Rugby evening headlines as Wales deny 'dropping' standout star amid talks with player

Here are the latest rugby headlines on Tuesday, March 15.

Wayne Pivac has revealed the conversation he had with Will Rowlands as he told him he was being replaced in the Wales team by Alun Wyn Jones.

Dragons lock Rowlands has had an excellent Six Nations, but now loses his spot in the starting line-up against Italy to the fit again Jones.

“I have certainly told him he hasn’t been dropped and that he has got a different role this week,” said head coach Pivac.

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“We talk around three roles. You are either starting the match, finishing the match and adding the impact or you have got the role that nobody wants and you are there to prepare the side as best you can to get a result.

“Will has played well. He has had a lot of rugby this season and on this occasion he will finish as opposed to starting and he understands that.

“We looked at Will and Adam (Beard) and that both had played a lot of minutes. Adam runs our attacking lineout and Will runs the defensive lineout. Alun Wyn will take over that. Will will finish the game and he’ll play a role.”

Dan Biggar will win his 100th Wales cap in Saturday's Guinness Six Nations clash against Italy.

Only six other Welshmen - Alun Wyn Jones, Gethin Jenkins, Stephen Jones, George North, Martyn Williams and Gareth Thomas - have clocked up a century for their country.

Jones, meanwhile, is poised to collect cap number 150 for Wales - an ongoing world record - after being named in the starting line-up. The 36-year-old has not played since suffering a shoulder injury during Wales' Autumn Nations series opener against New Zealand in late October.

You can read our verdict on the 'strange' Wales team here.

Jones had two operations, and most medical forecasts