Former Scarlets conditioning coach Aled Waters has revealed that getting out of Wales has opened his eyes to how players should prepare for top level rugby. Walters left his home region in 2009 and has since travelled the world, establishing himself as one of the most well-respected strength and conditioning coaches on the planet. Having spent time at Taranaki, the Brumbies and with Munster before helping South Africa lift the 2019 Rugby World Cup, he now finds himself with Leicester Tigers.

Louis Rees-Zammit’s superb try against Ireland should keep him in the Wales team for 20 more caps, according to TV pundit David Flatman. The former England prop thinks Wales coach Wayne Pivac should stick with Rees-Zammit, who owed his place in the starting line-up to the banning of Josh Adams. Rees-Zammit justified his selection with an acrobatic finish for Wales’ crucial second try in their 21-16 victory and gave a very solid all-round display.

Wayne Pivac confessed he was a relieved man after gaining his most significant win so far as Wales coach and proving he’s added something to his assets – a streak of luck. Pivac’s team opened their Six Nations with a fortune-favoured 21-16 victory over Ireland in an empty Principality Stadium. Ireland were the better side […]

Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones says he has had “a pretty seamless” recovery from injury ahead of his comeback in Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations clash against Ireland. Jones – who was given a black eye this week, after a punch from Jake Ball, according to reports – will make his first appearance in Wales or Ospreys colours since suffering a knee injury during the Autumn Nations Cup victory over Italy nine weeks ago. He goes straight back into test match action with Wales targeting a strong start to their Six Nations campaign following last year’s poor fifth-placed finish and an overall run of just three wins in 10 games.

Andy Farrell says Ireland must make a statement of intent against Wales to demonstrate their Guinness Six Nations title credentials. The Irish return to Cardiff on Sunday for the first time since a 25-7 defeat in 2019 saw Wales replace them as Grand Slam champions. Head coach Farrell was unable to help his adopted country reclaim the crown during an inconsistent first year in the job, eventually finishing a prolonged tournament third behind England and France.

Dan Lydiate will return for Wales after more than two years away when he plays against Ireland on Sunday. It’s a good call, according to Mike Ruddock, but the former Leinster and Ireland U20 coach reckons Wales will need to do a lot more than simply defend around their back row as he tells Graham Thomas. Mike Ruddock has warned Wales that English pair Andy Farrell and Mike Catt are looking to unleash a new multi-weaponed Ireland against them on Sunday. Wales’ former Grand Slam-winning coach believes it will not be enough for Wayne Pivac’s side to concentrate solely on blocking Ireland’s steam-rollering pack.

New women’s head coach Thomas Brindle is relishing chance to progress the Wales Rugby League national team. The 34-year-old takes over from Craig Taylor, who stood down at the end of last year for personal reasons, having been involved in the sport for many years.

Wayne Pivac has vowed his Wales team will give the country reason to get excited when they launch their Guinness Six Nations campaign against Ireland in Cardiff on Sunday. The Wales coach has picked George North at centre and recalled wing Hallam Amos and flanker Dan Lydiate for the opening match of the tournament as injuries and the axing of Josh Adams forced the coach’s hand. Ospreys wing North, who wins his 99th cap, is partnered by Johnny Williams in midfield as Wales go into action without Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies.

With no fans inside the Principality Stadium for the Six Nations – and no pubs or rugby clubs open – predictions competitions are one way of keeping supporters feeling involved and together. Leading results agency All Wales Sport have extended the deadline for theirs to Friday and are going all out with a £200 prize pot for charity. Entry is free and all you have to do is predict each Six Nations result – in terms of overall points difference – starting with Saturday’s tournament opener between Italy and France.

Wales’ preparations for their Six Nations opener with Ireland have been thrown into turmoil after star wing Josh Adams was removed from Wayne Pivac’s squad for breaching Covid-19 protocols. Adams – the top try-scorer at the 2019 World Cup – attended a family event at the weekend in a decision which went against every protocol the Wales management had provided. To minimise the risk of coronavirus infecting their squad, Wales are spending longer periods in their bubble at their Vale of Glamorgan training base.

A Six Nations tournament in the year of a Lions tour always adds extra spice, but for Wayne Pivac it might just be food that keeps him alive, according to Harri Morgan. With Lions places dangled on a string in front of them, he expects a few Wales players to step forward. As a fan, with designs on following the Lions to the southern tip of Africa, my preference would be for a postponement until 2022. The ‘+1’ approach is conceptually simple.

Wales back row international Ollie Griffiths has received a double boost – signing a contract extension at the Dragons and returning to training after ankle surgery. The 25-year-old, who won his only cap to date as a replacement in the summer tour victory over Tonga in Auckland in 2017, has been dogged by injuries in recent seasons, but is now targeting a return to action next month. His latest problem came in the Champions Cup defeat to Wasps, when he damaged his ankle. Successful surgery was followed by rehab and now he is back running at the region’s Ystrad Mynach training base.

WillGriff John says family reasons and a desire to be playing a vibrant band of rugby led him to sign for the Scarlets for next season from Sale. The prop – who came close to his first cap last season before the lockdown stalled his ambitions – would have been outside the eligibility category for the next campaign had he remained in England. But the tight-head has decided against renewing his contract at Sale in preference of a move to Parc y Scarlets.

Wales have played six games since Hadleigh Parkes decided to pack his bags and head to the Panasonic Wild Knights in the Japanese Top League and in that time Wayne Pivac has tried four different players to fill the gap. Nick Tompkins, Owen Watkin, Johnny Williams and George North have all been given a run in the Welsh midfield as the experiment of trying to find the right man to accompany Jonathan Davies has been given an extended run since Parkes won his 29th and final Welsh cap against England last March. Davies has always thrived on playing with a regular centre partner – he started 46 times with Jamie Roberts for Wales and once with the British & Irish Lions and then played for region and country with Parkes – but the right balance has yet to be found for the 2020s.

Glenn Delaney has told his Scarlets team that conceding 50 points at home is “dreadful” and there has to be an immediate response. The New Zealander is facing up to his first crisis in his time in charge at the region after a third successive defeat was inflicted by Leinster who walloped the Welsh region, 52-25. Admittedly, the Scarlets were without 12 of their 1st XV but Leinster arrived without 17 Irish squad members and still put half a century of points on the home side.

Dai Young’s arrival as interim Cardiff Blues director of rugby was music to the ears of wing Josh Adams who hopes the former Wasps boss can get him and his team firing on all cylinders. In nine years in English rugby, Young took Wasps to the Gallagher Premiership play-offs for three straight years between 2016 and 2018. His success in that time came with an enterprising brand of attacking rugby that had the likes of Danny Cipriani, Kurtley Beale, Willie le Roux and Christian Wade at its heart.

The Scarlets bid to recover from back-to-back defeats against Cardiff Blues on Saturday night when they host Guinness Pro 14 champions Leinster. But there will be more than just points at stake as two opposing props – one on the way up and one on the way back – have something to prove, as Graham Thomas reports. It will be a tale of two tight-heads when the Scarlets host Leinster on Saturday night with all eyes on Javan Sebastian and Tadhg Furlong. In the red corner will be Sebastian, who has played in every Guinness Pro 14 match for the region so far this season and was this week rewarded with a new contract.

Wales Women head coach Warren Abrahams is looking forward to mixing it with hosts New Zealand as well as Australia at the Rugby World Cup 2021 in September. Wales will also play the final qualification winner in a demanding group, with matches starting on September 18. “International rugby doesn’t come much better than that,” said Abrahams, who was appointed as head coach in November.

Dean Ryan believes Will Rowlands can make a big impact at the Dragons now the Wales second row’s move from Wasps has been confirmed. Rowlands has ensured he will continue to be able to play for Wales when his current contract at the Ricoh Arena expires this summer. The 29-year-old would have been barred from Wales selection under the WRU’s 60-cap policy, which restricts players who play their club rugby outside the four regions from representing Wales if they fall under the threshold.

Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones believes that this year’s planned British and Irish Lions tour should go ahead “if it can”. The Lions are due to visit South Africa in July and August, highlighted by a three-Test series against the world champions. However, the coronavirus pandemic has created considerable uncertainty over whether the eight-match trip will take place.