Wayne Pivac admitted Steff Evans deserved to be sent off but still believed his Scarlets team earned their Boxing Day victory over the Ospreys. An 82nd-minute try by Josh Macleod saw 14-man Scarlets edge the result 12-9 in a dramatic Guinness Pro14 derby at a rain-drenched Parc y Scarlets. The victory – secured despite the first-half dismissal of Wales wing Evans following a dangerous challenge on opposite winger Ben John – took the hosts back to the top of Conference B.

Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac has showered the Ospreys with praise before he hopes to ruin their festivities with a Boxing Day victory in Llanelli. The Scarlets have won their last 15 matches at Parc y Scarlets in the Guinness PRO14 and are looking to consolidate their position at the top of Conference B. The home side welcome back Hadleigh Parkes, Aaron Shingler and John Barclay. The Ospreys’ ambitions over the festive period are to use their back-to-back European Rugby Champions Cup victories over Northampton Saints to boost their domestic form.

By Robin Davey Never let it be said, but all is not lost in Welsh regional rugby as we reach the halfway point of the season.

Look away now if you don’t want to know how awful Welsh teams have been in the tournaments meant to develop elite players for the future. Rob Cole asks, if the regions themselves don’t care then why should their fans? What should we make of the fact that when you look at the Anglo-Welsh and British & Irish Cup league tables, Welsh regions prop up the majority of the pools? Only the Ospreys, with an away win over the Blues, and the Dragons, with a home win over the Scarlets, have managed a win in two rounds of the Anglo-Welsh Cup, while the Dragons, Blues and Ospreys are all awaiting their first wins in the B&I Cup.

Steve Tandy believes the Ospreys still have a fighting chance of making the knockout stages of the European Champions Cup. The head coach paid tribute to his players’ ability to defy the odds after a second bonus point victory over Northampton on Pool Two. Replacement scrum-half Rhys Webb scored twice as the region completed the double over struggling Northampton with a 32-15 bonus-point victory at a wet Liberty Stadium.

Dan Biggar has pledged his loyalty to Northampton next season despite their sacking of director of rugby Jim Mallinder. It was Mallinder who convinced Biggar to leave the Ospreys at the end of this campaign for three years with the Saints. But despite Mallinder’s dismissal this week, Wales fly-half Biggar has told the Aviva Premiership club he will not look for any way out of his deal which is understood to be worth £650,000-a-year.

Steve Tandy has rubbished claims the Ospreys are a divided camp and pointed to the spirit shown in their victory at Northampton to back his stance. The Ospreys coach heaped praise on his players after they kept alive faint hopes of progress in the European Champions Cup with a 43-32 win at Franklin’s Gardens. It was the Ospreys’ first victory away from home in Europe for 10 years and followed two defeats that had opened their campaign in the tournament.

RGC 1404 half-backs Jacob Botica and Alex Schwarz will team-up in the Scarlets Premiership Select XV for the British & Irish Cup clash with top-of-the-table Cornish Pirates at Carmarthen Park on Sunday, 10 December (kick-off 2.30pm). Former Wales Under 20 Grand Slam skipper Tom Phillips will lead the side into the third round. The Scarlets currently sit in the second position in their pool after securing a victory over Hartpury and suffering a narrow defeat to Ulster A in the opening two rounds. Hard running RGC centre Tom Hughes also gets a first start in the game as he and his Gog team mates return to the ground where they suffered a loss against Carmarthen Quins in the top of the table West Division clash in the Principality Premiership.

Dan Evans will enter the record books this weekend when he completes the faster century of appearances for the Ospreys. The full back will make his 100th appearance for the region on Saturday evening in the Champions Cup clash with Northampton Saints just three years, three months and four days after his debut at the Liberty Stadium, a 44-13 over Benetton Treviso on the opening day of the 14/15 season. That’s a four months faster than the current record, Richard Fussell’s three years and seven months, and is testimony to 29-year old Evans’ durability and consistency.

Wales scrum-half Aled Davies is to become the second current international to leave the Scarlets for the Ospreys. The 25-year-old – who started for Wales against South Africa last Saturday – will join Scott Williams in moving from the current Guinness Pro14 champions to join their struggling neighbours. Like Williams, five-times capped Davies wants more starting time, having found himself in the shadow of fellow Wales international Gareth Davies.

George North is returning to Wales and all four regions are keen to sign him up. But with Wales the priority, Peter Jackson wonders what value they will get from a player who has so often been kept on the sidelines through injury. George North arrived at Franklin’s Gardens from West Wales one year after Chris Ashton left for North London. The Welsh colossus reported for duty in the summer of 2013 fresh from some famous deeds for the Lions in Australia and eager to help Northampton continue to lord it over the rest as newly-crowned champions of England. They had won the title, what’s more, at the expense of the opponent they love to beat more than any other, Saracens – and Ashton to boot.

George North will conduct “interviews” with all four of the Welsh regions before deciding which one to play for next season. The Wales wing – currently out of action with a knee injury – is to leave Northampton at the end of this campaign and return to Wales on a dual contract. But whilst 60 per cent of his salary will be paid for by the Welsh Rugby Union, the contributor of the remaining 40 per cent has yet to be determined with the Scarlets, the Ospreys, the Cardiff Blues and the Dragons all keen to add North to their squad.