They looked vulnerable, raw, and unrefined at Test level, but Wales’ young tourists have surprised many – including Robin Davey, who’s happy to eat his slice of humble pie as Warren Gatland’s team prepare for the second Test against Argentina. Whisper it – or shout it from the rooftops – but all of a sudden, Wales’ World Cup prospects look a whole lot brighter than they were even a few weeks ago. Head coach Warren Gatland decided to leave a number of key players at home as they embarked on their short summer tour, taking in South Africa in Washington, something of an unknown quantity, followed by two Tests against Argentina, expected to be mighty difficult.

Neil Warnock believes he has signed one of the best left backs around in Cardiff City’s new recruit Greg Cunningham. The Bluebirds manager has spent £3.5m on the Preston defender to make it two deals in a week following his £11m move for Norwich City winger Josh Murphy.

Glamorgan may have suffered an Ian Bell inspired defeat against the Division Two leaders Warwickshire at Edgbaston this week – but Usman Khawaja joined a select group of players by scoring a century on his debut for the club. Khawaja’s 125, one of a number of good personal performances as Glamorgan gave the high-flying Bears a real fright, made him only the fourth Australian to do so – following Matthew Elliott, Mark Cosgrove and, most recently, Shaun Marsh, the man he has replaced in the 2018 team.

Turn the Tide on Plastic skipper Dee Caffari helped launch the Environmental Project of the Challenge Wales charity while the Volvo Ocean Race boats were in Cardiff. The event was held in the Eco-Lounge of the Volvo Ocean Race Village, coming just two days after Challenge Wales vessel Adventure Wales had won the Environment Award at the Tall Ships Regatta in Liverpool. The Environmental Project is the latest addition to the Challenge Wales programme to give young people who participate on sailing days and voyages an opportunity to get an accredited qualification to add to their CV.

The career of one of world rallying’s most gifted and best-known photographers, Maurice Selden, will be celebrated this summer at Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon. The start of the nine-week ‘Maurice Selden – Rally Photography 1972-2017’ exhibition, which will showcase 45 years of outstanding work in the world of motorsport, will begin on Thursday 28 June with a Q&A session in the auditorium. Ralio presenter Howard Davies will be on stage to interview Selden, together with other special guests including the 2003 World Rally Champion Phil Mills. The event is free, but tickets must be reserved in advance, via the Theatr Brycheiniog website. Selden was born in Ystradgynlais and now lives in Llandybie. He started his career in 1972, working as a staff photographer for Motor Sport and Motoring News magazines in London. He covered all kinds of motorsports, from Formula One to sportscars, before deciding to concentrate on the World Rally Championship.

Jayne Ludlow wants to hear Wales fans loud and proud when her team face England in their World Cup shoot-out. The Wales manager has taken her team to the brink of qualification thanks to their stunning 3-0 victory over Russia in Newport on Tuesday night. The win means Wales are back at the top of qualifying Group One for the FIFA Women’s World Cup next year in France, with one game to go – their clash against the English on August 31.

Graham Potter has conceded that Swansea City players who want to leave will be allowed to go as Lukasz Fabianski, Alfie Mawson and Jordan Ayew near the exit door. The new Swansea City manager says if the price is right then players who wish to stay in the Premier League will be granted their request. Swans goalkeeper Fabianski is understood to be close to joining West Ham for around £8m, while Mawson is also wanted by the Hammers who will be asked to pay at least £20m for the central defender.

Lauren Price missed out on a shot at another gold medal when she was beaten on a controversial split decision at the EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships in Sofia. The Commonwealth champion from the Gold Coast at 75kg, Price had high hopes of improving on the bronze medal she won two years ago at the European championships, but lost out in a tight contest against Ukrainian fighter Mariya Borutsa. As well as losing out on an attempt at gold against Netherlands star Nouchka Mireille Fontijn, the Pontypool ABC golden girl ended up in a Bulgarian hospital needing stitches in a badly cut lip.  She won her opening bout against Romania’s Ionela Nane 5-0.

Newport’s Andrew Williams is relishing the new role as captain of the Wales Seniors, targeting an historic first win at the Home Internationals. Former Welsh Seniors Open winner Williams has been confirmed in the new role by Wales Golf, along with two fellow selectors, Chris Bailey of Neath and Roger Floyd of Celtic Manor.

Two Welsh Premier League clubs will already be starting their preparations for next season with the draw for the 2018/19 UEFA Europa League Preliminary round which is held today in Nyon, Switzerland. Bala Town (seeded) and Cefn Druids (unseeded) join 12 other clubs from nations ranked 48th – 55th in UEFA’s association rankings, with the […]

Want to know about the Welshman who changed the course of European history with his controversial decision in World Cup Final? Then read on, because Owen Morgan has the story that makes Clive Thomas’s call that angered the Brazilians look like small beer. When the World Cup kicks of in Russia on June 14 there will be something missing which has been an ever present since the 1938 tournament. For the first time in 80 years, there will be no British referee officiating at football’s greatest showpiece.

Wales’ steeplechase duo Johnny Hopkins and Ieuan Thomas both clocked European Athletics Championship qualifying times in Holland at the weekend. Thomas, who has already competed at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games over the past 12 months, finished second in the Gouden Spike 3,000m in a new personal best of 8:30.16. Swansea Harrier Hopkins, who also competed at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, finished just behind Thomas in third, registering a time of  8:31.98.

Dillon Lewis is fast becoming a lucky talisman for Wales on tour in Argentina. The Cardiff Blues tight-head prop has won all four caps to date overseas and he has yet to be on the losing side. Lewis has started in three of those wins and has an eye on another run out in the No.3 shirt in Buenos Aires this weekend.

On the weekend suffrage marches were taking place around the UK, Wales’ female middle distance runners were starring at a variety of foreign venues. Cardiff AAC’s Melissa Courtney clocked a 5,000m personal best as she raced to victory ahead of Scotland’s Eilish McCoglan at the Next Generation Athletics event in Nijmegen, Holland. Courtney’s time of 15:16.51 puts her second on the Welsh all-time 5,000 list, behind Olympian and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Angela Tooby who set the record of 15:13.22 in Oslo back in 1987.

The continued rise in standard of Welsh football was reflected in the historic achievement by the South Wales FA in becoming the first Welsh side to qualify for the Intermediate Round of the UEFA Regions Cup. As well as hosting a Preliminary Round pool stage at the Cyncoed Campus and Barry’s Jenner Park, the South Wales side managed to finish as runners-up to Amateurs FYR Macedonia thanks to a thumping 4-0 victory over the Greek team Evia on Sunday. A first minute goal from Connor Keating settled home nerves and then three second half goals decided the issue.

Graham Potter will use his Swedish blueprint as he bids to lead Swansea back to the Premier League. The Englishman was finally confirmed as the club’s fifth manager in the last two years on Monday afternoon. Potter has signed a three-year contract with the Championship side following his exit from Swedish club Ostersunds. He will meet the media for the first time on Tuesday.

Geraint Thomas believes he will go to the Tour de France as co-leader of Team Sky, rather than in his usual role of Chris Froome’s trusted lieutenant. The Welsh rider gave further evidence he is ready for a higher status at this year’s Tour by winning the Criterium du Dauphine at the weekend. Thomas has described his victory in the eight-day race as the biggest of his career and the 32-year-old now insists he will go into next month’s Tour on an equal footing with Froome, rather than as one of the champion’s side-riders.

Richard Merriman continues to lead the JD Tyres Welsh Tarmacadam Rally Championship in his 1998cc Vauxhall-engined Darrian T90, despite hitting a bridge parapet and non-scoring on Sunday’s Midsummer Caerwent Rally. The Pontypridd driver was fifth after overshooting a junction and losing time on the opening stage, but set the fastest time on the next stage. However, his rally comeback came to an end on stage three, when a heavy front impact broke the car’s radiator. It is a minor dent in an otherwise fantastic season for the double Welsh Tarmac Champion, as Merriman is also leading his class and is second overall on the King of Epynt series and is joint leader in the asphalt section of the FMP Challenge. He and co-driver Kath Curzon also won the Harlech Stages in North Wales outright in The Roof Hub, Touchline and Gareth Swan Roofing backed T90.

Welsh competitors didn’t have much luck on the Rally van Wervik, with several of the top crews retiring early with mechanical problems and mishaps. Jason Pritchard has dropped to second place in the Protyre MSA Asphalt Rally Championship after retiring his North Road Garage Ford Fiesta S2000 with clutch problems. It’s the 30-year old Builth Wells driver’s first non-finish of the season, and with five scores from six rallies to count, he remains very much a top title contender. For Damian Cole, however, a severe misfire with his Get Connected Ford Fiesta WRC caused a second non-finish from three rounds, leaving the Abergavenny driver 15th in the points table. It’s not impossible for him to win a seventh Asphalt Championship title this year, although it’s now looking unlikely as he and Wrexham co-driver Jamie Edwards rethink their rally plans for the rest of 2018.

Elfyn Evans set the fifth fastest time on the closing Power Stage to score a consolation point on the Rally Italia Sardegna, in another what could have been round of the FIA World Rally Championship for the 29-year old driver. The Dolgellau ace was fourth after the opening stage on Thursday night, but was forced to stop and replace a broken steering arm on his M-Sport run Ford Fiesta WRC on the first stage on Friday morning. He and co-driver Daniel Barritt lost 13 minutes and dropped to 43rd, as all hopes of victory disappeared. Evans began an impressive fight back that, despite running first on the road on Saturday, saw him finish the day in 14th position. It was impossible to make further progress up the leaderboard on the short final Sunday route, leaving Evans to set the fifth fastest time on the Power Stage to score a bonus point and show what could have been.