Here are the headlines from Thursday’s rugby night in February. 9

Vin Jones ready to forget injury disappointment

Wales star player Wyn Jones is ready to put his injury disappointment behind him as he plays for the strongest Scottish side he has seen in his career.

The 2021 Lions Test head-to-head has fallen on hard times in recent years, with injuries hampering his Wales appearance in recent years. However, he is back ahead of the trip to Murrayfield on Saturday as part of a much changed squad ready to make up for lost time.

“For me personally, it’s about putting on the red shirt and playing rugby again,” Jones said. “It was a difficult time with the injury and I didn’t play last week. You just have to risk it when they give it to you.”

Asked if this was the strongest Scottish team he has ever faced, Jones added: “Yes, definitely. They have a lot of threats behind the scrum. We’re talking about Finn Russell and Duhan van der Merwe. They’re playing at the top of their game right now and that’s something we’ll be looking to close out.

“We have a tight 1-38 team and I think training was competitive for everyone. With Zander (Fagerson) coming back from injury, I’m sure he wants to get back on the field and play rugby like me. .”

Gatland opens up about ‘mature’ Russell

Warren Gatland has criticized Scottish midfielder Finn Russell, adding that seeing the playmaker as a dissident makes no sense.

Gatland took Russell on the Lions’ tour of South Africa in 2021, continuing to support the Scottish star through his injury and rewarding him with a bench appearance in the final Test. Many believe that the Lions played their best rugby against the Springboks when Russell was on the field.

And Gatland believes the playmaker, who quietly shone against England last weekend, is not as prosperous as some believe.

“He was out of shape for most of that tour in South Africa,” said Gatland. “Without a doubt, he is incredibly mature as a player.

“It is a constant threat. I think people used to call it weird. Not sure if that tag is applicable now.

“I just think that with this maturity in managing the game, what he learned in the attacking game and in the kicking game, I think he has an incredible balance.

“What I like about him is that he plays with a smile on his face. He is quite relaxed in his game. It’s very important to them. He’s in top form and he was great for them last week.”

Townsend wants Scotland to improve for Wales clash

Scotland manager Gregor Townsend has warned his team that they need to improve ahead of their clash with Wales, although most of the side who won the Calcutta Cup on Saturday believe that is the case.

There is just one change in the XV, who won 29-23 in England, with Glasgow’s Zander Fagerson replacing 36-year-old WP Nel after more than two months sidelined with a hamstring injury.

And Townsend insisted that, despite another impressive victory over England, selecting his team for the visiting Welsh was not easy.

“No it wasn’t,” he said when asked if picking 14 out of 15 starters at Twickenham was easy.

“We actually delayed the team announcement because we had several options that we needed to hold. I think they deserved a second chance to take advantage of this victory, but the performance was not the best.

“We have players on the bench and in 23 who are quality players who have played very well for us in the past or are waiting for an opportunity, so it wasn’t an easy decision, but these guys have an opportunity last week. . “

Asked about the mood at the camp, he said: “It’s fine, I’m determined to improve since last week.

“There was an advantage in practice, just like last week. As a coach I see other things in games and the way players talk and it seems like they are focused on improving this week and that’s the only thing you can ask for.

“We have to improve on what we did last week because for most of that game we weren’t at our best. I saw better performances in Argentina in the summer and in our games in November.

“The good thing is that we took our opportunities and showed resistance in the last quarter and that makes it difficult for us to win. But we’re not reaching our potential, and that’s what we’re looking for.”

Ireland hit by injury

Ireland suffered an injury ahead of hosting France, with kicker Dan Sheehan ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Sheehan is out of the squad when Ulster’s Rob Herring starts and Leinster’s Ronan Kelleher comes on as a substitute.

Conor Murray, who has a scrum-half, is ready to go after ruling out an unnamed tackle, while Craig Casey is once again selected from the replacements.

Otherwise Ireland are unchanged, with captain Jonny Sexton ready to play after missing Ireland’s last two meetings with France through injury.

Read more:

  • Warren Gatland breaks through the pack to face Scotland while Alan Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric are dropped

  • Sam Warburton names ‘incredibly powerful’ Wales package Gatland will select next year

  • Meet Doohan van der Merwe, the ‘world’s most dangerous striker’ whom Wales refer to after England’s wonderful try
  • Sir Clive Woodward calls Twickenham “the greatest pub in the world” and urges England to follow Wales’ lead in drinking culture