The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world

These are your evening rugby headlines on Sunday, February 22.

Wales star addresses ‘gut-wrenching’ moment

Wales star James Botham has addressed the “gut-wrenching” moment Darcy Graham caught the Welsh defence napping to score a try and help Scotland to a comeback victory in Cardiff.

The Cardiff flanker delivered an impressive performance after replacing the injured Taine Plumtree just 10 minutes into Saturday’s Six Nations clash at the Principality Stadium, putting in a huge defensive shift with 15 tackles.

But after Jarrod Evans had stretched Wales’ lead to 11 points from the tee shortly before the hour mark, Botham could only watch on helplessly as Finn Russell took the restart quickly and the Scotland fly-half’s kick dropped over his shoulder and into the hands of Graham, who raced over to score.

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The Edinburgh wing’s try brought Scotland right back into the game at 23-19 and helped momentum shift in the visitors’ favour, with George Turner’s score five minutes from time denying Wales a first Six Nations victory in nearly three years.

Like most players in red, Botham was getting back into position when Russell took the restart and had his back turned to the action as Graham capitalised to devastating effect.

Having been closest to the ball, however, the back-rower – who turned 28 today – admits that the split-second change in fortunes is difficult to take but will serve as motivation to progress in the final two games of the tournament.

“That’s international sport,” he said of the moment. “If you look at all the teams everyone’s so good now. Switch off for a split second and you’re penalised for it.

“It is gut-wrenching but we’ve got to use that to move forward into the next game.”

On the overall result, Botham added: “Emotionally it is tough, but that’s professional sport. We started off really well, that’s what we were aiming to do. The fact that it hurts is probably a good thing and that we were in it until the last minute.

“There’s a lot of positives to take from it because it was definitely one of the best performances we’ve done for a long time. It’s all progression, we’ve got two games left and we’ve got to focus on them now.

“Debrief this one and then we’ll go to Ireland raring to go,” he added. “It’s how we bounce back now.”

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Six Nations star receives apology

England back-rower Sam Underhill says he and his team-mates felt compelled to apologise to captain Maro Itoje after his special day went badly wrong against Ireland.

Itoje won his 100th cap for his country at Twickenham on Saturday, with his family cheering him on from the stands as they celebrated the latest landmark achievement of his career.

But things soon went pear-shaped as England suffered a humiliating 21-42 thumping at the hands of Andy Farrell’s side, with skipper Itoje replaced after 54 minutes to cap a miserable day for the Saracens lock.

After the match, Underhill revealed that the team were all too aware that they couldn’t give Itoje what he deserved on his milestone day, as he admitted the result was “disappointing”.

“We addressed it as a team that we couldn’t give him the day we wanted for him,” he told reporters. “He’s an incredibly gracious human being. He mentioned it himself, that’s sport, progress isn’t linear. Those were his words.

“We can still celebrate what an achievement 100 caps is. It’s disappointing but it doesn’t take the shine off what is a phenomenal individual accomplishment. He’s a phenomenal player, athlete, human being and leader.”

With England – who were seen as potential title contenders ahead of the tournament – falling to two defeats in their opening three matches, Underhill added: “We’re obviously disappointed with the result.

“We can acknowledge that, but also acknowledge that it’s a part of progress sometimes. Progress isn’t linear and how we respond is important. This is a phenomenally competitive tournament and the game is always evolving, teams are always evolving. Any team you play is never the same again: stylistically, individually.

“Our job is to keep improving as much as we can. Even off the back of a win, you come away with a dozen things you can improve. It’s no different after a loss,” he continued.

“You’re never as bad as people think you are and never as good as people think you are. We weren’t the best team in the world four weeks ago and we’re not the worst team now. We’ll stick at it. Stay close as a group. I hope there are good things ahead for this team.”

Doris: This is the benchmark

By Edward Elliot, Press Association

Ireland captain Caelan Doris believes Saturday’s record-breaking 42-21 demolition of England is a new benchmark for future performances.

Andy Farrell’s side responded to their detractors in emphatic fashion by securing Ireland’s largest win at Twickenham courtesy of a stunning display in the Guinness Six Nations.

Ireland’s heavy round-one loss away to France had fuelled suggestions the team is in decline following a tough autumn series before last weekend’s unconvincing win over Italy did little to quell the concerns.

“I spoke about Paris being a reference point where hopefully we’ll see a pretty steep incline in terms of performances,” said Doris. “I think this will now be a reference point that we look back on as a proper good performance that’s given us a lot of belief.

“I’ve also mentioned that at the core of what we’re doing in training, in camp, there has been belief still, and I think you saw some of that through how we played.

“It was just an unbelievable atmosphere. You talk about inspiring the nation and getting the Irish people behind us and hopefully that brought both the people here and at home a bit of joy. “We definitely enjoyed it.”

Ireland’s previous biggest victory away to England was a 32-15 success in 2022. Back-rower Doris played a starring role in south-west London and was singled out for praise by head coach Farrell.

“I thought he had his best game in a good while,” Farrell said. “He was immense in his carry. That’s Caelan at his best.

“How he led from the front and got us over the gainline was outstanding, but we could 100 per cent have two minutes on every single person out there.”

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NEW YORK (AP) — The Transportation Security Administration said Sunday that its PreCheck program would remain operational despite an earlier announcement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that the airport security service was being suspended during the partial government shutdown.

“ As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly,” the agency said.

It was not immediately clear whether Global Entry, another airport service, would be affected. PreCheck and Global Entry are designed to help speed registered travelers through security lines, and suspensions would likely cause headaches and delays.

The turmoil is tied to a partial government shutdown that began Feb. 14 after Democrats and the White House were unable to reach a deal on legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats have been demanding changes to immigration operations that are core to President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign.

Homeland Security previously said it was taking “emergency measures to preserve limited funds.” Among the steps listed were “ending Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck lanes and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Global Entry service, to refocus Department personnel on the majority of travelers.”

Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on Saturday night that “shutdowns have serious real world consequences.”

One group of fliers will definitely be affected, according to TSA.

“Courtesy escorts, such as those for Members of Congress, have been suspended to allow officers to focus on the mission of securing America’s skies,” the agency said.

Airlines for America, a trade group representing major carriers, said Saturday night that “it’s past time for Congress to get to the table and get a deal done.” It also criticized the announcement by saying it was “issued with extremely short notice to travelers, giving them little time to plan accordingly.”

Democrats on the House Committee on Homeland Security criticized Homeland Security handling of airport security after the initial announcement on Saturday night. They accused the administration of “kneecapping the programs that make travel smoother and secure.”

Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, said Noem’s actions are part of an administration strategy to distract from other issues and shift responsibility.

“This administration is trying to weaponize our government, trying to make things intentionally more difficult for the American people as a political leverage,” he told CNN on Sunday. “And the American people see that.”

Can anyone stop this French procession? Three matches played, three victories – two with bonus points – and only two further matches, against improving Scotland and declining England, to navigate for a second Grand Slam in four years, and a third championship title in the same period.

Italy, arriving on the back of a victory over the Scots and narrow loss in Dublin, gave it a real lash in Lille and, arguably, provided the sternest test yet for France so far in this year’s championship. Les Bleus scored three tries in the opening 28 minutes and led by 11 points at half-time but it was not until the 71st minute that another point was scored, with wing Gaël Dréan sealing the bonus point on debut.

A man was taken to hospital on Saturday night

A woman has been charged with attempted murder after an incident in Co Armagh on Saturday.

Detectives responded to a “stabbing incident” in Lurgan on February 21 where a man has was taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries.

A PSNI spokesperson asked the public to avoid the Lord Lurgan Park area as they carried out follow-up enquiries on Saturday night.

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On Sunday, a spokesperson added: “Detectives investigating a stabbing incident in Lurgan on Saturday, February 21 have charged a woman with attempted murder.

“The 25-year-old is expected to appear before Lisburn Magistrates Court on Monday, February 23. “As is usual procedure, the charge will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.”

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The Princess of Wales was seen cheekily tapping her husband’s bottom as they walked the red carpet for the BAFTAs in 2023, with a body language expert revealing what might have been behind the tactile gesture

The 2026 BAFTAs will see the who’s who of the British entertainment industry gather to celebrate the best of the arts. In recent years, the Prince and Princess of Wales have attended the event, with the royal couple sharing a cheeky moment on the red carpet in 2023.

William and Kate put on a glamourous display with the Princess of Wales wowing in a recycled Alexander McQueen gown and dramatic black opera-style gloves, while William looked dapper in a full tuxedo. As they walked the carpet, Kate was spotted in a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moment, tapping William affectionately on his behind.

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The clip quickly went viral on social media, with many royal fans loving the cheeky moment in what was described as a rare flirty PDA. And according to body language expert Judi James, it seems the case that Kate performed the gesture following a mistake by William – and she used it as a reprimand.

She told the Mirror: “This bum-tap gesture is part of a swift series of non-verbal signals between the couple, known as tie-signs. They were clearly more tactile than usual for this red carpet appearance and their very glamorous styling gave them the look of an A-list power couple.

“Like all good A-listers, Kate seemed to be using tie-signs or non-verbal cues to help choreograph their movements but there was one small moment when they appeared to fall out of sync, possibly due to the fact that William seemed unable to keep his eyes off his stunning wife.”

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“As they walk past the crowds, Kate seems to look back to acknowledge a complimentary comment with a smile. She then pushes her right hand out towards William’s in what looks like a cue to hold hands. William mistakenly leans in to suggest he is expecting more of the flirty whispering they have been doing and raises his hand as his head gets closer, missing Kate’s offer. Kate then ‘rewards’ William with a pat on the bum. So this works as both a sexy ritual or appreciation and a small reprimand for missing her cue.”

During their evening at the BAFTAs, the couple met BAFTA chairman Krishnendu Majumdar, chief executive Jane Millichip and chairwoman of the BAFTA film committee Anna Higgs ahead of the ceremony.

William told the leaders they were doing a “great job” and nodded as Ms Higgs spoke of how important it was to pursue “diversity” in the industry. He praised Ms Millichip for handling her position well despite being made chief executive in a “baptism of fire”.

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During the ceremony, a pre-recorded tribute to the late Queen was paid by Dame Helen Mirren, who played the late monarch in the 2006 biopic The Queen. William and Kate watched from the centre of the front row as Dame Helen said: “Cinema at its best does what Her Majesty did effortlessly – bring us together and unite us through a story. Your Majesty, you were our nation’s leading star.”

Prince William, who has been present of BAFTA since 2010, attended the awards solo in 2024, as Kate took a step back from her royal duties while she underwent treatment for cancer. Before that, the couple attended in 2020.

The singer continued to perform with the popular boyband in spite of his injury

JLS singer Aston Merrygold said that ‘it’s killing me’ as he provided a health update after his recent surgery left him ‘bed-bound’.

The 38-year-old is best known for performing in one of the UK’s biggest boy bands alongside Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill. JLS rose to fame after finishing second on ITV singing competition The X Factor in 2008, coming in second to Alexandra Burke.

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After heading out on the road with their The Club Is Alive: 2025 Hits Tour, Aston underwent surgery in December after suffering an ankle injury during rehearsals. Despite his injury, Ason continued with the tour as he used crutches and sat down during the gigs.

Appearing on Channel 4 series Sunday Brunch on Sunday (February 22), Aston sat down with Simon Rimmer and Tim Lovejoy to discuss what actually happened and how he fared with his recovery journey.

“I broke everything in my ankle, apart from the bone. So, I’m still here. Basically, jumping off a platform to end the show, I vanished through the stage and landed on some crash mats.

“Obviously, I got excited and probably jumped a bit too high, trapped my leg between the crash mats and my body kept going. So I had to have full ankle reconstruction surgery,” he said.

With Tim joking if he had a ‘team of lawyers on that’, Aston went on to talk about his football playing days and how his fitness routine has been impacted by his injury.

He noted “It’s killing me. But everything, even in the week, going away with the kids for a few days is lovely.”

Asked if he can ‘do anything’, Aston replied: “I can’t run yet. So that’s kind of the extent of it. Stairs are good now, for the ankle progression.”

Tim replied: “You know what they say, and this is so true, a well man has 10,000 wishes and an ill man has one.”

Saying that he ‘100 percent’ agreed with Tim, Aston said that the ‘worst part of the whole thing’ was that he ‘had to be bed-bound at one point’.

“Then, when I could stand up, it had to be no weight. So no picking up the kids, no kind of running around. Obviously I didn’t listen.

“You can’t have those special moments just taken away fully, so I was a bit like, ‘No, there are some things,” he said.

According to Aston, the operation took place on December 5 and the doctors said it would be ‘over six months’ until he’s fully recovered.

JLS are set to go back on the road this summer, playing at Derby’s Darley Park before headlining the Colchester Castle Park in August. The boys will be provided support from Dreams singer Grabrielle.

Freestyle skier Zoe Atkin has won a bronze medal in the women’s halfpipe final at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

It means a record-equalling medal tally of five for Team GB, which had already secured three golds, more than at any other winter Games, as well as a silver in the men’s curling on Saturday.

The total haul of five medals was also achieved in 2014 and 2018.

Atkin, 23, whose father is British and has held dual UK-American citizenship since birth, came into the Games having won the superpipe competition at last month’s Aspen X Games.

Halfpipe skiing involves an athlete performing tricks on a U-shaped course made of hard-packed snow.

Atkin, from Massachusetts, qualified in first place but fell behind Eileen Gu, the defending champion, and Li Fanghui in the final. The Chinese pair won gold and silver, respectively.

She said she was nervous about the final and “played it a little bit safe on my first run” but then “stepped it up a little bit on my third run”.

“I’ve been working on my run for the past four years, even longer, and to be able to come back to the Olympics and be on the podium means so much to me,” she said.

Last weekend, Team GB made history with two golds: the first for Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale in the mixed team snowboarding, and the second for Matt Weston and Tabby Stoecker in the mixed team skeleton.

It was the first time Team GB had secured two gold medals on a single day of any previous Winter Games.

It is also the second gold at these games for Weston, who separately took the men’s singles skeleton title.

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How it feels to win two golds at Winter Olympics

Team GB missed out on a gold on Saturday after losing to Canada in a tense final in the men’s curling.

The team, led by Bruce Mouat, had to settle for silver, a repeat of their result from the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.

Team member Bobby Lammie told Sky News: “I think we actually felt good pretty much the majority of the game. We felt in control and felt like we were controlling most of the game… and just unfortunately, there were too many mistakes.”

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Team GB curlers on how gold ‘slipped away’

They had hoped to become the first British men’s team to claim curling gold for 102 years.

Mouat, Lammie, Grant Hardie, Hammy McMillan and Kyle Waddell had come into this event after winning two World Championships.

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Director of performance at UK Sport, Dr Kate Baker, told Sky News: “It’s absolutely been an historic games for Team GB. It’s incredible to come away with so many Olympic champions to that point.

“We’ve never had more than one gold medal at a games before, and so to come home with multiple is absolutely brilliant.”

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‘Historic games’ for Team GB

This evening will see the closing ceremony in Verona as the curtain comes down on the Winter Olympics.

Norway are currently top of the table when ranked by gold medals. It has 18 compared to 11 from the US in second place, and 10 from The Netherlands in third. Italy is ranked fourth, followed by Germany and France.

Accusations of cheating. Swear words being hurled across the ice. Counter-claims of a sting operation with illicit filming. In curling?!

The drama started when Canada’s Marc Kennedy became involved in a heated verbal exchange with Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson towards the end of his side’s 8-6 win.

The Swedes believed Kennedy was repeatedly double-touching some of his stones, an illegal move.

But the cards were signed by both teams at the end, meaning the result would stand in a sport that is proudly self-governed by the players.

And then video footage found its way into circulation post-match. Was it premeditated?

The following day, Switzerland reported Kennedy for the same offence. World Curling then announced they would deploy extra officials for the remainder of the Games to check for double-touching.

Canadian women’s skip Rachel Holman was pinged for a double-touch, as was Team GB’s Bobby Lammie – both incidents not deliberate and the case of a lingering figure falling on to the granite.

World Curling changed its protocol again and teams could now request to have the stone delivery monitored if they had suspicions, and for a minimum of three ends.

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They are appealing for anyone with information to come forward

Police have confirmed a viable device was found during a security alert in Co Derry.

Detectives investigating an incident in the Oakvale Terrace area of Upperlands on February 21 are now appealing for information. Detective Inspector Keon said: “Following a report to police around 5.10pm, officers attended and a number of cordons were put in place. “Ammunition Technical Officers attended the scene and confirmed the discovery of a viable device. “There is still a police presence in the area while enquiries are ongoing and I would appeal to anyone who saw anything unusual, or who may have dashcam, CCTV or other video footage, to contact us on 101, quoting reference 1144 of 21/2/26. “We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who might have seen anything unusual in the area between 10pm on Thursday, February 19 and 2am on Friday, February 20. “You can also submit a report online via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”

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