Richard Fussell insists younger Ospreys players are ready to keep the region’s Wales stars on the sidelines. The former wing – now backs coach – was impressed by their 31-22 bonus-point win at Wasps on Saturday, despite missing out on the Anglo-Welsh Cup semi-finals.

Wales new boy Nicky Smith admits he was “too short and chubby” to ever be anything but a prop. The Ospreys loose-head – who makes his Six Nations debut against Italy on Sunday – aimed to be a rangy No.8 until a junior coach switched him to the front row.

Ospreys coach Steve Tandy has called on his team to make it a perfect six out of six under captain Rhys Webb on Saturday. Wales scrum-half Webb returns to skipper the region after recovering from long-term injury and will lead them in their final European Rugby Challenge Cup clash at Newcastle Falcons.

Sam Underhill is set to be overlooked for the Six Nations by England coach Eddie Jones. The Ospreys flanker, who will leave Wales to join Bath at the end of the season, is likely to be left out by the Grand Slam champions in the defence of their title.

The Ospreys maintained their perfect European Rugby Challenge Cup record and sealed a home quarter-final – possibly against the Cardiff Blues – with a comfortable 47-7 victory over Lyon. Steve Tandy’s men went behind early on but didn’t let that worry them as they roared back to cross for seven tries and seal another bonus-point success.

The Ospreys have announced forwards coach Chris Gibbes will leave the region at the end of the season to return to New Zealand. The Kiwi is to join Wellington Lions after four years spent working in Wales under Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy.

Dai Sport columnist Phil Bennett says the Dragons’ record this season is just not good enough, the Blues are in danger of losing touch with the top six, whilst only the Scarlets and the Ospreys can be relied upon to raise a new year cheer.

Coaches Steve Tandy and Kingsley Jones clashed over the safety of Rodney Parade after the Ospreys’ grim 10-0 victory over the Newport Gwent Dragons. Ospreys coach Tandy claimed the waterlogged pitch was not simply unplayable, but was a risk to players, but his Dragons counterpart Jones hit back and said: “I don’t think there’s ever been a case of a player drowning on a rugby field.”

Scarlets captain Ken Owens admitted his side contributed to their own downfall after they had three players sent to the sin during their derby defeat to the Ospreys. Rob Evans, Will Boyde and Steff Evans were all given yellow cards at the Liberty Stadium as the Ospreys came from behind to win 19-9 and move to second in the Guinness Pro 12 table.

Dan Biggar has promised the Ospreys will aim to ignite their derby against the Scarlets through the scorching pace of Keelan Giles. The neighbours and fierce rivals meet at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday with much of the focus on 18-year-old Giles, who has scored 11 tries in seven matches for his region this season.

Dai Sport columnist Phil Bennett doesn’t want much for Christmas – just a couple of packed stadiums, some local feuding, and signals that things are improving at the top level of Welsh rugby.

Regional rugby has been around for 13 years – soon to be 14 as we head towards 2017 – but the name-calling over names shows no signs of going away. Robin Davey says the label-obsessed regions tend to be those in the east of Wales, where the teams have been less successful, too.