Sam Costelow has been urged to play with a smile on his face and enjoy his rugby as he returns to United Rugby Championship action. It was a difficult Six Nations for Costelow as he shared in Wales’ wooden spoon, while the spotlight is always on the No.10 position in Welsh rugby.

Joe Roberts believes Wales will avoid the embarrassment of a Six Nations whitewash this weekend by winning at the final attempt. The centre, who was controversially picked ahead of George North to face France last weekend, is confident Warren Gatland’s misfiring team can beat Italy in Cardiff in the final round of the tournament.

Cameron Winnett reckons Alex Mann is like a big brother and he may need that sibling solidarity when the pair play for Wales against England this weekend. Winnett and Mann were junior school pupils when Wales last beat the old enemy in a Six Nations game at Twickenham.

Aaron Wainwright has handed Welsh rugby a major pre-Six Nations boost by agreeing a new contract with the Dragons. The Wales back-row forward, who looks set to line up at number eight in next week’s Six Nations clash against Scotland, has agreed what the Dragons described as “a multi-year” deal.

Warren Gatland has paid new Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins a major compliment by saying he expects to see him “in the mould of Alun Wyn Jones”. Jenkins has won many admirers through his captaincy of Exeter Chiefs, with the Gallagher Premiership club in title contention and progressing to the Investec Champions Cup knockout phase.

Ian Evans has stepped up to become the new joint head coach at Merthyr RFC until the end of the season. The former Wales and Lions second row – who was a regular alongside Alun Wyn Jones during the early part of Jones’ international career – has replaced Rowland Phillips, together with Gareth Davies..

Toby Booth declared it a case of “job done” after his Ospreys team earned a routine 25-11 derby victory over the Scarlets. The Boxing Day clash was the first time the Ospreys had won at Llanelli since 2015, but the over-riding feeling was, why had it taken them so long?

The 2022-23 may just have been the bleakest in Welsh rugby history. In late February 2023, the national men’s team’s players were threatening not to turn out for that weekend’s Six Nations game against England. Endless prevarication between the WRU and the professional clubs about finalising a new financial agreement for elite rugby meant…

Wales fly-half contender Ioan Lloyd produced a “box office” display in the Scarlets’ 29-23 bonus point victory over Cardiff Rugby at a packed Arms Park. The No 10 spot in the Six Nations is very much up for grabs with Dan Biggar having retired from international rugby and Gareth Anscombe unavailable following his move to Japan, while Sam Costelow is currently out injured.

Wales’ World Cup scrum-halves Gareth Davies and Tomos Williams will go head-to-head in a mouth-watering individual battle at the Arms Park on Saturday when Cardiff host the Scarlets. They are likely to be the frontrunners once again for the No 9 jersey in the Six Nations, so it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top in this derby clash.

Dwayne Peel has admitted his sinking Scarlets were second rate in a one-sided derby defeat to the Ospreys in Swansea. The Scarlets coach watched his team suffer a crushing 31-9 humbling at the Swansea.com Stadium at the hands of their fiercest rivals.

Toby Booth says staying calm in the pressure cooker will be crucial in Sunday’s west Wales derby between the Ospreys and the Scarlets. It’s a game that always has a bit extra on it and that will be no different in this weekend’s United Rugby Championship showdown at the Swansea.com Stadium.