The latest rugby news stories from Wales and the wider world

These are the rugby stories making headlines on Sunday, September 1.

Springboks lodge complaint

South Africa have reportedly filed an official complaint to World Rugby, demanding they investigate Australia after last month’s Rugby Championship match.

The game in Perth on August 17 descended into uncontested scrums after Australia lost both their loosehead props, Angus Bell and James Slipper, to injury. Allan Alaalatoa also failed to play in the second half.

Bell was removed at half-time with an apparent HIA, while Slipper was also taken off in the second half after a blow to the head. That move came just a minute after the Springboks had brought on their infamous ‘bomb squad’, including Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx, as they looked to turn the screw at the set-piece.

But because Australia had lost all their loosehead prop resources, the game was forced to go to uncontested scrums for its remainder, thus nullifying the expected South African advantage. World Rugby has rules that can see teams reduced to 13 men if they create a scenario where scrums have to be uncontested but they do not apply where HIAs are a factor.

Alaalatoa and Bell both played for Australia against Argentina this weekend but Slipper was rested.

South African publication Rapport reports the ‘Boks are unhappy about the situation and have made formal requests for the circumstances to be investigated, even calling for medical records to be looked at to prove all three players had head injuries.

Scarlets sign up some of Wales’ best young talent

The Scarlets have announced the signings of five more players into their senior academy including giant Welsh qualified tighthead Gabe Hawley from Ealing Trailfinders.

At 130kg the Scarlets are excited by the signing of Hawley who is another product of the Welsh Rugby Union’s Exiles programme and went to Brunel University. The west Walians have loosehead prop Tom Phillips, who was a key member of the Scarlets U18s side which won the Regional Age Grade competition last season.

Hawley isn’t the only player to sign from the exiles programme with another tighthead in Yestyn Cooke, who was previously a member of the Northampton Saints academy, coming on board. Dynamic backrower Keanu Evans has also been promoted into the senior academy as has north Walian lock Dylan Alford.