Jac Morgan looks set to be named as Wales captain for the Rugby World Cup. The 23-year-old Ospreys flanker led Wales in two of their three warm-up Tests, and undoubtedly occupies pole position. The waiting game for Wales’ World Cup hopefuls will end just after midday on Monday when Warren Gatland’s 33-man squad is unveiled.

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.

Wing Alex Cuthbert and centre Johnny Williams will make their first appearances of Wales’ World Cup warm-up schedule against South Africa on Saturday. Williams partners Mason Grady in midfield, while there are also starts for the likes of scrum-half Kieran Hardy and hooker Elliot Dee.

Dewi Lake will captain Wales for the first time on Saturday after an injury-hit 12 months plunged his Test career into cold storage. More than a year after his last Wales appearance against South Africa in Cape Town, the Ospreys hooker has a chance to display World Cup leadership credentials.

Jac Morgan and Sisilia Tuipulotu have been crowned winners again after picking up the Welsh Rugby Writers’ Association awards for 2023. Morgan – who led the Wales men’s team to an eye-catching victory over England last weekend – and Tuipulotu, a player-of-the-match winner in the Women’s Six Nations victory over Ireland and shortlisted for Player Of The Tournament, were presented with their awards on Monday night.

Warren Gatland has compared his new Wales captain Jac Morgan to former skipper Sam Warburton, ahead of the World Cup warm-up clash against England. Gatland has turned to 23-year-old Morgan as the man to wear the armband at the Principality Stadium on Saturday and a positive leadership performance is likely to make him firm favourite to gain the job for the tournament in France.

Like Wales’ Gareth Anscombe, Danny Care has unfinished business with the World Cup but refuses to hold back during England’s warm-up games even if it means repeating one of his career’s most crushing disappointments. Japan-bound half-back Anscombe was injured in a warm-up match against England at Twickenham four years ago and missed the 2019 tournament.

Leigh Halfpenny will finally win his 100th cap for Wales against England on Saturday in a team captained by Jac Morgan. Three players are at the other end of the spectrum and will make their international debuts – Keiron Assiratti (tighthead prop), Corey Domachowski (loosehead prop) and Max Llewellyn (centre).

Former Wales and British & Irish Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones says he “couldn’t turn down” the chance to join Top 14 side Toulon as cover during this year’s World Cup. The 37-year-old second-row forward is available after surprising many in bringing down the curtain on his stellar Test career – he played a world record 170 matches (158 for Wales, 12 for the Lions) – in May.

Former Ospreys forward Sam Underhill has been left out of the updated England training squad as head coach Steve Borthwick steps up preparations for the Rugby World Cup.

Gareth Anscombe has spoken about his excitement over a new rugby challenge in Japan, but insists he aims to continue his international career. Talking exclusively to Sportin Wales, the World Cup-bound Wales No.10 revealed he has signed a two-year deal with Suntory Sungoliath and will relocate to Japan after the tournament.

George North was barely out of short trousers when he made his debut as a teenager at the World Cup against South Africa in New Zealand. That was a dozen years ago, and the child prodigy has grown into one of the greatest players of his generation, underlined by two Grand Slams, two more Six Nations titles, two World Cup semi-finals, two tours with the British & Irish Lions and 44 tries in 113 games for Wales and two more in Lions Tests.