Dai Sport contributor Simon Thomas explains the background to his new book ‘Rugby Lives’. It all started with a question that kept on popping up in my head: “I wonder what happened to so and so?” Now the identity of “so and so” would change from week to week and month to month, but there was a common thread.

Morgan Morris insists he is unconcerned that his consistent form for the Ospreys has yet to earn him a place in the Wales squad. The back row forward has been a stand-out performer for his region over the past couple of seasons with his tireless carrying and work over the ball.

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.

Bashed-up Taine Basham will be on the bench for Wales this Saturday, but Owen Farrell could still be in trouble over his tackle. Dragons forward Basham is among the replacements for Wales against South Africa, when he might have been starting in a final trial to convince he is worthy of a place at the World Cup.

Rob Howley and Matt Sherratt are the early main candidates to take over from Dai Young at Cardiff Rugby. Sherratt – currently one of only two senior coaches left at the Arms Park following a raft of departures – is the current favourite at 6/4 with Welsh Bookmaker DragonBet.

Mark Jones earned a lot of plaudits for the way in which he turned around the Wales U20 team at the World Rugby U20 Championship, but the former Wales wing will return home to an uncertain future. Having picked up the head coaching reins when Bryon Hayward stepped down a month before the tournament, he helped to transform a team that was a bunch of losers in the Six Nations into a side that picked up two wins and ended sixth overall in South Africa.

Wales’ campaign at the World Rugby U20 Championship continues in South Africa on Sunday when they face their final pool match against Georgia. The winners will meet either Australia or New Zealand for fifth place, but Mark Jones’ side must absorb the lessons of their defeat to France, according to Welsh rugby coach, analyst, and consultant, Tomas Marks. Having lost against France in the final pool match, Wales U20s should take a lot of learning from that match going forward into their fourth game and middle tier match against Georgia on Sunday. Wales lost to an exceptional team and the number one seeds of this competition.

Mark Jones’ Wales youngsters restored some pride but made too many mistakes to make it into the top tier semi-finals at the World Rugby U20 Championship. Their 43-19 defeat to the unbeaten reigning champions, France, meant they dropped to third in their pool with seven points from their opening two games.

Head coach Mark Jones has named a starting side boasting five changes for the crucial Pool A encounter against France at Athlone Stadium on Tuesday 4th July in the U20 World Rugby Championship. (Live S4C, 3.30pm UK)

Wales U20s coach Mark Jones has admitted his team had to work far harder than he wanted to gain their first victory at the World Rugby U20 Championship. The 41-19 scoreline in Stellenbosch, South Africa, disguised the fact that with 15 minutes to go, Jones’ youngsters were actually trailing to a Japanese side reduced to 14 men.

You can often judge a team by how they react to a narrow defeat, so look out for a positive reaction from the Wales U20s in South Africa on Thursday. At 1.00pm UK time, the Wales youngsters take on Japan in the World Rugby U20 Championship and they have not spent the last few days celebrating losing.

The World Rugby U20 Championship continues in South Africa on Thursday and for Wales that means a meeting with Japan, following their narrow, one-point, 27-26 defeat to New Zealand in their opening game. It may not have yielded a victory, but as well as the two bonus points, there was plenty of information to harvest, according to Welsh rugby coach, analyst, and consultant, Tomas Marks.