Today’s rugby news as giant new signing heads for Wales and James Hook demands WRU action after win

Here are your rugby morning headlines for Monday, July 14.

Smith signs off and heads to Wales

Ospreys-bound Ryan Smith has signed off his time with Queensland Reds.

Smith, who stands at 6ft 6ins, recently faced off against the Lions and Jac Morgan in one of Andy Farrell’s warm-up matches for the three-Test series against the Wallabies.

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READ MORE: Lions call in three Scotland players overnight as Welsh hopefuls overlooked

READ MORE: Tonight’s rugby news as Welsh international faces four months out and Wales ‘narrative’ must now change

The Australian is now heading for Wales to work under Mark Jones in Swansea, and he said farewell to his team-mates and supporters in heartfelt fashion. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.

“As a kid, I’d catch the train to Ballymore with my dad to watch from the hill when the Reds played. They were always the team I barracked for and that won’t change,” Smith reflected.

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“I never thought I’d pull on the Queensland jersey or even go to one training session for the Reds.

“To get to play more than 50 games and captain my state is something I’m very proud of. I’m lucky my career has panned out the way it has. All the hard yards have been worth it to run out at Suncorp Stadium.

“All the rugby stuff has been awesome, a genuine dream come true. The part I probably didn’t expect to be the best part is just the people you meet along the way. It’s a special thing that bond between the guys beside you, who you play for and with.”

Smith, 28, made his final appearance for the Reds against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium and said it was a “super privilege”.

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“Suncorp Stadium has kinda been a special place for me so to have my final Queensland game be against the Lions was massive,” Smith added.

“My whole career I’ve tried to look ahead at the next step and tried to reach that next level.

“Ospreys is another challenge, another rung in the ladder of my career, a chance to learn a lot in the European competitions and a cool experience for my family.”

Emerging star bullish after Wales ‘written off’

Dan Edwards said Wales showed tremendous character to hit back at their critics after being written off last week to earn their first Test win in 19 attempts.

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The Ospreys fly-half earned his first start for Wales and also earned rave reviews in the process, with many hopeful he can be the man to grab what has become a problematic No.10 shirt following the retirement of Dan Biggar.

And the 22-year-old, who scored what would be the winning try, was bullish after victory over Japan, saying he and his team-mates proved the critics wrong out in Kobe.

“It was good,” he said of his first start.

“More importantly, it was about getting a win today. I can’t lie, I’m absolutely chuffed. Especially with everyone saying we didn’t deserve to win last week and were writing us off. I’m absolutely landed.

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“We’ve come back and shown everyone why we’re here.

“It shows the character we’ve got. People wrote us off last week and people have been writing us off for however long. But that was a real statement that when it gets tough, we can pull through.

“I think that’ll take us in now to the autumn. We’ve all got time off – five weeks off now. I think it’ll be great going back into our clubs. It’s just that little bit of a boost that Welsh rugby needed.”

Hook: Use win as catalyst to enact change

James Hook has told the WRU to use the ecstasy surrounding Wales ending their losing streak as a catalyst for building momentum and implementing a real plan for sustained success.

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Wales overcame Japan in Kobe to put an end to 21 months without a Test victory, prompting an outpouring of emotion from both players and staff in the Land of the Rising Sun.

And while Hook concedes the “relief” was evident for all to see, he has told the WRU they must now put in place the structure which will see Test victories become far more commonplace in the future.

“Relief, that’s the word isn’t it, relief. I saw Dewi Lake’s interview at the end it’s just pure relief,” Hook told the BBC.

“You could see it on the players and Matt Sherratt’s face at the end, and they nearly threw it away in the second-half, but they found a way to win didn’t they.

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“When Japan scored those two tries I said ‘here we go again’ but they found a way to win and that’s all that matters in the end.

“Come September we need a couple of key building blocks in place, we need a head coach.

“The regions, whether we’re going to lose a region, go down to two, go down to three, whatever it is, that needs to be sorted.

“You don’t expect it to happen overnight but something needs to be done in the next couple of months.

“The autumn’s going to be a tough campaign, New Zealand and South Africa aren’t going to be quaking in their boots after that performance.”

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Three more called up to Lions squad

By PA Sport Staff

The British and Irish Lions have called up Scotland trio Rory Sutherland, Ewan Ashman and Darcy Graham ahead of their series against Australia.

The Lions’ squad has swelled to 44 players with the latest additions, who are being brought in to provide cover that will prevent key Test personnel from backing up in next Tuesday’s match against a First Nations & Pasifika XV.

The eighth match on tour takes place before the second Test against the Wallabies in Melbourne on July 26.

Prop Sutherland, hooker Ewan Ashman and wing Darcy Graham have all been summoned from Scotland’s tour of New Zealand.

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Graham will link up with the Lions in Brisbane on Monday while Sutherland and Ashman will arrive in Melbourne on Sunday with Scotland facing Samoa in Auckland the previous day.

Sutherland made two Test appearances for the Lions in South Africa four years ago.

Head coach Andy Farrell named a 38-man squad in May but since arriving in Australia full-back Jamie Osborne, hooker Jamie George and prop Tom Clarkson have been added.

Marcus Smith ‘buzzing’ about Owen Farrell call-up

By Duncan Bech, PA Rugby Union Correspondent, Brisbane

Marcus Smith is “buzzing” that Owen Farrell has joined the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia after the former England team-mates were reunited on the field in Adelaide on Saturday.

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Smith and Farrell were brought on at the same time in the 48-0 rout of an AUNZ Invitational XV and dovetailed impressively, forming the type of creative axis that was once valued so highly by England.

It was Farrell’s first appearance since he was called up as a replacement for the injured Elliot Daly and he produced some telling moments in attack, albeit against limited opposition.

Both playmakers are hoping to be involved in Saturday’s first Test against the Wallabies, with bench spots potentially available for those players who have the versatility to cover multiple positions.

“I was buzzing to see Owen come. Playing with him over the last four years and learning off him over the last eight years has been super valuable for my development,” Smith said.

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“I can’t speak highly enough of Owen – the things he’s taught me on and off the field – playing alongside him, training with him, learning from him.

“I can’t thank him enough, so to be out there with him on the pitch was good fun.”