Tommy Reffell has been named among the best players Rugby in the UK

Ospreys coach Toby Booth says he agreed with referee Craig Evans’ decisions during the Boxing Day derby against the Scarlets. Tonight’s rugby news as five Wales players named in UK’s top 30 and Ospreys disagree with Scarlets over controversy.

Scarlets lock Tomas Lezana was sent off in the fifth minute of the festive derby for a dangerous tackle on Ospreys lock Rhys Davies, while later in the first half, Ospreys fly-half Owen Williams was shown a yellow card for a challenge on opposite number Sam Costelow.

Both tackles saw players make head-on-head contact, although the punishments handed out by Evans were different. As such, Scarlets coach Dwayne Peel called for consistency post-match, but Booth said he agreed with the reasoning behind Evans’ two calls.

Booth shrugs off referee criticism

I believe the referee,” stated the Ospreys coach. “By the letter of the law it is about force. One has were given force in it, one hasn’t. We remember the fact that.

“The referee as he talks about mitigation is pretty clean. Whether that is the proper system to go through is a special verbal exchange, but he follows the process he’s been given, he follows that and springs to that outcome. Whether we agree with them or not is genuinely beside the point. That’s the final results he is given.

Five Wales Rugby players among UK top 30

Five Wales internationals have been named among the UK’s top 30 male rugby players, as decided by Telegraph Sport, with Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit nabbing a spot in the top 10.

Based on their performances and achievements this season, Rees-Zammit is the highest-ranking Wales player with Will Rowlands, Nick Tompkins, Jac Morgan and Tommy Reffell all making the shortlist too.

The lightning-quick wing, described as “worth every penny if you buy a ticket to see him,” came in at 10th, with “one of the finds of the Pivac era” Will Rowlands at 17th, and Nick Tompkins at 18th. English Premiership winner Reffell, a key cog in Leicester’s title bid, is dubbed “the star of Wales’ summer”, and new back-row option Jac Morgan is backed to start in the Six Nations after breaking through this year.

Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter believes World Rugby’s non-stop tinkering of its rules is “madness” in advance of latest law directives being enforced to hurry up the sport.

The law applications, consisting of having a shotclock for goalkicking, decreased reliance on the TMO and sanctions for time-losing at some point of scrums and lineouts, may be in force across the sport from January 1, with World Rugby announcing they are “designed to guide a quicker, more exciting sport while balancing protection and spectacle”. You can study approximately all of the adjustments right here.

Baxter, who is making ready Exeter for his or her grudge suit in opposition to Saracens on New Year’s Eve (after which the directives come into effect), said: “We’re making it not possible to attract supporters because they don’t understand what recreation they’re going to watch. We’ve got to decide on something and decide it for longer intervals than we do. And we want to spend longer thinking about any regulation modifications.

“A lot of times we’re having to change regulation versions back due to the fact six months later they recognise we need to never have accomplished them. Or they try and tinker with some thing else. A lot more thought and time wishes to go into the modifications. It’s almost come to be a part of rugby now that matters should alternate during the season. It just seems insanity to me and we’ve got to get out of it.

Cameron Redpath will play alongside Scotland team-mate Finn Russell at Bath next season after agreeing a contract extension.

Redpath has put an injury-hit 2021-22 season behind him to become a mainstay of Johann van Graan’s backline, forming a centre partnership with Ollie Lawrence. The 23-year-old will be joined at the Recreation Ground by Russell, who has signed a contract with Bath for the 2023-24 campaign.

“After a difficult couple of years with injury, Cam has shown how exciting a talent he is this season,” head of rugby Van Graan said. “He is fast establishing himself as an international standard centre with Scotland and is a key part of our midfield at Bath. He is always looking to better himself and we are delighted he will continue his progression with us.