Munster: Ben O'Connor; Shane Daly, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, Oli Jager, Tom Ahern, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O'Donoghue (capt), Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Kieran Ryan, John Ryan, Brian Gleeson, John Hodnett, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Shay McCarthy.

Scarlets: Ioan Nicholas; Ellis Mee, Joe Roberts, Johnny Williams, Steff Evans; Ioan Lloyd, Gareth Davies (capt); Kemsley Mathias, Marnus van der Merwe, Archer Holz, Max Douglas, Sam Lousi, Taine Plumtree, Dan Davis, Vaea Fifita.

Replacements: Ryan Elias, Alec Hepburn, Sam Wainwright, Alec Craig, Jarrod Taylor, Archie Hughes, Charlie Titcombe, Macs Page.

Referee: Federico Vedovelli (FIR)

Assistant referees: Robbie Jenkinson & Paul Haycock (IRFU)

TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR)

Tierney has said there are "systemic problems" facing Welsh rugby which "are really hard to change quickly" and that some changes have already been made.

Despite being a director at one of the regions, Jones says there is no option but to cut at least one teams.

"We are not a big enough nation now to have the commercial clout to [have four regions]," he said.

"We probably no longer have the player pipeline that can sustain four clubs. I don't think the union is gong to be able to deliver longer-term the increase in their own revenue if they are going to support the game at club level and regional level."

Regional rugby was established in 2003, initially with five teams before a reduction to four.

"With sadness, we have to come down to three or two regions to reflect the financial realities of Welsh rugby," added Jones.

"Over the years, there's been a fear inside the union of criticism and so difficult decisions get deferred.

"We've seen that with Gatland's dismissal. I think we're going to be seeing it as well with the decision to stay with four regions when, in their gut, they must know that it isn't the right way forward to present a good future for Welsh rugby."

The WRU has said the deal with the regions will "increase finances and other supporting factors to levels which will enable continued success and sustainability long into the future and by 2029".

"This decision to sustain four regional clubs and not reduce in number divides opinion in Wales," said the WRU.

"Many... are supportive and are excited to see what the increased collaboration and investment will bring for Welsh rugby.

"There are equally those who say that either, objectively, the right decision has not been made or that we have lacked decisiveness in general."

England full-back Max Malins will rejoin Saracens from Bristol Bears at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Malins made 36 appearances for the Bears over two spells with the club, scoring 22 tries.

The 28-year-old signed for the club permanently in 2023, having initially joined on loan for the 2020-21 campaign.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my two stints at Bristol this place has become a home away from home for me," Malins said.

Malins is currently recovering from a ruptured Achilles, meaning he has already played his final Bristol match, and admitted that has hampered his time with the Bears.

"It's sad that injury has prevented me from contributing more and knowing I have played my last game in a Bristol shirt. I would have loved to run out with my mates and say goodbye to the fans from the pitch one last time," he added.

"Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing you all down at Ashton Gate for the remaining games and watching what the team can produce for the run-in to the end of the season."

Malins began his career with Saracens, helping them win the Premiership title in his final season before switching to Bristol.

Perhaps most importantly, there is a huge cultural weight placed on rugby.

St Joseph's first team are presented with their festival shirts at a special assembly before singing, some in tears, to the rest of the school.

"It really is as close as you can get to a professional experience or lifestyle, without actually being paid for it," says Wenham.

The RFU has a network of rugby managers to try to embed the game in state schools.

Sixteen of the best compete in the ACE (Academy, Colleges and Education) League. England internationals George Martin, Joe Heyes and Harry Randall all rose up through that route.

But, those institutions are thinly spread and tight on resources.

Private schools, where fees can exceed 50,000 a year, will always have more to invest.

They are not entirely closed shops, however. You can attend, even if you can't pay.

Because top rugby-playing private schools don't just spend on facilities, they also invest in talent, offering highly sought-after scholarships and bursaries which can dramatically reduce fees.

So, while England captain Maro Itoje finished his education at Harrow, bumping up the team's percentage of private-school attendees, he arrived there at 16 on a scholarship from St Georges, a state school in Hertfordshire.

Ollie Lawrence and Tom and Ben Curry similarly finished their education in the private sector, after being awarded scholarships.

St Joseph's recent success story is Emmanuel Iyogun, who now plays for Northampton and has represented England A. He arrived on a scholarship from Woodlands School, a state school in Essex.

England international Anthony Watson and his former club and country team-mate Beno Obano, who went to Dulwich College on a scholarship at 16, valued such schemes so highly they set up their own, funding Harlan Hines' switch from a state school in south-east London to Marlborough College in 2022.

A large proportion of England's elite players may emerge out of private schools, but their talent wasn't necessarily born in them.

There may be fewer scholarships on offer in the future though.

Since January, VAT has been payable on school fees.

The move, which the government predicts will raise billions for state schools, has put pressure on private schools' registers and balance sheets alike.

Various figures in the industry have predicted that scholarships may have to be squeezed.

As headmaster of Mount Kelly School, a private school in Devon, Guy Ayling is already making difficult decisions around awards for pupils.

"Bursaries and scholarships have a cost attached," he says. "That is the bottom line. They are costs like food, utilities and teacher salaries, and it is therefore something we have to consider.

"It is the way of the world moving forward - there is potentially going to be less money in the system and when there is less money in the system, you don't spend as much, including on helping families with financial assistance."

Fewer scholarships would mean more kids in George Paul's position.

The 23-year-old grew up in Peterborough. He played at Wisbech rugby club, but as he and his ambitions grew in the game, he wanted more rugby than his school would provide.

He had a scholarship offer at Wisbech Grammar, a nearby independent school, but with family finances and siblings to consider he didn't take it up.

Instead, aged 15 and finding his club side weakened as other talented kids switched into the private school system, he chased competitive rugby through a different route.

MONTREAL -- Fans in Montreal booed the U.S. national anthem before the Americans' first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off against Finland on Thursday night, and Stanley Cup-winning forward Matthew Tkachuk had a simple reaction.

"I didn't like it, and that's all I got," Tkachuk said after the U.S. beat Finland 6-1. Tkachuk and brother Brady each had two goals.

The negative reaction to "The Star-Spangled Banner" came even after the public address announcer at Bell Centre made an announcement asking the crowd to show respect for the anthems and the players from either country.

"Our goal is to make sure that we create an environment and that hockey represents an opportunity to bring people together, and I think people understand that," commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday at a news conference prior to the start of the tournament. "In this building, initially there was some booing a couple of games ago and the club made an announcement asking people to stop and show respect for two great countries, and it stopped. And that's what we expect."

U.S. center J.T. Miller put a positive spin on the song getting booed.

"I think we like it, not politically, but maybe just at a sense of, we know where we're at in Canada and I think that fires us up more than anything," Miller said. "So, it's great."

There was no such reaction for Finland's national anthem that followed. Fans across Canada have booed the U.S. anthem at NHL and NBA games after President Donald Trump threatened tariffs against the country, prompting backlash from a close neighbor and longtime ally.

"It's unfortunate, obviously, and we wish it wasn't the case, but from time to time things happen, and people have strong feelings about it," deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Wednesday. "Obviously, we're aware of what's been happening here. I think the negativity has probably lessened over the last week. Hopefully it continues to lessen and that relations will be normal. But it's something obviously we're aware of."

U.S. captain Auston Matthews was booed during a pregame ceremony before Canada vs. Sweden on Wednesday and then again when he was shown on video screens during warmups. Matthews said after his team's morning skate that he expected that reaction.

"They might just be booing us because we're the U.S. team here, like Auston's getting booed a ton and whatnot," defenseman Zach Werenski said. "Obviously, I'm a proud American and I love playing for the USA and being an American. I don't want to get into the political side of it, but it is what it is. I like to just view it as they want us to lose because we're the U.S. team."

Coach Mike Sullivan said his players are proud Americans but did not credit the anthem booing as any sort of motivation that contributed to the result.

"The anthem, I'm not sure there's influence there," Sullivan said. "That's really not something that we can control. We just want to play hockey. We want to compete. We want to represent our nation in the right way."

The next U.S. game at the tournament is Saturday night against Canada before play shifts to Boston next week.