The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world

07:25, 03 Nov 2025

These are your latest rugby headlines on Monday, November 3

South Africans consider legal action amid saga

The Bulls and South Africa Rugby are reportedly weighing up taking legal action over the ongoing saga involving Springboks forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels. The front rower was handed a nine-week ban last month after allegedly grabbing and twisting flanker Josh Murphy’s testicles during the Bulls’ URC clash with Connacht and, with no conclusive video footage of the incident, he has since tried – and failed – to appeal against the suspension.

Wessels had asked for an all-new hearing into the alleged incident but his appeal was rejected last week, although his suspension was reduced to eight weeks. However, the saga does not appear to be done yet, with the Bulls reportedly considering a move to clear their player’s name and recoup some of his lost income.

According to South African publication Rapport, Wessels’ suspension has cost him over £65,000 in match fees with both the Bulls and the Springboks, with the club and SA Rugby weighing up whether to take court action.

“The Bulls are currently considering their options,” a source told the news outlet. “A decision will be made between the Bulls, SA Rugby and MyPlayers”.

After Wessels lost his appeal last week, a statement from the URC read: “After reviewing the grounds of appeal and hearing from the Player and his Club the appeal committee dismissed the substantive grounds of appeal, but reduced the ban by one week.

“The panel did so on the basis that the initial reduction from the low-end entry point (of 12 weeks) did not take into account an aspect of the Player’s conduct in the context of the case. Accordingly, the appeal committee determined that four weeks should be deducted from the headline entry suspension. The Player will now miss eight games and will be free to play from December 20.”

Springboks star ruled out of Wales clash

South Africa star Ox Nche has been ruled out of the rest of his side’s autumn campaign with injury, having left Saturday’s clash against Japan on crutches.

The Sharks prop twisted his knee and ankle early on in the Springboks’ 61-7 victory over Eddie Jones’ side and flew back to South Africa on Sunday to undergo scans. While the extent of the injury is not yet known, he was seen on crutches after the match and it has been confirmed that he will play no further part in his side’s European tour.

Rassie Erasmus’ side are set to face France, Italy and Ireland over the next three weekends before rounding off their autumn campaign against Wales at the Principality Stadium on November 29. However, they will now do so without powerhouse Nche.

The 30-year-old has been replaced in the Springboks squad by Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who is awaiting a hearing on an alleged doping violation. The Lions tighthead, who made his Test debut in July, had been in London playing for the Barbarians against the All Blacks XV on Saturday and joined up with Erasmus’ squad on Sunday as they left for France.

Ntlabakanye was left out of the Springboks’ Rugby Championship squad earlier this year, having been issued with two formal doping charges by the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport following an “adverse analytical finding” in random testing.

He has disputed committing a doping offence and is free to play until a hearing next month.

Pepper: England have potent weapon

By Duncan Bech, PA Rugby Union Correspondent

Guy Pepper believes England have uncovered a potent weapon after their “bomb squad” turned the tide in Saturday’s 25-7 victory over Australia at Allianz Stadium.

Five British and Irish Lions forwards, including veterans Ellis Genge, Tom Curry, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Will Stuart, were brought on in the 52nd minute when the hosts’ lead was just 10-7 and the Wallabies were duly overpowered.

Of the starting pack, only emerging Bath flanker Pepper and captain Maro Itoje completed the match as England made effective use of a tactic that was originated by South Africa at the 2019 World Cup when it was given its nickname.

“It’s class – potentially England’s bomb squad! The impact they brought to the game was massive and was crucial in seeing it out,” Pepper said. “When you have got a bench with five Lions coming on at the same time, you know you have got some energy coming on. You need that energy.

“On around 50 minutes you are looking for that energy and when Henry Pollock picks that ball off his toes to score his try or Tom Curry makes that tackle after the kick, you feed off. If you go for six forwards on the bench it enables everyone in the pack to completely blow themselves out.

“You know you have got a role in the team, so the mindset has changed a bit. It’s a foot to the pedal mentality and you have got the ability to do that because you only have two forwards who are going to go 80 minutes.”

While Pollock grabbed the headlines by scoring an impressive try that triggered Australia’s downfall, Pepper was busy cementing his own reputation as a hard-working back row with jackal and carrying threats. It was only the 22-year-old’s fourth cap but his first start at blindside flanker having traditionally worn the number seven jersey.

“I will take it week by week, put my front foot forward and make sure I attack every week,” he said. “It’s just a number on your back but six is more about the set piece, so I have been challenged on that and I have got to keep working hard at that. I’ll take every opportunity that comes.”

Victory over the Wallabies secured an eighth successive victory with fixtures against Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina completing the autumn schedule.

“We just want to keep building. We’re delighted with the result and how the team’s coming together, but the team is hungry to improve and spend time together,” Itoje said. “The guys who came on against Australia were fantastic and you always want the bench to add and pick up the energy and intensity of the team. They definitely did that.”

Townsend wowed by ‘excellent’ debutant

By Anthony Brown, PA

Gregor Townsend backed Liam McConnell for a big future in a Scotland jersey after the burgeoning Edinburgh back-rower produced an “excellent” debut display in Saturday’s 13-try, 85-0 rout of the United States at Murrayfield.

The 21-year-old flanker was pitched straight into the starting line-up after earning his maiden call-up following a strong start to the season with his club. McConnell marked his big day with a some magnificent carries, the first of which ended with a delightful basketball pass to lay on a try for Duhan van der Merwe.

“Liam was excellent,” said head coach Townsend. “It’s very difficult to do that in your first cap. My first 10 minutes of my first cap was a nightmare, I missed tackles and I was all over the place.

“So to deliver your strengths, of which Liam has many – his work-rate, his speed, his defence, but also his attacking game, which has really came on this year – it was an excellent performance. And he showed his fitness by being one of our best players in the last 10 minutes as well as the first 10 minutes.”

Townsend, whose side host New Zealand on Saturday, believes McConnell looks equipped to put pressure on Scotland’s more established back-rowers.

“He’s confirmed what we thought around his potential growth and how he can bring more than just one aspect of the game, which is now what we’re expecting of forwards,” he said. “They’ve got to attack and defend really well and he showed his physicality, he showed the effort that he put into the performance.

“He’s put a marker down for others that may get the opportunity next week to say, ‘look, here’s someone just in his first cap delivering that performance’, but also for us we know now we’ve got someone really competing hard who should grow even more over the next year or two.”

Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news.

Article continues below

You can also follow us on social media on our X account, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

For more exclusive stories and in-depth analysis, you can sign up for the Inside Welsh Rugby substack newsletter here.