georgia, Cockerill has reignited the debate around how the tournament could look, by saying his side deserve at least a play-off opportunity against the Six Nations’ bottom side.
“Isn't that what sport is about?" he asked. "Then there's some jeopardy there, isn't there? Because you sit there, you can have a poor Six Nations and know that you're going to turn up next year.
“We're not asking for charity, we're asking for an opportunity, but at the moment, that's not forthcoming, is it?
“And I understand, if a country gets relegated from the Six Nations, financially it's catastrophic," he added. "But no different to us if we get promoted, how good it would be for Georgian rugby, because it's worth tens of millions of pounds.
“We talk about opening the world and making the game more accessible, or unless you're the inconvenient sibling, which is what we are at the moment.”
Stars replaced before France v Wales
Two stars have dropped out of France's Six Nations squad as they prepare for their tournament opener against Wales on January 31.
Lock Romain Taofifenua has been ruled out of the preparation squad due to a knee injury sustained against the Stormers this weekend, with the French rugby federation confirming that the Racing 92 player has been replaced by five-cap international Mickaël Guillard in the 42-man group.
Star winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey will also miss the squad's preparations in Marcoussis ahead of the tournament, having withdrawn from the Bordeaux side that beat the Sharks on Sunday due to feeling dizzy. This was reportedly due to an inner ear issue, with the likely length of his absence still unknown.
The setbacks come after Fabian Galthie also lost the experienced trio of Charles Ollivon, Gael Fickou and Jonathan Danty to injury. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Earlier this month, Toulon captain Ollivon was ruled out of the tournament after suffering a season-ending knee injury, which is set to keep him on the sidelines for around six months. Fickou and Danty, meanwhile, suffered thumb and knee injuries respectively.
Leicester Tigers mauled by Toulouse
By PA Sport Staff
Leicester suffered their heaviest Investec Champions Cup defeat as holders Toulouse thrashed them 80-12 at Stade Ernest Wallon.
The French team ran in 12 tries to deny the Tigers a home draw in the competition's round of 16.
Toulouse ran in six first-half tries, with captain Antoine Dupont beginning the rout and Emmanuel Meafou adding a brace. Ange Capuozzo, Dimitri Delibes and Julien Marchand continued the blitz as Toulouse scored 42 points in a first half where Leicester failed to register a single score.
There was slight improvement from Tigers after the break as Jack van Poortvliet and Will Hurd crossed for tries and Jamie Shillcock added a conversion.
But Toulouse refused to show mercy as another six tries underlined their intent to retain the trophy. Capuozzo and Dupont scored again and Thibaud Flament went over twice.
Thomas Ramos and replacement Matthis Lebel completed the scoring as Leicester - who booked their place in the knockout stage after beating Ulster last weekend - settled for third place in the pool.
France winger Damian Penaud set a new tournament record of six tries as Bordeaux thrashed Sharks 66-12 to secure top spot in Pool One and home advantage in the next round.
The heavy defeat for Sharks meant Ulster leapfrogged them into fourth place and secure qualification for the round of 16 on points difference.
England hit by new injury concern
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
Jamie George limped off with a hamstring problem late in Saracens' 32-24 Investec Champions Cup defeat by Castres to compound a miserable week for the England hooker.
Replaced as England captain by club team-mate Maro Itoje when Steve Borthwick named his Guinness Six Nations squad on Tuesday, he then suffered an injury at StoneX Stadium that could place his involvement against Ireland on February 1 in doubt.
George came on for two-try front row Theo Dan in the 55th minute but was forced off in the closing stages with Saracens unable to indicate the extent of the damage.
"Jamie has hurt his hamstring. We're not quite sure how serious that hamstring is at the moment," director of rugby Mark McCall said.
George's late withdrawal and a serious knee injury sustained by Toby Knight added to a frustrating afternoon in north London, where Castres finally won after 21 successive away defeats in the Champions Cup.
Both teams had already qualified for the round of 16 and were battling for home advantage - a reward that goes to the Top 14's eighth-placed club after they showed greater fight and flair to close out a deserved win. And they achieved the upset despite naming entirely new starting XV following their 49-10 demolition of the Bulls last weekend and in defiance of their reputation as flaky travellers.
"It was a really poor performance by us. Castres thoroughly deserved to win the game and we got what we deserved as well, which is a hard thing to say," McCall said. "Our mentality for some reason wasn't quite right and that's on me and the coaches. It was a really disappointing day. Castres definitely out-enthused us. They were really up for the game.
"We had plenty of the ball but we were poor with it and they defended against us comfortably. Then they struck when the opportunities arose for them. It was such a disappointing day.
