Cardiff City captain Sean Morrison says new manager Mick McCarthy can provide the lift the team needs after a season of under-achievement so far. The Bluebirds skipper has been impressed by McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor since they joined the club last week.

Mick McCarthy is relishing the prospect of taking charge of his first game as Cardiff City manager against his home town club Barnsley on Wednesday night. But after being impressed with the response of his players since succeeding Neil Harris, McCarthy knows the tri to Oakwell represents the real thing.

Former Wales and Swansea captain Ashley Williams has announced his retirement from football. The 36-year-old defender confirmed the news that his career, which saw him play across all levels of English football, has now come to an end. Williams made 86 international appearances which included captaining Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 where they were beaten by the eventual winners of the competition, Portugal.

There may still be uncertainty over the Tokyo Olympics, but Welsh hopefuls are having to keep fingers crossed and compete for qualification where and when events allow. For Welsh table tennis No.1 Charlotte Carey that means heading to Portugal next month and a chance to ruffle some feathers, as she tells Graham Thomas. If Charlotte Carey can show the same determination in the Olympic qualifiers that she has demonstrated in flying around Europe in recent months, then higher ranked players could be in for a shock. The Welsh table tennis No.1 is preparing to try and earn a slot in Tokyo as part of the four-strong Great Britain squad competing at the qualification event in February.

Wales Under-20s head coach Gareth Williams has admitted his genuine concern the country’s next generation of promising talent could be lost forever due to the devastating impact of Covid-19. Williams’ side did complete their junior Six Nations campaign last year, but last summer’s World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Italy was abandoned. The 2021 Under-20 Six Nations has also been postponed until later this year because of the pandemic with a date for the tournament still yet to be decided.

Stephen Myler has been described as “fit as a butcher’s dog” and an extra coach on the field by the Ospreys chief who has just given the 36-year-old another year’s contract. Toby Booth has showered praise on the English outside-half, who has signed for a further season with the region even though he will be 37 this summer. Myler struck three conversions on Sunday as the Ospreys earned a 26-20 Guinness Pro 14 victory away at Connacht.

The four Welsh regions have welcomed the £13.5m grant being given to Welsh rugby from Welsh government – part of an overall package of £17.7m to some sports’ governing bodies. The cash is to help sports hit by the absence of fans during the current pandemic and is meant to ensure they can continue until next season. As one regional official put it, “this will ensure that when rugby wakes up next season, although they’ll be a massive collective hangover, at least we’ll still be here.”

Whether it be an ugly scrap or the “Swansea way” – club captain Matt Grimes doesn’t care right now. He’s just happy to keep on winning. Grimes scored twice in a game for the first time in his career, the first a stunning 25-yard strike before later converting from the penalty spot, as Swansea routed Nottingham Forest 5-1 to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Elfyn Evans finished second on the season-opening WRC Monte Carlo Rally after opting not to risk it all on trying to overhaul Toyota team-mate Sebastien Ogier. The Dolgellau flier finished 32.6 seconds behind the Frenchman who claimed a record eighth victory on arguably the world’s most famous rally.

Steve Cooper insisted the FA Cup was “not a distraction” as his Swansea side sailed into the fifth round at the expense of Nottingham Forest. Much had been made of the Swans failing to score more than twice in a game this season, a statistic they emphatically banished with a comprehensive 5-1 win at the Liberty Stadium. Cooper made seven changes to the side that won at Barnsley last time out, but saw his side lead 2-0 at the break through Liam Cullen’s crisp volley and a superb 25 yard shot from Matt Grimes. 

Mick McCarthy insists he is happy to have agreed a short-term deal to manage Cardiff City until the end of the season – but is aiming to be around a lot longer. The former Republic of Ireland boss has been installed as a quick replacement for the sacked Neil Harris.

Elfyn Evans may have to roll the dice if he wants to get his World Rally Championship campaign off to a winning start in Monte Carlo. The Dolgellau ace goes into Sunday’s final four stages in the snowy French Alps trailing Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate Sebastien Ogier by just 13 seconds.

Jordan Morris has revealed the influence of German legend Jurgen Klinsmann on the road that has taken him to the Championship with Swansea City. The American international – who has joined the Swans on loan from Seattle Sounders – was capped by Klinsmann when Morris was still a college student six years ago at the age of 20. He has since won 39 caps for the USA, but credits Klinsmann with helping progress his fellow striker’s career.

Dai Young believes Cardiff Blues are heading forwards after they secured back-to-back Guinness Pro 14 victories over the Scarlets with a 13-10 victory in Llanelli. The Blues won against their regional rivals for the second time inside a fortnight to give Young victory in his first match in charge since returning to the Arms Park. Once again, the Scarlets had most of the possession and territory but the Blues’ defence proved too strong for them to break down.

Mick McCarthy has been parachuted in to save Cardiff City’s season, with owner Vincent Tan insisting the Irishman is the right man to stop the rot. The club feared the current slump might become a battle to avoid relegation to League One but believe McCarthy can keep them in the Championship. They are currently nine points above the relegation zone, but all the clubs in the bottom three have games in hand on Cardiff.

Elfyn Evans snatched the lead in the Monte Carlo Rally and looks set for a battle royal this weekend with team-mate Sebastien Ogier. The Dolgellau ace won one of Friday’s five special stages in the French Alps to end the day with a slender 7.4 secs advantage over the Frenchman.

Mick McCarthy has been backed to “put a smile back on faces” if he is appointed as Cardiff City’s new manager. The upbeat assessment comes from Bluebirds defender Sol Bamba, himself a source of warmth, affection and humour for the club’s supporters in dark times – not least the player’s own recent cancer diagnosis. McCarthy is expected to be confirmed as Cardiff’s new boss this weekend following the sacking of Neil Harris on Thursday.

Cardiff Valkyries have gone virtual as they bid to encourage more women to take up American Football. The club may be restricted from playing matches or holding training sessions during the current lockdown, but that has not stopped their determined recruitment drive. Undeterred, Wales’ only women’s American Football set-up are holding a series of “rookie days” online to introduce new players to the sport and their thriving club.

By the time the vaccines are all handed out, it could be October of this year and that may mean one of the first non-restricted tournaments is the Rugby League World Cup. With that in mind, Harri Morgan has been getting in the mood by re-watching Wales v Western Samoa back in 1995 – a classic that remains vivid for anyone who was there.  In theory, the line-up of sporting events scheduled for 2021 is an absolute belter. The columns and comments should be fizzing with discussion of which players should make Warren Gatland’s Lions squad, whether Wales can repeat their 2016 heroics in the European Championship finals, and, of course, who will be the dominant force in Skateboarding’s Olympic debut.

L E M F R E C K – otherwise known as Lemarl Freckleton – has a dream of sprinting for Wales at the Commonwealth Games. That is, when he’s not dreaming of more fame in the world of rap, or appearing on Glastonbury main stage, or a revival of his tennis career. Wales’ coolest athlete tells all to Owen Morgan. Radio One airtime and a 100m performance which convinced him a Commonwealth Games place is achievable . . . 2020 wasn’t so bad for Lemarl Freckleton. While most of us were glad to see the back of last year, the Newport sprinter and musician can look back at the past 12 months as something of a breakthrough year.