Gareth Anscombe has revealed he left the Cardiff Blues to join the Ospreys because he wanted to be back at No.10. The Wales fly-half moved from the Arms Park to the Liberty Stadium at the end of last season after a protracted stand-off over a new contract following five years in the capital. Anscombe appealed against the new banding system for Wales players’ salaries brought in by the Welsh Rugby Union – arguing he should have been in the top tier – but after that was rejected on the basis he had yet to make a Lions squad he opted to leave the Blues and join the Ospreys.

As players go back into regional pre-season training this month, they will be hearing plenty of different accents – Aussie, Kiwi, Ulsterman, English . . . but just not Welsh. Robin Davey wonders why it’s so deeply unfashionable to have learned your coaching trade in the nation that has just won the Grand Slam. It is one of the great ironies of Welsh rugby that while players who have left the country are being encouraged to return home, native coaches can’t get a look-in. The dismissal of Jason Strange from Cardiff Blues proves yet again that when it comes to coaching, anything stamped “import version” is best in the eyes of the WRU and the regions.

The future of Cardiff Blues is at severe risk after the Welsh side was issued with a statutory demand for non-payment of more than £200,000 in rent for their Cardiff Arms Park home.  The Guinness PRO14 side haven’t paid rent to landlords Cardiff Athletic Club for 12 months and, despite regular promises of clearing their debt, missed another deadline this week. They now have 21 days to pay in full or risk being wound up.

Cardiff Blues are set to dump Grand Slam-winning Wales U20 coach Jason Strange and are replacing him as backs coach with former Wales scrum-half Richie Rees. The move comes as part of an on-and-off-field revamp by the region who are also quitting their training base at the Vale of Glamorgan resort. Instead, the Blues are going to split their training venue between the Arms Park and Sophia Gardens, with players shuttling between the two city centre locations.

The Ospreys will have to plunge straight into a pool of death next season as they re-enter the Heineken Champions Cup. The Swansea region – who are back in the top tier tournament – have been drawn in pool that appears about as tough as it can get as they must play holders Saracens, last season’s semi-finals Munster, and top French club Racing 92. Ospreys head coach Allen Clarke said: “Everyone knows we are up against some serious contenders there.

What price the Ospreys or Dragons reaching the play-offs of the Guinness Pro 14 next season after a shake up in the formatting of the two conferences? The Ospreys may have been the best of a bad bunch of Welsh regional performers in the Pro 14 last season, but their reward has been to find themselves in the same conference as the two finalists from 2019, Leinster and Glasgow, and semi-finalists Ulster. The ranking is based on the two conferences being put together and ranked in terms of points. It means that Leinster, despite the fact that they are Pro 14 champions, are ranked as the second Irish team behind Munster who edged them out by a point last year.

Rising Cardiff star Ben Thomas has paid tribute to Gethin Jenkins after picking up the Best Newcomer title at the Principality Premiership awards. The 20-year-old has come under the direction of Jenkins at the Arms Park, following the move of the former Wales prop into coaching under Cardiff head coach Steve Law. Thomas – who plays at both outside-half and inside centre – said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this season. We’ve had a strong run and Steve Law has been massive for us, both in his recruitment and throughout the season.

He fought back the tears, and vowed to return to rugby sooner rather than later, but Ceri Sweeney had every reason to smile at the weekend after bringing down the curtain on a great career. More than 20 years after making his Pontypridd debut against Ebbw Vale, with his PE teacher Paul John as his scrum-half, the 39-year-old former Wales outside-half steered his side to a 47-19 win over Principality Premiership champions Merthyr. It was the perfect way to bow out at Sardis Road and both teams formed a guard of honour to welcome him onto the field.

Ospreys head coach Allen Clarke has revealed his team are fighting fit for their crunch Heineken Champions Cup play-off clash with the Scarlets. Clarke’s men will boast home advantage for the winner-takes-all Liberty Stadium clash on Saturday evening (kick-off 7.45pm). Whoever comes out on top will seal a place in the Champions Cup – European […]

Ospreys coach Allen Clarke praised his Heineken Champions Cup chasers as he claimed they deserved their play-off showdown with the Scarlets. The two regions – who were encouraged by the WRU to merge earlier this year – will instead go head-to-head at the Liberty Stadium on May 17 or 18  for the right to play in Europe’s top tier next season. The Ospreys earned their place by finishing fourth in Conference A of the Guinness Pro 14 after a 26-23 victory over the Cardiff Blues in their Judgement Day meeting at the Principality Stadium.

Rory Thornton is aiming for a double this weekend – as hometown coach and loan town lock. The loan part comes first when the second row lines up for the Cardiff Blues – where he is on a one-season lend – against his parent region, the Ospreys On Sunday, the Wales forward is back at the Principality Stadium as a coach with Bonymaen, as the Division 1 East side attempt to knock over Andy Powell’s Brecon in the final of the WRU National Plate.

George North believes the Ospreys’ resilience will be enough to see them overcome Cardiff Blues today and tip the Judgement Day verdict in their favour. The Wales wing will return from injury for his first match since breaking a bone in his hand on the day the Six Nations Grand Slam was secured against Ireland six weeks ago. North’s left hand is now fully recovered and operational – much like the region itself, believes the Lions star who considers the death-defying powers they have shown since the rejection of a merger with the Scarlets underlines why their mental strength will carry them through against the Blues.