Tonight's rugby news as Gatland runs rule over fly-half hopeful and Wales star makes instant impact in England

The latest headlines from Wales and around the world

These are your evening rugby headlines on Sunday, October 6.

Wales star 'dragging team up to his level'

Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams has been showered with more praise after a "barnstorming" start to his time at Gloucester.

The 29-year-old, who made the move to Kingsholm after leaving Cardiff at the end of last season, has made a stunning impact in his opening few games for his new side, scoring two brilliant tries against Sale on Friday night as he captained the side in a narrow 31-27 defeat.

The second of those scores was hailed as "astonishing" by match commentators, while Williams also earned praise from former Wales team-mate Louis Rees-Zammit and fans who described him as "incredible" and "one of the best nines in the world".

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Now, the 58-cap international has received perhaps his most glowing review yet, with GloucestershireLive claiming that he is "dragging [the rest of his team] up to his level".

"What a barnstorming start to his Cherry and White career the Welsh international has had," the report reads. "Captaining the side for the second week running with Lewis Ludlow absent, Williams scored two outstanding tries.

"[He showed] great speed and agility to evade the tackle of Tom Roebuck for his first before dazzling with his footballing skills to twice kick on the bouncing ball for his second. [He is] dragging the team up to his level."

Gatland scrutinises fly-half hopeful

Ben Thomas has opened up on his "intense" summer with Wales and the feedback he has received from coaches as he looks to improve his game further.

The 25-year-old was handed the No.10 jersey for the two Tests against Australia on this summer's tour, three years on from winning his first two caps as a replacement. Ever since, his best position has been subject to debate, with Gatland suggesting he is keen to keep him at outside-half going forward, but Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt maintaining that he is a 12 and should be played there.

Ultimately, Thomas has no concerns over where he plays, saying that the "skills are transferable" and he is "feeling good" as he lines up at inside centre for the Arms Park side. He also says he is wiser for the experience of being out on tour with Wales and has worked with coaches to go through his performances "with a fine tooth comb" to identify his work-ons. Get the latest Welsh rugby breaking news by signing up to our free daily newsletter here.

“It was pretty intense. It’s probably the margin for error was the main thing,” he told The Rugby Paper as he reflected on the tour. “It’s more speed of thought rather than the speed of the game. In regional rugby, you can see something and it might be there for a few seconds and you can act on it, but the thing I noticed out there was how quickly pictures change and how quick you’ve got to act and react.

"It was a bit of a challenge playing 10 after a bit of a sabbatical from that jersey, but it was an amazing experience, both the tour and the games. It was more excitement than nerves," he added.

"Being a bit older now, it’s slightly different, especially with a young group. It’s a bit easier to take on that role of guiding the team through the week and the games. I felt a bit more settled in the squad knowing I was going to play a bit more of a role, as opposed to just being in the squad. It’s a bit more helpful to find your feet.”

“It was quite surreal watching it back, me playing for Wales. It was quite a nice reflective moment. I had a month off completely and then had a look at a few bits and had a few conversations with the Wales coaches about a few points of play and how we can improve. It’s about going through it with a fine tooth comb and picking out little bits they have identified I can work on.”

New Zealand star told to retire immediately

New Zealand women's international Grace Steinmetz has been forced to retire at the age of 26.

The three-cap Black Ferns star was told that she could never play rugby again after a scan revealed a brain injury that necessitated her medical retirement.

In an emotional post on social media, Steinmetz wrote: "Not how I pictured my rugby career coming to an end. Scans have come back showing a brain injury that means I need to hang the boots up, medically retire and never play rugby again.

"Grateful that my health is still intact and we found out before it was too late. This game and the people within it have done so much for me, and I am super grateful for the last seven years I have had in this sport.

"Thank you to everyone who has been part of my journey and supported me along the way," she added. "I will understand one day."