These are your evening rugby headlines on Monday, March 17. Dragons hit back at threat of axe Dragons co-owner David Buttress has responded to suggestions the region should be cut and says the current state of Welsh rugby is down to "embarrassing" underinvestment in the game from the Welsh Rugby Union. After the weekend's humiliating defeat to England, former Wales captain Sam Warburton urged the WRU to have an "open conversation" about cutting a region, saying it is time for drastic action after "20 years of evidence" that having four teams does not work. The ex-Cardiff man went on to suggest that it would be the Dragons in the firing line, if Wales' four professional clubs were to be judged on their performances and the number of Welsh internationals they provide. However, responding to the claims on BBC Radio Wales on Monday, Buttress said he was "very confident" in the Rodney Parade club and was more concerned about underinvestment in the pathway system. He went on to say that former WRU chiefs should "hang their heads in shame" for how they have directed funds over the last decade and called for "chronic change" to be made. "For 10 years, Welsh rugby has been embarrassingly underinvested in," he said. "In the last 10 years, we’ve built a hotel and a roof walk and Ireland have been building world-class rugby academies. We’re seeing the consequence of it. I said that five or six years ago. "I’m afraid we talk about running to solutions like cutting teams, when other nations are talking about investing in the professional game. I understand where people are coming from, but unless we start thinking a little bit more about how we grow the game rather than shrink the game, Welsh rugby is going to condemn itself for a long term decline and it needs its turnaround now. "I’m very confident in the Dragons, we have three owners, we’re privately owned and [we’re] very committed long-term to the club and the team and the area," Buttress added. "So I’m less concerned about that and more concerned about the fact that 15 of the boys who played for the U20s on Friday night and beat England, now play in England and were developed in England. That’s a consequence of a lack of structured investment over a very long period of time. "I can understand it, if my child had aspirations to be a professional rugby player and had the opportunity to go and play in world-class facilities and world-class environments. The Welsh facilities look aged, tired, even the Vale now is 20 years out of date. We need to critically accept our reality and invest in the future. Let’s stop building roof walks and hotels in Cardiff when our business is professional rugby. Describing Welsh rugby as a "disgrace in the making" and a "slow motion car crash", Buttress said players like Warburton had "papered over the cracks" in recent years with fast, definitive changes now needed. "We have a clear pathway, but it’s been underinvested in and honestly it’s a disgrace in the making that has happened over the last five or 10 years," he continued. The former chief executives of the Welsh Rugby Union should hang their heads in shame [over] the consequences played out over the last weekend. "It’s been a slow motion car crash, Welsh rugby, for the last five, six seven years. Players like Sam Warburton, Alun Wyn [Jones] and Dan Biggar have paper over the cracks, it’s the truth and we all know it, so let’s be frank about it. "I want to see a change in the mindset of the Welsh Rugby Union," Buttress continued. "I saw a couple of people say that we can never waste a good crisis and I wholeheartedly agree with that. If we think incremental change, press releases and marginal improvement is going to turn Welsh rugby around in the next five, ten years, we’re deluding ourselves. "It needs a chronic change and two things, I think - firstly, pace and urgency. We’ve got a strategic review going on for 18 months. I’ve seen businesses built in that time, so we need to speed up in what we’re doing." Wales coach target put on the spot By Ed Elliot, PA Simon Easterby said he has not been contacted regarding the Wales job and is committed to his role with Ireland. The 49-year-old, who lives in Swansea and played for and coached the Scarlets, has been strongly linked with the vacancy since the departure of Warren Gatland. Easterby guided Ireland to four wins from five and a Triple Crown during the Guinness Six Nations while permanent head coach Andy Farrell was busy preparing for the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour. He is due to continue as interim boss for summer fixtures against Georgia and Portugal, albeit recent reports suggest he could instead join Farrell with the Lions in Australia. Wales ended the championship winless and with a second successive wooden spoon after Matt Sherratt replaced Gatland on a caretaker basis last month. “I’m committed,” said Easterby. “I think when your name gets bandied around, that’s all it is, it’s just speculation. If I’d been contacted I’d tell you, but I haven’t. So, that’s the way it is at the moment. “I love what I do. I’m very fortunate and it might be 15 minutes up the road (the Wales job) but I just feel very fortunate that I get the experiences I get to do this while Faz (Farrell) is away. I get to work with great people and how important that is. I’m pretty happy where I am.” Ireland were on course for a historic third consecutive Six Nations title after beating England, Scotland and Sherratt’s Wales in the opening three rounds. But their Grand Slam bid was derailed by a 42-27 demolition at home to eventual champions France and they ultimately finished third following Saturday’s nervy 22-17 win over Italy in Rome. Easterby, whose regular position with Ireland is defence coach, played down talk of an anticlimax. “When you lose the second to last game, it probably feels that way but if you lose the first game and you win the next four, it feels different,” he said. “It’s just the nature of losing at home last week in a performance which we know we should have been better at. “I guess we set out to do what we could to get five points (on Saturday). We could have got three or four more other tries and we didn’t.” While a host of star names are set to be unavailable for Ireland duty in July due to Lions selection, Easterby suggested other senior players could be overlooked in a bid to develop greater squad depth. “You might not take certain older players that maybe need a rest,” he said. “It’s a chance to really expose as many players that we feel are still in the system but probably haven’t had the opportunity at the senior level. “It’ll be about finding out about certain positions that we feel we need more depth in but also keep continually trying to keep exposing certain players that are already in the system. The tough thing about international rugby is that you get limited time to gain caps and experience.” Former England captain dies Former England captain Colin McFadyean has died at the age of 82. The former centre - who won 11 caps for England and also represented the British & Irish Lions - passed away four days after his 82nd birthday, having been in poor health for some time. After starting his career with Bristol, McFadyean - who could also play on the wing or at outside-half - moved to Loughborough for university before joining Moseley Rugby Club in 1965. Just one year later, he made his England debut against Ireland while he also scored his first international points with a drop goal against Scotland. Those performances saw him rewarded with a call-up to the 1966 Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand and he played in all four Tests against the All Blacks before scoring a try in the final game. McFadyean's England career also saw him score four tries and captain the side twice during the 1968 Five Nations Championship. Following his death, Moseley – now Birmingham Moseley – released a statement which said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing today of former Moseley player Colin McFadyean. "As well as playing for Moseley, Colin captained England and was a Lions player in 1966 on the 35-match tour to New Zealand. Our sincerest condolences to Colin’s family.” Meanwhile, a tribute from Bristol praised their "brilliant and versatile" former player, adding: "Colin McFadyean was an outstanding rugby player, noted for his speed, his anticipation, his tactical nous and his sound defence. He enjoyed keeping in touch with his playing contemporaries at Bristol Grammar, Bristol and Loughborough, and representatives of all three were present at his recent birthday celebration at the care home where he was living. "The event featured filmed action of his exploits with the Lions, a message from World Cup final referee Ed Morrison and a video message from Maro Itoje. All at Bristol Bears send their sincere sympathy to Colin’s family and friends at this very sad time."