HTSPORTSNEWS

It’s been a hectic couple of months for Liam Williams after a stint at the Kuboto Spears in Japan, the 33-year-old returned to the UK for family reasons. He sealed the move back from the far east for his second stint at the Gallagher Premiership side Saracens, a club that he has won silverware with on several occasions. 

Williams made his Wales debut back in 2012 against the Barbarians and since then has picked up 92 Caps. With his last outings in the Welsh jersey being back in the Summer at Twickenham against South Africa and also played down under in Australia. 

The fullback has been on two tours with the British and Irish Lions and stated in Monday afternoon’s media huddle “never say never”, when asked about making it a third successive tour. 

The return of Williams is a very happy return for Welsh supporters and with him being one of the more senior figures as scrum consultant, Adam Jones said “are getting on a bit”, this should add some excitement to this bruised Welsh side. 

Does his experience add something to Wales?

On being one of the senior members of Warren Gatland’s 34-man squad, Williams said: “For sure, I think it’s a role I like to do, I’ve been doing the same when I’ve been back at my club (Saracens), helping some of the youngsters through, especially some of the back three guys.

“It’s a part of my job now.

“I’m on fines now, so I’ve taken a step back on the entertainment. James Botham is doing that sort of stuff and he’s really good, so me and Tomos (Williams) and two of the older guys are on the fines to try and keep everybody in line,” the fullback jokingly added.  

“There’s great energy here in camp, the boys are feeling good, training is going well. We’re just excited to go out there with our backs against the wall, but we don’t mind that at all. The boys are looking forward to Friday night under the lights.

“We’re not sure what the squad is but if those boys do go into the fold it will be great to have those two back (Josh Adams and Taulupe Faletau), Toby has been a bit unlucky with injury for the last couple of months. He’s back on the training pitch and he’s looking good, so it will be great to have him back and the same with Josh. He didn’t come on the Summer Tour, he’s fit, refreshed and ready to go.   

“Never say Never”- Williams wants to be a centurion 

(2027 World Cup) “That’s a bit too far, my aim is to get 100 caps, and if that happens it’s the icing on the cake. If it doesn’t then it doesn’t, it’s just the way it it is. 

“But thats what I’m aiming for, for me now it’s about taking everygame as it comes. So hopefully I can be picked for this weekend, thats another one so we’ll see. 

“No, no I’ve been speaking to Gats (Warren Gatland), obviously Gats has been my coach for the last twelve or thirteen years 

“We spoke post Australia, what the plans are for the next couple of years. I’m just happy to be here and hopefully I can add something to the team.

“Hopefully I can play on the weekend (Friday night) dependent if I’m picked, and I can add something extra to try and get the win with the boys.  

His return back to Wales after a stint in the Japan Rugby League One

One of the main reasons why Williams made the decision to move back here to the UK was because him and his wife Sophie welcomed their first son, Leo. The fullback did all this whilst securing a move to StoneX based side in North London. 

On his second stint at the Saracens and his life off the field, Williams added: “Things have changed, most definitely the sleep. No, it’s good, things are good they moved up with me in London for two or three weeks before we came back down here, it was nice having them up there.

“Over Christmas I was going back and forth, drive up and back two or three times a week, bit of a trek but life has changed a bit but he’s class and it’s just an incredible feeling becoming a dad. Not much has changed if I’m being honest, they still got the same calls since five or six years ago.

“The calls are easy, a couple of the younger guys I’ve been helping. It’s been good to go to a different environment in Japan but when I was back with Cardiff it was a totally different environment and I’m just enjoying my rugby again.”

“Globetrotters”- Williams analysis of France

Wales kickoff their 2025 Six Nations on Friday evening in Paris, where they take on France who won three out of their three Autumn Internationals. With the eye catching result being against New Zealand, where Les Bleus won 30-29.

On what he expects from the Fabian Galthie’s men, the 33-year-old said: “Globetrotters.”

They like throwing the ball about. So, you’ve seen, “the French clubs in the Champions Cup have been going really well. But it’s down to us to try and stop
that.

“We’ll have to wait and see what happens on the weekend,” Williams concluded.

Last week, former Wales prop Adam Jones was announced as a new member of Warren Gatland’s coaching set up for the 2025 Guinness Six Nations as a scrum consultant. 

The 43-year-old who represented Wales on the international stage on 95 occasions and made five appearances for the British and Irish Lions is currently apart of the Harlequins setup and has been since 2018 as scrum coach. The Premiership club has granted a secondment to Jones who will return to the Twickenham Stoop side after the conclusion of the Championship. 

Jones joins the Welsh setup which includes his former Ospreys coach, Jonathan Humphreys who is the current forward’s coach. Wales open their Six Nations on Friday evening at the Stade de France against France in Paris. 

There’s been one call up to the Welsh squad and its Ospreys man Ben Warren after WillGriff John went off injured for Sale Sharks in the first half of their 32-23 defeat to Bath Rugby Sunday afternoon. Talking about Bath probably Wales’s best option now at tighthead is Archie Griffiths but he is currently sidelined with an injury. This means that the experienced former tighthead will have to bring all his expertise as it’s a young squad and a lot of these players would have looked up to Jones back in the day. 

Jones knows all about winning and is an icon for the game in Wales, but the questions is can he solve the problems at tight head and if Wales get their scrum right on the night there could be a possibility of a result in Paris.

 1: Surprise return to Wales, Coaching not Playing Obviously 

“The last couple of weeks really, just had a comms with the management did you want to come and help out,” said Jones at a press conference from the Vale resort hotel where Wales have been preparing for the upcoming Championship.

“I think with Humps (Jonathan Humphreys), doing the sort of the breakdown, the lineouts and the scrum, it was a fair bit of workload relatively. 

“But yeah, I was chuffed, I was pleased, I was obviously happy to get the nod, so to speak. And yeah, it been nice so far. First day back, so a little bit like school. 

“Theres a lot of players who I don’t really know obviously I’ve seen on TV and that, but I played it with a couple, played against a couple, played with one’s dad, so it makes you feel a bit old. 

2: “From them not me”, Jones on what he has seen so far in the Welsh Camp 

“How hard everyone is working to win, if you get the performance the wins will come. You can see the boys this morning, just putting a lot of detail in, a lot of effort in. You can see the boys are hurting, as you would which is natural. 

“They’re a good bunch of boys, very young apart from a certain bunch of players getting on a bit. They’re a good bunch of boys they are keen to win, keen to learn and that’s what I’ve found so far. I’ve only done a scrum session with them, wanted to see how strong they were in the gym, bit of work to do there. 

“From them not me,” Jones jokingly added. 

“I’m looking forward to it, the boys want to win and work hard, so you can’t ask for anymore can you. So, I’m sure the nation will get behind them and hopefully we’ll get off to a good start.

 3: Difficulty of seeing Wales struggle since that defeat in the Rugby World Cup in 2023

Wales have yet to win a test match since that 29-17 defeat to Argentina in Marseille back in October 2023. But there is no easy introduction into this years Six Nations with playing France away. Let’s be honest a win would be the biggest upset of the tournament, surely?

“Oh, look, it’s as you said, being a proud Welshman. I think it must have been about 1991, I think Wales played France, and we lost like 36 points to three, and at the end of the game, I said to my mother, you know, I was embarrassed to be Welsh, which followed with a backhand across the head.

“Even being in England for nine years. It’s, you know, still obviously want the Welsh boys to do really well. And, you know, it’s my country and yes, it’s a weird dynamic when we play England. Certainly, in the past, obviously having people like Marler and Sinckler, Finn Baxter and these guys playing, you know it’s a strange dynamic.

“Obviously, you want them to do well but obviously want them to lose. So, it’s good to be back. It’s, been hard to see what’s happened in the last few years, which, as I said, the coaches and the boys are trying to put right.

4: “They got a saying in France no scrum no win”- Jones on the challenge ahead on Friday under the lights in Paris.

“I think they got a saying in France; No scrum, no win. And you know you see when you play top 14 teams, if you can get on top of them in the scrum. 

“It’s a massive part of the game and I think we certainly as a club (Harlequins), we built one big away win in France last year on the back of a dominant scrum and then we pushed Toulouse pretty hard in that area. 

“So, you know, I’ve coached against these boys, obviously it’s the French national team, so it will be a bit different, you know, chuck Antonio in it’s another bigger man. 

“But yeah, look, we have to go there with a plan. We’ll go there and want to take them on.

“Also we don’t want to give them anything. We don’t want to give them any easy outs and you know, because it’s massive out in France, especially around the atmosphere and how much they feed off the crowd.

“If they get a scrum or maul going backwards or just, you know, one of those sorts of jouer plays when they’re offloading everywhere, that’s where they get on top and that’s what they feed off on that energy. And so, it’s key to us so we don’t give them that and you know, we’ll work.

“It’s a short week but we’ll work hard on not giving them any easy pictures to get the momentum off. So, you know, I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to the challenge.

5: “He’s very calm”- Jones on the pressure that Gatland faces

“There’s a lot of detail that’s going into it at the moment, which is good, which I think you need certainly at this level. 

“You know what he is good at and he is always you know that sort of backs against the wall mentality, bringing players together and teams together in such a short space of time and getting the results. 

“He’s exceptional at that. So I’m backing him to, you know, pull it around. It’s been nice to be back in really, just to see a few old faces as well,” Jones concluded.

Dragons RFC player ratings vs Munster Rugby: Visitors cruised to a humbling 38-19 victory in South Wales

After losing last timeout against Northampton Saints in Europe, The Red Army returned to winning ways by simply outclassing a bruised Dragons RFC side at Rodney Parade.

After securing the bonus point inside the first quarter through tries from Diarmuid Kilgallen, Alex Kendellen, Ben O’Connor and a penalty try saw the Irish Province side easily go in at the break 31-0 up.  

The visitors did improve come the second half as tries from loosehead Chris Coleman, Harry Wilson and Dane Blacker proved not to be enough as another slow start costs Tiatia’s Dragons side. 

Jon Hodnett was the only scorer in the second half for the visitors but the damage was done in the first half as the visitors came away with the spoils in the tenth round of the United Rugby Championship. 

Dragons RFC: 19

Tries: Chris Coleman (42), Harry Wilson (67), Dane Blacker (73)

Conversions: Lloyd Evans (67), Will Reed (73)

Penalties: 

Munster Rugby: 38

Tries: Diarmuid Kilgallen (3), Alex Kendellen (16), Ben O’Connor (18), Dian Bleuler (32), Jon Hodnett (53), 

Conversions: Billy Burns (16, 18) Tony Butler (32, 53, 

Penalties: 

Penalty Tries: 1

15. Huw Anderson- 4 

He was good at tidying up when the visitors kicked in behind to relieve pressure on his side. Anderson was one of many Dragons players who had an average evening. He was decent in defence but didn’t make much of an impact.   

14. Rio Dyer- 5 

Dyer, like many players this weekend, will be again wanting to show why he should’ve been in the Welsh squad in the first place. If I’m being honest, he had another quiet game albeit that the hosts didn’t have many attacking opportunities in the first place to get the speedster into gear. When given the ball, he tried to work his magic, but the visitors’ defence was too strong.

13. Aneurin Owen- 5

Great in defence and around the breakdown area, he was immense for this struggling Dragons side. Even in attack he showed some great handling skills with the standout pass being in the build up to Dane Blacker’s try on 73 minutes. You can tell by just watching he is growing into the Captain role whilst Angus O’Brien watches from the sidelines. 

12. Harri Ackerman- 4 

Went off just prior to the interval as he was replaced by Harry Wilson and never returned to the field of play. Unlike other games since his return after being on the sidelines for a long period of time, it was average compared to other performances from the former Wales U20s Captain. 

11. Jared Rosser- 3 

The 27-year-old didn’t have the best of performances as he was getting beaten easily by his opposite number on several occasions on the outside which led to two of the visitors early tries in the first half. 

10. Lloyd Evans- 3 

With injuries to Angus O’Brien and Cai Evans it has left head coach Tiatia with both Evans and Will Reed as his option at outside half and with the former Gloucester Rugby man starting it meant he needed to impress. And for a game where you would say he would be looking to impress; it’s probably a game that the 29-year-old would want to quickly forget. His first penalty into touch went astray and the visitors used this as a catalyst to build towards their first try of the evening. He then got yellow carded before the end of the first quarter after a high tackle on Shane Daly which resulted in referee, Gianluca Gnecchi awarding a penalty try. 

9. Morgan Lloyd- 5

Had a great kicking game on Saturday evening exploiting in behind the visitors’ defence which put his side into good attacking positions. He was one of many that was trying to work his magic, but nothing seemed to be coming off from it. Perhaps came as a shock that halftime he was replaced by Dane Blacker who just last week was playing for Pontypool RFC in Super Rygbi Cymru. 

1. Rodrigo Martinez- N/a

After a big hit on Munsters Tom Ahern the Argentinian loosehead was replaced by Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths as he limped off the pitch just after nine minutes. 

2. Brodie Coghlan- 3 

With Elliot Dee being involved in the Welsh set up for the Six Nations, this means Coghlan started and if truth be told he has been impressive in making that two shirt for the Dragons very competitive whilst Dee had been on the sidelines. He wasn’t firing his arrows early in the encounter with two lineouts back-to-back not being straight. He was great in defence but when it came to the crunch at lineout time it was poor from the 24-year-old. He eventually went off on 50 minutes for James Benjamin.   

3. Chris Coleman- 4

Didn’t do anything that was eye catching apart from score on 42 minutes and was another who just had an average evening. With Martinez going off early it was up to Coleman to lead the scrum as he was the more experienced scrummager, and it is an area that they have improved on from last week’s thumping to the Lions in Johannesburg but it’s still not the finished article. Try scorer Coleman was replaced just after the hour mark by Paula Latu.

4. Joe Davies- 4 

The second rower who hasn’t had the best of seasons but that’s probably down to not having much gametime, he played probably his best game for a while. He put in some great hits, and it was great to see him play the whole 80 minutes which is something he hasn’t done for a while.   

5. Ryann Woodman- 4

Woodman is another one that is an injury concern as the 20-year-old went off on 46 minutes and he was another one that didn’t really get going. Was like many of the backrow and second row players who had a decent showing in defence but that was mainly it. 

6. Shane Lewis-Hughes- 5

Lewis-Hughes has probably been the best signing the Dragons had made during the summer and like his back-row counterparts he had another great showing. Worked unbelievably in defence and at lineout time. 

7. Dan Lydiate- 5 

Great at pouncing on the loose ball and set the bar for many of his fellow teammates to be inspired by after his first hit on Alex Kendellen with Joe Davies which set the tone. For someone that is coming to the end of his career his work rate is unbelievable, and he is someone that the Dragons need for players to be inspired by.  

8. Taine Basham- N/a

Went off with a head injury on 4 minutes and never came back on as he was replaced by George Young. 

Late drama at Church Bank as Cardiff fall to an agonising 40-33 defeat

Despite having some players out with injuries and several being called up for international duties, the Blue and Blacks showed great fight and determination as they led for large parts of the encounter. Tries from, Edmund Anya, Nathan Hudd, Joe Williams and a brace from Jason Harries proved not to be enough.

Cardiff were on the hunt for their opening score just moments into the contest, this came from a brilliant 50-22 from outside half, Fraser Jones. Then after some early pressure on the hosts defence the ball was lost forward and was eventually kicked away to relieve pressure.

Then moments later the visitors crossed the whitewash through Edmund Anya. This came from a brilliant hit on Adam Warren by young, Fin Hart as the Blue and Blacks regained possession and after some quick thinking to spread the ball out wide it allowed Anya to score.

That strong defence of the Blue and Blacks was on show again minutes later. After the visitors were penalised, the Drovers kicked up field and after some heroic defending to turn the ball over and relieve pressure.

This was then followed by Nathan Hudd showcasing some brilliant strength as he regained possession for the Blue and Blacks after turning the ball over at the breakdown area. However, the hosts did manage to cross the whitewash on 14 minutes and this came from Sam Potter drawing the last defender to allow Ilan Phillips to cross.

From the restart the Drovers lost possession straight away after knocking the ball on and being penalised for being offside. This was the catalyst that helped in the making of the Blue and Blacks second of the afternoon.

After a catch and drive the ball was spread quickly through the backline which allowed Jason Harries to score his first try of the game. Harries’s opposite number, Rhodri Jones showed some brilliant skill in offloading to scrum half Lee Rees who eventually fed the ball to Llien Morgan who crossed over.

However, the Blue and Blacks had the last score of the half which came from a brilliant take at the lineout. Then from the driving maul, Nathan Hudd broke away to power his way over for his second of the season as the Blue and Blacks went into a 21-12 lead at the break.

HT: Llandovery 12-21 Cardiff

It was a fast start to proceedings in the second half as after Edmund Anya successfully took a cross field kick he offloaded to Jason Harries who showed his pace as he powered over for his brace.

That lead grew even bigger on 45 minutes as Joe Goodchild who was playing at outside centre broke through the hosts defence and after some quick handling, Joe Williams crossed. However, minutes later the Blue and Blacks were reduced to 14-men after loosehead, Marc Thomas was shown a yellow card after an infringement at the breakdown area.

With the one man advantage the hosts went looking for their third of the match and that came on 56 minutes. After a reset a dominant scrum followed and referee, Keith David awarded the Drovers a penalty try. That lead for the Blue and Blacks then narrowed even further as Llien Morgan scored his second of the match. This came from a brilliant kick in behind by fullback, Jack Maynard as Morgan successfully gathered and raced over.

Proceedings were then level just after the hour mark as after a powerful driving maul, Nathan Hart broke away and scored. Fullback, Jack Maynard added the extras to bring proceedings level.

After some back and forth between the two in the final moments of the game it was the hosts who found that crucial score. In the 77th minute, Rhodri Jones broke through the Blue and Blacks defence and the ball was then spread to Llien Morgan who crossed over and secured the victory for Llandovery.

FT: Llandovery 40-33 Cardiff

After announcing his 34-man Wales squad for the 2025 Guinness Six Nations, there was a number of shocks and surprises with several recalls being named.

Probably one of the biggest shocks was the involvement of Sale Sharks, WillGriff John who has only played 180 minutes for Sale this season. This could be down to the number of tightheads who are unavailable, for example Archie Griffin is not available after undergoing shoulder surgery and Leon Brown just announced his retirement from the sport.

This position has caused a lot of headaches for Gatland as the other tightheads that have been named have only 16 caps between them. 

Looking at the uncapped players, Gatland has named just two players to a squad that has been put together not as a developmental one as his job is on the line. Ospreys Dan Edwards and Scarlets Ellis Mee are the two uncapped players in the squad and Dewi Lake has been replaced by Jac Morgan as captain for the Championship.

Looking at the recalls, Taulupe Faletau, Liam Williams, Josh Adams, Elliot Dee, Joe Roberts and WillGriff John maybe just shows Gatland is going all out this Six Nations. 

Wales begin the latest instalment of the Six Nations with a trip to the Stade de France, and there is still a very strong side that the 61-year-old head coach can name. With all that said and done, here is who Ruck Rugby believes should start in Paris next Friday evening.

15. Liam Williams (92 Caps, Saracens)

After leaving Japanese side Kubota Spears back in November to return closer to home for the arrival of his first child. The 33-year-old returned to Saracens for his second spell after previously winning the Premiership title and European Champions Cup with them between 2017-2019.

Since his return he has been almost a must for this Wales team and one of his main qualities is his attacking side of the game. This is an area where if Wales have any chance of getting off to the best of starts in the French capital, they need the experienced fullback to be in top form to create opportunities. 

14. Josh Adams (59 Caps, Cardiff Rugby) 

After sustaining a knee injury which ultimately cost him not being able to play in the Summer Tour to Australia and the Autumn Nations, I think I speak for many Welsh supporters in stating that this is a welcome return to the international scene.

He has been playing some good rugby on his return to Cardiff in both the United Rugby Championship and the Challenge Cup where he has scored eight times. Also with the departure of Louis Rees-Zammit before last year’s Championship, Wales have been lacking the qualities on the outside and with the experienced winger back fit he certainly strengthens this area.  

13. Joe Roberts (2 Caps, Scarlets Rugby) 

Another player that has been troubled with injuries, and one stat that is staggering is that he has only played on the international stage on two occasions. He is highly ranked among the coaching setup; he hasn’t got up to full speed just as of yet as he is coming back from a long-term injury but will play a massive part in this year’s Championships for Wales. 

12. Owen Watkins (42 Caps, Ospreys)

When looking back at last year’s Six Nations, especially looking closely at the match against France, Watkins and Roberts had a brilliant bond and for me went well together. Watkins is one of the more consistent players in this Welsh squad, he is great value in defence and that is especially needed against a strong French side.

There’s been conversations of Scarlets Rugby, Eddie James perhaps having the nod at inside centre, but right now I think the Ospreys man is the right call. 

11. Blair Murray (2 Caps, Scarlets Rugby)

The New Zealand born winger has been impressive for the Llanelli based side scoring five times already with the latest score coming against RC Vannes at the weekend. The utility back made his debut in the Autumn against Australia on the wing before making his second appearance at fullback.

He is decent in defence, but the strong part of his game is in attack. He was thrown in at the deep end in the Autumn, but the 23-year-old deserves to start against France. 

10. Ben Thomas (4 Caps, Cardiff Rugby) 

Thomas is only one of two flyhalfs in this Welsh squad alongside uncapped Dan Edwards and perhaps the game against Connacht last Friday was an audition for that 10 jersey. Albeit he did start here in the Summer but for Cardiff it was only his second game there in two seasons as he normally wears the 12 jerseys.

This start will come with added pressure as with the future of Gareth Anscombe’s international career being unknown and with no Sam Costelow, the 26-year-old will almost certainly be named. 

9. Tomos Williams (59 Caps, Gloucester Rugby)

Out of all the calls in this XV I feel like this one is an easy one, this is because he has been playing some great stuff for the Cherry and Whites in the Gallagher Premiership this season having scored five tries and has played 680 minutes. He is a huge attacking threat and with the British and Irish Lions tour coming up later this year, the 30-year-old will be looking to impress. 

8. Taulupe Faletau (104 Caps, Cardiff Rugby)

Although according to Cardiff Rugby head coach Matt Sherratt stating it will be “touch and go” whether the 34-year-old will start in France due to missing the last two Challenge Cup matches for the Blue and Blacks.

He’s somewhat returning to his best after being on the sidelines for a long period of time with an injury, he is vital to Wales this year. He is great around the breakdown area doing a lot of the unseen work and Gatland will be hoping that he is involved come next Friday. 

7. Jac Morgan (Captain, 17 Caps, Ospreys) 

Jac is another one like scrum half, Thomas who will be looking to impress for the British and Irish Lions tour this summer as he is one of many candidates for that seven jersey. Like Faletau the 24-year-old is great value in disrupting play especially around the breakdown area and his work rate is immense, something that Wales has been missing in recent times. 

6. Aaron Wainwright (52 Caps, Dragons RFC) 

Wainwright is another injury concern as he travelled to South Africa with Dragons but was unable to play due to a leg injury. However, via the Welsh Rugby Union social media channels the 27-year-old was seen entering the camp alongside Ben Thomas and Will Rowlands.

He is a brilliant ball carrier and has been one of the best Dragons players for several seasons now. Now with Faletau back in his beloved eight role, Morgan at seven and Wainwright on the blindside with all three having great work rates this should set the tone for other players to be inspired by.

5. Will Rowlands (36 Caps, Racing 92)

Plying his trade now in the Top division of French Rugby for Racing 92 in Paris and with no Adam Beard, the 33-year-old will be looking to set the bar for his counterparts as he knows how to win in France. It must be said he didn’t have the best of Autumns, but he is one that loves the physical side of the game and that is needed for success at the Stade de France. 

4. Dafydd Jenkins (8 Caps, Exeter Chiefs)

Last year’s Six Nations captain, Jenkins made a much-needed return to the Welsh setup after missing the Test matches against Fiji, Australia and South Africa due to injury in the Autumn.

He is another one that has unbelievable courage and determination with his work rate being one of his main strengths. With him partnering with Rowlands in the second row, this will boost the physicality of this Welsh side. 

3. Henry Thomas (4 Caps, Scarlets) 

The Scarlets tighthead is a decent scrummager and knows what it takes to face up to French opposition having had spells at both Montpellier and Castres. This is another position in the Welsh squad that will be hotly contested after Archie Griffin being ruled out due to injury, Thomas will need to start strongly if he wants to have a heavy presence in that starting three shirt this Championship.

2. Elliot Dee (51 Caps, Dragons RFC)

Both Dewi Lake and Ryan Ellias have been side-lined due to injuries but Dee made his long-awaited return for the Dragons a couple of weeks ago. Out of all the hookers in Wales he’s probably got the biggest engine but before Saturday’s game against the Lions for the Dragons you wouldn’t have thought that he has the best throwing success out of all of them.

Dee didn’t return to the field for the second half in Johannesburg, perhaps that was down to the Six Nations being around the corner. Wales will need to be strong at lineout time if they want any sort of chance of getting anything out of this opening contest otherwise it could be a long evening in Paris. 

1. Gareth Thomas (35 Caps, Ospreys)

Thomas is a top-class operator and probably doesn’t get the recognition for it, the 120kg loosehead has had a solid campaign so far this season for the Ospreys. Like many of the forwards named in this prediction XV, Thomas does a lot of the unseen work which doesn’t get the limelight, he needs to be on top form next Friday as Wales will look to use the scrum as a catalyst to build off. 

The Dragons’ made the long trip to Johannesburg to face the Emirates Lions at Ellis Park and with Tiatia’s men not being able to win against Pau the previous Sunday it was a straight shootout for the round of 16. However, that thought of reaching the last 16 quickly dissolved after four first half tries and it could’ve been more if the hosts didn’t fumble possession in the red zone.

You have to say the Dragons did the hard work of winning away from home against Newcastle back in December last year but the defeats at Rodney Parade to Top 14 sides Montpellier and Pau proved vital. With that they needed to win in South Africa, a place that they have never won. And from the start it never looked likely.

On the 60-10 defeat captain, Aneurin Owen said:

“Fair play to the Lions, they were great tonight they probably just physically battered us and it’s important that us as a group we stick together now and we got to find solutions to get better.

“We got to review the game and take our learnings, be honest with each other and you know this is the group there’s no one coming in so we got to stay tight and be honest with our feedback.”

Their set piece never got going which meant that both Ewan Rosser and Rio Dyer couldn’t make much of an impact with the ball.

After praising the line-out in last week’s player ratings for Tiatia’s men that seemed to have been a curse as it was simply not good enough. That could be telling as Elliot Dee was replaced at the break by Brodie Coghlan who vastly improved it. From restarts they weren’t giving themselves a helping hand as Will Reed continually kicked deep into the hosts 22 not allowing for the ball to be contested.

Looking at the stats the visitors missed 32 tackles to the Lions 10 and perhaps the most staggering stat from this is outside half Will Reed was the top tackler alongside Shane Lewis-Hughes with ten.

Looking at some of the positives if there are any, I thought Ewan Rosser played his best game for the Dragons in a while and this can be backed up with the defenders beaten stat of three and was a major ball carrier. Ryan Woodman yet again showed his qualities in the lineout and Huw Anderson ran the most metres (62) almost double that of Rio Dyer.

However, another headache for the Dragons and for Wales in the Six Nations is the fitness status of Aaron Wainwright as despite making the long journey to South Africa he was unable to play due to a leg injury.

If the Dragons were successful in Johannesburg it would’ve been a trip to the Scottish capital to face Edinburgh. It was a huge test and a brutal learning for this young Dragons side in South Africa but with all the other three regions qualifying for the last 16 of the tournament, you got to ask yourself where does this leave the Dragons?

Munster Rugby now travel to Rodney Parade on Saturday evening after they advance in the Champions Cup before the Six Nations break, which perhaps can’t come quickly enough for Tiatia’s men.

Emirates Lions Rugby: 60

Tries: Francke Horn (9, 48), Sam Francis (15), Ruan Venter (22, 66), Tapiwa Mafura (26), Gianni Lombard (56), Jaco Visagie (61), Manuel (80)

Conversion: Sam Francis (9, 16, 23, 27), Gianni Lombard (66, 81) 

Penalties- Sam Francis (3)

Dragons RFC: 10

Tries: Paula Latu (53),

Conversions: Will Reed (54)

Penalties- Will Reed (7) 

Matt Sherratt’s Cardiff Rugby side will have to wait for other results as their hopes of reaching the last 16 are in danger. This comes as The Westerners score four times to secure a 28-19 victory at the Cardiff Arms Park.

Tries from Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce, Byron Ralston and Matthew Devine saw The Westerners win Pool 1 with maximum points. This win ensures Pete Wilkins men will have a home round of 16 tie in early April.

Cardiff began proceedings at the Arms Park on the front foot with some good early attack on the visitors defence but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock. This came on the 13-minute mark as after, Aki brilliantly delayed his pass to Murphy which allowed the second row to cross the whitewash.

The Blue and Blacks however, did respond according as moments later hooker, Evan Lloyd crossed. With the penalty advantage the hosts applied pressure to the visitors defence and after a pick up from the breakdown, Lloyd powered over. Captain, Ben Thomas added the extras to bring proceedings back level at the end of the first quarter.

It was the visitors that ended the first half the better as Joyce stretched over to score the Irish Province sides second of the evening. This was because of continuous pressure on the hosts defence which allowed the second row to cross the whitewash.

HT: Cardiff 7-14 Connacht

It wasn’t the best of starts to the second half for, Peter Wilkins side as after just one minute they were reduced to 14-men. Openside, Conor Oliver was awarded a yellow card after a deliberate knock on. Then with the numerical advantage the hosts quickly got their second of the encounter. This came from Thomas Young who carved his way through the visitors defence to score on 42 minutes.

Outside half, Josh Ioane then had the opportunity to add to the visitors lead on 51 minutes but had his shot deflect off the left upright. However, after showcasing some brilliant handling skills to get the ball out to winger, Ralston who expertly crossed in the corner.

Young then with a moment of brilliance scored his brace minutes later which reduced the deficit to just two points going into the final quarter. This came after an initial kick in behind by the openside which played into the hands of scrum half, Ellis Bevan who then offloaded for him to score.

The visitors had the last laugh of the encounter as on 65 minutes they secured their try bonus point. This came from captain, Cian Prendergast who offloaded back on the inside for Devine to crossover which secured the Irish side top spot in Pool 1.

For the Blue and Blacks they are hoping that both Toyota Cheetahs and Perpignan do not overtake them come Saturday or Sunday. This is because a draw or two losing bonus points for both Cheetahs and Perpignan will be enough to lift them above Cardiff and end their European hopes for this season.

FT: Cardiff 19-28 Connacht

Lineups:

Cardiff: Jacob Beetham; Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Rey Lee-Lo, Rory Jennings, Tom Bowen; Ben Thomas (capt), Ellis Bevan; Rhys Barratt, Evan Lloyd, Keiron Assiratti, Josh McNally, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Thomas Young, Alun Lawrence.

Replacements: Efan Daniel, Danny Southworth, Rhys Litterick, Rory Thornton, Seb Davies, Johan Mulder, Callum Sheedy, Cameron Winnett.

Connacht: Santiago Cordero; Chay Mullins, Piers O’Conor, Bundee Aki, Byron Ralston; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce, Cian Prendergast (capt), Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle.

Replacements: Eoin de Buitlear, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, David O’Connor, Sean Jansen, Matthew Devine, JJ Hanrahan, David Hawkshaw.

Referee: Morne Ferreira (SARU)

Assistant referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron & Griffin Colby (SARU)

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has today named his 34-man squad for the 2025 Guinness Six Nations with key players returning: 5 Talking Points from Gatland’s Press conference immediately following the announcement.

Warren Gatland has named only two debutants in his Wales squad for the Six Nations which gets underway at the Stade de France on January 31^st in the tournaments curtain raiser.

Scarlets Ellis Mee and Ospreys Dan Edwards are the two uncapped players with Jac Morgan returning to Captain the side. Something that perhaps Wales had been lacking in recent times was experience but with recalls of Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Rugby), Liam Williams (Saracens), and Taulupe Faletau (Cardiff Rugby) who have nearly 300 caps between them, that should add something different to this bruised Welsh side.

1: “He’s 33 now by the next World Cup, he’ll be 36 is he going to be around in three years’ time”

One eye-catching name not to be involved was experienced outside half and Gloucester Rugby’s Gareth Anscombe, who has represented Wales on 38 occasions. He played in the Autumn, and that perhaps was his last ever runout in that Welsh jersey against Australia, where he kicked eight of his side’s 20 points on that day.

“We’ve spoken about ten and that’s been the position for us in terms of developing some strength and depth over the next couple of years and looking to short-term and long-term in terms of building some players that get some experience in that ten position. We know that Gareth’s got a lot of experience here. 

“He’s probably one of the things that we talked about, like he’s 33 now by the next World Cup he’ll be 36 is he going to be around in three years’ time for the World Cup and we need to really develop some options for us at that 10 position.

2: “In terms of strength and depth and we got some more options”, Gatland on debutants.

Dan Edwards has been immense for the Ospreys this season at outside half and that point can be backed up as he has picked up two Player of the Match awards back-to-back. Ellis Mee on the other hand you may have to make the argument of whether if Regan Grace didn’t get injured on the weekend for Cardiff in Perpignan would the 21-year-old be involved. Standing at 6ft 4in and joined from Nottingham Rugby in the English Championship, Mee has only played eight times for the Scarlets this season. 

On the two debutants Gatland started on Edwards, he said: “We’ve been impressed with him we were hoping to get him in for the Autumn. We were but for a groin strain and he picked up a head knock as well, so we didn’t get a chance to look at him, but we’ve been impressed with him in terms of the way that he’s played and he started to mature nicely into looking like a quality 10.  

“For us it’s a one position where we’ve spoken about trying to develop some strength and depth in there. And, you know, I think someone like him gets an opportunity to stake a bit of a claim and I said we have been impressed with the way that he’s played and his calmness and the way that he controls games. His kicking game has already developed in recent times as well. So, and he’s got a good running game too. So, you know, we’ve been impressed with him.”

Speaking on Ellis Mee’s call up, Gatland said: “Yeah, he’s exciting in terms of he’s got a presence about him, he’s quick and you know, good arial game though he’s playing on the wing, he had a lot of games at fullback as well. 

“I think last year he played 21 out of 22 games at fullback as well. So, you know, potentially he’s an option for us there going forward. Probably the back three has been a concern for us in terms of strength and depth and we got some more options there now and it’s good to see someone of the likes of Josh Adams back in contention too.” 

3: Valuable experience returning just at the right time? 

Wales knew the score after the 2023 World Cup in France where they knew they were going to be losing a vast number of experienced players and will have to go through that rebuild process again. Fast forward to today and Warren Gatland’s men are being questioned whether they can even win against Italy in Rome, so will this be a welcome return for these experienced players?

“Yeah, absolutely that’s kind of been the positive for us,” Gatland said. 

“So, someone like Dafydd Jenkins coming back, to have him bring back his energy and enthusiasm into the squad too, which will be a positive. It’s probably the first time for a while we started, we had some real sort of dilemmas around some of the selections and some good healthy debate around the team.

4: Selection of players playing outside of Wales could be costly. 

“We’re a little bit compromised in terms of the players playing outside of Wales when on the Tuesday and test weeks those English players and French players that have not been selected have to go back to the clubs on the Tuesday and that does limit your preparation. 

We don’t have them in the fallow weeks. So, we probably need to look at bringing one or two local players in during those fallow weeks to bolster up the numbers when you look at, you know, particularly in that lock position, when you’ve got Dafydd (Jenkins), Christ (Tshiunza), Will (Rowlands) and Freddie (Thomas) are not available for those down weeks, so yeah, that’ going to be challenging for us.

“So, it was just about us trying to get that balance right between what was the numbers of back rows and second rows. 

5: “Probably playing in France first up is not a bad thing for us to do.”

Wales travel to the Stade de France on January 31^st for the opening game of this year’s Six Nations and will then head for a training camp in Nice before heading to Rome to face Italy the following Saturday. 

On the tournament itself, Gatland said: “There’s always trepidation. You look back to the Six Nations last year when, you know, we were ahead at 62 minutes and they brought all their bench on, which had a massive impact probably in the last 15 minutes and we weren’t able to deal with the impact of their bench. 

“Probably playing in France first up is not a bad thing for us to do. They tend to take a little bit of time to get going in a Six Nations, so getting them first up and sort of a bit of a replica of what happened in 2019. So, hopefully we can get off to a good start.”

Challenge Cup: Dragons RFC lose again to French opposition in Europe, this time against Section Paloise

Dragons RFC haven’t done themselves any favours in their hopes for qualification to the knockout stages as they suffer a brutal 24-15 defeat. This now means next week’s game at Ellis Park is a must-win. Otherwise, that’s it for the ‘Men of Gwent’ in Europe this season.

Despite being tryless in the first half, two second-half crossings from Clement Mondinat and Dan Jooste, which were accompanied by the boot of Axel Desperes, saw the French side do enough to win in South Wales.  

Dragons RFC: 15

Tries: Aaron Wainwright (37), Rio Dyer (77)

Conversions: Lloyd Evans (77)

Penalties: Lloyd Evans (13)

Section Paloise: 24

Tries: Clement Mondinat (52), Dan Jooste (63)

Conversions: Axel Desperes (52)

Penalties: Axel Desperes (10,23,27,47)

Yellow Cards: Thibaut Hamonou (2), Theo Attissogbe (76)

 

15- Cai Evans: 5

The talented back that can play comfortably at either fullback or outside half went off after just two minutes for a head injury assessment but eventually returned on the 15-minute mark. His bad luck continued as his return to the pitch was short lived as he was taken off just 10 minutes later and was met with a set of crutches as he went down the tunnel. 

14- Rio Dyer: 6

School boy error right at the start of the second half as he took the ball back over his own line and put pressure immediately back on his side. He did try to work his magic at times by trying to break through the brick wall defence of the visitors but again like many of his other performances for the Dragons this season it was below par despite scoring late on.

13- Joe Westwood: 6

Was great at cutting angles through the visitor’s defence to put his side on the front foot, he was solid in defence, and you can make the argument he was the stand out performer in the backline. It’s also worth taking a note of the centre partnership with both being ones definitely for the future.  

12- Harri Ackerman: 7

The 20-year-old was playing his first game for the Dragons since March last year where he went off injured in the U20s Six Nations against France. He made his return to the sport for Newport RFC against Swansea in Super Rygbi Cymru and a couple of weeks later scored a hat trick against Llandovery. In that time, he has been on the sidelines it looks like the former Wales U20s captain has put on a lot of muscle as every time he went into contact, he got over the gain line.

11- Jared Rosser: 4

After not having the best of performances last timeout at outside centre, Rosser was back in his beloved 11 shirt for this afternoon’s encounter. Despite wearing the same shirt number as his brother Ewan for a large part of the second half, it was again very poor as he was unable to make much of an impact on the game. 

10- Angus O’Brien (c): 5

His kicking game was on point again exploiting gaps in behind Pau’s defence but wasn’t utilised as the main goal kicker as Lloyd Evans came onto the pitch early. He was quiet in defence and unlike other performances this season, it was average this afternoon from the Dragons captain.

9- Che Hope: 5

With Rhodri Williams out with a knee injury the 21-year-old played just his third game of the season. Probably only standout from his performance this afternoon was he was good in keeping the pace of the host’s attack up and wasn’t shy to have a pick and go. 

1-Rodrigo Martinez: 4

The Argentinian loosehead seemed to be going down quite a lot in the first half despite being one of the hosts major ball carriers and put in a lot of big hits. He was eventually replaced by Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths on 49-minutes. 

2- Elliot Dee: 6 

The hooker was scheduled to make his return on New Year’s Day down in Llanelli against the Scarlets but was replaced after dropping out. But it was a welcome return to the Dragons XV for the 30-year-old who will be trying to impress Warren Gatland ahead of the Welsh squad announcement. He carried well and was great at lineout time an area where the Dragons have been weak.

3- Chris Coleman: 4

Didn’t make much of an impact on the game and was hot and cold when it came to scrum time and maybe that showed as at a time in the match the hosts had a 50% scrum success rate. Moldovan international Dmitri Arhip replaced him on 50 minutes, and it will be interesting to see whether he will be involved next week.

4- Joe Davies: 4

Some brilliant takes at the lineout but something that stood out was at times poor with his handling skills when the hosts were in attack. He came off on 54 minutes and was replaced by George Nott but again another performance that was below par.

5- Barny Langton-Cryer: 6

The second row was starting for the very first time in his Dragons career and alongside his other counterparts it looked like the Cardiff Met University graduate was not out of place. One noticeable strength of his game this afternoon was in defence and that point was backed up after a great hit on Clement Mondinat right at the start of the second half. 

6- George Young: 6

In December 2023, the 23-year-old scored what to date is his only try for Dragons, against Section Paloise in the European Challenge Cup. And this afternoon he started for the very first time this season for the ‘Men of Gwent’. He was great around the breakdown and was decent in defence. 

7- Taine Basham: 7

You can always rely on Basham to have a solid game no matter what, and this afternoon was no different. He carried well getting over the gain line with ease, was great at putting pressure on the visitors attack despite having some sloppy mistakes early in the game. He has to be a definite for next week and with Warren Gatland also being in attendance this afternoon you have to make the argument of him being selected in the Six Nations squad. 

8- Aaron Wainwright: 8

With a lot of Dragons supporters wondering why the 27-year-old was not involved in the matchday 23 when the team was announced on Friday afternoon. He was brought straight into the starting XV after Shane Lewis-Hughes dropped out due to illness. He was solid in defence and one moment that stood out was when he single handedly stopped a powerful driving maul from the visitors which looked like it was cruising over the whitewash.

Replacements:

16- James Benjamin: 4

17- Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths: 4

18- Dmitri Arhip: 4

19- George Nott: 5

20- Dan Lydiate: 5

21- Morgan Lloyd: 4

22- Lloyd Evans: 5

23- Ewan Rosser: 4

EPCR Challenge Cup: Cardiff Rugby player ratings vs USA Perpignan: Sherratt’s Cardiff stunned after narrow defeat in Europe

Cardiff Rugby were outmuscled in Northern Catalonia as Perpignan picked up their first win of this season’s Challenge Cup. Tries from Tommaso Allen, Tavite Veredamu and Lucas Velarte saw the Top 14 side record a narrow 23-20 win at a sun-drenched but windy Stade Aime Giral. 

However, after a quiet start, the Blue and Blacks did make proceedings interesting throughout the second half as tries from Rey Lee-Lo and Johan Mulder saw Cardiff pick another losing bonus point in France. 

USA Perpignan: 23

Tries: Tommaso Allen (39), Tavite Veredamu (49), Lucas Velarte (61)

Conversions: Tommaso Allen (40)

Penalties: Tommaso Allen (3, 48)

Yellow Cards: Jack McIntyre (64)

Cardiff Rugby: 20

Tries: Rey Lee-Lo (43), Johan Mulder (69)

Conversions: Tinus de Beer (43, 70) 

Penalties: Tinus de Beer (35, 53)

 

1-Rhys Barratt: 5

He made his first start for the Blue and Blacks despite having a slow start at scrum where the hosts looked to be capitalising, but the 22-year-old grew into the game and turned that poor start around. He carried well and, on 60 minutes, was replaced by Danny Southworth.

2- Evan Lloyd: 4

He probably can count himself lucky with the new lineout rule being if it’s uncontested and not straight, it’s play on, as the hooker did have a slow start to proceedings at lineout time. He had a great start to the second half where he won a penalty which resulted in putting his side on the front foot. In defence he was solid and was utilised well in attack but overall was average for someone who will be looking at getting into the Welsh team come next week. 

3- Kieron Assiratti: 5

Quite a quiet performance by the tighthead which ended on the hour mark but put in a decent shift. He was great at scrum time using his experience well but that was really it as he didn’t do much in attack. 

4- Josh McNally : 5

Made his return to the starting XV and has been a crucial part of Cardiff’s success this season. However, he had a quiet performance but predominantly was doing a lot of the unseen work at the breakdown. 

5- Teddy Williams (C): 6 

He set the tone for the defence of Cardiff and noticeably he showed his strength in stopping Apisai Naqalevu from crossing early in the second half. Overall led from the front, had his moments but that was really it. 

6- Alex Mann: 5

Made his return to the starting lineup but like many of the players had a quiet game which gives him a low rating. Despite playing the full 80 did a lot of the unseen work and in defence was great value at times.   

7- Dan Thomas: 5

Another one in the pack that had a quiet game, he was solid around the breakdown area and carried well when in attack but again wasn’t the best of performances like many of the forwards. 

8- Alun Lawrence: 7 

Probably one of the standout performers of this Cardiff side this afternoon with his work rate being incredible. In defence he was a great asset and even in attack he read plays well and when he needed to go into contact, he got over the gain line. 

9- Aled Davies: 6 

It was a good performance by Davies, he was switched on when in attack as he was always on the lookout to exploit gaps in the hosts defence. He wasn’t shy in defence but was taken off on 60 minutes, but you must make the argument about him being selected in the Welsh squad for the Six Nations.  

10- Tinus de Beer: 7

Another one that had a standout performance this afternoon mainly from the tee as he went 4/4 and has probably given head coach Matt Sherratt some selection headaches for the game against Connacht next week. But there be some injury concerns he limped off with just minutes left on the clock.

11- Tom Bowen: 6 

Under the high the ball he was quality pressurising the Perpignan backline and in attack he was a great asset. At times in defence, he was narrow but overall had a great showing and for someone who at the start of the season was an unknown for many of us, he is definitely making the argument of being a regular starter for this Cardiff side on a weekly basis. 

12- Rory Jennings: 5 

Out of all the backline probably had one of the quieter performances but in defence he was quality especially when replacement Naqalevu came on the pitch he wasn’t shying away and did not allow him to get over the gain line.  

13- Rey Lee-Lo: 7

The 38-year-old was solid around the breakdown causing the hosts a lot of problems by being a real nuisance. Like his partner in the centre, he was great quality in defence and on 43 minutes crossed the whitewash after showing some pace to power over.  

14- Regan Grace: 5 

The Rugby League convert who had joined from Bath on Monday began his life as a Cardiff player probably not the way he would’ve wanted too. This was down to the fact of knocking the ball on over the tryline on 9 minutes which allowed the hosts to put early pressure on the defence of the Blue and Blacks. When he did have ball in hand, he looked decent but overall was a quiet afternoon for the new signing.  However there may be some concern for selection next week as he did go off relatively early in the second half 

15- Cam Winnett: 4

Probably playing for a place in the starting XV for Wales in Six Nations, Winnett looked to be making the argument for exactly that but he is probably hoping that Warren Gatland and his team were not watching as there was nothing eye catching apart from the odd break in attack.

Replacements: 

16- Dafydd Hughes: 6

17- Danny Southworth: 4 

18- Will Davies-King: 4 

19- Seb Davies: 4 

20- Mackenzie Martin: 5 

21- Johan Mulder: 6 

22- Ben Thomas: 4 

23- Jacob Beetham: 5