Exeter boss Rob Baxter has dismissed reports that England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie’s move to French champions Montpellier is under threat.

Cowan-Dickie has been sidelined by an ankle injury since early January, while he is also understood to be suffering from some nerve issues in his neck.

It has been suggested that 29-year-old Cowan-Dickie missed a recent medical in France, riling Montpellier chiefs, who have also signed his Exeter and England colleague Sam Simmonds for next season.

“I’ve had discussions with Luke and he said he hasn’t failed his medical. It is something that has massively been blown out of proportion,” Exeter rugby director Baxter said.

“I think he is popping over again just to finish off a couple of bits the French would like to investigate in terms of his injuries.

“He hasn’t failed a medical and he hasn’t not turned up for a medical.

“I am not saying it is totally pie in the sky because everything has a little bit of truth in it. But as far as he has not turned up and they’ve rolled up the contract and thrown it away, that is not the case.

“If the element (of truth) is a drink in a bar at some stage, then I would say probably yes. Other than that, I think there has probably been a fair bit of journalistic licence in a few things that have happened.

“I believe they (Montpellier) want some more information on the nerve damage around the last operation.

“All I know is Luke has said there has been a fair bit of over-hype around everything. At this stage, Luke is being told everything is okay. Reports it is all done and his contract is over couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Cowan-Dickie is among a number of Exeter players leaving the club this summer, although Chiefs would step in if the Montpellier deal fell through.

“If it all falls through, I would expect us to have a look into the possibilities of trying to, at the very least, look after him during his injury rehab and go from there. That would be my expectation,” Baxter added.

“He has been a very important player for us, he has played in some significant games for us. We would look to do something to look after him, of course we would.

“The nerve issue is a timescale one. Historically, they can take a long time or you can recover quickly. It is a bit ‘how long is a piece of string’?

“I know England are investigating if there is anything they can do to speed up the process, as we are, but it is not a problem that has a definitive answer.”

YOUR SEMI-FINAL FIXTURES ?@leinsterrugby ? @StadeToulousain @staderochelais ? @ExeterChiefs

Who will make the #HeinekenChampionsCup Final? pic.twitter.com/daVy4jHvuD

— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 9, 2023

Chiefs’ England wing Jack Nowell, meanwhile, is set to be involved in Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup semi-final against La Rochelle in Bordeaux after recovering from a knee issue.

It will also be Nowell’s first appearance since he was charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Rugby Football Union and the game after his Chiefs team-mate Olly Woodburn received a second yellow card in Exeter’s 62-19 Gallagher Premiership defeat against Leicester.

Woodburn had dived on Chris Ashton on the floor and upon seeing referee Karl Dickson’s decision, Nowell said in a since-deleted tweet: “I’m actually in shock, like shock shocked. What the hell is happening? That’s one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen. EVER.”

The England wing accepted the charge at a disciplinary hearing and was fined £10,000.

? – @exeterchiefs star @nowellsy15 fined £10,000 for online remarks made on his Twitter feed during @premrugby clash with @LeicesterTigershttps://t.co/yOhZ65gbjS pic.twitter.com/bdzx1l1qFp

— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) April 20, 2023

Baxter said: “He is a bit disappointed and frustrated with what happened around his tweet. It was one of those scenarios where he has used incorrect language to express a frustration with the game.

“Anyone who knows Jack, and knows his relationship with referees, will know there was nothing in there personally targeted at the ref.

“It can end up looking like that, he is aware of that, he has apologised for what he did and he has just got to get on with things now.

“It is a lesson for other players that sometimes you can react in the heat of the moment. You have just got to be careful what you say.”

Manchester City and United supporters travelling to the FA Cup final look set to face disruption after train drivers announced three fresh strikes in a long-running row over pay.

Members of Aslef will walk out on May 12 and 31 – and when Wembley hosts Manchester City and Manchester United on June 3.

The union said it has rejected a “risible” four per cent pay offer from the 16 train companies it remains in dispute with.

General secretary Mick Whelan said drivers have not had a pay rise at those companies since 2019.

He said on Thursday: “Our executive committee met this morning and rejected a risible proposal we received from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).

“The proposal – of just four per cent – was clearly not designed to be accepted as inflation is still running north of 10 per cent and our members at these companies have not had an increase for four years.

“The RDG, in turn, rejected our proposals to modernise Britain’s railways and help them run more efficiently, for passengers and for businesses, in the 21st century.

“Consequently, we have today announced three more days of strike action on Friday May 12, Wednesday May 31 and Saturday June 3 at the companies with which we are in dispute, and which are letting down passengers, and taxpayers, so badly.

“We are also withdrawing non-contractual overtime from Monday May 15 to Saturday 20 inclusive, as well as on Saturday May 13 and Thursday June 1.”

The train operating companies involved in the dispute are: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, London North Eastern Railway, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, SWR depot drivers, SWR Island Line, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.

The May 12 strike will be held the day before the Eurovision final in Liverpool.

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: “This is disappointing news for our customers and staff, more strike action is totally unnecessary and will only heap more pressure on an industry already facing an acute financial crisis. Senselessly targeting both the final of Eurovision and the FA Cup final is disappointing for all those planning to attend.”

The PA news agency has contacted fan groups attached to the Manchester clubs for comment.

Iga Swiatek considers it a sad state of affairs to see women's tennis lagging so far behind the men's game when it comes to regular tour prize money.

The WTA Tour's top-ranked player earned $120,150 for winning the title at the Stuttgart Open last week, plus a Porsche sports car, when she beat Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Yet for taking the title at the Barcelona Open in the same week, a cheque of €477,795 ($527,000) went to Carlos Alcaraz.

Those tournaments are considered comparable in terms of status and the quality of their fields, yet the difference between the money on offer was striking.

It offered a reminder of the gap between the elite men and women at regular tournaments, despite grand slam events offering equal rewards.

Swiatek and Alcaraz both compete this week at the Madrid Open, where prize money for men and women is equal, the champion of each event collecting €1,105,265 ($1.2m).

Asked about last week's situation, Swiatek said: "Well, it's kind of obvious what my opinion is, because tennis is one of the sports where we speak about equality. I think it's better than most sports anyway.

"But still, there is a lot we can work on in terms of getting equal prize money on some WTA tournaments compared to ATP on the same level.

"Grand slams are already even, as we know. That's nice, but for sure it would be good if WTA would focus on that, but I don't really want to get into that, because it's a lot of business and sometimes politics.

"I don't think I have a lot of influence. I just can say that it would be nice for our sport if it was equal, especially because we kind of do the same work."

The 21-year-old Polish player defended the women's game as she said: "I also get people who are saying that men's tennis is nicer to watch and guys can do more because they are physically and biologically stronger.

"I think there were a lot of people, for example a couple of years ago, who were saying that WTA is not consistent and that's a shame and it should be better, but right now basically I think we are even more consistent than the guys with our game.

"Watching women's tennis gives the same emotions, and sometimes even more emotions, because we are women and we are a little bit more emotional. But, yeah, I think it would be nice if WTA could make it even."

LeBron James knows he has "got to be better" after he was "not very good at all" in the Los Angeles Lakers' 116-99 Game 5 playoff defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

The Grizzlies kept the series alive at 3-2 with a comfortable victory at FedExForum, where Desmond Bane scored 33 points and had 10 rebounds.

Ja Morant also had a big night for Memphis, finishing with 31 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers were unable to wrap up the series.

James could only muster 15 points and was taken off by head coach Darvin Ham after spending 37 minutes on court 

The legendary 38-year-old turned his attention to ensuring he delivers on Friday after falling short of his usually sky-high standards.

"Just got to be better. It starts with me. Tonight I was not very good at all. My defense was pretty good.

"Offensively, I was not really good. So, we've all got to do a better job helping one another."

James added: "I'll be better in Game 6."

Bane is adamant the Lakers will not finish off the job in Game 6.

"I said it out there, and I’ll say it again," Bane said. "We are going to be back for a Game 7 in front of the best fans in the NBA."

Wembley will celebrate its 100th birthday on Friday, the anniversary of the first FA Cup final it hosted between Bolton and West Ham.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the landmark moments from the old and the new stadiums.

Chelsea’s Didier Drogba scored the winner in the 2007 FA Cup final, the first to be played at the new Wembley (PA Archive)[/caption]

Manuel Akanji insists there will be no complacency at Manchester City following their emphatic win over title rivals Arsenal.

The Treble-chasing champions took firm control of the title race as they overpowered the Premier League leaders 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

The victory took them within two points of the Gunners at the top and, with two games in hand, they now look strong favourites to secure their fifth league crown in six years.

“It was a big game and a massive win for us,” said defender Akanji. “It helps us a lot but there’s still so many games to play.

“Seven games – still 21 points to grab so we can’t relax now on this win. We’ve got to go on Sunday and win the next game against Fulham.”

Arsenal had seen their once-healthy advantage eroded with three successive draws heading into the hotly-anticipated encounter.

City, having hit form with 11 wins in their previous 12 games in all competitions, not only sensed their opportunity but ruthlessly took it.

They tore into the visitors from the first whistle and took the lead as Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne combined for a superb breakaway goal after seven minutes.

John Stones added a second just before the break but City might have already been out of sight by then with Haaland having spurned a host of chances.

Goals from De Bruyne, Stones and Haaland put Arsenal to the sword in @premierleague title clash! ?

Here's how it happened ? pic.twitter.com/36s6scZq7F

— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 26, 2023

De Bruyne’s second early in the second half wrapped up the win before Haaland got the goal his performance deserved – his 49th of a remarkable campaign – late on after Rob Holding netted an Arsenal consolation.

It was City’s third victory over Arsenal in just over three months, a strong statement against the side that have been their toughest challengers this season.

Akanji feels the team’s experience of success in the latter half of the campaign has come to the fore.

The versatile Switzerland international, who joined the club from Borussia Dortmund in September, said: “The whole team played really good and had a really good team performance over 90 minutes.

“We were strong in the duels, we were good with the ball and that was different to the game at the Emirates.

“Then we used our chances and we played well defensively and I think that’s the key to these wins, (as is) the experience that the guys in the locker room have.

“They won three championships in the last four and the experience that they bring into the team, and for me also as a player to come into the team, helps.”

It is 100 years since Bolton beat West Ham in the 1923 FA Cup final to establish Wembley Stadium at the core of English sport.

Officially a crowd of 126,047 packed into the new venue, then known as the Empire Stadium, although estimates suggest up to 300,000 attended a game later dubbed the “White Horse final”, and it has since witnessed some of the biggest moments in the nation’s sporting history.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the most memorable matches to be staged at both the original stadium and the one which replaced it in 2007.

The Matthews Final

Blackpool winger Stanley Matthews was 38 as he sought an FA Cup winners’ medal at the third, and perhaps last, attempt in May 1953.

His hopes looked forlorn when Bolton’s Eric Bell put his side 3-1 ahead 10 minutes into the second half, but inspired by Matthews, the Tangerines fought back with Stan Mortensen completing a hat-trick before Billy Perry scored a stoppage-time winner.

The Magical Magyars

Matthews was on the receiving end six months later when Olympic champions Hungary arrived in North London and taught England a lesson.

A team which included Matthews, Mortensen, Billy Wright and Alf Ramsey were taken apart on home soil with Nandor Hidegkuti plundering a hat-trick and captain Ferenc Puskas scoring twice in a 6-3 victory labelled the ‘Match of the Century’.

Henry’s hammer

Boxing came to Wembley in June 1963, when British heavyweight champion Henry Cooper fought 21-year-old Cassius Clay.

A bloodied Cooper dumped the American – soon to change his name to Muhammad Ali – on his backside with a savage left hook at the end of the fourth round only to be himself stopped in the next by a man who defeated Sonny Liston in his next fight to take the world title.

1966 and all that

On July 30 1966, Geoff Hurst lit up the old Twin Towers with the first World Cup final hat-trick in England’s 4-2 victory over West Germany.

Hurst, who had cancelled out Helmut Haller’s opener before Martin Peters took the hosts to within seconds of glory only for Wolfgang Weber to equalise, struck twice in extra time, the first of them with the help of a still disputed call from Azerbaijani linesman Tofiq Bahramov, to claim the Jules Rimet Trophy.

Bobby dazzler

A decade after the Munich Air Disaster which had claimed the lives of eight of his players, Manchester United manager Sir Matt Busby guided his rebuilt team to the pinnacle of continental football when they beat Benfica 4-1 at Wembley to lift the 1968 European Cup.

Bobby Charlton’s double either side of goals from George Best and Brian Kidd secured glory in extra time as United became the first English club to lift the trophy.

Gray day for Sunderland

The 1998 Championship play-off final yielded one of the most dramatic contests ever fought out at headquarters as Charlton eventually edged their way into the Premier League after a roller-coaster 4-4 draw with Sunderland.

The sides could not be spilt despite Clive Mendonca’s hat-trick against his home-town club and the combined firepower of Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn, and ultimately Sasa Ilic’s penalty shoot-out save from Michael Gray won the day.

Noisy neighbours

The home of English football provided temporary accommodation for Welsh rugby union while the Millennium Stadium was under construction, although they proved ungrateful tenants.

Victory over Wales would have handed England a 1999 Five Nations Grand Slam, and they led 31-25 until Scott Gibbs’ superb late try and Neil Jenkins’ conversion sent the crown to Scotland instead.

Lionesses roar

A crowd of 87,192 packed into Wembley on July 31, 2022 to witness England’s 2-1 extra-time victory over Germany.

Ella Toone’s superb finish had given Sarina Wiegman’s side a 62nd-minute lead, but after Lina Magull had levelled to take the tie into extra time, Chloe Kelly stabbed home and clinched the Lionesses’ first major title.

Wembley has become one of world football’s most revered football stadiums over the last 100 years, but only survived its infancy thanks to a Scotsman and some greyhounds.

The first FA Cup final at what was then called the Empire Stadium took place on April 28, 1923.

The stadium had been built in 300 days, at a cost of £750,000, for the following year’s British Empire Exhibition, which was held to demonstrate Britain’s enduring colonial strength in the wake of the First World War.

There were concerns over whether the 1923 final between Bolton and West Ham would even manage to draw a full house to the 125,000-capacity stadium, but ultimately it took mounted police to clear the pitch in order for the match to kick off due to overcrowding.

It has been estimated that well over 200,000 people gained access to the stadium for the match, which became known as ‘The White Horse Final’ after a light grey horse called Billy, ridden by policeman George Albert Scorey and who showed up white in the black and white images of the time, helped clear spectators from the pitch.

Bolton beat West Ham 2-0 in a match which kicked off around 45 minutes late.

Despite the popularity of that contest, the exhibition itself which followed in 1924 and 1925 was considered a commercial failure, and the stadium was all set for demolition had it not been for the intervention of two key individuals.

Sir James Stevenson, a Scot who was chairman of the exhibition committee, lobbied for the stadium to remain open, while Arthur Elvin stepped in to stop it going to the dogs by organising greyhound races on the stadium’s track, starting in 1927, which made Wembley financially viable.

Wembley is most closely associated with football but has hosted a myriad of other sports over the years – some more successfully than others.

The NFL has enjoyed great success in bringing its International Series of regular-season matches to the stadium, which has also hosted some enthralling boxing contests from Cassius Clay v Henry Cooper in 1963 to Anthony Joshua v Wladimir Klitschko in 2017.

An attempt to popularise ski jumping in the UK by hosting a Winter Sports Exhibition – in late May – featuring a 150-foot jump constructed out of scaffolding did not catch on quite so well, and appears set to remain a one-off.

In an era before football enjoyed blanket coverage, the FA Cup final at Wembley was for many years one of the only games to be regularly televised internationally, making it a venue players all around the world dreamt of playing at.

Pele, the Brazil great who died late last year, said it was his biggest regret that he never played a match at Wembley, which he described as “a cathedral of football”.

The old stadium’s place in English football folklore was secured when it played host to the 1966 World Cup final, with the home team winning the trophy thanks to a 4-2 extra-time victory over West Germany.

By the 1990s, however, there were fresh calls for the stadium, now beginning to show its age, to be bulldozed.

Playing host to England’s matches at Euro ’96, with ‘Three Lions’ ringing out from the stands, was the old stadium’s last great hurrah, with its final match a sad, soggy affair in October 2000 as England slipped to a 1-0 World Cup qualifying defeat to Germany which prompted the resignation of manager Kevin Keegan.

The rebuild, which cost over £700million, featured an arch to replace the famous Twin Towers as the stadium’s most eye-catching element.

It remains a go-to destination for national and international football events, and has already hosted two Champions League finals since it reopened in 2007.

What should have been one of its most memorable occasions turned into arguably its darkest day, as England lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy on penalties in July 2021.

The match was overshadowed by chaos outside and within the stadium. Individuals under the influence of drink and drugs created disorder, with around 2,000 people without tickets gaining entry.

Baroness Casey, who led an independent review into what went wrong on the day, highlighted a catalogue of “near-misses” which could have led to fatalities.

The final Wembley deserved came just over a year later, as England triumphed in extra time against Germany at Women’s Euro 2022.

The five UK and Ireland football associations are hoping to convince UEFA’s executive committee later this year to make Wembley the centrepiece of another Euros – this time the men’s competition in 2028.

Thanks to those who helped it through the uncertainty of its earliest days, the stadium could reasonably hope to still be hosting top-level sports in another 100 years’ time.

A crestfallen Giannis Antetokounmpo declared "there's no failure in sports" after the Milwaukee Bucks were consigned to a stunning first-round playoff exit by the Miami Heat.

The Heat won Game 5 128-126 in overtime at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday to take the series 4-1. 

Inspired by Jimmy Butler, who scored 42 points, Miami became the sixth number eight seed to beat a top seed and the first since the Philadelphia 76ers in 2012.

The Heat were two points down with 2.1 seconds to go, prompting Erik Spoelstra to call a timeout and draw up a play that Butler did not feel was the right approach, so his coach changed his mind.

That paid off when Gabe Vincent threw a pass to Butler, who tied up the game to force overtime and the Heat went on to eliminate the Bucks.

Bucks superstar Antetokounmpo, who scored 38 points and took 20 rebounds, dismissed talk of the team being a failure this season.

"There's no failure in sports," he said. "There's good days, bad days. Some days you're able to be successful. Some days you're not. Some days it's your turn.

"Some days it's not your turn. That's what sports is about. You don't always win.

"It’s not a failure, it's steps to success. There's always steps to it. You work towards a goal. Michael Jordan played 15 years, won six championships. The other nine years was a failure? No."

Spoelstra lavished praise on Butler after he stepped up once again to make a huge impact.

"He’s desperate and urgent and maniacal and sometimes psychotic about the will to try to win," Spoelstra said of Butler.

"He'll make everybody in the building feel it. That's why he is us and we are him. That's the way we operate as well."

The New York Knicks are "hopeful" on All-Star Julius Randle's availability for the Easter Conference Semifinals after re-injuring his left ankle and exiting their Game 5 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Randle left Wednesday's game with 1:17 remaining in the second quarter after landing awkwardly on the same ankle which sidelined hm for the final five games of the regular season.

Knicks head coach Tim Thibodeau revealed after their Game 4 win on Monday that Randle was still dealing with the ankle issue originally sustained on March 29 against the Miami Heat.

Randle was only able to play 16 minutes in Game 5 before exiting when he rolled his ankle, scoring 13 points with four rebounds and six assists.

"It would be premature for me to comment," Thibodeau told reporters after the game. "Obviously, he has to be re-examined tomorrow. We're hopeful that it's not bad."

The Knicks' triumph means they get a longer break prior to the Conference Semifinals commencing on May 31 against Miami, who knocked out the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.

"The turnaround will be quick," Thibodeau said. "That's the next challenge, be ready."

The magnitude of the Knicks' victory was not lost on Thibodeau, marking the franchise's first postseason series win in more than a decade, dating back to 2012.

"The tradition of the Knicks, not only what it means to the city and the league," he said. "We have the best fans in the world, best city in the world, best arena in the world.

"They respond to the way this team plays. They play hard. They play smart and they play together. There's still a lot of work to be done. We have a lot of areas to improve upon. We're looking forward to the next challenge."

Jalen Brunson scored 23 points, while R.J. Barrett added 21, with Mitchell Robinson pulling in 11 offensive rebounds from his 18 for the game.

The Knicks out-rebounded the Cavs throughout the series, including 48-30 in the clincher and Cleveland All-Star Donovan Mitchell cited that physicality as the difference.

"They outplayed us," Mitchell said. "It's as simple as that. They did their job and we didn't.

"For me, personally, I don't feel like I was the player I needed to be for this group. I just didn’t deliver."

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said overtime hero Matthew Tkachuk is "just a gamer" after his dramatic goal clinched a 4-3 road win over the Boston Bruins in Game 5.

The Panthers will take the series back to Florida for Game 6, with Tkachuk swooping on an error from Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark to show poise and score six minutes into OT.

Tkachuk has been a central point during the Stanley Cup first-round series, with Ullmark threatening to fight him in Game 4, but Maurice lavished him with praise after his Game 5 heroics.

"That guy is a - and then you put a long string of profanity - gamer," Maurice told reporters. "Is he not a gamer?

"There's 700 guys in the league, 640 of them jam that thing as fast as they can and lose it, and he pulls it across. He's just a gamer."

Tkachuk revelled in sending the series back to Florida, after scoring his first career playoff OT goal in his 32nd playoff game. It was also the Panthers' first OT win in their history when facing elimination (1-4).

"I think my favourite part about this is I guarantee everybody in this building thought the series was over today," he said. "Get it back on a flight down to Florida, that's the most exciting part."

The Bruins set several regular-season records, including most wins (65) and most points (135) in NHL history and were the raging favourites for the series against the Panthers, who were the East's second wild-card team.

"We were supposed to get swept this series, right? Everyone was saying," Tkachuk said. "I don't think anybody really gave us a chance after losing two games in a row at home. Coming here, it just seemed like the series was over before the game even started.

"Now they're coming down to Florida. We know there can't possibly be a Game 7 in their mind right now, and everybody here in Boston's minds. So it's up to us to see you guys back here in a few days."

It may have been different when Brad Marchand skated in alone on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky late in regulation but was denied.

"I knew it wasn’t going in," Maurice said, before he admitted he was lying. "You can't know that it wasn't going in, so I'm full of [it] when I just said that to you.

"But I don’t feel like we’ve had a whole lot of advantage in this series, in the karma of the game. I just felt that we had stored enough karma that that shot wouldn't go in."

The result means the Bruins have lost consecutive home games for the first time this season.

"We tend to make big mistakes right now," Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said. "I don't know why, but the last two games at home we don't manage the ice or manage the puck, it's one of the two."

Wales appointed Gareth Jenkins as their new head coach, replacing Mike Ruddock who resigned from the post earlier in the year, on this day in 2006.

Ruddock had won the Grand Slam with Wales a year earlier, but was succeeded by Jenkins, who signed a two-year contract to incorporate the 2007 World Cup.

Wales Rugby Union chairman David Pickering was part of a five-man panel that recommended Jenkins for the position.

Pickering said: “What shone through for us was Gareth’s fantastic passion and vision for the game. He is a coach of the highest calibre and he has had success over many years with Llanelli.

“We, as a board, are absolutely delighted. He is the right man at the right time to take Wales forward. We went out to seek the best man for the job – it is what we said from day one – and we know we have got the best person for the job.”

A firm favourite of the Welsh supporters, Jenkins enjoyed success with Llanelli and was assistant Wales coach when they were crowned 1994 Five Nations champions.

Additionally, he helped Ian McGeechan mould an unbeaten midweek team during the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.

However, Jenkins’ reign in charge lasted just 20 Tests, winning only six games before his dismissal in September 2007 following a disappointing World Cup campaign.

Wales had beaten Canada and Japan in their group, but lost their decisive match against Fiji, meaning they did not reach the quarter-finals of the competition.

Following Jenkins’ departure, Warren Gatland was then appointed as Wales boss and immediately led the side to a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2008.