Dan Biggar (left) admitted it was 'tough to take' after Wales' World Cup dream ended in Yokohama. Wales' 19-16 semi-final loss to South Africa means they will face New Zealand in the third place play-off.

Warren Gatland questioned whether England might have played their World Cup final a game early as Welsh interest in the Webb Ellis Trophy ended in Yokohama.

Warren Gatland's side were trailing the Springboks 6-9 when the Ospreys player pulled up in the 40th minute with half-time looming.

Eddie Jones went undercover in Yokohoma - disguising himself as a fan of the NFL's Houston Texans as he scouted Rugby World Cup final opponents South Africa against Wales. 

WILL KELLEHER AND NIK SIMON AT THE YOKOHAMA STADIUM: South Africa edged a battling Wales in a tight World Cup semi-final on Sunday to book their spot in the tournament decider.

CHRIS FOY AT THE YOKOHAMA STADIUM: Some time soon, Welsh rugby will realise what it has had and what it has lost. Not this World Cup campaign, but their coach and captain.

WILL KELLEHER IN TOKYO: Warren Gatland joked Wales would rather play a drinking game against New Zealand than play the third-fourth playoff - but says his squad will be motivated to beat them.

WILL KELLEHER IN TOKYO: Tom Curry is England's only representative on the World Rugby Player of the Year shortlist - as Maro Itoje and George Ford were snubbed.

Wales ensured they kept their distance from the haka in the build-up to their Rugby World third-place play off against New Zealand.

Edwards spent almost 12 years in a similar role with Wales and departed alongside head coach Warren Gatland following the side's fourth-place finish at this year's World Cup.

NIK SIMON - THE GAINLINE: Justin Tipuric is weighing up a £500,000-a-year offer from Bristol - but some of France's biggest clubs are also keen on the Wales flanker.

EXCLUSIVE BY WILL KELLEHER: Gatland confirmed the Lions have been to date knocked back in their attempts to convince the Premiership to move their final in 2021 by a week.

WILL KELLEHER: The Welsh Rugby Union have been leading an investigation into the former attack coach's conduct since he was jettisoned from Japan on September 17.

The BBC unveiled their six-strong shortlist for this year's Sports Personality of the Year on Monday. The public will vote on December 15 with the winner crowned in Aberdeen that night.

The 56-year-old finished after the Rugby World Cup and was succeeded by his fellow New Zealander Wayne Pivac, who will take charge of Wales for the first time against Gatland's Barbarians.

WILL KELLEHER AT THE PRINCIPALITY STADIUM: The new New Zealander in charge of Wales won his first match, as his predecessor did, but this was a far less significant victory.

Dan Biggar has always been up for the fight. When the Wales fly-half signed for Northampton Saints in the autumn of 2017, the East Midlands club were spiralling down the Premiership.

Sportsmail sensationally revealed that Howley had been sent home from Japan on the eve of the World Cup after a bookmaker, Betway, alerted the WRU of a rule breach.

The Wales assistant coach broke his silence on Tuesday after a three-month investigation found he had placed 363 bets over four years, including on his own team.

CHRIS FOY'S WORLD OF RUGBY: Wayne Pivac has to pick him. How can he resist? Wales' head coach must decide in the next 48 hours if he believes 'if you're good enough, you're old enough.'

Teen sensation Louis Rees-Zammit re-confirmed his desire to play for Wales after agreeing a new contract at Gloucester.

Wales have responded to a chronic shortage of available centres by launching a cross-border raid for another of England's uncapped junior world champions - Nick Tompkins.

If last week was hellish, Northampton were far more saintly in Lyon on Saturday - winning with a bonus-point to do all they could to make the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: The Six Nations powerbrokers are largely content with the existing deal, which is worth £90m a year between the BBC and ITV and is delivering record viewing figures.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: The 2020 Six Nations campaign will begin on Saturday, February 1 with a number of teams eyeing glory in this year's competition.

SPECIAL REPORT: On the Welsh beat Wayne Pivac, the ex-Auckland copper on the streets in the 1980s, is unlikely to feel the pressure his old day-job brought against Italy.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CHRIS FOY: It turns out that balancing on a rock perched above the waves of the Mediterranean, is not Shaun Edwards' natural habitat.

Louis Rees-Zammit can be the new George North for Wales in the Six Nations, according to his more senior team-mates. The 18-year-old Gloucester winger could make his Test debut on Saturday.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: George North has started to notice something on those occasions when he cannot hide from the inevitable.

Louis Rees-Zammit missed out on his Welsh debut this week as he has hardly been able to train due to his English exile, according to coach Wayne Pivac. The teen isn't in the Wales squad to play Italy.

With post-World Cup fallouts always bringing about change, there are plenty of new faces set to burst onto the scene. Here, Sportsmail runs through 10 uncapped stars to watch...

With England firing bombs at their Championship rivals each week, and Scotland responding with talk of 'hate', Wales coach Wayne Pivac is finding the pre-match mudslinging all a bit unnecessary.

ALEX BYWATER AT THE AVIVA STADIUM: Ireland produced a statement 24-14 win over Wales in Dublin to make it back-to-back wins in the Six Nations. Sportsmail rated both sets of players.

WILL KELLEHER AT AVIVA STADIUM: Wayne Pivac rued 'unacceptable' errors made by Wales in their first Six Nations defeat since 2018 as they lost 24-17 in Dublin to Ireland.

As the second weekend of Six Nations action draws to a close, Sportsmail's Chris Foy digests the best of the offerings around the grounds...

There have been concerns over Biggar's concussion record, having taken two blows to the head during the World Cup against Australia and Fiji in September.

SPECIAL REPORT BY WILL KELLEHER: No player has run out in a Test match at Wales' Principality Stadium having been born after the ground was built. Rees-Zammit could change that fact.

The last two Tests between Wales and France have been edge-of-the-seat thrillers. Both were won by wily Wales just when all looked lost:

WILL KELLEHER AT THE PRINCIPALITY STADIUM: Wayne Pivac was left livid with two decisions costing Wales a win over France as they lost at home in the Six Nations for the first time in three years.

Liam Williams, Josh Navidi and George North all set to be fit for selection for boss Wayne Pivac as Wales were handed a triple boost before taking on England at Twickenham on March 7.

EXCLUSIVE BY WILL KELLEHER: Welsh victories at Twickenham are rare but much-celebrated occasions. Sportsmail spoke to those involved in the most recent triumphs.

Wales' oracle has spoken and delivered doses of reality to his nation. Alun Wyn Jones does not talk much, but when he does it is worth listening to the totemic and decorated captain.

Sky are in line to secure a £300million agreement to screen the competition from 2021, leaving terrestrial channels BBC and ITV on the margins with potentially huge implications for the sport.

Wales will give Dan Biggar every chance to make the England Six Nations match this Saturday, with Sam Warburton saying they are 'confident' the fly-half will be fit.

Manu Tuilagi is England's master of destruction on the pitch - and he is building an equally fierce reputation on the chess board.

Anthony Watson and Mark Wilson will make their first England appearances since the World Cup final in Saturday's Guinness Six Nations match against Wales at Twickenham, the RFU has announced.

Liam Williams will play his first Test for four months in the Six Nations against England, coming straight into the starting team as Wayne Pivac rings the changes for Wales.

The 21-13 defeat killed off English hopes of a Grand Slam, before Warren Gatland rubbed salt in the wounds by questioning their big-game ability.

Alun Wyn Jones moved to ease fears that Dan Biggar is not fit for Wales' trip to Twickenham by saying he will play against England on Saturday despite suffering a knee injury for Northampton.

Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones and his team-mates set out to antagonise Sinckler at the Principality Stadium and the England prop was replaced soon after losing his composure in last year's meeting.