Rey Lee-Lo has been hailed as one of Welsh rugby’s greatest ever overseas imports as he heads into Judgement Day continuing to defy Old Father Time. The Samoan international is coming to the end of his ninth season with Cardiff, having joined from the Hurricanes of New Zealand in 2015.
Leinster Rugby v Ospreys, Saturday, 7.35pm. Ospreys coach Toby Booth is calling on his team to draw inspiration from Borussia Dortmund as they take on the Leinster “juggernaut” in Dublin.
Cardiff have certainly had their money’s worth out of Tinus De Beer since he arrived from South Africa last summer. The fly-half has started all 19 games for the Arms Park outfit in the BKT United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup this season. Remarkably, he has been on the field for all but 82 minutes of the campaign.
Cardiff have moved quickly to replace the departing Rhys Carre by signing two new looseheads for next season. Six-times capped Irish international Ed Byrne, a veteran of 10 seasons at Leinster, will be heading to the Arms Park this summer along with 25-year-old Exeter Chiefs prop Danny Southworth.
The build up for Cardiff’s final home game against Edinburgh began before they had left the pitch at Kingspan Stadium last weekend after a sickening defeat to Ulster. Head coach Matt Sherratt wanted his players to transfer the feeling of bitter disappointment at the end of their 19-17 defeat into the Arms Park clash with the Scottish capital side in a bid to capture that elusive first win of the year.
It doesn’t need a long, hard stare at the United Rugby Championship table to realise it has not been a vintage season for the Scarlets. The most recent Welsh winners of the tournament seven years ago have won just three matches and stand 14th in the 16-team table. On Friday night, the Scarlets are at home to the Sharks, who are also having a season to forget and have won the same meagre number as their hosts.
Ellis Jenkins is determined to bow out with one more match at Cardiff Arms Park before he brings down the curtain on an illustrious career. The Wales international has confirmed he will retire at the end of the season after worsening knee problems.
The player Cardiff Rugby coach Matt Sherratt described as a Rolls Royce will go through the gears for the first time in six months on Friday night. Taulupe Faletau – who broke his arm playing for Wales at the World Cup – will make his comeback in the capital city region’s United Rugby Championship match against Ulster in Belfast.
Taulupe Faletau is poised to return from injury for Cardiff this weekend – providing a huge boost to Wales’ hopes of picking themselves up off the floor this summer. The peerless Lions No.8 has not played since breaking his arm at the World Cup six months ago.
Josh Turnbull insists he sees exciting times ahead in Welsh rugby as he begins his new career as a coach. The 36-year-old Cardiff back rower has confirmed he has played his last match and will take up a coaching position within the Cardiff academy set-up.
The Ospreys were the big movers in the URC over the weekend, leaping up from 11th to seventh with a 36-21 bonus point victory over the Lions in Swansea. It puts them firmly back in the play-off mix and they also have a EPCR Challenge Cup last 16 tie at home to Sale to look forward to next weekend. As head coach Toby Booth points out, they are exceeding expectations.
Dwayne Peel has challenged his Scarlets team to end the season with a flourish after their first United Rugby Championship win for over three months. There was a mixture of relief and delight for Scarlets coach Dwayne Peel following a last-gasp 16-13 victory over Benetton Rugby. Peel said: “I am pleased for the boys because they have been on the wrong end of those losses and they put a lot of hard work in. It was big for us to get that win at the end.