Former Swansea coach John Plumtree is set to be confirmed as part of the All Blacks coaching set-up tomorrow (Thurs) with the Scarlets’ Brad Mooar expected to soon follow. The pair are both keen to join newly appointed New Zealand head coach Ian Foster, who succeeded Steve Hansen after the World Cup. Plumtree is set to announce he is taking the role of forwards coach under Foster after his current employers, the Hurricanes, called a press conference to discuss their coaching situation.

Gareth Bale’s flag-gate moment that enraged Real Madrid fans is “in the past” according to Zinedine Zidane, who looks set to turn to his Wales star for the first El Clasico of the season on Wednesday. Bale was given a rough reception by some supporters when he returned to Spain following TV pictures of his celebrations last month after Wales had qualified for the Euro 2020 finals. The shots of the captain laughing and joking behind a Wales flag with the words, “WALES. GOLF. MADRID…IN THAT ORDER” sparked calls in the Spanish media for the player to be moved on, but ahead of the club’s clash against Barcelona, Zidane said: “That’s in the past.

Phillip Price has expressed his relief at proving himself Europe’s leading senior golfer. The Welshman crowned himself the 2019 Staysure Tour Order of Merit winner last weekend by finishing tied for third place at the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius. That kept Price at the top of the pile for the season-long challenge of the order of merit award for the Staysure Tour, formerly known as the European senior tour for golfers aged over 50.

Rob Howley has been banned from rugby for 18 months, with nine suspended, after betting on over 360 games including Wales matches. Howley’s suspension is backdated to his withdrawal from Wales’ World Cup campaign, on 16 September 2019, so he can resume his career on June 16th 2020 having accepted the charges. Wales’ former backs coach was found by a panel to have placed 363 bets, including 1,163 matches, but lost £4,000 during the period from 14 November, 2015 to 7 September 2019.

You have to hand it to Pontypool – put them under pressure and they nearly always deliver. They may have won three Specsavers National Championship titles in a row, but a fourth one this season is what they really want to finally guarantee a return to the top tier of the semi-pro game in Wales. If there was agony in the play-off game against Llanelli at the end of last season, there was ecstacy at the weekend as they rose to the occasion in their biggest game of the season against similarly unbeaten Bargoed.

Andre Ayew believes Swansea City can win promotion this season and wants to stay as the father figure who leads a young team back into the Premier League. The Ghanaian striker – who scored twice in the Swans’ 3-1 win over Middlesbrough at the weekend – still has another 18 months to run on a contract the club have admitted previously in unaffordable. But even though Ayew is likely to be the subject of more loan and sale enquiries next month, the 29-year-old striker is revelling in his elder statesman role at the Liberty Stadium and would be happy to see out the season.

Tanni Grey-Thompson has added to her huge collection of medals and trophies by winning a lifetime achievement award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year night. Wales’ former wheelchair racer won 11 Paralympic gold medals between 1992 and 2004 as well as six London Marathon titles. She claimed victory in the London Wheelchair Marathon in 1992, the first of six wins over her career. She went on to compete at the Barcelona Paralympics where she won four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800 metres and a silver in the 4x100m relay.

Robert Glatzel has paid tribute to Lee Tomlin for the astonishing assist that helped rescue a draw for Cardiff City at Leeds United. The 10-man Bluebirds snatched a point when they shrugged off the setback of Sean Morrison’s sending off to level at 3-3 through Glatzel with two minutes to go. It was a composed finish but the volleyed pass from Tomlin – who had already produced a superb individual goal to begin the fightback – was a sublime piece of skill and Glatzel said: “Tommo is an unbelievable player.

Brad Mooar has revealed he is “torn” over whether to join Ian Foster’s All Blacks set-up after the Scarlets head coach was offered the chance to return to New Zealand at the end of the season. Mooar has made a big impact since arriving in Llanelli in July, but new All Blacks head coach Foster wants him as his attack assistant moving forwards. Discussions between New Zealand Rugby and the Scarlets are at an early stage with Mooar yet to decide on whether to stay in west Wales or return to the southern hemisphere and cut short the three-year deal he signed in Llanelli. An announcement isn’t expected until the New Year.

Steve Cooper will be hoping Swansea City’s owners hold their nerve next month when the January sales start and clubs across Europe may look to pick up Andre Ayew on the cheap. Ayew scored twice in the Swans’ 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough at the weekend, their first victory for six matches, to take his own goal tally to nine for the season. The Ghanaian also showed his overall guiding influence on a team that would lack his savvy professionalism should he depart – sold or on loan next month.

Ospreys forwards coach Carl Hogg praised his young side’s attacking intent as they scored five tries in a 40-27 Heineken Champions Cup defeat by Racing 92. The beleaguered region still only have one win to their name this season, but with a host of senior players missing their young team stood up to be counted in the second half in Paris. Wing Lesley Klim crossed twice after Luke Morgan had opened the scoring and there were also tries for Luke Price and Shaun Venter as Ospreys grabbed their first point in Pool Four.

Steve Cooper has told his Swansea City side there can be no excuses against Middlesbrough today (Sat) despite the absence of the banned Tom Carroll and injured Wayne Routledge. Midfielder Carroll will sit out the game at the Liberty Stadium following the first red card of his career. Carroll was sent off for a second bookable offence during Wednesday night’s 1-1 Championship draw with Blackburn Rovers and must serve a one-match suspension.

The Scarlets will demand £200,000 in compensation for allowing head coach Brad Mooar to join the All Blacks. The region have confirmed in a statement that Mooar is wanted by New Zealand as part of the backroom staff working for new All Blacks coach Ian Foster. Although the Scarlets are desperate to keep Mooar – who is only six months into a three-year contract – they have decided their best strategy is to negotiate a deal for a proportion of his remaining time and move on.

Almost five years after suffering a life-changing rugby injury, Harrison Walsh is finally able to enjoy watching the sport again. Just a week before the Swansea RFC and Ospreys product was due to play for Wales under-20s against England, he sustained horrendous leg injuries in a freak accident playing in a club match. Such was the severity of the damage, it not only ended his rugby ambitions but left him with only partially movement and no feeling in his right foot.

Former Premier League midfield player Wayne Brown will play against Merthyr Town when Walton Casuals make the trip to South Wales on Saturday. Brown, aged 31, is a new signing for Surrey club Casuals who spent eight years at Fulham FC and made his Premier debut against Manchester United during 2009. He has joined Walton […]

Cardiff Devils welcome the ‘Professor, Christmas jumpers and Nottingham Panthers to their Viola Arena home rink on Cardiff Bay on Saturday. The match is Devils’ only fixture of the weekend – they are at home against Belfast Giants in the Challenge Cup next Wednesday – and it is their first ever Christmas jumper game in […]

Dean Keates will make changes to his Wrexham team for their Buildbase FA Trophy last 32 tie against FC Halifax at the Shay on Saturday. The match will be decided on the day with the teams agreeing to extra time and a penalty shootout if needed. Wrexham go into the tie after winning back-to-back Vanarama […]

Welshman Mark Sampson is intent inflicting more pain on manager Michael Flynn’s Newport County.  Creigau-born Sampson, the former England women’s team manager, is now in charge at Stevenage FC, who play County at Rodney Parade on Saturday (3pm). Newport have suffered four successive SkyBet League Two defeats and badly need a home win against struggling […]

Wales Rugby League Students head coach Paul Emanuelli has named a 34-man training squad ahead of next summer’s annual Four Nations. The squad has been selected following a successful Peak+ Nutrition WRL Student Origin Series in Newport last weekend, Over 70 players were split into three regions with North Wales coming out on top, winning both of their 40-minute “one-half” games, beating South West Wales 18-16 and South East Wales 24-6. West was best in the southern derby, winning 18-0.

The 2019/20 William Hill World Darts Championship begins today (Fri) at London’s Alexandra Palace, as Gerwyn Price attempts to topple champion Michael van Gerwen. Dutchman van Gerwen begins his title defence against Jelle Klaasen or Kevin Burness on the opening night, with Wales’ Price – second favourite for the tournament – not starting his own campaign until December 19. Highly tipped to go far in just his sixth World Championship, world number three Price has never previously won past the last 16 at Alexandra Palace.