Wales skipper Jac Morgan is expecting a few tugs on his jersey, a bit of niggle and a few harsh words when he finds himself playing against his Ospreys club captain Justin Tipuric in the game against the Barbarians. But while many see the non-capped match as being a bit of a jamboree, Morgan is going to impress upon his players that they will be representing their country – just as they did in France during the recent World Cup.

Leigh Halfpenny looks set to continue his rugby career in the southern hemisphere after he makes a final Wales appearance on Saturday. The Wales full-back, who has won 101 caps, will bow out of international rugby following the Barbarians’ Principality Stadium visit.

Warren Gatland’s Wales side to face the Barbarians on Saturday will come face to face with at least seven players they met at the World Cup in France. Scrum half Lautaro Bazan Velez came off the bench in the 29-17 quarter-final victory for Argentina over Wales in Marseille earlier this month, and half the Australian pack that met Wales in Lyon are also coming back for more.

Shane Williams believes the Scarlets will be the strongest performing Welsh team in the BKT United Rugby Championship this season. The former Wales wing also feels there will be an opportunity for a number of talented youngsters to break through across the four regions.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has named a squad of 23 to take on former captain Alun Wyn Jones and the Barbarians in Cardiff on Nov. 4, with 16 retained players from their Rugby World Cup campaign in France. Gatland, though, will be without a significant number of his leading players through injury and the inability to call on those contracted to clubs in England, France and Japan as the fixture falls outside of the international window.

The Wales squad have arrived home from France and it turns out there are different ways of reacting to losing a Rugby World Cup quarter-final. You did not need to know the results, or have watched the games, the faces of Wales, Ireland and France players gave it away.

Dan Biggar feels that the future is bright for Wales after his Test career drew to a close despite the agonising Rugby World Cup exit. The Wales fly-half bowed out at Stade Velodrome as hopes of reaching a third World Cup semi-final in the last four tournaments were ended by Argentina.

Wales wing Josh Adams believes that World Cup co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake will be “massive figureheads” during the build-up to Australia 2027. The dust has yet to on Wales’ World Cup campaign in France, which was ended by quarter-final opponents Argentina.

The Rugby World Cup quarter-finals kick off with a banger in Marseille, as Wales meet Argentina for the right to face either Ireland or New Zealand in Saint-Denis in the last four. Wales have yet to put a foot wrong in France, qualifying out of Pool C with 19 points and four wins in four matches, rounding off the first stage of the competition with a 43-19 win over Georgia in Nantes last Saturday.

Wales have been backed by Australian legend David Campese to comfortably dispose of Argentina in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final. The former Wallabies wing – whose own team failed to make it out of Wales’ pool – believes Wales will win by 15 points and insists the key figure will be Wales outside-half Dan Biggar.

Welsh fans were in a great place to witness what might have been the best weekend of rugby ever, starting with a mechanical elephant and ending with a Portuguese flourish. Nantes, either in the stadium or in a bar with a TV, was a special place to be.

Wales’ walking wounded have broken into a jog. That was the message from the Wales camp out in France as they try to heal bodies and soothe aches ahead of their World quarter-final clash against Argentina on Saturday.