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.

George North will leave Northampton at the end of this season and return to Wales on a national dual contract, with the Dragons believing they can tempt him to Rodney Parade. The Lions wing, who has won 69 Wales caps and scored 30 tries, has agreed a deal from next term, the Welsh Rugby Union have announced. North has been one of the biggest names in the European game over recent years and his tally of caps means he could have chosen to stay in English rugby, or moved to France, and still have been eligible for Wales selection as he is comfortably above the new 60-cap threshold.

Welsh Rugby Union chairman Gareth Davies is grappling with reform of the game and has already declared an intention to slim down a bloated system. But Geraint Powell argues it’s how the various parts of that system fit together that really counts. Last month, I looked at the question of Welsh Rugby Union governance modernisation (http://www.dai-sport.com/welsh-rugby-reform-needs-unity-not-war-money-men-blazers/), particularly the need to build aligned devolved/decentralised regional board structures to help underpin the WRU board and to replace the outdated and non-aligned WRU districts system. This will facilitate the member clubs electing a slimmed down strategic main WRU board based on director skill-sets in business as well as rugby. 

Last weekend’s Welsh derbies in the Guinness Pro14 attracted attendances that could best be described as modest. Geraint Powell traces the decline in crowds and says the problems are deep-rooted. The issue of crowds at the regions – or, rather, the consistent lack thereof – has returned towards the top of the domestic rugby agenda. Even before the “Welsh derby” matches, Brendan Gallagher of The Rugby Paper, and a 1980s veteran of the Western Mail Championship/Whitbread Merit Table circuit from his time with the South Wales Echo, had tweeted about how big rugby spectator bases had been “brazenly abandoned” and “never returned” in South Wales.

Steve Tandy admits he was surprised at Sam Cross’ call-up by Wales, but still believes the 15-a-side novice can help Warren Gatland’s side play a more expansive game. The Olympic Games sevens silver medalist’s shock selection for the Under Armour Series next month was the pinnacle of a wonderful week for the 25-year-old flanker. It came only three days after his Ospreys debut, which was his first professional game of 15-a-side rugby. “As far as weeks go, this is the best I have ever had. I’m excited, surprised, but I just can’t wait to get started,” said Cross.

Alun Wyn Jones has been hailed as a father figure at the Ospreys after guiding the region towards ending their seven-match losing streak. The Wales captain was given rich praise by his grateful coach Steve Tandy after the second row’s man-of-the-match performance in his team’s 28-14 victory over the Dragons on Friday night. The Ospreys scored four tries to earn a Guinness Pro14 bonus point as the Dragons’ limitations were exposed in spite of a defiant defensive showing.

Bernard Jackman is convinced the Dragons can do without home comforts, having been to Moscow and returned with more than tourist snaps of Red Square. The Dragons coach has dumped one unwanted record – an 18-month losing streak on their European travels – when the region beat Enisei-STM in the Challenge Cup last week. Now, he turns to ridding the Dragons of another painful losing stretch. When they visit the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium on Friday night it will be 30 matches since they last won away from home in the Guinness Pro14, a sequence that goes way back to March 2015.

Dan Biggar learned a lot from playing with Gavin Henson when he launched his career at the Ospreys and now the Wales and Lions star can’t wait to play against him. Henson is set to return to the Liberty Stadium with the Dragons for Friday night’s Guinness PRO14 derby and Biggar knows exactly what sort of threat the double Grand Slammer can pose. “Gavin was here for my first year at the Ospreys and the thing I took most from him was the confidence he had. He would always back himself and believe he was right,” said Biggar.