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.

In his first column for Dai Sport former Wales and Lions captain Phil Bennett looks at the European action for the four Welsh regions at the weekend and says the Scarlets can cause a major surprise. Whisper it quietly, but Toulon are not the force of old and I’m backing the Scarlets to beat them on Saturday.

The Women’s Regional Championship will once again come down to a winner takes all shootout between West Wales rivals Ospreys and Scarlets thanks to the Scarlets securing a seven-try-to-one, 35-5 victory away to the Blues at Cardiff Arms Park on Sunday. With both teams entering the encounter with vastly changed teams due to injury and unavailability, the game lacked the fluidity of previous matches in the championship, but this was more than made up for by the aggression and determination of both teams throughout.

James Hook has been signed to fill the gaps at the Ospreys and will be a busy man next season, according to coach Steve Tandy. The 31-year-old former Wales fly-half will return to his old region from Gloucester this summer, six years after he left the Liberty Stadium.

Keelan Giles is set to become Wales’ youngest player for six years with a debut this weekend. The 18-year-old Ospreys wing – who has turned heads with some memorable tries already this season – is in line to earn his first cap against Japan on Saturday.

The “electric” Keelan Giles could provide the power supply needed to top up Wales this autumn, according to Neil Jenkins. The uncapped 18-year-old has been called into the national squad after Hallam Amos was released following a shoulder injury that is likely to sideline him for around three months.

Wales flanker Justin Tipuric has committed his future to the Ospreys on a new contract until the summer of 2020. Tipuric had 18 months remaining on his deal and joins fellow international forward Dan Lydiate in signing a long-term National Dual Contract (NDC) with the region and the Welsh Rugby Union.

Keelan Giles is causing more fires of excitement that his Ospreys coach Steve Tandy is trying to dampen. Almost every time the 18-year-old scores at the moment he leaves smoking scorch marks on the field that Tandy attempts to hide.