The Scarlets may have sacked head coach Glenn Delaney but they are busy making plans for next season by lining up Argentina Test star Tomas Lezana. Delaney was dismissed on Saturday night with the region having second thoughts over kicking him upstairs to become their director of rugby. Instead, they are kicking him out with Dwayne Peel being given a clear run at things next season with no influence from over his shoulder.

Heartbroken George North will miss this summer’s Lions tour to undergo knee surgery that will sideline him for at least six months. North was in stunning form as he helped Wales to win the Six Nations last month and his career has been revitalised by a move from wing to centre. The 29-year-old was a virtual certainty to make Warren Gatland’s Lions squad for the Test series with South Africa when it is confirmed on May 6.

Alun Wyn Jones has signed a new one-year contract to stay in Welsh rugby and could yet reach a fifth World Cup. Jones, 35, is world rugby’s most capped player and a firm favourite to captain the British and Irish Lions on their tour of South Africa this summer. But he shows no signs of slowing down and was in sensational form as Wales claimed the 2021 Six Nations title.

Former Ospreys coach Steve Tandy has emerged as a strong candidate for a coaching role with the British and Irish Lions this summer. Tandy – who has bolstered Scotland’s resurgence as their defence coach – is reportedly being lined up for the same role assisting Lions head coach Warren Gatland in South Africa. Gatland is due to confirm his coaching team on Tuesday, but having suffered a series of setbacks through candidates making themselves unavailable, it appears that 41-year-old Tandy, who spent six years in charge of the Ospreys, is in prime position for a role.

Welsh regional rugby reached a desperate low point at the weekend, gaining the one thing that’s always hard to stomach – English sympathy. As all four regions exited in Europe in varying degrees of disarray, it was left to Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson to try and raise some Welsh morale. After the Scarlets had followed the Ospreys, Dragons and Cardiff Blues in losing at the re-jigged last 16 stages of both European tournaments, Sanderson tried to put a positive spin on a bleak picture.

The Ospreys are weighing up a move to sign top Crusaders loose forward Sione Havili ahead of next season. The potential signing of Havili from Super Rugby would be a significant coup for the Ospreys, with the 23-year-old Tongan-born player able to play both blindside flanker and No 8. Havili has a reputation as an explosive ball carrier, with an abrasive edge in defence which is what the Ospreys have lacked at times this season.

Dean Ryan has admitted he will have mixed feelings if Wales come calling again for his Dragons back row pair of Aaron Wainwright and Ross Moriarty. The dynamic duo were at the heart of the Dragons’ impressive 31-20 victory over the Ospreys in Bridgend that has dented the losers’ Heineken Champions Cup prospects and given Ryan’s men an outside sniff of qualification. It was the Dragons’ first win of 2021 and Wainwright – released for some game time by Wales coach Wayne Pivac – weighed in with a try to add to doubles from Jonah Holmes and Ashton Hewitt to give the visitors a bonus point victory.

The Ospreys could take a giant step towards Heineken Champions Cup rugby next season if they can complete the double over regional rivals the Dragons at the Brewery Field tonight. The top three teams in the two Guinness PRO14 Conferences qualify automatically for the top tournament in Europe and Toby Booth’s much-improved side are currently on 31 points with three games to play – the Dragons at home and then Leinster and Glasgow Warriors away. If they can beat the Dragons with a bonus point to reach 36 points then they will be guaranteed third place. If not, they will need to pull some points out of the bag on their final two away trips.

Imagine having to wear Alun Wyn Jones’ jersey when he’s not around. That’s a big shirt to fill. But the young player making a pretty decent fist of it at the Ospreys at present is Rhys Davies. The former Wales U20 player is set wear No.5 against the Dragons on Saturday night and tells Graham Thomas how it feels for size. Rhys Davies is already being tipped as a successor to Alun Wyn Jones for the Ospreys and Wales but has revealed it was only a few years ago he struggled to get into his school XV. Admittedly, it was Millfield – one of the most famous sporting schools in the UK – but the young Ospreys second row had high hopes of following the likes of Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams and Chris Robshaw when he moved to Somerset on a scholarship at the age 16.

The Ospreys will be looking for a fourth straight victory when they take on Zebre at The Liberty Stadium on Saturday night. Toby Booth’s side have also managed to blood plenty of youngsters this season, including 20-year-old fly-half Josh Thomas, who is grateful for no less than four top quality No.10s who are guiding his progress as he tells Graham Thomas. Josh Thomas knows he’s at the perfect finishing school for a would-be Wales outside-half. After all, the Ospreys youngster currently has a quartet of high grade number tens guiding him that would be the envy of almost every rugby club in the UK and beyond.

Scott Williams believes the best thing to happen to George North this season was being dropped by Wayne Pivac. Ospreys centre Williams – a teammate of North’s for region and country – believes the Lions star has found his best form following that rejection by the Wales coach in autumn and also discovered a new lease of life by moving from wing to centre. Williams – whose own Wales career has been halted for the time being by back problems – has hailed the performance of North during Wales’ opening Six Nations victory over Ireland on Saturday.

Stephen Myler has been described as “fit as a butcher’s dog” and an extra coach on the field by the Ospreys chief who has just given the 36-year-old another year’s contract. Toby Booth has showered praise on the English outside-half, who has signed for a further season with the region even though he will be 37 this summer. Myler struck three conversions on Sunday as the Ospreys earned a 26-20 Guinness Pro 14 victory away at Connacht.