If the breath of fresh air that blew through Welsh rugby last weekend could be summed up in one player, it would be debutant Ellis Mee, the Scarlets wing.
Swansea City have sacked Luke Williams after seven losses in nine games, leaving them with a looming relegation fight. With the club in crisis, who will take charge next?
Matt Sherratt is ready to hit the ground running to end Wales’ record 14-game losing streak but, whatever happens in the remainder of the Six Nations, the new caretaker coach has said he will not be seeking the role on a permanent basis. The exit of Warren Gatland by mutual consent on Tuesday led to Sherratt being parachuted in from his position as Cardiff head coach for Wales’ remaining three games in the Six Nations, starting with a home clash against champions Ireland on Feb. 22.
Omer Riza accused his Cardiff City players of lacking of bravery after they lost 2-1 at fellow Championship strugglers Portsmouth. The result leaves the Bluebirds still in a relegation dogfight, just two points above the drop zone and still with just one away win all season in the league.
Warren Gatland has left his role as Wales coach midway through the Six Nations, with his team on a national-record losing streak of 14 matches. The decision was announced by the Welsh Rugby Union on Tuesday, three days after a 22-15 loss to Italy that appears to have sealed the New Zealander’s fate. Matt Sherratt, the head coach of Cardiff, will take over for the remainder of the Six Nations.
Warren Gatland should resign and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) should start looking for a replacement to bring in fresh ideas, according to Sir Clive Woodward. Wales’ well deserved 22-15 loss to Italy in Rome marked their 14th consecutive defeat, piling even more pressure on Gatland.
Cardiff City’s FA Cup journey will continue against Premier League opposition after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Stoke City was rewarded in the draw by a fifth-round clash away to Aston Villa. The Bluebirds, currently battling to pull further away from the relegation scrap in the Championship, held their nerve at the Bet365 Stadium in a thrilling contest that ended 3-3 after extra time, with goalkeeper Ethan Horvath emerging as the hero.
Sam Warburton has suggested Wales coach Warren Gatland may have “lost the dressing room” following the defeat to Italy. Former Wales captain Warburton – made captain by Gatland for two Lions tours – gave a damning verdict on Wales under Gatland after the team had suffered a 14th successive defeat in Rome.
Luke Williams believes Swansea City have drawn a line in the sand after they gained their first victory of 2025. Josh Tymon’s second-half strike was enough to give the Swans a 1-0 Championship victory over Bristol City in a full-blooded Anglo-Welsh battle at Ashton Gate.
Warren Gatland insists it’s business as usual for him as Wales continue to lose and fall further down the world rankings. Some coaches may have read the room and offered to resign after a 14th successive defeat led to a further drop in the rankings to 12th, a record low. But despite a deserved 22-15 defeat to Italy in Rome, Gatland was again talking about “working hard” and “staying tight” – just as he has been doing for almost 500 days since he last won a game of rugby.
Omer Riza praised Rubin Colwill after Cardiff City banished the ghost of FA Cups past with a 4-2 win over Stoke to reach the fifth round for the first time in 11 years. Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath and midfielder Colwill were the heroes after an enthralling cup tie, which ended 3-3 after 120 minutes. The Bluebirds made it fourth time lucky at the bet365 Stadium as they finally got one over the Potters in the competition.
First the good news – Wales are chasing a ninth consecutive win in Rome and Italy have only once made it back-to-back home wins in the Six Nations. Then comes the bad news.
Omer Riza insists Cardiff City will give the FA Cup their full respect and attention when they visit Stoke City on Saturday. The Bluebirds manager is unlikely to be judged on the length of any Cup run when owner Vincent Tan makes a call at the end of the season as to whether Riza stays in charge or not.
Wales face Italy in Rome this weekend – looking for their first win after a difficult start to the Guinness Six Nations Championship. The match at Stadio Olimpico will be important for both teams, as Italy will be aiming to win back-to-back matches against Wales for the first time in their history.
Warren Gatland is banking on Taulupe’s 100+ cap experience providing his young Welsh side with a real boost in confidence as they seek to beat Italy in Rome in Round 2 of the Guinness Six Nations championship. The 34-year-old Cardiff Rugby No 8 has returned from his latest injury misery to pick up his 105th cap at Stadio Olimpico at the weekend in a vital clash for both nations.
America, and viewers across the world, will gather for the Super Bowl on Sunday. Twm Owen looks back 50 years to when an American Football game was the biggest show in one Welsh town. You would expect the history of American football in Wales to start in the 1980s when William ‘the Refrigerator’ Perry of the Chicago Bears became a household name and amateurs from Cardiff to Swansea and Caernarfon to Prestatyn took to the gridiron.
Taulupe Faletau will play his first game for Wales since the 2023 Rugby World Cup after being named on Thursday in the starting line up for their vital Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome on Saturday. In a boost for beleaguered Wales coach Warren Gatland, Faletau’s selection is one of two changes to the side that was heavily beaten in Paris last Friday in the opening game of this year’s tournament. Wales are on a run of 13 defeats and were they to extend that beyond this weekend, it would make Gatland’s position begin to look untenable as well as see the side slip below Georgia to 12th in the world rankings.
There are some words in sport that can really hurt. One of them was uttered by a French rugby pundit last Friday night, moments after Wales had succumbed to a 43-0 defeat in their opening Six Nations match against France.
Welsh golfer Darcey Harry starts her professional career on the Ladies European Tour this week – with the AIG Women’s Open in Wales as her number one target for the season. The event will be at her home club, Royal Porthcawl, at the end of July, and will be the biggest female sporting event ever held in Wales with the world’s top stars descending on the South Wales coast for the first men’s or women’s Major held in Wales.
The 2025 Guinness Six Nations championship is well underway and after a whitewash defeat in Paris last week, Wales will be looking to avoid another loss. Warren Gatland’s men are striving to put behind them what happened against France and aim to record their first win of the tournament – and first in 13 matches – against Italy in Rome.