Tonight's rugby news as Warburton's plan challenged and global star 'in talks' to join Wales players

These are your evening rugby headlines on Monday, December 2.

Warburton's plan challenged

Wales international Richie Rees says he disagrees with Sam Warburton's idea on how to fix Welsh rugby by identifying 'physical specimens' earlier.

Former Wales skipper Warburton outlined his plan in his Times column last week, claiming that too many players in the Welsh squad are currently not at the physical or athletic level required to play Test rugby. He added that rugby is no longer a game for all shapes and sizes and that Wales now need to identify suitable athletes much earlier, claiming that you can "quickly see at the age of 15 or 16 whether a player has got the genetic capability to be an international."

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"When you look at the athletic profiles of [most] positions, you can be as skilled as you like," Warburton wrote. "But if your parents or yourself don’t show a phenotype that is suited to international rugby, then you might be fine to be a regional player but you’re not going to be world-class."

However, former Cardiff backs coach Rees has now challenged that view, arguing it is not such a clear-cut matter and a player's potential relies on more than just a singular physical trait.

"I'm not sure I agree," he said when asked about Warburton's views on the Scrum V podcast. "The maturation process is a big one, people develop at different times. If you looked at Year 10 in a school now, you could look at a group and one would be Upper Sixth and the other would be more like a Year 8.

"I may agree with him around physical literacy, how people move, their movement pattern. But if [what Warburton is saying] is the case, then hundreds of years of talent development, research proposals and talent ID would be blown out of the water, because everything is around how do we develop talent, it's not just one physical trait."

"Our genetics are not the same and also our population size, we're much smaller than everyone else," Rees added. I think it's very much a power and pace race for me, it's how you get the most powerful and genetically gifted in regard to speed into our game. It's power and pace rather than size. Look at Cheslin Kolbe, Faf de Klerk, they're small guys but they're extremely powerful.

Global star 'in talks' to join Wales internationals

Rugby sevens sensation Ilona Maher is reportedly in talks to join a host of Wales internationals in Premiership Women's Rugby.

The 28-year-old is the most followed rugby player on the planet on social media, with nearly eight million followers on Instagram and TikTok worldwide. After winning an Olympic bronze medal with Team USA at the Paris Olympics earlier this year, she has become a celebrity in the States and recently finished as a runner-up in the American version of Strictly Come Dancing.

Maher has been linked with a move to the UK and has now fuelled speculation by teasing her return to rugby and sharing a video of herself boarding a flight to London over the weekend. The Telegraph has reported that she has been in talks with both Bristol and Gloucester-Hartpury as she nears a move to the Premiership.

If she were to join either side, several of her new teammates would be Wales internationals, with the likes of Alisha and Jasmine Joyce-Butchers, Keira Bevan and Jenny Hesketh representing Bristol. Gloucester-Hartpury also have a sizeable Welsh contingent, with Gwen Crabb, Lleucu George, Hannah Jones, Bethan Lewis and Sisilia Tuipulotu among their internationals from across the border.

Pundits have already claimed that whichever team secures Maher's services will be making the "signing of a generation" with her huge social media following and international appeal viewed as invaluable to the women's game in the UK and beyond.

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Ireland and Lions prop has no plans to stop

By Ed Elliot, PA

Ireland prop Cian Healy hopes to prolong his record-breaking international career into the 2025 Guinness Six Nations.

Veteran loosehead Healy became his country's outright most-capped player on Saturday, surpassing Brian O'Driscoll by coming on for his 134th Test appearance in the 22-19 win over Australia in Dublin.

Ireland begin their Six Nations title defence on Saturday, February 1 at home to England, with interim boss Simon Easterby leading the team during Andy Farrell's sabbatical with the British and Irish Lions.

"I'm not driven by the number of caps," said Healy. "It's not something that pushes me on like winning and success with the group and winning trophies.

"Please God now I can keep playing and don't get injured or anything like that and Simon might consider me for the Six Nations."

Healy, who is nicknamed 'Church' by team-mates, made his debut against the Wallabies 15 years earlier and has helped Ireland win five Six Nations championships.

Farrell tips Ireland to excel in his absence

By Ed Elliot, PA

Andy Farrell expects Ireland to "kick on" in his absence as he turns his attention to assembling a coaching team for next year's British and Irish Lions tour to Australia.

Simon Easterby took over from head coach Farrell on a temporary basis following Saturday's 22-19 win over Joe Schmidt's Wallabies and will lead the back-to-back champions into the 2025 Guinness Six Nations.

Farrell guided Ireland to those two titles, including the 2023 Grand Slam, a historic series win over New Zealand in 2022, spells at the top of the world rankings, and has won 43 of his 54 Tests in charge. Yet the Englishman insists the achievements are not purely down to him.

"It's certainly nothing to do with me why we just win trophies," he said. "We've always done it together and the coaching staff that we've got are second to none so that's not changing. I'd expect us to kick on. The future is bright for me because we have the right people on the bus so we're excited about that."

Farrell's staff also compromises forwards coach Paul O'Connell and scrum coach John Fogarty, while backs coach Andrew Goodman replaced Mike Catt ahead of an Autumn Nations Series which brought three wins from four. Ireland begin the Six Nations on Saturday, February 1 when England visit Dublin.

Farrell revealed additional support for interim head coach Easterby, who will also spearhead a summer tour next year, could be brought in, if required.

"There certainly is scope there if we need it, whether we need it or not that's another story," he said. "We tend to dovetail pretty well in all types of areas and people will take responsibility not just for their own area but helping his team-mates out as well.

"So that's all obviously been talked about over a long period and we're getting there with how we're going to go about it."

Farrell was appointed Lions head coach in January, taking over following three series overseen by Warren Gatland. The 49-year-old has deliberately held off picking a coaching team as he prepares for further reunions with former Ireland boss Schmidt in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

"My way of doing things is if you get things done too early you can't undo it," said Farrell, who was Gatland's defence coach for the 2013 and 2017 tours. "So a little bit of patience and now I'll have a bit of time to be able to hopefully see the path as it should be."