Your rugby evening headlines on Sunday, April 14.
Wales duo lose in Euro battering
Wales internationals Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza turned out for Exeter Chiefs in the Champions Cup quarter-final at Stade Ernest-Wallon.
Chiefs were away to Toulouse in what was billed as a mammoth Anglo-French clash. But tries from Pita Ahki, Blair Kinghorn, Antoine Dupont, Jack Willis, Romain Ntamack and Juan Cruz Mallía put the Gallagher Premiership side to the sword in a 64-26 slamming in France.
Joe Hawkins wasn't included in match day 23, but captain Jenkins and Tshiunza started the match. Former Ospreys flanker and current England star Ethan Roots also featured for Chiefs.
Chiefs held on well in the first half and the match looked set up to be a classic with just a few points separating the two teams. However, Toulouse turned on the style in the second half, with the running lines of Jack Willis, Antoine Dupont and Blair Kinghorn causing some serious damage to a disjointed Chiefs defence.
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Toulouse will now face Harlequins in the semi-finals, with Leinster Rugby facing Northampton Saints in the other last four tie.
Wales must 'look deeper' after tough loss
Wales women's head coach Ioan Cunningham has explained that he must 'look deeper' at what can change.
Wales suffered another scathing defeat, conceding five tries to Ireland away from home in a truly dominant 36-5 display from the Irish.
Despite turning professional initially in 2022, there has been slow improvement thus far with Wales being unable to win a game in the 2024 Six Nations.
Speaking after the game, Cunningham said: "Sometimes these things humble you... we were beaten by the better team.
"We've done really well up to a point but we need to look a bit deeper at where we can really make changes. We know that other teams are improving.
"I think this is a real opportunity for us to reflect hard, but credit to Ireland."
Wales' next match is home to France on Sunday, April 21.
Wales internationals holiday in Greece
Wales stars Mason Grady, Teddy Williams and Evan Lloyd were pictured in Greece along with Cardiff Rugby team-mate Ellis Bevan.
The young stars could be seen enjoying some down time after a long rugby season, coupled with a testing Six Nations campaign.
Players could be seen playing cards and enjoying some of the local cuisine in Athens, with a weekend of knock-out European rugby taking place.
Last weekend, some of the Scarlets' young guns were also pictured abroad. The likes of Sam Costelow and Ioan Lloyd were in Marbella with Taine Plumtree, Kemsley Mathias and Harri O'Connor.
The Welsh regions will be back in action next weekend as United Rugby Championship action resumes.
Ireland star hits out at 'childish' Stephen Ferris
Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey has hit out at former Test star Stephen Ferris.
Ferris compared the Ulster 2014 side with the current team in the wake of Clermont Auvergne's 53-14 battering of the Irish province in the Champions Cup quarter-final. The French Top 14 outfit ran in a whopping seven tries against Ulster on the day.
McCloskey re-posted Ferris' comparison with the caption: "This is honestly something a 12-year-old would do Stephen Ferris, helps absolutely no one."
Ferris' post on X has now been limited, in terms of who is able to view it, but has not been deleted at the time of writing.
Ferris later wrote: "My tweet was to start a trivial debate between 2 teams that lost a quarter-final, but 10 years apart. Fans have favourite players from the past & present, who you are one of. Your reply has turned this thread into something it was never supposed to be."
Benetton reach European semi-final
United Rugby Championship outfit Benetton Rugby have reached a European semi-final after beating Connacht Rugby.
The Italian outfit will attempt to reach the EPCR Challenge Cup final after a convincing 39-22 win over their Irish opponents.
Tomas Albornoz scored two tries and banged over two conversions in a starring performance for the 26-year-old Argentine fly-half.
Former Wasps star Jacob Umaga had another big influence on the game, knocking over a couple of conversions along with a few penalties too.
Benetton will now play against Gloucester Rugby in the last four at Kingsholm. The English Premiership outfit dispatched Welsh region Ospreys 23-13 on home soil on Friday evening.
