Motorsport was the winner on Saturday’s Rali Adfer Coedwigoedd Cymru as rallying finally restarted in Wales after the coronavirus lockdown. Despite the sport taking place in vast outdoor spaces, it’s been subject to the Welsh government’s arbitrary 30 maximum person gathering rule.

This weekend’s South Wales derby was like no other. To misquote Max Boyce, like tens of thousands of other fans, Jack Hammett will be able to look back in years to come and say, “I wasn’t there.” Let’s hope it was a one-off. The weeks building up to the derbies last season seem like a long time ago now. Trying to organise tickets with friends, booking time off work way in advance and for some, planning the long journey past the final destination, hopping on the coach to turn back on yourself.

Dan Lydiate has told the Ospreys they must now build on their corner-turning victory over Castres and mount a European campaign like those of old. The region ended the worst losing streak in their European history as they put the French club to the sword with a five star performance in a 39-15 win. The Ospreys had lost their last nine European games, but hit back in style to get their 2020-21 campaign off to a flying start at the Liberty Stadium. It also proved to be an extra-special night for new Wales hooker Sam Parry, who marked his 100th game for the region with two of the five tries.

The tries may have come from their internationals, but the Scarlets had the little known Morgan Jones to thank for their sensational 23-19 Heineken Champions Cup win at Bath. The Welsh region spent seven minutes defending their try line, and saw the referee rule out two potential tries, the last of which was all to do with Wales U20 lock Jones’ wrapping his arms around home scrum half Ben Spencer. “The effort at the end was massive, it was all about commitment and heart. We were under so, so much pressure, that was about character,” said a delighted Scarlets head coach, Glenn Delaney.

Michael Flynn has urged Newport County to end their mammoth week of three games and 1200 miles on a high at Salford City on Tuesday. The Exiles boss felt his side had slipped from their usual standards in a 2-1 defeat at Leyton Orient after taking the lead.

Steve Cooper was as good as his word – dedicating a Swansea City derby day victory to absent supporters he had promised to make the central actors even though they are far from the stage. The Swans head coach insisted all his players and staff stay on the field for their post-match celebrations and rallying cries following their 2-0 victory at the Cardiff City Stadium. There may be some who felt Cooper was simply rubbing salt into local wounds, but the man himself was unequivocal before the game that fans were at the forefront of his thinking after nine months away from live action.

Liam Williams has got his sights set on two big dates in 2021 as he aims to prove he is the daddy. The 28-year-old knows his next fight will be for the WBO World Middleweight title – most probably against Demetrius Andrade.

Jade Jones reckons her return to the top step of the podium is the perfect platform for her bid for a hat-trick of Taekwondo Olympic gold medals. The Flint fighter will be chasing history in Tokyo next summer after her triumphs in London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Mark Harris and Ben Cabango were team mates for the Wales U21 team, but today their friendship will be put on hold in the south Wales derby. For Swansea-born Harris it will be his first taste of the biggest game in Welsh football, while Cardiff-born Cabango will be getting his second outing. The odd thing is that they won’t be playing for the city of their birth, but for their biggest rivals.

John Mulvihill has vowed to use the next nine days wisely as the Cardiff Blues look build a successful European campaign on a solid foundation. The Blues laid the groundwork for their campaign with a 33-20 Challenge Cup victory away at Newcastle Falcons on Friday night, where they turned around a five point half-time deficit. Blues fly-half Jarrod Evans kicked 16 points and Hallam Amos and Tomos Williams scored tries as the region made the perfect start with a gritty win.

The Ospreys begin their European campaign tonight in the Challenge Cup and will include a man who knows his way to the final. Former England cap Stephen Myler tells Steffan Thomas why and how he thinks his new team can enable him to make it a hat-trick of final appearances. Stephen Myler has vowed to earn European success with the Ospreys this season – and repeat two of the highlights of his distinguished career. Back 2014 the England international kicked 20 points as Northampton Saints clinched the European Challenge Cup with a dramatic win over Bath in Cardiff. 

As with his talent and stardom, Andre Ayew wears his wealth lightly which is why he has few hang-ups over discussing being the best-paid player in the Championship. The Swansea City striker – who hopes to finally score against rivals Cardiff City on Saturday – is regularly described as the biggest earner in the division. The label is most often used not by the media, but by opposition managers who offer it up by way of explanation as to why their team were unable to stop Ayew from dominating the match just ended.

Wales’ taekwondo ace Jade Jones struck gold at the European Championship Olympic weights competition in Bosnia. The double Olympic champ took the next step on the podium after making her return with silver at last month’s Euro Clubs event in Croatia.

Newport County’s return to the Nathaniel MG Welsh League Cup has been put on hold after one of their academy players was caught up in a positive Covid test. It means their first round home clash with Undy Athletic has been put back until before Christmas. Another Covid casualty is the game between Holywell Town and Llanidloes Town in the northern section. The Cup games are spread over the weekend and Cardiff City’s return to the tournament tonight will see them take on Taffs Well at the USW Sports Ground.

Steve Cooper will tell his Swansea City players to deliver a performance to warm the missing thousands tomorrow when they face the strangest derby at an empty Cardiff City Stadium. The Swans head coach says he has stressed to his players all week their responsibility to supporters who have not seen their team live – home or away – for almost nine months. Never before in the 108-year history of the most fierce South Wales rivalry has this fixture been played in a fan-free setting, but Cooper has attempted to use that as extra motivation.

The striker Cardiff City nicked from under Swansea City’s noses could miss the South Wales derby this weekend. The Bluebirds are sweating on the fitness of Harry Wilson ahead of their big clash with the Swans at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday. Wilson picked up an arm injury in the midweek win at Stoke and has been unable to train since. Now City boss Neil Harris is preparing to give him “until the last knockings” to recover to face the fourth placed Swans.

Tesni Evans saw her run at the Black Ball Open in Cairo ended at the quarter-finals. The 28-year-old took the first game against No 4 seed Hania El Hammamy 12-10 having saved a game point.

When Cardiff Blues go to Newcastle Falcons on Friday, it will bring back plenty of memories for one former Arms Park favourite and now proud father of one of Wales’ latest internationals. Liam Botham spoke to Graham Thomas. James Botham’s father Liam admits he cannot wait to be in a stadium to watch his son play “in the flesh” for Wales. Until then, however, he will content himself with the next best thing – the televised clash between Botham’s Cardiff Blues and Newcastle Falcons on Friday night.

The Scarlets, Dragons, Cardiff Blues and Ospreys are all in action this weekend, as international rugby moves aside and the new format of the Heineken Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup gets underway. James Dodd takes a look at the chances of the four Welsh teams going into round one.  Like most else in our lives, European rugby is different this year. Thanks again, pandemic. In the top tier competition, the Heineken Champions Cup, there will be two pools, each containing 12 teams.

The sight and sound of rally cars thundering through a Welsh forest will return after 308 very long and quiet days this Saturday, when competition restarts with a Covid-19 compliant test event. Needless to say, the 15 available spaces filled up quickly for the Rali Adfer Coedwigoedd Cymru (Welsh Forest Restoration Rally) – with the very limited number of drivers and co-drivers permitted to take part complying with the maximum 30 persons gathering rule.