Here are your rugby headlines for Saturday, December 21.

WRU set to appoint Gatland's former players

A new high-performance panel will be set up to monitor Warren Gatland's performance as Wales coach, with some of Gatland’s former players likely to form the new committee.

Sam Warburton has been tipped for a role helping the national team in recent weeks, with England World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward pushing his name forward for a director of rugby role with the Welsh Rugby Union.

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Warburton has played down any such move, but his name would likely be considered - along with fellow former Wales captains Ken Owens and Alun Wyn Jones - on the panel.

The formation of a panel, which will include former players, comes at a time when Gatland has come under more pressure from those who have worked under him than ever before.

Jamie Roberts questioned Gatland during his TV punditry in the autumn, while Mike Phillips has been vocal recently about his former coach.

When it came to the new-look panel, WRU CEI Abi Tierney insisted no one had yet agreed to be part of it.

"No personnel have been decided,” she said. “We've approached some people who have said they would be up for supporting us and being part of it.

“We need to go through that process and ensure we're very clear on the terms of reference and time commitment required. What kinds of skillsets we're looking at. That's still a work in progress but we've had some conversations.

"There's other sporting organisations that have this. I think it's got to be a combination of people who have played, people who have coached, potentially people who understand what high-level sports environments are like.

“I'll sit on it. It'll be a mixture of skills from that perspective.

"Tottenham have one. RFU have one. They're all quite different.

“Particularly in an environment where your chief executive is not necessarily a football or rugby expert. It's to provide that real in-depth expert challenge to a coaching and high-performance set-up."

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Rising Wales star with 'big future' signs new deal

Rising Wales star Cameron Winnett has put pen to paper on a "long-term" contract with Cardiff.

The 21-year-old's contract length remains undisclosed, but given how much his stock has risen in the last 12 months, it is a considerable boon for the Arms Park side to tie him down to new terms.

The Rhondda product, who joins Alun Lawrence, Ben Thomas and Liam Belcher among those to have signed fresh terms with the club, climbed the ranks through the Cardiff age-grade pathway, making his senior debut in 2021 and securing his position as the first-choice full-back last year.

"I absolutely love playing at the Arms Park and really enjoy being part of a very good group of players, who are building and developing together," Winnett said. "I just want to keep improving, and as a group to keep building on what we have been doing in the last two years, to make some big memories in a blue and black jersey."

Matt Sherratt, Cardiff's head coach, heaped praise on Winnett, saying: "He is a top-quality player and person, who has a great skillset, is very professional and does not get fazed. He is also a homegrown lad that grew up supporting the club and progressed through the pathway here.

"He is now playing with a lot of the boys he came through with as well as some he used to look up to and I know how determined he is to bring success to the Arms Park. He has a big future here and in the game in general."

Wales star scores in Gloucester win

Gloucester earned a deserved 14-0 win over an out-of-sorts Harlequins before a sell-out crowd at Kingsholm.

After scoring two tries in an impressive first-half performance, the home side had to rely on some heroic defence to achieve the rare feat of keeping the normally potent Quins scoreless.

Josh Hathaway and Jack Clement scored Gloucester’s tries, both of which Santiago Carreras converted as none of Quins’ stars could make any impact on the night.

Val Rapava-Ruskin was a late withdrawal with a knee injury but his side overcame that setback to take an 11th-minute lead.

After withstanding a sustained opening assault, Gloucester broke out and from their first real attack, a long pass from Gareth Anscombe provided his fellow Wales international Hathaway with a walk-in.

That score was the catalyst for the hosts to take control. Their pack had the edge at the breakdown and dominance in the scrum and as a result looked set to increase their advantage when Rapava-Ruskin’s replacement Ciaran Knight tore through the defence before chipping ahead, but the Quins cover just got back in time.

However the respite was only temporary as Gloucester soon won another a scrum penalty and from the resulting line-out, their opponents were scattered everywhere as Clement powered over.

The home side suffered a blow when their promising young prop Afolabi Fasogbon limped off but they were still able to keep Quins at bay to lead 14-0 at half-time.

The Londoners needed the first score after the interval to remain in contention but could not penetrate a resolute home defence, who were able to successfully defend two five-metre line-outs and then tackle fiercely when the ball was moved wide.

Quins were not helped by uncustomary poor handling and full-back Tyrone Green looked the only one capable of breaking down Gloucester’s defensive red wall.

The visitors took off England flanker Chandler Cunningham-South together with two other forwards in an attempt to reverse their fortunes but it paid no immediate dividends as an error-ridden third quarter finished scoreless.

Surprisingly Green was then replaced by Jarrod Evans, with Marcus Smith switching to full-back. Gloucester responded by withdrawing Anscombe with Carreras taking up the fly-half berth.

With 15 minutes remaining, Carreras had a chance to make it a three-score game but his 40-metre penalty rebounded back off a post. It mattered little as Quins continued their fumbling right up until the end.

Welsh coach replaced

Canada have announced former Bath coach Steve Meehan as their new head coach following the departure of Kingsley Jones.

Rugby Canada confirmed earlier this month that a mutual parting of the ways had taken place, with both parties agreeing that the team needed to be taken in a "new direction".

It came after Jones, who won 10 caps for Wales between 1996 and 1998, failed to qualify for the Rugby World Cup last year and oversaw defeat in their last five games.

Meehan won the European Challenge Cup during his five-year stint with Bath and has coached the likes of Stade Francais, Toulon, Western Force and the Queensland Reds.

Speaking after his appointment, Meehan said: "This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the next chapter for Canada’s Rugby Team and help guide the program into the future.

“I know Canada is a proud rugby country with a deeply passionate rugby community, and I look forward to start meeting coaches and players around the country. I see great potential in the players and I look forward to the role I can play to help grow the team and our sport across Canada.”

Stephen Aboud, Rugby Canada’s high performance director, said: "A coach profile was identified to guide the competences, experience and characteristics needed in the next Canadian national team coach in order to give the program the best opportunity to succeed.

“We did a wide and expansive search for the next coach, evaluated over 150 coaches and Steve came through the process as our top candidate.”

Rugby Canada Nathan Bombrys said: "Steve brings proven experience in coaching successful teams and a strong track record for improving players. We believe Steve’s positive coaching and leadership will create the right environment for our team to achieve the growth needed to reach their potential and qualify for the Rugby World Cup.”