Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt has paid tribute to his region’s Wales World Cup contingent for returning to action sooner than expected. Tomos Williams, Corey Dowachowski and Mason Grady all offered their services and proceeded to play their part in Cardiff’s 16-9 victory over the Dragons at a wet and windy Rodney Parade last weekend.

Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt made few apologies for the lack of drama as his team won a 17th successive derby clash against the desperate Dragons. The BKT United Rugby Championship clash between the rivals went the way of all the others in the last nine years, but Sherratt admitted the 16-9 win at Rodney Parade will not live long in the memory.

You have to go back to 2 January, 2021 for the last time Zebre won an away match in the BKT United Rugby Championship and last weekend’s opening round defeat to Ulster was their 20th defeat in a row. But Ospreys head coach Toby Booth, who has spent the past week studying the Italian side, knows his team will be in for a battle at the Swansea.Com Stadium in Round 2.

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.

Rio Dyer says that Wales will aim to keep a collective foot on the accelerator as they build towards their fourth successive Rugby World Cup quarter-final appearance. Wales’ place in the last eight was confirmed through a record 40-6 win against Australia.

Wales’ starting line-up against Portugal on Saturday is littered with players who could provide foundation stones for teams way beyond the current World Cup. Exeter locks Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza are just 20 and 21, centre Mason Grady is 21, wing Louis Rees-Zammit 22 and captain Dewi Lake only 24, highlighting a rich seam of young talent available to head coach Warren Gatland.

Christ Tshiunza admits he is “living a dream” as he prepares to make his Rugby World Cup debut for Wales. Tshiunza’s journey has taken him from his birthplace – Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – to Exeter Chiefs, via Whitchurch High School in Cardiff after he and his family left a country rife with civil war 13 years ago.

Louis Rees-Zammit has underlined Wales’ “game by game mentality” as they target a second successive Rugby World Cup victory that would strengthen their quarter-final ambitions. Wales, fresh from a thrilling bonus-point victory over Fiji, tackle Pool C minnows Portugal on Saturday.

Will Rowlands played down his defensive heroics in Wales’ thrilling Rugby World Cup victory over Fiji, claiming “I just see it as me doing my job”. Wales made a World Cup record of 253 tackles in the game, which they won 32-26, and lock Rowlands was at the heart it.

Wales centre Mason Grady has a tough family act to follow at his first Rugby World Cup. To gain selection for rugby union’s global spectacular just five months after your 21st birthday is no mean feat.

Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit believes he is “definitely quicker than last season” as he prepares to blast out of the starting blocks at his first World Cup. The 22-year-old has carved out a reputation as one of world rugby’s finest finishers, combining blistering pace with a box-office ability to score spectacular tries.

So, Wales have announced their World Cup squad – one that coach Warren Gatland reckons “will do something special” in France next month. They go there ranked 10th in the world, meaning just getting out of their pool would exceed expectations.