Dwayne Peel believes new signing Henry Thomas can help give the Scarlets the hard edge that has gone missing. The Wales prop, who has been named in Warren Gatland’s squad for this month’s Test against South Africa and the tour of Australia, will link up with the Scarlets ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Wales defender Ethan Ampadu has insisted that the squad “will always remain together” despite their embarrassing 4-0 loss to Slovakia. Ampadu was made captain for the first time in the friendly inTrvana, and he remains upbeat around the squad’s morale despite the result and growing pressure on manager Rob Page.

Former Wales rugby captain Ken Owens has joined the board of Cardiff Dragons. Owens – who retired in April of this year after a celebrated 18-year professional career – has become a non-executive director at the club.

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi is one 12 players from the matchday 23 who won the World Cup last year who will not be considered for the one-off Test against Wales at Twickenham on June 22. Just 11 of the side that edged New Zealand 12-11 at the Stade de France in October will be available after injuries, club commitments and retirement ruled out the other 12.

Rob Page appears to be bracing himself for bad news after another blow to his reputation and job security as Wales manager. The under-fire boss apologised to fans after a 4-0 thrashing to Slovakia and said it is “up to the powers that be” to decide if he stays in the job.

Clara Evans helped Britain’s women strike half marathon gold at the European Championships – then thanked the familiar faces she saw on the roads of Rome.

Rob Page will be keen to move on from the boos and jeers aimed at the Wales manager in his last match when his team face Slovakia on Sunday. The embattled Wales boss was the target for a small group of supporters who followed their team to Portugal in midweek to see them struggle in an acutely embarrassing 0-0 draw against Gibraltar. That result – even in a friendly – and adverse reaction has turned the pressure back on Page and prompted Welsh bookmakers DragonBet to offer close to even money odds on Page still being charge by September.

Rosie Eccles knows more than most about resilience and hopes both she and kindred spirit Andy Murray can crown their journeys back from the brink with Olympic medals at Roland Garros. The Welsh boxer, 27, will represent Team GB in the welterweight division (-66kg) at Paris 2024 having battled back from a Covid-inflicted attack on her nervous system which left her unable to dress herself. She has since caught Covid on three further occasions but insists she is ready to take on the world in the ring having booked her place with bronze at last year’s European Games.

Joel Makin was unable to get past world number one Ali Farag and claim a place in the final of the British Open in Birmingham. Welsh star Makin – who had earned one of the best wins of his career when he dumped out world champion Diego Elias in the quarter-final – ran into a dominant Farag who was at the top of his form. Makin – who is based in Birmingham – went down 11-3, 11-9, 11-7 to see his dream of becoming the first Welshman to lift the title since David Evans 24 years ago, disappear.

If Jeremiah Azu makes the Olympic 100m final this summer, then he will find inner calm to settle any nerves. On the track, Azu is Wales’ leading all-time sprinter, the first Welsh athlete to run 100m in under 10 seconds and an athlete now bidding to shake off a hamstring injury that forced him out of the current European Championships so he can make the Great Britain squad for Paris.

Jay Dasilva says he is “grateful” to have completed the journey from England youth cap to senior Wales international. Luton-born Dasilva was capped at every level by England from under-16 to under-21 level before making the switch to Wales.

There are plenty ready to turn the Page on the current Wales manager, but appearances can sometimes be deceptive. At first glance, a goalless draw against Gibraltar is an embarrassing scoreline for any national team that comprises full-time professional players.

Justin Tipuric admitted the Ospreys were “ground down” by Munster after the only Welsh team to make the knockout stages of the United Rugby Championship fell to a 23-7 defeat in Limerick. The former Wales star captained an Ospreys team who put up an admirable showing against the champions, without ever looking likely to make it into the last four.

Joel Makin is convinced he has a chance to become British Open squash champion after taking one of the biggest scalps of his career. The Welsh star – world ranked No.9 – stunned world champion Diego Elias with a brilliant quarter-final victory in Birmingham.

Toby Booth looks the kind of bloke who is not easily intimidated, and he will need all that defiance, and more, at Thomond Park in Limerick on Friday night. The Ospreys coach has also shown he knows how to defy the odds, which is why it is his team who are opponents for Munster in the first of the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals.

Former Wales age-group international Chris Davies has left Tottenham to take over as Birmingham City’s new manager. The man who turned down Swansea City back in December has now decided the time is right to take over at another Championship club.

Rob Page has insisted Wales’ form is “okay” even though his spell as manager appears to be entering a crisis point following an embarrassing 0-0 draw with Gibraltar. The Wales manager faced up to the jeers directed at him after his team were held to a draw and promised not to lose focus on his long-term plan.

Jeremiah Azu has been forced to pull out of the European Championships in Rome due to injury.

“Change” is the mantra of Keir Starmer and the Labour Party and it might equally be the slogan adopted by Warren Gatland this summer. Only, it’s not 14 years of Conservative government the Wales coach is trying to overhaul, but 14 Tests over the past 10 months.

Welsh Paralympic hopefuls James Ledger and Funmi Oduwaiye are two of the athletes who star in a new feature-length documentary, released on June 13. The pair – who are both gearing up for the Paralympic Games in Paris in August – fall under the spotlight in “Transatlantic Storytelling”.