Here are the latest rugby headlines on Wednesday, March 26.
Lions set to make shock call
Lions head coach Andy Farrell will reveal all today as he announces his assistants for this summer's tour of Australia - and there is expected to be a shock.
The Ireland boss will make the announcement in London and will then set about picking his squad with his lieutenants, which is due to be named in front of a live audience on May 8.
The Telegraph today report Scotland’s John Dalziel will be named forwards coach in a surprise move. Simon Easterby and Richard Wigglesworth look set to be the other main appointments.
Easterby took on the job of Ireland interim head coach for this season’s Guinness Six Nations campaign while Farrell concentrated on Lions business.
With Easterby seemingly poised to join his Ireland boss Down Under, it is thought that Paul O’Connell will take charge for Ireland’s summer Tests against Georgia and Portugal.
England’s senior assistant coach Wigglesworth is also primed for a Lions role, along with Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty.
The latest appointments will follow confirmed posts within the Lions set-up for Ireland’s strength and conditioning coach Aled Walters and ex-Ireland performance director David Nucifora.
Farrell will announce the playing squad for Australia on May 8, with the Lions facing Argentina in Dublin six weeks later before flying to Perth and a June 28 clash against Western Force.
A three-Test series against Australia kicks off in Brisbane on July 19, followed by games in Melbourne and Sydney.
Lions in talks to play France
Meanwhile, the Times report the Lions are in advanced talks to play Six Nations champions France for the first time in 40 years.
The plan would be for the match to take place ahead of the next men's Lions tour to New Zealand in 2029, with the fixture also being held before the inaugural women's tour in 2027.
The mouth-watering prospect would need approval from the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), the umbrella body for France’s clubs, in order to get top players released but it is hoped the prestige of such a fixture would prove decisive.
The Lions play Argentina in Dublin ahead of this summer's tour to Australia.
Wales flanker Tommy Reffell signs new deal
Wales back rower Tommy Reffell has signed a new deal to stay at Leicester Tigers after reaching the 25-cap threshold during the recent Six Nations.
Reffell, who has made 100 starts for the English side over a number of years, would have had to return to Wales to continue his international career at the end of his contract if he had not reached 25 appearances during the recent Six Nations, where he was named in four matchday squads.
"This club has given me so much and I've achieved a lot of my goals here, so I just want to keep earning that faith they've shown in me through what I do on the field," said Reffell, who came through the Tigers youth set-up.
Leicester Tigers general manager Richard Wilks added: “We’re very pleased to be able to truly celebrate Tommy and his journey with the club to this point with this new deal.
“Tigers supporters, staff here and all of his teammates have always known how special Tommy is to the club and the contributions he has already made to the jersey, but it’s been amazing to see the rugby world take notice in the past couple of years.
“We’re immensely proud of his development here over the past 10 years and we look forward to seeing him in a Tigers jersey for many years to come.”
Quins boss leaves
Harlequins director of rugby Billy Millard is to leave the club at the end of the season.
Millard has been at The Stoop in different roles since 2018 and was in charge for the 2021 Gallagher Premiership title triumph.
“This decision is not one that’s been made lightly but I’m in a position to take on a new challenge in my rugby career, whilst spending time on a family project,” Millard said.
Quins sit fourth in the Premiership with six rounds of the regular season left to play.
