The Ospreys’ derby clash against Cardiff Blues as one half of Judgement Day will offer a chance for revenge for last season as well as an early judgement on the work of Allen Clarke. Graham Thomas looks at the Ospreys’ new permanent head coach, his signing of George North, and the course they have set as they bid to recover their status as Wales’ top region. The first striking thing about Allen Clarke – newly confirmed as the Ospreys’ permanent head coach – is his size, or lack of. The record books listed him as on the small side of scales when it comes to hookers who played international rugby, with a fighting weight of only 14 stones, packed into a 5ft 9in frame.

Judgement Day weekend has arrived, a near end-of-season stock take and accounting both on and off the pitch. Geraint Powell casts his eye over the form of the four teams and the issue of geography in an expanding league. The geographical horizon of Welsh professional regional rugby suddenly contracts this weekend. The regular fans of the four southern Rugby Service Agreement regional franchises, together with occasional fans, neutrals from across the club game, and occasion eventers, will converge on the Principality Stadium in Cardiff for Judgement Day VI’s domestic double-header and the conclusion of the Guinness Pro14 regular season.

George North has confirmed his decision to join the Ospreys this summer on a national dual contract. The Wales wing had announced last November he was returning to Wales after five years with Northampton, although at the time he had yet to pick his destination. But after holding talks with all four regions in a long, protracted process, the 26-year-old double Lions tourist has chosen to move to the Liberty Stadium.

Danny Wilson hailed his side’s European Challenge Cup win over Pau as the best of his three year tenure in charge at Cardiff Blues. The 16-10 win set-up a possible perfect leaving present for the Blues head coach, and his assistant Matt Sherratt, before they move on this summer to Wasps and the Ospreys respectively. “For your last game in charge at home to be a European semi-final win is something really special and something I will certainly treasure,” said an emotional Wilson.

Gareth Anscombe admits European Challenge Cup final opponents Gloucester are a “class team” who stand between Cardiff Blues and glory in Bilbao. The Wales outside-half scored his team’s only try as the Blues dug in for a gritty 16-10 semi-final victory over Pau at the Arms Park. The win means the Blues will face Gloucester […]

Europe is often a Welsh-free zone at this time of the rugby season. Not this year, with the Scarlets and Cardiff Blues appearing in high-profile semi-finals. Robin Davey finds reasons why both should go through to their respective finals. We are reaching the business end of the season and it’s great to see Welsh rugby still has deals to clinch. Two of the regions will be battling it out on Saturday in their efforts to reach the final of a European competition.

Danny Wilson has called on his Cardiff Blues to back up their European Champions Cup qualification by reaching the final of the Challenge Cup. The Blues head coach has achieved the first target of guiding the region back into Europe’s top tournament next season.

Alex Cuthbert is determined to leave the Cardiff Blues back among Europe’s elite before he leaves for Exeter Chiefs this summer. The Wales wing will face the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, hoping to end the Blues’ four year spell outside of the Champions Cup.

George North is heading back to Wales and will wear scarlet, black, blue, or black and red next season. No-one seems to know yet, least of all those marketing folk aiming to shift some extra replica jerseys this summer. Robin Davey says it’s time for George to put his finger on the map. The season has little more than a month to run, yet we still don’t know where star winger George North is heading on his return to Wales this summer. Even more to the point, does North himself know? It’s now five months since the Welsh Rugby Union announced that North would be coming back to Wales on a national dual contract after spending the last five years at Northampton.

Jason Strange has been confirmed as part of Cardiff Blues’ coaching set-up for next season. The current Wales U20 coach will move to the Arms Park to work as backs coach under new head coach John Mulvihill. Former Newport and Bristol fly-half Strange oversaw the U20 Grand Slam in 2016 and has helped develop some of Wales’ most exciting young players, including Seb Davies and Jarrod Evans – both of whom he will coach at the Blues. 

Cardiff Blues have finally agreed a contract extension with Wales’ most capped prop Gethin Jenkins that will keep him at the Arms Park club into his 39th year. Jenkins has been one of the mainstays of the Blues pack this season and has helped to steer them into the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup and to the verge of Champions Cup qualification for next season. His one-year deal will take him past his 38th birthday in November. Capped a record 129 times by Wales and five times by the British & Irish Lions, Jenkins had been waiting for the Blues to appoint their new head coach for next season to secure his future. Now he can carry on with the revival at the Arms Park.

Danny Wilson insists his Cardiff Blues will battle to the end in their quest for a Guinness Pro14 play-off place – despite a shattering late defeat in South Africa. The Blues coach spoke of his pride in seeing his players almost defy the odds before a last gasp penalty try saw them slip to a 29-27 defeat to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. It followed a nightmare 55-hour journey that followed numerous flight delays and cancellations.