The latest rugby news from Wales and beyond

New Zealand media deliver brutal verdict on Wales

The number of changes made by New Zealand for Saturday's clash with Wales demonstrates how far Welsh rugby has fallen in recent years.

That's the verdict of New Zealand Herald journalist Gregor Paul, who says Wales are now akin to a "Dickensian orphan".

The All Blacks have made 10 changes for the Nations Championship clash in Cardiff, and Paul says it's as much of a comment on the quality of their hosts more than anything else.

He wrote: "This isn’t quite rotation on the scale of 2005, but it is still a hefty change with new combinations at prop, lock, loose forward, the halves, midfield and back three.

"There is no means to avoid the cold, hard truth that this team has been selected with an appreciation of how far Wales have fallen and how little threat they pose in their current state.

"In the renaissance world of international rugby where standards are universally higher and the abilities of once-easy beat nations such as Ireland and Scotland are vastly greater, Wales sit as the exception.

"They were once the lord of the manor – their standing in the global game giving them a haughtiness where they treated the rest of the rugby world as if they were staff.

"But now they are condemned to play the role of the Dickensian orphan, frequenting the soup kitchens and roaming the streets hoping for a penny to be put in their hat."

Lawes recovering after spending time in hospital with illness

England and British Lions star Courtney Lawes has revealed he spent 10 days in hospital after coming down with a staph infection.

The 37-year-old had previously not played since since Sale Sharks' Champions Cup defeat by Glasgow Warriors on October 17.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby Xtra podcast, Lawes said he initially believed he was suffering from flu, before realising his condition was a lot more serious.

"I had flu symptoms but some really bad muscle pains with it. On the way home, my right arm basically stopped working, so really weird symptoms," Lawes said.

"I continued to get worse, was running a really high temperature," he added.

"My right arm didn't work, my abductors and pelvis were completely locked off as well. My left arm was functional and that was about it."

Four days into his hospital stay, Lawes was diagnosed with a staph infection and was initially treated with penicillin via an IV drip.

His temperature stayed high and his infection markers kept rising until doctors identified the source of the illness and prescribed antibiotics.

"In the first six days in hospital it was proper dark," he added. "The pain in my muscles was like nothing I've ever had before.

"I don't know how you measure pain but in those first five days that was the most pain I've ever tolerated."

He says he is now on the road to recovery.

"I'm obviously feeling better, still recovering but we'll just take it day by day," he said.

A Staphylococcus, often called “staph”, is a common type of bacteria that many people carry on their skin without any problems. But if it gets into the body through a cut or wound, it can cause infections that sometimes require treatment.

Wales international Sam Davies was hospitalised earlier this year with a similar infection, describing it as the worst pain he has experienced.

England star could miss Six Nations

England's Alex Mitchell could miss next year's Six Nations after undergoing an operation to fix a recurring hamstring issue.

Having suffered four hamstring injuries this year, the 29-year-old has gone under the knife, and could now face four months of rehabilitation.

That would potentially see him ruled out of all but two matches of the Six Nations campaign - the clashes with Wales on March 6 and Scotland on March 13.

However, any setback would clearly see him facing up to missing out on the tournament completely, meaning he'd only be available for the pre-tournament friendlies ahead of next year's Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Mitchell has already been ruled out of the Nations Championship campaign this month following his latest hamstring injury, which came in Northampton's win over Gloucester last month.

He picked up a similar injury against Ireland back in February and again in July against Fiji.

There was another hamstring injury, which was picked up during a training camp in May.