Tonight's rugby news as All Blacks legend guides Wales star and Leigh Halfpenny returns after setback

The latest headlines from Wales and around the world

These are are your evening rugby headlines on Saturday, October 12.

All Blacks legend guides Wales star

Dragons skipper Ben Carter is hoping to emulate New Zealand hero Sam Whitelock after receiving some top tips on leadership directly from the All Blacks legend.

The 12-cap Wales international was named as captain for this season by coach Dai Flanagan, who asked Whitelock to give the lock some pointers when he recently visited Newport as part of a book tour.

The 23-year-old found the pep talk invaluable and is hoping to put what he has learnt from the 153-cap legend into practice at Rodney Parade this season.

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Ahead of leading his side against the Sharks this weekend, Carter reflected on his meeting with Whitelock and said: "I learnt that he is constantly looking for new information and learning.

"Steve Cummins [who played with Whitelock at Pau] told me the week afterwards that Sam had been asking for feedback on what we thought he was like in the chat – that’s how much he values feedback.

“There was invaluable information in the meeting and he spoke a lot about body language and how to manage referees," he added. "Obviously you can’t go through every scenario but there are a few tricks of the trade that he has picked up over his impressive playing career.

“If you can get refs on side then you are in a good place and that’s one of the things that I am learning, when to approach them and building relationships.”

Halfpenny returns for sold-out Twickenham clash

A fit-again Leigh Halfpenny has been included in Harlequins' team for Sunday's Gallagher Premiership clash with Saracens at Twickenham, replacing Wales team-mate Jarrod Evans in the starting team.

Halfpenny had missed the trip to Northampton last week, with England fly-half Marcus Smith moving to full-back as Evans wore the 10 jersey.

However, with the Welsh Test centurion now available again, Evans drops to the bench as Smith moves to his preferred position.

Wing Caden Murley and scrum-half Will Porter also start in favour of Will Joseph and Danny Care, with James Chisholm and Dino Lamb chosen in the back-row ahead of Chandler Cunningham-South and Will Evans.

On the bench, Dillon Lewis is the other Welsh interest alongside fly-half Evans, while England prop Joe Marler is set for his first appearance since the summer.

Farrell says Lions tour would be 'massive'

Owen Farrell has said that making the British and Irish Lions squad would be "massive" for him, but added that he is concentrating on adapting to life in Paris for the moment.

The 33-year-old joined Racing 92 in the summer, ruling him out of England selection. However, he could still be picked for the Lions' tour of Australia in the summer.

"It's a massive thing for any British player, but it's a long way away," Farrell, who has toured with the Lions three times previously, told BBC Sport.

"It's not something I'm thinking about at all at the moment. I'm busy trying to settle in here and do my best for Racing."

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell - Owen's father - will lead the Lions down under and there is precedent for players based overseas being picked in the squad.

Kolisi calls on men to help grow women's game

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi says he and other male stars have both a moral duty and a personal interest in growing the women's game.

The two-time World Cup winner has been attending matches and helping out in training during the WXV2 tournament in Cape Town in recent weeks. On Friday, he even presented Wales with their jerseys after being contacted by Sisilia Tuipulotu on social media.

"Where I come from when someone struggles, you help," he told The Good, The Scaz and The Rugby podcast., external

"The girls are playing the same sport as me and they need help right now, so I go and help. That is how I was raised.

"Without my community I wouldn't be here, without my grandmother and my aunt I wouldn't be the person I am today.

"So when you have a platform, it is how many people can you take with you? It is not just about you."

He added: "WXV is so important - it creates more opportunities. For us as men, we have three games in June or July, then the Rugby Championship and then another three or four at the end of the year tour - it might be 13 games.

"The more time we spend together, the better we get, and that is what they [Springbok women] need.

"If we help the women's game grow, it means rugby is growing, more are playing and exposed to rugby - we are all benefitting and eating out of that."

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