Antoine Dupont can’t wait to get back into action in the Guinness Six Nations and he will return to captain Les Bleus against Wales on Friday 31 January. The Toulouse scrum half missed the 2024 tournament to concentrate on playing Sevens rugby for France at the Olympic Games.

Jac Morgan believes the turbulence caused by a change of coach has revealed a strength of character within the Ospreys squad. Morgan produced a real captain’s display as the Ospreys ended a difficult week with a dramatic late win over their arch rivals, the Scarlets.

Dan Biggar believes Wales have something to build on after displaying “enough promising signs” during their Australia tour. A 2-0 series defeat against the Wallabies this summer extended Wales’ losing run to nine Tests – one short of equalling the record sequence in 2002 and 2003.

The new rugby campaign is still some weeks away here in Wales, but like Amazon and Netflix, the global season never sleeps. So, just as you may have been digesting the Sevens tournament at the Olympics in Paris, off the back of Wales’ summer tour to Australia, the kitchen doors are swung off their hinges and in come the waiters, ready to serve up the Rugby Championship.

Wales’ under pressure coach Warren Gatland could offer a tour spot to Australia to former rugby league star Regan Grace, despite the wing having played only two senior games of union. Grace was called into Wales’ training following Keelan Giles’ injury, and the Bath player immediately impressed, with Wales assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys describing him as an “X-factor” player.

Aaron Wainwright believes that Wales’ Twickenham appointment with South Africa is an important staging post on the road to the 2027 World Cup. Wales’ resources have been severely tested for Saturday’s encounter with several players either unavailable because the game falls outside World Rugby’s summer Test window so England-based players cannot be considered, injured or rested.

Regan Grace has been described as an “X-factor” player following his shock call-up to Wales’ summer training squad. Former rugby league star Grace, who has only played two senior games of union, could now travel to Australia for a tour highlighted by Tests against the Wallabies on July 6 and 13.

Warren Gatland’s Wales team will get the first chance to challenge the reigning world champions South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday in a game that will at least have a silver lining for his side. Both teams have been brought in to add weight and appeal to the existing fixture between Fiji and the Barbarians that takes place afterwards.

Senior men’s head coach Warren Gatland has named the Wales XV to face South Africa away at Twickenham Stadium in the Qatar Airways Cup on Saturday 22 June (KO 2pm live on Sky Sports and S4C).

Justin Tipuric admitted the Ospreys were “ground down” by Munster after the only Welsh team to make the knockout stages of the United Rugby Championship fell to a 23-7 defeat in Limerick. The former Wales star captained an Ospreys team who put up an admirable showing against the champions, without ever looking likely to make it into the last four.

“Change” is the mantra of Keir Starmer and the Labour Party and it might equally be the slogan adopted by Warren Gatland this summer. Only, it’s not 14 years of Conservative government the Wales coach is trying to overhaul, but 14 Tests over the past 10 months.

Warren Gatland is relishing seeing uncapped Gloucester back Josh Hathaway’s potential at first hand after naming him in the Wales squad for summer Tests against South Africa and Australia. Aberystwyth-born Hathaway, who has represented Wales and England at under-20 level, offers options at full-back and wing for head coach Gatland.