Alun Wyn Jones will not pay for the ’sin’ which tripped up Wales
Wales are set to keep faith with the second-row Alun Wyn Jones when they name their team to face Scotland in Cardiff on Saturday. Jones was accused by his coach, Warren Gatland, of costing his side victory at Twickenham last weekend after he was sent to the sin bin for a trip and England scored 17 unanswered points in his absence.
Gatland said after the 30-17 defeat that he would consider dropping Jones, who led Wales against Italy in last year's Six Nations, but he has since calmed down and is likely to content himself with a stern rebuke and a warning about future behaviour.
"We've all made mistakes and Alun Wyn did on the weekend," said the Wales kicking coach, Neil Jenkins. "We've had other players in the past who have been sin-binned and we've come through it unscathed. That was not the case on Saturday, but that is how it goes. Things get said, but I do not think he will be dropped.
"We have learned from it and moved on. Alun is a superb player and we have to make sure that we do not lose our discipline against Scotland. Alun will not have to prove anything on Saturday. He knows he made a mistake but he has learned his harsh lesson."
The Wales wing Shane Williams said the players were behind Jones. "We are sticking by him," he said. "I know there were a number of unhappy Welsh people on Saturday, but no one is more disappointed than Alun Wyn. If I know him, he will bounce back even stronger from this and I hope he plays on Saturday because he is one of our best players."
Wales hope to have the prop Gethin Jenkins fit to face Scotland after he missed the Twickenham trip with a calf strain, but his fellow Lion Matthew Rees may need surgery to sort out a recurrent groin problem. Jenkins will return to full training on Thursday, when Wales will decide whether Rees should have an operation, which would rule him out for the rest of the season, or play on.
The scrum-half Dwayne Peel, another groin victim, hopes to make his comeback for Sale at Wasps on Sunday while Wales's first choice in the position, Mike Phillips, who has not played since damaging ankle ligaments last October, hopes to play in a club match this weekend before returning to action with the Ospreys next week.
Wales may have lost the chance of a grand slam, but Williams said they still had all to play for. "We have four matches to go and we can win the title. It is not an impossible task but we know he will have to be far better against Scotland than we were at Twickenham."
Riki Flutey ruled out of England’s game with Wales due to thigh injury
England have been dealt a blow on the eve of their Six Nations opener against Wales at Twickenham tomorrow after Riki Flutey was ruled out of the match with a thigh injury.
Flutey, who missed England's autumn campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery, suffered the strain during a non-contact training session on Thursday morning.
The centre has been replaced in the starting XV by Toby Flood with Shontayne Hape added to the replacements.
Riki took a bang yesterday in training and he is out with a dead leg," said England head coach Martin Johnson. "I don't think Riki's injury is too bad. It was touch and go whether he would be fit and we think he isn't going to make it.
"It is a blow because we picked him to play there. The good thing for us is that Toby has played a lot of Test rugby at 12. He has a kicking game and is an experienced Test player now."
Bosch announces 900 job losses with Cardiff factory closure
About 900 jobs are set to go in Wales as German engineering firm Bosch prepares to shut a car parts factory near Cardiff next year.
A Unite union representative described the news as a "terrible blow".
The company blamed its decision to pull out of South Wales on the economic slump, which has hit the automotive industry hard.
Management told workers at the plant in Miskin near Cardiff yesterday, following a three-month consultation. Talks are being extended until February as unions and staff try to thrash out redundancy terms.
The factory, which makes alternators, is set to close in the summer of 2011, with production being transferred to Hungary.
"I deeply regret that we could not find a solution for the Cardiff plant," said Stefan Asenkerschbaumer, president of the Bosch starter motors division, who rejected a plan to keep the plant open with the loss of 300 jobs. "I have spent time in a previous role as plant manager in Cardiff and I know first-hand the dedication and commitment of the employees here. Therefore, this is for me personally one of the toughest decisions in my career."
Bosch, which is set to make its first operating loss for six decades, said demand for the alternator had dropped dramatically, with sales down 45% last year.
Unite's regional officer, David Lewis, said: "We'd asked the company to look at alternative production means – they say they have done that. The work simply isn't there – there's overcapacity in a great number of divisions of Bosch … I think everyone is bitterly disappointed that there's not a hope of something being retained."
The company said the worst economic downturn for many decades had "left its mark" on the Bosch group.
