Toby Booth insists it will be business as usual for him as he embarks on his fifth and final season as head coach at the Ospreys on Saturday. The Englishman will be leaving at the end of the campaign with Mark Jones stepping up from defence coach, a role which will in turn be filled by club legend Justin Tipuric.

Former Wales defence and forwards coach Leigh Jones has been appointed as the new rugby performance director for the Scarlets. In this role, Jones will once again collaborate with head coach Dwayne Peel. Their professional relationship dates back to when Jones was part of the Wales coaching team under Graham Henry, who awarded Peel his first cap in 2001.

Scarlets have added to their squad with the signing of Welsh-qualified back Blair Murray from New Zealand provincial side Canterbury. The 22-year-old speedster, who can operate on the wing, full-back or at fly-half, scored seven tries in seven appearances during last year’s Bunnings NPC campaign.

Dwayne Peel believes new signing Henry Thomas can help give the Scarlets the hard edge that has gone missing. The Wales prop, who has been named in Warren Gatland’s squad for this month’s Test against South Africa and the tour of Australia, will link up with the Scarlets ahead of the 2024-25 season.

It’s Judgement Day for the Ospreys in more ways than one on Saturday and the equation is simple, yet also complicated. Their own objective is clear. To have any chance of making the URC play-offs, they have to secure a bonus point victory against Cardiff at the Cardiff City Stadium in the second game of the double-header.

The “phenomenal” Gareth Davies has been likened to a top striker in football having just reached a major career landmark. Wales scrum-half Davies took his tally of league tries up to 50 with a double in the Scarlets’ victory over Zebre Parma in the last round of BKT URC matches.

This time 20 years ago, the Scarlets were busy winning what was then the Celtic League and everything in their garden looked, well . . . scarlet. But 2024 appears very different to 2004 and the current side are reaching the end of their season 14th out of 16 teams in the United Rugby Championship.

Leinster Rugby v Ospreys, Saturday, 7.35pm. Ospreys coach Toby Booth is calling on his team to draw inspiration from Borussia Dortmund as they take on the Leinster “juggernaut” in Dublin.

It doesn’t need a long, hard stare at the United Rugby Championship table to realise it has not been a vintage season for the Scarlets. The most recent Welsh winners of the tournament seven years ago have won just three matches and stand 14th in the 16-team table. On Friday night, the Scarlets are at home to the Sharks, who are also having a season to forget and have won the same meagre number as their hosts.

The player Cardiff Rugby coach Matt Sherratt described as a Rolls Royce will go through the gears for the first time in six months on Friday night. Taulupe Faletau – who broke his arm playing for Wales at the World Cup – will make his comeback in the capital city region’s United Rugby Championship match against Ulster in Belfast.

The Ospreys were the big movers in the URC over the weekend, leaping up from 11th to seventh with a 36-21 bonus point victory over the Lions in Swansea. It puts them firmly back in the play-off mix and they also have a EPCR Challenge Cup last 16 tie at home to Sale to look forward to next weekend. As head coach Toby Booth points out, they are exceeding expectations.

Ospreys v Emirates Lions, Saturday, 3.05pm. Welsh rugby stalwart Sam Parry is aiming to celebrate a major landmark in his career with a crucial bounce back victory for the Ospreys.