Kevin De Bruyne insists Wales’ proud record against Belgium belongs to the past and has no bearing on their opening 2022 World Cup qualifier. De Bruyne believes Belgium are a far better side than the one that lost to Wales at Euro 2016 in France, a defeat the Manchester City midfielder says acted as a turning point for the world’s top FIFA-ranked team. Wales stunned star-studded Belgium to win that European Championship quarter-final 3-1, extending the Dragons’ recent unbeaten record against the Red Devils to four games with two wins and two draws.

Gareth Bale insists he is in the best shape possible to lead Wales into their World Cup qualifying campaign against Belgium tonight. The 31-year-old Tottenham forward – who has never played at the finals of the tournament – begins another mission in Leuven, believing his loan move from Real Madrid and then increasing match action has put him into peak fitness. On arriving fresh for international duty, Bale said: “Over the last few years this is probably the most match fitness I’ve had.

Joel Makin produced one of the best wins of his career to reach the semi-finals of the Black Ball Open with victory over world No 2 Mohamed Elshorbagy. The Haverfordwest-born ace saved two match points to win 3-2 (10-12, 11-3, 11-6, 7-11, 13-11) after a 91 minute thriller in Cairo.

Geraint Thomas surged into the top 10 overall at the Volta a Catalunya after the stage two individual time trial. The 2018 Tour de France champ finished 10th in the race against the clock – 47 seconds down on Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Rohan Dennis over the 18.5km course at Banyoles.

Daniel James always held faith he would become a success at Manchester United, Wales caretaker manager Robert Page has claimed. Wales winger James hit the ground running at United following his £15million move from Swansea City in June 2019, scoring three goals in his first four games. James made 46 appearances last term, but the 23-year-old found himself on the first-team fringes earlier this season and his Old Trafford future looked bleak.

Glenn Delaney admitted the Scarlets had to “circle the wagons” before they could arrive at their European destination. The head coach praised his side’s resourcefulness and powers of recovery after they overcame a huge 21-point deficit against Connacht to secure their place in next season’s Heineken Champions Cup. The Scarlets recovered from an awful first half to beat Connacht 41-36 and cement their place in next season’s main European tournament.

When Wales face Belgium on Wednesday night there will be one Welshman in attendance doing his best to make sure it’s a winning start for the Belgians. Richard Evans will find it a strange experience, but is clear his allegiances are now with Roberto Martinez and the official No.1 ranked team in the world, as he tells Graham Thomas. The Welshman at the heart of Belgium’s World Cup qualifying campaign admits he will hold mixed emotions when his employers face his homeland on Wednesday night. Richard Evans is Belgium’s head fitness coach and has been the trusted right-hand man to manager Roberto Martinez since their days together at Swansea City.

Geraint Thomas finished safely in the main pack on the opening stage of the Volta a Catalunya in Spain. Wales’s 2018 Tour de France champ crossed the line with the main contenders 16 seconds down on stage winner Andrea Kron of Denmark.

Joel Makin swept into the quarter-finals of the Black Ball Open in Cairo after an impressive display. The world No 9 from Haverfordwest overcame world No 14 Mazen Hesham in 42 minutes.

Alun Wyn Jones has proven he should captain the British and Irish Lions captain this summer, according to former Wales star James Hook. Jones captained Wales to impressive wins over Ireland, Scotland, England and Italy during this year’s Six Nations, but they were denied a first Grand Slam under Wayne Pivac when France beat them with a last-gasp try in Paris on Saturday. Wales still have strong hopes of winning the tournament, with France needing a bonus-point victory by a margin of at least 21 points over Scotland on Friday to snatch the title, but the thoughts of their players will now begin to turn to this summer’s Lions tour against South Africa.

The Scarlets can come close to clinching a Heineken Champions Cup place for next season if they beat Connacht tonight at Parc y Scarlets. It was to have been a comeback game for Rhys Patchell, but the Wales international has a fresh injury, to the disappointment of Dan Jones as he told Graham Thomas. Dan Jones admits Rhys Patchell has “been through hell” and has plenty of sympathy for his Scarlets No.10 rival now Jones has suffered the misery of a concussion injury himself. Jones has the starting spot when the Scarlets hosts Connacht on Monday night in the Scarlets’ final match of the regular Guinness Pro 14 season.

Joe Ralls has told his Cardiff City teammates it is time to draw the Mick McCarthy six-shooter in order to fire themselves towards promotion. The Bluebirds’ 1-0 Welsh derby victory at Swansea City has re-ignited their play-off campaign, but Ralls says it must prove more than a one-off as they seek the momentum that can close a four-point gap between themselves and sixth place. The midfielder – pressed into wing-back duty at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday night – knows it is vital Cardiff try and gain some sort of repeat of the momentum they enjoyed at the start of McCarthy’s stint as manager when he won an extraordinary six matches in succession.

Joel Makin came through a tough opening match of the Black Ball Open in Cairo as he was taken to five games. Wales’s world No 9 was pushed all the way in a tough 75 minute second round battle by England’s world No 52 Patrick Rooney.

Swansea City boss Steve Cooper has spoken to all the necessary federations regarding the welfare of his players in this international window – except that is, for the FAW. Following yesterday’s damaging derby day loss to Cardiff City at the Liberty Stadium, Cooper revealed there had been no discussions with anyone from the Welsh set up despite the call ups for Connor Roberts and Ben Cabango.  Brandon Cooper and Lewis Webb are also involved at under 21 level.

If you’re going to make your marathon debut, where better to make it than the Great Britain Olympic team trials? That’s exactly what Cardiff’s Charlotte Arter will be doing when she makes her first outing over the classic 26.2 mile distance in London on Friday.

Cardiff Devils captain Joey Martin has been linked with a return to British ice hockey ahead of next month’s Elite Series competition. Martin’s loan to Norwary’s Stavenger Oilers ended last week making him available for such a move. Martin, 32, is contracted to the Cardiff Devils and had been playing for Stavenger in the absence […]

Wales head coach Wayne Pivac says he was left “numb” after his side were denied a Grand Slam as France snatched victory in one of the most exciting Six Nations climaxes in history. With 10 minutes remaining in Paris, Wales were leading by 10 points with France reduced to 14 men, but then they had two players sin-binned and were pegged back by a Charles Ollivon try. Brice Dulin then scored another try in stoppage time to secure an astonishing 32-30 win that leaves both teams still in the hunt for the title but with Welsh Grand Slam hopes gone.

Alun Wyn Jones admitted poor discipline cost Wales as they suffered last-gasp heartbreak in Paris and saw their Six Nations Grand Slam dreams end with a dramatic 32-30 defeat by France. Wayne Pivac’s side looked like they would seal a clean sweep after they scored tries through Dan Biggar, Josh Navidi and Josh Adams before France’s Paul Willemse was red carded. But in an astonishing finale at the Stade de France, Wales pair Taulupe Faletau and Liam Williams were both yellow carded and Brice Dulin’s try with the clock in the red zone won it for the hosts.

Mick McCarthy reckons Cardiff City have got their promotion mojo back after their gritty 1-0 win at Swansea City in the Welsh derby. The Bluebirds now sit four points outside the top six after Aden Flint’s early header clinched derby delight for McCarthy’s men, but left Swansea City in danger of losing touch with the automatic promotion slots. Cardiff faced the prospect of a relegation battle when McCarthy took over from Neil Harris, but they are now looking up after an important battling triumph over their fiercest rivals.

Michael Wilde scored a landmark 200th league goal as Connah’s Quay pulled six-points clear at the top of the JD Cymru Premier following a 2-0 win over Haverfordwest County. Wilde became only the fourth player in the history of Welsh domestic football to reach the top-flight milestone and joins Marc Lloyd-Williams (319 goals), Penybont manager […]