Wasps have announced rugby director Tony Hanks' departure from the Aviva Premiership club "by mutual agreement."

A fortnight is a long time in rugby. Two weeks ago, all the Six Nations talk in Wales was about an Englishman, albeit one born in New Zealand: the hooker Dylan Hartley, who ended up supping in the "last laugh saloon" after helping the former world champions to a highly satisfying victory in Cardiff. Yesterday the Welsh had no option but to talk about their own kind. "We can't hide from the fact that we've lost an awful lot of games," admitted the assistant coach Neil Jenkins, "and we're not hiding from it."

It’s fun, it’s famous and for atmosphere, it’s fabulous.

England prop Andrew Sheridan has ended speculation about his playing future by deciding to stay with Sale Sharks.

The final game of England's autumn international schedule remains little more than a blur to Chris Ashton. Asked yesterday what he could recall of the 80 minutes against the Springboks a week past Saturday, the spring-heeled Northampton Saint replied: "Nothing at all. But I think I can remember the bus journey."

Six days on and still the aftershock of the All Black collision at Murrayfield was being felt by Scotland yesterday. The lingering effects of the shoulder injury suffered by Max Evans in the final knockings of the thudding 49-3 defeat caused the Glasgow outside-centre to be withdrawn from the starting XV, whose mission will be to try to pick up the pieces, for Andy Robinson's side against South Africa in Edinburgh this afternoon.

Gethin Jenkins has experienced his fair share of mental and physical pain against South Africa.

Ian McGeechan said it was all over and everyone believed him, his wife included. He probably believed it himself. But that was in July of last year, when emotions surrounding the narrowest of British and Irish Lions defeats in South Africa were still raw. Now, 15 months on, the man who has come to define Lions rugby in the modern era is very much in the thoughts of those who must choose a head coach for the 2013 trek to Australia – a trip that will begin in ground-breaking fashion with a game against the Barbarians in Hong Kong.

It has happened here before. A big Welsh favourite beaten to the gold by a training partner in a major championship hurdles final in the magnificent Montjuic Stadium.