Today's rugby news as Wales fly-half Anscombe suffers blow and Owen Farrell panned
Here are your rugby morning headlines for Sunday, January 5.
Wales fly-half limps off as Test team-mates shine
By Andrew Baldock, PA Rugby Union Correspondent
Wales international back Max Llewellyn scored two tries as Gloucester emphatically ended Sale Sharks’ recent Gallagher Premiership resurgence with a 36-20 victory at Kingsholm.
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However, the day was marred by an injury to Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe - who limped off at half-time. On the injury, Gloucester boss George Skivington said afterwards: “He took a bang on the knee.
“I talked to him at half-time and he wasn’t moving particularly well, so we knocked it on the head.
“We could have pushed him out and kept him playing but I am not an advocate of doing that. I tend to whip lads off when I feel they are not quite 100 per cent. Hopefully, it is nothing too serious.”
Warren Gatland is dut to name his Six Nations squad in a week's time.
Wales centre Llewellyn had struck in each half, as Gloucester secured a five-point maximum to keep themselves in play-off contention.
Sale’s hopes of securing a fourth successive Premiership win floundered on an outstanding first-half display by Gloucester that produced touchdowns for Llewellyn, full-back Santi Carreras and wing Josh Hathaway.
Sale trailed 22-3 after 26 minutes and it proved too much for them to claw back despite tries from skipper Ben Curry, hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie and wing Tom Roebuck, while centre Rob du Preez kicked a penalty and conversion.
Llewellyn’s 60th-minute score and a late Tomos Williams touchdown saw Gloucester home, with Carreras completing an accomplished performance by landing a penalty and four conversions for a 16-point haul.
Gloucester fly-half Anscombe, sporting an ice pack around his left knee, did not appear for the second period, with George Barton going on and Carreras moving to number 10 instead of the Wales international.
Farrell panned by French press
Former England captain Owen Farrell has been branded the Top 14's biggest transfer flop by a French newspaper just months after joining Racing 92.
The former Saracens playmaker, who is currently sidelined with a groin injury, has made eight appearances for the Parisian side this season, but that hasn't done enough to impress the journalists at Midi Olympique.
“What does Owen Farrell embody?” asked the paper. “A world to himself: 112 caps and 1,237 points scored with England, six Premiership titles and three Champions Cup titles.
“The moment the former Saracens playmaker set foot in the Top 14, we were convinced that Racing would have the face of a French champion this year. But what happened? Disappointment being always proportional to admiration, Farrell’s more-than-neutral performances quickly plunged us into an abyss of dismay.
“Farrell is aggressive in the tackle without a doubt but too slow in attack and, despite his pedigree, has preferred to leave the goal-kicking to Nolann Le Garrec.
“In Hauts-de-Seine [Racing 92’s district], however, the word is that Farrell, who recently underwent a groin operation, owed his poor form only to injury, and that he will return a different player, on January 18 against the Stormers.”
Brython Thunder comeback falls short
Brython Thunder fell short of coming back against Edinburgh at Hive Stadium as their wait for a win in the Celtic Challenge goes on.
First-half tries from Sam Taganekurukuru, Hannah Walker and Cieron Bell gave the Scottish side a commanding 17-0 half-time lead, before Hannah Lane hit back for the Thunder after the break.
Bell then crossed for another try to keep Thunder at arms-length and secure Edinburgh a try-scoring bonus point.
Two tries from Thunder centre Hannah Bluck gave the visitors hope, but Edinburgh held on to consign the Welsh side to a third defeat in as many games. The final score was 22-15.
