A second Newport player has been forced to pull out of Wales' tour to Japan which starts at the end of the month.

Centre Jason Jones-Hughes has not recovered from the damaged knee ligaments he suffered in Newport's match at Swansea on April 21.

As there are already 37 players in the tour party, including four centres, it has been decided not to replace him.

Jones-Hughes joins lock Ian Gough in withdrawing from the tour, Gough after dislocating his shoulder in the cup final.

His place on the tour has been taken by a flanker, Jamie Ringer of Bridgend.

Pontypridd lock Robert Sidoli was lined up to replace Gough, but he is also out with a shoulder injury.

The loss of Gough and Jones-Hughes means that Newport's representation is now down to two, forwards Ceri Jones and Alix Popham.

l Ian McIntosh, the former South Africa coach, has been strongly tipped to take over the vacant Cardiff coaching job.

McIntosh spent a few weeks at Newport during the middle of the season helping out.

But Cardiff are believed to have made a move for the former Natal coach, a close friend of retiring Newport captain.

But there is no truth in the suggestion that Teichmann is planning a quick return to Wales to join Cardiff on the coaching front.

Cardiff have been looking for a coach since the decision of Lyn Howells to finish after the club offered him a different position.

Meanwhile, the Barbarians will probably be without All Black winger Jonah Lomu for Sunday's game against Wales.

Lomu flew in yesterday with a foot injury which forced him to miss the last Super 12 game for Wellington Hurricanes.

The majority of the star-studded Barbarians squad arrive today and include players of the calibre of Joost van der Westhuizen, Bobby Skinstad and Leicester-bound Josh Kronfeld, as well as British-based players Thomas Castaignede, Tim Horan, David Wilson and Ian Jones.

Ticket sales, originally slow, have now gone through the 30,000 mark for Sunday's game, which kicks off at 3pm.