Trystan Bevan has become the first “insider” to back the radical plan to limit substitutions in rugby. Bevan – who is high performance co-ordinator at Cardiff Rugby – believes there must be a curb on the number of replacements allowed on the field to make the sport less dangerous. Four-time Lions head coach Sir Ian McGeechan was part of a group of former coaches and players to sign an open letter this week calling on World Rugby to change its rules.

By Tom Prosser Dai Young is determined to lead Cardiff Rugby into a successful but sustainable new era which includes a rebrand off the field and a focus of long-term success on the field. After making well over 100 appearances for the club as a player and a previous eight year stint as director of rugby, there are very few people around who would be in a better position to lead the Blue and Blacks into a new chapter than Young.

By Tom Prosser Matthew Screech insists it was a dream come true to finally win his first Wales cap at the Principality Stadium yesterday. The giant second-row has been consistently excellent for the Dragons over the past few seasons with his all action displays catching the eye of Wayne Pivac.

Dwayne Peel has revealed how the opportunity to coach the Scarlets was too good to turn down and insists he is confident he can get the west Walians firing again. The former Wales scrum-half was recently appointed head coach of the Scarlets, having originally signed a contract to become backs coach at the Cardiff Blues. Peel’s decision to renege on his contract in the Welsh capital was met with outrage in some quarters, but he insists the opportunity to coach his home club was a chance he had to grab with both hands.

Cardiff Blues ended their era as regional originals with Dai Young admitting to the same feeling their fans have often suffered in the past 18 years – frustration. Their last match of the season was also their final one under the identifiable banner as the Blues, a name they have worn with varying degrees of comfort since 2013. From next season, the Blues will be no more and the team in the capital will be rebranded as Cardiff Rugby – name that is as much a wistful look back to the past as it is a bold stride into the future.

Cardiff Blues head coach Dai Young has named a strong team for their final match of the season against Zebre on Saturday – with a hint at the wealth of options he has at his disposal for the future. The Blues’ final match in the Rainbow Cup sees Tomos Williams on the bench after the Wales scrum-half put pen to paper on a new contract, but fellow current internationals Willis Halaholo, Jarrod Evans Cory Hill and James Botham are all set to start. Young is still without many of their star performers – most notably, seasoned internationals, Josh Navidi, Ellis Jenkins and Hallam Amos.

Josh Turnbull has revealed he turned down what would have been a lucrative deal to move to English club rugby in favour of trying to win more caps with Wales. The offer to join a side Turnbull refuses to name came when the 33-year-old forward swapped home region Scarlets for current side Cardiff Blues seven years ago. Turnbull doesn’t regret the decision and he is hopeful his stunning domestic form this season for Cardiff will earn him selection with Wales this summer.

Cardiff Blues have become embroiled in a row over their ambition to retain a strong link with Welsh Premiership side, Cardiff RFC. The Blues are turning back the clock this summer by ditching their appendage and re-branding themselves as simply, Cardiff Rugby. In a further attempt to emphasise their historical roots, they also plan to refer to the current club side as the “Rags” – indicating they want to run them as their official reserve side.

Wales centre Willis Halaholo has found himself at the centre of yet another racism storm. Halaholo, who helped Wayne Pivac’s side win the 2021 Six Nations, qualified for Wales on residency after three years with Cardiff Blues. When he was first selected by his adopted country in November 2019, the Auckland-born centre was targeted for criticism on social media from bigots who believed a Welsh-born player should have been picked instead – even though he had fulfilled all the requirements.

Dai Young hopes Cardiff Blues pair Ellis Jenkins and Jarrod Evans will get the chance to make an impression with Wales this summer. Wayne Pivac’s Test side were due to tour Argentina and Uruguay in the months to come, but whether or not the trip can take place remains undecided at this stage. Wales have confirmed autumn fixtures in Cardiff against New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji and Australia but the tour that was meant to precede those games is still in the balance due to the pandemic.

Dwayne Peel has spoken of the “special bond” between Scarlets fans and the region after turning his back on Cardiff Blues to return to Llanelli. The former Wales and British & Irish Lions scrum-half Dwayne Peel will go back to his old side as head coach this summer from Irish province Ulster. Peel had agreed a deal to join Cardiff Blues for the 2021-22 season as the man in charge of their attack and signed a contract to that effect.

Dai Young has expressed his aim of ensuring Cardiff Blues compete at the “business end” of the season after agreeing to stay on as permanent director of rugby. The former Wasps coach has signed on for the long-term after notching four wins in seven games in his period as the interim director of rugby. Having played for the club earlier in his career, and then spent nine years as head coach, he returned earlier in the year when John Mulvihill moved on. He has put pen to paper on what the Blues are calling “a long-term contract”.