Warren Gatland wants to operate in a “no excuses environment” after taking up the reins for a second stint as Wales head coach. The New Zealander’s previous spell at the helm between 2007 and 2019 delivered four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams, two World Cup semi-final appearances and a brief time as rugby union’s world number one team. This time around, though, he takes charge after a year that produced just three victories from 12 starts under Wayne Pivac, which included home defeats against Italy and Georgia.

There were times when Kristian Dacey feared his playing career may be over. The Welsh international hooker admits he found himself in some dark places amid a catalogue of injuries. But, with the help of his family, he soldiered on and is now so glad he did.

Dragons coach Dai Flanagan has been handed some welcome headaches as he looks towards the festive derbies. During an extended three week stay in South Africa, he gave game-time to a large group of players and is delighted by the way they all put their hands up. He now faces some tricky selection decisions, first for Saturday’s EPCR Challenge Cup tie at home to Pau and then the back-to-back BKT United Rugby Championship games against rivals Cardiff and the Scarlets over the holiday period. The Dragons returned from South Africa with three Challenge Cup points thanks to a highly creditable 31-31 draw with the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg, having been competitive in URC defeats to the Emirates Lions (33-25) and the DHL

Dewi Lake has enlisted the help of an England World Cup winner to ensure he lands his darts as a line-out thrower. The Ospreys hooker – who could make his comeback from injury against Montpellier in the Heineken Champions Cup this weekend – is taking advice from Simon Hardy, a line-out specialist with Sir Clive Woodward’s all-conquering World Cup winning side of 2003. Lake, who has been transformed from a No.8 to an all-action hooker in the professional ranks, has been having one-to-one coaching with Hardy at the Ospreys.

Cardiff laid down a statement of intent as they go in search of their third EPCR Challenge Cup title, with a resounding seven-try, 41-0 win against Brive in their opening game at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday. “We would have settled for that before the game. But the nil is just as pleasing as the seven tries,” said  director of rugby Dai Young. Kristian Dacey, with two, and returning Wales wing Josh Adams scored first-half tries.

Joe Hawkins has been tipped by his coach Toby Booth and teammate Max Nagy to help turn around the Ospreys’ fortunes when they welcome the English Champions, Leicester Tigers, to the Swansea.com Stadium on Sunday.  Hawkins made his senior international debut for Wales last month in the agonising 39-34 loss to Australia.  Now, the 20-year-old inside centre has been tipped to revive the Ospreys in a tough Heineken Champions Cup opener, which is live on S4C. 

Cardiff scrum-half Lloyd Williams will reach a major landmark this weekend when he plays his 250th game for the team he joined 12 years ago. It was way back in March 2010 that Williams made his debut for Cardiff Rugby. Now, he is set to make a landmark appearance for the BKT United Rugby Championship outfit when they take on French club Brive in the EPCR Challenge Cup at the Arms Park on Saturday. Only retired prop Taufa’ao Filise has played more games for the region and the 32-times capped Williams is within sight of the Tongan’s record tally of 255.

By Simon Thomas For much-travelled Irishman JJ Hanrahan, the Dragons is proving to be a real home from home. The 30-year-old utility back came on board from French club Clermont Auvergne over the summer and has helped the Welsh side make an encouraging start to their BKT United Rugby Championship campaign. He was used to […]

There has been even more nostalgia than usual in Welsh rugby this year. The national team’s largely disappointing performances sent many minds (including thise of the Wesh Rugby Union) back to the era of Warren Gatland, a golden era to many, but not always viewed as one at the time. The passing of Phil Bennett in June gave us all a chance to see clips of those wonderful Wales, Llanelli and Lions teams he was a part of, as well as, of course, his role in ‘that try’ for the Barbarians.

Players at Wales’ four regions are being “detrimentally impacted” by the financial uncertainty surrounding their futures, the Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA) have claimed. A failure to reach an agreement between the professional sides and the Welsh Rugby Union about their funding for the coming years has led to a freeze in contract talks. “The ongoing delay however is having a detrimental effect on the wellbeing of players and potentially the performances across the regions,” the WRPA said.

Huw Taylor believes the Dragons will pull off one of their greatest ever victories if they can storm the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday lunchtime. The England-born flanker will be part of a Dragons outfit who will bid to topple the URC champions in Port Elizabeth in a match that is live on S4C. The Welsh region gave a good account of themselves in a 33-25 defeat to the Lions last week in the first of their three matches in South Africa.

By David Williams Morgan Morris is fast emerging as a talisman for the Ospreys out in South Africa and his ball carrying ability will be much in demand against a wounded Sharks side in Durban. While the Ospreys were picking up a try bonus-point in their 43-26 defeat to the Bulls in Pretoria in Round […]

Former Wales forward Alix Popham believes rugby is still not dealing with the problem of head injuries – and fears a generation of young players are going to ignore the sport. Popham, who won 33 caps between 2003 and 2008 and played in two World Cups, was diagnosed two years ago with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy at the age of just 40. He says the rugby authorities are “not learning” from the ongoing experience of players and studies linking rugby to brain injury.

Siwan Lillicrap has announced her retirement from international rugby. The 51-times-capped back five player has been Wales Women squad captain since November 2019 and played a major role in the transition to professionalism last year. She was one of the first 12 players to receive a full-time contract but has opted to leave Test rugby.

Ieuan Evans has vowed to modernise the Welsh Rugby Union, but without neglecting the community game after being appointed chair of the WRU. The decorated former Wales and British & Irish Lions wing, who also chairs the Lions Board, takes over from Rob Butcher who served two-years at the helm but stood down after the WRU’s recent 2022 Annual General Meeting. Evans follows inaugural chair Vernon Pugh QC, Glanmor Griffiths, David Pickering, Gareth Davies and Butcher to become the WRU’s sixth chair since 1993.

Warren Gatland will demand a cool £500,000 for nine months work to rescue Wales in the run-in to next year’s World Cup. Gatland is the man the Welsh Rugby Union want to turn to should they decide to replace Wayne Pivac. Gatland’s successor has won just three out of 12 matches this year and watched his team undermine his survival chances when they surrendered a 21-point lead to lose 39-34 at home to Australia on Saturday.

By Graham Thomas Jac Morgan has been tipped as a future contender for the role of Wales captain by former Wales coach Mike Ruddock. Morgan has been one of the few shafts of light in a dark autumn for coach Wayne Pivac, whose team end their November catalogue against Australia on Saturday. Ospreys flanker Morgan, […]

By Graham Thomas Wayne Pivac is a former copper, so he knows the law. And the law is this: There is only one thing that protects a national rugby or football coach through the tough times – results. A coach can be the shrewdest man-manager, he can schmooze the media, or play a clever political […]

By David Williams Winning your first cap for Wales is always a great moment but for Josh Macleod it was extra special. The 26-year-old has overcome numerous injury setbacks to finally achieve his dream of playing for Wales. Back in 2021 the Scarlets openside was selected to start for Wales against Scotland at Murrayfield but […]

By David Williams Neil Jenkins insists Wales are desperate to right the wrongs of their Georgia defeat against Australia on Saturday. Wales will be hoping to end their Autumn Nations Series on a high against a dangerous Wallabies outfit at the Principality Stadium but will have to significantly improve. And Wales skills coach Jenkins is […]