How Wales plan to defeat Japan
Wales’ coaches are sandpapering the grip off their rugby balls and turning up the thermostats to get the squad ready for their Japan tour.
Halfpenny: Battle with Hogg will make me better
Wales and Lions full-back Leigh Halfpenny says the battle for the full-back jersey will see him reach new highs.
Lions 2013: Gatland names 15 Wales players
Warren Gatland has named a 37-man squad to take on Australia in this summer's Lions tour.
Live updates
British and Irish Lions Squad photo released
Williams out of Japan tour
by Nick HartleyScarlets centre Scott Williams has been ruled out of Wales’ forthcoming two-test tour of Japan due to a reoccurring shoulder injury.
The 22-year-old will return to the Scarlets and receive further assessment on the injury. Williams will not be replaced in Wales training squad.
Head Coach for the Japan tour Robin McBryde will announce a 27-man squad which will travel to Japan, on Tuesday, 21 May.
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Allen signs new Ospreys deal
Blindside flanker Morgan Allen has signed a new two-year contract with the Ospreys. The 23-year-old number eight brings the tally of players committing their future to the region in recent months to 12.
Allen joined the Ospreys three years ago after his potential was spotted while he was playing for Pontypool RFC. He made his regional debut in January 2011 and scored his first try for the Ospreys in that first game.
Allen said: "The last year or so has been brilliant for me, it really has. I think I've developed as a player and as a person. There's a lot of good boys here, there are some world class players for me to learn from, who have been helping bring through boys like me."
Andy Lloyd, Ospreys Rugby Operations Manager, said: " Morgan is a really good athlete who over the last 12 months has started to fulfil the potential we all knew he had. It hasn’t been easy for him and he’s had to work hard to get to where he is.
"I think it’s a case of him getting a taste of senior rugby with the Ospreys and the penny dropping as to what it takes to progress at this level and he’s never looked back."
Dan Biggar, Richard Fussell, Tom Grabham, Tom Isaacs, Duncan Jones, Rhys Webb, Joe Bearman, Lloyd Peers, James King, Andrew Bishop and Aaron Jarvis have all signed new contracts recently.
Priestland out of Japan tour with Achilles injury
The WRU have confirmed Rhys Priestland is out of the Wales training squad for the tour of Japan due to injury.
The fly-half was ruled out of the squad after aggravating his Achilles tendon in the warm-up of the Scarlets' RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final on Friday.
Scarlets injury update
Scarlets and Wales hooker Ken Owens was taken to hospital in Belfast as a precaution following Friday night's RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final clash against Ulster. He underwent three scans after sustaining a neck injury in the 28-17 defeat at Ravenhill. He was flown back to Wales today.
The Wales rugby medical team will review and assess Rhys Priestland's fitness when he reports to join the Wales set-up on Monday morning. The outside half suffered tension and stiffening of his Achilles tendon in the warm-up before the Ulster game.
Centre Scott Williams is also being assessed and monitored after picking up a shoulder injury, as will full back Liam Williams who experienced issues with his hamstring.
A Scarlets spokesperson said the side's medical team has been in close contact with the WRU over the weekend and all four injured internationals will report to the Wales team on Monday as planned.
Ulster 28-17 Scarlets (FT)
Second half tries from Gareth Davies and Sione Timani helped the Scarlets claw back some points, but it was not enough to get them through to the RaboDirect Pro12 final. Final score Ulster 28-17 Scarlets.
It's all over at Ravenhill. Ulster 28 Scarlets 17.
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Ulster 18 - 3 Scarlets (HT)
Owen Williams gave the Scarlets an early lead, but tries from Tommy Bowe and Robbie Diack combined with Ruan Pienaar's reliable boot have left Ulster 18-3 up at half time.
Final push for PRO12 play-offs
All four Wales' regions are in action tonight in the final round of games that will decide who makes the end of season playoffs. The Scarlets take on Treviso, while Ospreys are away to Leinster. The Blues travel to Ulster and the Dragons play Edinburgh.
The Scarlets and Ospreys are both in the running to make the play-offs. All four games kick off at 7:45pm.
Halfpenny: Battle with Hogg will make me better
by Nick Hartley
Wales and Lions full-back Leigh Halfpenny says the battle for the full-back jersey will see him reach new highs.
Read the full storyManic Street Preachers plan gigs to coincide with Lions
Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers have scheduled shows in Australia and New Zealand around the fixtures for the forthcoming British & Irish Lions matches.
They head to Australia towards the end of June and will play shows in Melbourne and Sydney to coincide with matches against the Wallabies, as well as heading to Auckland during a break between games.
The trio recorded a track called 'Australia' in 1996, which was used in ad campaigns by the Australian Tourist Board, but they have not visited the country since 2010.
The visit to New Zealand is understood to be their first.
The group said: "As massive rugby fans the chance to visit one of our favourite countries - play some gigs and watch the British and Irish Lions play Australia is an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity.
"We can't wait to play a selection of our greatest hits to our Australian fans and the thousands of Lions fans travelling Down Under."
Yesterday coach Warren Gatland named 15 Wales players in his 2013 Lions squad, with Sam Warburton as captain.
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