Between the Guinness Six Nations launch and the Saracens salary cap affair it has been a busy week in rugby, and there was no question what the biggest story of the day was on Wednesday. Just a week out from an opening game in Ireland, Scotland fly-half Finn Russell left the camp following a breach of protocol, leaving Gregor Townsend without his star playmaker for the start of the competition. The SRU confirmed a story broken by the BBC, with Russell now out of the opening game, which opens up the door for Glasgow Warriors’ Adam Hastings to take on greater responsibility within the team. Meanwhile in Cardiff it was a big couple of days for the Blues, with Rey Lee-Lo and James Ratti both signing new deals. Lee-Lo has been a standout in the midfield since joining from the Hurricanes while Ratti is enjoying a breakout season in the second row having arrived from the Ospreys. ICYMI | James Ratti has signed a Cardiff Blues contract, following an impressive run in the senior side. How impressed have you been with the lock? pic.twitter.com/e2ZXER6mqr — Cardiff Blues (@cardiff_blues) January 24, 2020 There is just one Guinness PRO14 encounter this weekend and it will be a big one as the Toyota Cheetahs travel to the Isuzu Southern Kings. The Cheetahs were well-beaten by Zebre last time out, and Tian Schoeman admits they will have to be much-improved to beat their countrymen. One man for whom it will be a particularly special encounter is Jacques du Toit, the Kings hooker who was playing for the Cheetahs the last time the teams met. Finally, former Munster CEO Garrett Fitzgerald has done a big interview with the Limerick Leader where he spoke about the province’s biggest challenges in trying to re-establish themselves among the best teams in the Guinness PRO14.
