Rugby news: coach calls for play-offs for Six Nations, stars replaced before France-Wales

Here is the Rugby news for Monday January 20.

Cockerill calls for Six Nations play-off

Georgia coach Richard Cockerill has reiterated his call for a promotion and relegation system to be put in place for the Six Nations, allowing teams like his to qualify for rugby's highest echelon European.

Former England forwards coach, Cockerill does not hesitate to express his wish to see his selection integrated into the competition, Georgia having dominated the second tier for years. While the Six Nations takes place, they face opponents such as Portugal and Romania in the European Rugby Championship, having won 16 titles in 25 years and losing just 13 in that time.

READ ALSO: A unique situation could benefit Wales' most reliable player at the Six Nations.

READ ALSO: Today's rugby news as Wales issue warning for Six Nations and Welsh derby in Europe confirmed.

Last year, Cockerill and Georgia called for Wales to play an unofficial play-off match after Warren Gatland's side finished dead last in the Six Nations table without winning a single match. . It was their first shutout since 2003, and the situation has not improved with 12 consecutive defeats heading into this new campaign.

Back in Georgia, Cockerill reignited debate over the tournament format, saying his side deserve at least a play-off opportunity against the last-placed team in the Six Nations.

“Isn’t that what sport is?” he asked. “There’s something at stake, isn’t there? Because there, you can have a bad Six Nations with the certainty of coming back the following year.

“We are not asking for charity, but an opportunity, but at the moment this is not presenting itself,” he added. “I understand that if a country were relegated from the Six Nations it would have catastrophic financial consequences. But it would be the same for us, if we got promoted it would be fantastic for Georgian rugby because it would be worth tens of millions of pounds.

“When we talk about opening rugby to the world and making it more accessible, or else we become the annoying sibling, which is our case at the moment.”

Reduction in squad for France before Wales

Two players have left France's Six Nations squad as they prepare for their opening match against Wales on January 31.

Hooker Romain Taofifenua is out with a knee injury sustained in a match against the Stormers at the weekend. The French rugby federation has confirmed that the Racing 92 player has been replaced by five-cap international Mickaël Guillard in the group of 42 players.

Meanwhile, star winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey will also be absent from the team's preparations in Marcoussis, having had to withdraw from the match against the Sharks due to dizziness, apparently linked to an inner ear problem. The duration of his absence remains uncertain.

These disadvantages come after Fabien Galthié also lost experienced players Charles Ollivon, Gaël Fickou and Jonathan Danty, all injured. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for exclusive news from the world of Welsh rugby.

Earlier this month, Toulon captain Ollivon was withdrawn from the tournament with a serious knee injury that is expected to sideline him for around six months. Fickou and Danty, meanwhile, suffered thumb and knee injuries respectively.

Leicester Tigers dominated by Toulouse

By PA Sport Staff

Leicester suffered their heaviest Champions Cup defeat in the Investec era, being crushed by Toulouse 80-12 at the Stade Ernest Wallon.

The French scored 12 tries, handing the Tigers an embarrassing draw in the knockout stage.

Toulouse scored six tries in the first half, with captain Antoine Dupont getting the ball rolling, followed by two tries from Emmanuel Meafou. Ange Capuozzo, Dimitri Delibes and Julien Marchand continued the demonstration by scoring 42 points during a first period where Leicester failed to score.

The Tigers showed slight improvement after the break with tries from Jack van Poortvliet and Will Hurd, while Jamie Shillcock added a conversion.

However, Toulouse continued their momentum with six more tries, affirming their desire to retain the trophy. Capuozzo and Dupont scored again, and Thibaud Flament scored two tries.

Thomas Ramos and substitute Matthis Lebel completed the scoring, while Leicester, who had validated their ticket to the final stages after beating Ulster the previous weekend, were content with third place in their group.

French winger Damian Penaud set a new tournament record with six tries as Bordeaux crushed the Sharks 66-12, securing top spot in Pool One and home field advantage for the next round.

The Sharks' heavy defeat allowed Ulster to overtake them to take fourth place and qualify for the round of 16 on points difference.

A new injury for England

By Duncan Bech, PA rugby correspondent in England

Jamie George left the field with a hamstring problem during Saracens' 32-24 defeat to Castres, further complicating the English hooker's already difficult week.

Replaced as England captain by club team-mate Maro Itoje when Steve Borthwick announced his Six Nations selection, he then suffered an injury at StoneX Stadium which could jeopardize his participation against Ireland February 1st.

George came on in the 55th minute to replace two-try hooker Theo Dan, but had to leave the field late in the match as Saracens were unable to determine the extent of his injury.

“Jamie injured his hamstring. We don't yet know how serious this injury is,” said athletic director Mark McCall.

George's late withdrawal, combined with serious injuries to Toby Knight, added frustration to an already difficult afternoon in north London, where Castres finally secured a victory after 21 consecutive away defeats in the Champions Cup.

The two teams were already qualified for the next round and were fighting for a possible home advantage, a reward given to the club ranked eighth in the Top 14, which showed more combativeness and ease to win. They achieved this feat by fielding a completely overhauled team after crushing the Bulls 49-10 last weekend, defying their reputation as unreliable travelers.

“We had a far too poor performance. Castres fully deserved this victory, and we got what we deserved as well, which is hard to say,” said McCall. “Our mentality wasn't there for some reason, and it's up to me and the coaches to recognize that. It was a really disappointing day. Castres clearly dominated us in energy. They were very motivated for this match.

“We had a lot of balls, but we didn't know how to take advantage of them, and they countered us successfully. Then they struck when opportunities presented themselves. It has been a very disappointing day.