Today's rugby news as another rising starlet gets Wales invite and Dan Biggar makes bold prediction

These are your rugby headlines on Friday, November 1.

Rising Welsh fly-half gets Wales invite

Ospreys playmaker Dan Edwards has been named as another player invited into train with the current Wales squad - but the 21-year-old had to turn down the invitation due to a concussion.

The fly-half has sparked excitement among Welsh rugby fans in recent months, with a number of standout performances earning him rave reviews from supporters, pundits and coaches alike. Those showings saw him tipped by some to earn his first senior Wales call-up this autumn, but he ultimately missed out on a place in Warren Gatland's squad.

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However, it is the consensus that it's a matter of when, rather than if he goes on to play for Wales at the highest level and, after it was revealed that fellow youngsters Macs Page and Huw Anderson were invited in to train with the senior squad this week, many fans wondered why Edwards had seemingly not been called in too.

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Things were not as they seemed, however, with the fly-half's club coach Toby Booth clearing up the situation by replying to a social media post.

"He was invited in," Booth wrote. "Could not attend due to concussion". WalesOnline understands that Edwards is the only Ospreys player not named in the full Wales squad to be invited in to train.

Edwards has 17 caps for Wales U20s, as well as 35 points to his name so far this season. Twenty of those came during a sensational performance against the Stormers in September as he scored a try, conversion, penalty and drop goal to help the Ospreys to an impressive bonus-point win.

Biggar makes bold prediction

Wales legend Dan Biggar has said that New Zealand could conceivably lose all three of their autumn Tests and claimed that Scott Robertson's side have "lost that little bit of aura".

The All Blacks are currently ranked third in the world and this autumn will face top-ranked Ireland, as well as France and England, who are ranked fourth and fifth respectively. The last time they lost three matches in a row was in 2022, when they were beaten by South Africa and twice by Ireland, with that run marking the first time in their 119-year history they had suffered three consecutive home defeats.

Ahead of Robertson's side kicking off their autumn series against England this weekend, Biggar says he is braced to watch New Zealand "go nought from three". That is despite the southern hemisphere dominating the latter stages of last year's World Cup, at which Steve Borthwick's side were the only semi-final representatives from the North.

“That makes this an important autumn for the north,” the Welshman told Planet Rugby. “But let’s be frank, it’s pretty key for Australia and New Zealand as well.

“Look at what Australia have got coming up next summer with the Lions. They have to start improving quickly. And New Zealand are coming off as poor a year as many can remember, even though did they get to a World Cup final.

“With games against England, Ireland and France you could see New Zealand go nought from three. It’s not inconceivable. They’ve lost that little bit of aura about them

“They’re still going to be incredibly motivated but they’ve got three phenomenally tough games. So this autumn has got everything. Every game seems to matter.”

Ireland handed injury boosts

By PA Sport Staff

Ireland hooker Ronan Kelleher is on track to be fit for his country's Autumn Nations Series opener against New Zealand.

Leinster expected the 26-year-old to be sidelined for approximately four to six weeks after he suffered an ankle injury on October 5 against Benetton. Andy Farrell's side host the All Blacks next Friday ahead of further Dublin clashes against Argentina, Fiji and Australia.

With Dan Sheehan unavailable due to injury and fellow hooker Rob Herring not having played all season, defence coach Simon Easterby was optimistic when asked about Kelleher on Thursday.

"Yeah, for sure, he's doing well," said Easterby, speaking at the team's training base in Portugal. Easterby also provided positive updates on Leinster fly-half Ciaran Frawley (ankle) and Connacht winger Mack Hansen (hip), who each missed the last round of United Rugby Championship games.

"Everyone was good today, we're really pleased," said Easterby. "The medics have done a great job on top of the provincial stuff and then the transition into national camp has been seamless in terms of those players coming in with a couple of niggles.

"So far so good and hopefully we will have a full deck to train with tomorrow and early next week.

"Mack is progressing really well. Like Ronan and Rob Herring and a few others, they are working incredibly hard and come into camp in a good place and continue that progression."

Meanwhile, flanker Peter O'Mahony, who did not travel to Portugal, is likely to join up with the squad if he comes through Munster's match against the All Blacks XV on Saturday following a hamstring issue. Back-row forward Caelan Doris has taken on the captaincy from O'Mahony for the series.

Speaking of Doris, Easterby, who will take over as interim head coach while Farrell is leading the British and Irish Lions next year, said: "He's been named the Leinster captain and has been in the leadership group for a good while now and progressing in terms of that role within that group.

"I guess it was an easy transition for Faz (Farrell) to make in terms of giving him that position across the autumn series. Pete's position was that we wanted to make sure he gets game time and he'll do that this weekend in the Munster jersey and will hopefully come into camp at some point if he gets through the weekend. It was an easy transition I guess."

Premiership coach departs

By PA Sport Staff

Exeter defence coach Omar Mouneimne has left the Gallagher Premiership strugglers by mutual consent with immediate effect.

The South African linked up with Chiefs from Bristol in June 2022. He also had stints at Edinburgh and Stade Francais, among other clubs.

Exeter are the only team without a Premiership win this term, having suffered six successive league defeats for the first time in one top-flight season.

Former Chiefs scrum-half Haydn Thomas will now take on the defence coach role at Sandy Park, Exeter said.

"I would like to thank Omar for his hard work in helping us develop a new and transitional young group of players into a competitive Premiership squad," Exeter rugby director Rob Baxter said.

"However, I felt we needed to head in a new direction defensively, and after some conversations between Omar and I we agreed now was the right time for a change."

Exeter return to Premiership action after the Autumn Nations Series with a trip to leaders Bath on November 30. The Chiefs are currently one point above bottom club Newcastle and nine adrift of eighth-placed Sale Sharks.