Wales stars' sons win Ospreys v Scarlets battle and 'whingeing' All Blacks accused

Here are your rugby morning headlines for Monday, August 17.

Welsh age-grade season starts

The Ospreys began their defence of the U18s Regional Academy Championship with a 33-19 victory over rivals Scarlets at the Gnoll.

Having trailed 14-7 at the break, the Ospreys - who have won the competition the last two seasons on the trot - fought back in the second-half to start their campaign with a victory.

Mason James, Bobbie Bennett, Jacob Jones and Harrison Hook - the sons of former Wales internationals Paul James, Huw Bennett, Ryan Jones and James Hook - all started for the Ospreys in their victory on Sunday.

In the other fixture from the opening round, Cardiff won a high-scoring encounter against the Dragons 53-38.

The Men of Gwent saw wing Dylan Cole cross for a hat-trick but that wasn't enough to overcome the Blue and Blacks.

The initial set of U18s Regional Academy Championship fixtures will run until the middle of September.

Following a break, the second block will begin in January.

'Whingeing' All Blacks accused in South Africa

The All Blacks have been accused of whingeing ahead of the first Test of their Greatest Rivalry tour against South Africa, with a leading South African rugby pundit claiming New Zealand believe they are the saviours of rugby.

The two southern hemisphere giants meet at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday in the opening match of their four-Test series, with tensions already building between the two camps.

South African rugby writer Craig Ray has launched a fierce attack on the All Blacks, claiming their coaching staff appear to believe their style of rugby is the only one worth pursuing.

Writing for the Daily Maverick, Ray said: The All Blacks coaching staff seem to believe theirs is the only style worth pursuing and ... fans, administrators and most importantly, referees, should take the same view.

He added: There is nothing the All Blacks would like more than for rugby to be played like it was in 2015, when they ruled the world with superior skills and superior conditioning.

Ray believes South Africa's remarkable run of success in recent years has come from coach Rassie Erasmus recognising that attempting to match New Zealand's pace and style was not the answer.

They had to find another way to beat New Zealand. Going toe-to-toe in a running battle with the All Blacks was never going to cut it, he wrote.

So its no surprise then that the narrative coming from the All Blacks camp since they arrived in South Africa nearly two weeks ago for the Greatest Rivalry tour has been to paint themselves as the saviours of rugby.

All Blacks assistant coach Tana Umaga has been vocal about the need for rugby to be played at greater pace during the build-up to Saturday's Test.

Its no surprise how we want to play the game. We want to speed the game up, Umaga said this week.

Its very frustrating for us when teams are visibly trying to slow it down.

Thats something we all have to get aligned on: what kind of game we want to play, in terms of globally.

But Ray was dismissive of those comments and suggested New Zealand were attempting to impose their preferred style on the rest of the rugby world.

It sounds very much like the All Blacks want everyone to emulate their style because its perceived to be more aesthetically pleasing, he said.

Ray argued that the Springboks' approach should not be dismissed simply because it differs from the All Blacks' preferred way of playing.

The sight of a Bok scrum putting opponents into rapid reverse, or Cheslin Kolbe and Damian Willemse ruling the air as they gobble up pinpoint aerial kicks, is actually jaw-dropping. Not all skills are the same, he wrote.

And he pointed to South Africa's extraordinary record under Erasmus as evidence that their methods are working.

The increasing whingeing from the All Blacks is an interesting take, considering the Boks have won 31 of their last 34 Tests, Ray said.

That includes the last 12 in a row, and they have scored an average of more than five tries per Test since 2024.

The opening Test in Johannesburg will be followed by three more meetings between the two great rivals as part of the tour, with New Zealand looking to halt South Africa's remarkable winning run.

Welsh coach targets international after dramatic week

Nissa coach Gareth Baber is reportedly targeting a deal for Samoa international Iakopo Mapu, after the club had their promotion to Pro D2 confirmed.

The Cote d'Azur side had won promotion from France's third tier at the end of last season, only to see their ascent banned by league officials amid a dispute between the club's owners and Nice's city council.

However, following an appeal, their place in the second tier was assured - with Nissa now moving to bring in some new recruits.

Welshman Baber signed centre Francis Saili last week to compete with Wales international Tyler Morgan in midfield.

And now, according to reports in France, former Stade Francais Mapu, could be the next addition to his squad.

USA beat Argentina XV in tight contest

By PA

The United States surprised an Argentina XV with a 25-24 victory in Florida.

Argentina led 17-15 at half-time after tries from Martin Vaca, Nicolas Viola and Franco Rossetto. Shilo Klein and Makeen Alikhan crossed for the USA in the first half.

Francisco Slugas yellow card 10 minutes into the second half proved costly as Luke Carty converted a penalty and Marno Redelinghuys try put the USA in control, with Thiago Sbroccos late try proving no more than a consolation.

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