Jac Morgan is set to miss the Six Nations because of knee injury that requires surgery. The Wales World Cup captain is poised to undergo an operation within days and may struggle to be fit before the end of the season.

The Ospreys completed a miserable weekend for the Welsh regions in Europe as they conceded six tries in a 38-5 defeat to Montpellier in the EPCR Challenge Cup. All four Welsh regions lost in Europe, leaving them with a collective record of two victories from their opening eight matches. Last season Toby Booth’s Ospreys side completed a notable double over the then French champions in the Champions Cup, but they were no match for the home side in Round 2 of this season’s second tier tournament against the bottom placed side in the Top 14.

Cardiff will have the benefit of home comforts when they host Bath at the Arms Park on Saturday in the European Champions Cup, but head coach Matt Sherratt has urged supporters to bring patience and realism along with their backing. The Welsh regions are facing financial struggles with the budgets of the four professional sides reduced to £5.2m for the 2023-24 season, which is much less than the top French, Irish and English sides.

Dewi Lake scored a record equaling four tries in a European match for the Ospreys as he guided his side to a bonus-point 43-34 win in Pool 2 in the EPCR Challenge Cup. The Wales hooker converted three driving line-outs and also drove over for another from close range as home forwards just managed to outgun the superb Benetton threequarters.

The four Welsh regions have a break from the United Rugby Championship this weekend, but that doesn’t mean life is going to get easier. In fact, it looks tougher in some respects with three of them facing club opposition in Europe and the Ospreys up against the Italians of Benetton who they lost to last week.

George North has agreed a two-year deal to join second-tier French side Provence from the Ospreys at the end of the season North was part of the Wales side that lost in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals to Argentina and can still play for his country as he has many more than the 25 caps needed to play outside of Wales, with 119.

Wales’ World Cup scrum-halves Gareth Davies and Tomos Williams will go head-to-head in a mouth-watering individual battle at the Arms Park on Saturday when Cardiff host the Scarlets. They are likely to be the frontrunners once again for the No 9 jersey in the Six Nations, so it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top in this derby clash.

Keiran Williams has been set the target of forcing his way into Wales’ Guinness Six Nations squad, having put the hangover from World Cup rejection behind him. The 25-year-old Ospreys centre missed the cut for France after making his Test debut in the warm-up defeat to England at Twickenham in August.

Erol Bulut has jumped to the defence of Cardiff City’s Arsenal loanee Alex Runarsson and claimed he was not at fault for the goal that gave West Brom victory over the Bluebirds. Bulut watched his team fail to seize the chance to move into the play-off spots as they lost 1-0 at home to the Baggies on Tuesday night.

Dwayne Peel has admitted his sinking Scarlets were second rate in a one-sided derby defeat to the Ospreys in Swansea. The Scarlets coach watched his team suffer a crushing 31-9 humbling at the Swansea.com Stadium at the hands of their fiercest rivals.

Toby Booth says staying calm in the pressure cooker will be crucial in Sunday’s west Wales derby between the Ospreys and the Scarlets. It’s a game that always has a bit extra on it and that will be no different in this weekend’s United Rugby Championship showdown at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Dragons lock Ben Carter is facing a race against time to be fit for consideration for Warren Gatland’s Guinness Six Nations squad in the New Year after being ruled out for up to four months with a severe hamstring tear. The 22-year-old picked up the injury in his side’s first win of the season last weekend, the 20-5 home triumph over Ospreys, and is due to see a specialist in London next week.