Friday Night Double Trouble And There Are Sharks In The Water...
Rhodri Evans
Welcome back to Sportin Wales’ rugby column! Cardiff and Scarlets host Friday night fixtures against Glasgow and Connacht respectively, while Ospreys face a tricky trip to Munster following their excellent win over Stormers last week, and its a battle of the big beasts as the Sharks enter Dragon country.
Top of the table Cardiff face the champions
The URC champions are in town on a Friday night, and no, it isn’t Sione Tuipulotu’s stag do…
The Scotland centre skippers a strong Glasgow Warriors side aiming to end Cardiff’s 100% record so far this season. He is joined in midfield by his international teammate Huw Jones as Tom Jordan moves back to his preferred position of flyhalf.
For Cardiff, Harri Millard comes in for Iwan Stephens in the only change to the XV, with new halfback partnership Callum Sheedy and Aled Davies keeping their spots ahead of Ellis Bevan and Tinus de Beer.
After coming back from 15-0 down in 11 minutes last time out at Scarlets, Cardiff will be looking to avenge their own lead-slip the last time these two played. A 13-0 halftime lead in Glasgow was eroded by the champions and Cardiff were eventually beaten 17-13 in March.
Teams
Cardiff Rugby: Cam Winnett; Mason Grady, Ray Lee-lo, Ben Thomas, Harri Millard; Callum Sheedy, Aled Davies; Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher (capt), Kieron Assiratti; Josh McNally, Teddy Williams; Ben Donnell, Dan Thomas, Aled Lawrence.
Replacements: Evan Lloyd, Ed Byrne, Rhys Litterick, Rory Thornton, Mackenzie Martin, Ellis Bevan, Tinus de Beer, Gabe Hamer-Webb
Glasgow Warriors: Josh McKay; Kyle Rowe, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (capt), Facundo Cordero; Tom Jordan, Jamie Dobie; Rory Sutherland, Johnny Matthews, Sam Talalkai; Alex Samuel, Scott Cummings; Gregor Brown, Matt Fagerson, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Gregor Hiddleston, Jamie Bhatti, Patrick Schickerling, Richie Gray, Max Williamson, Euan Ferrie, Ben Afshar, Duncan Weir.
Scarlets Look to Upset Form Book
Scarlets, still looking for a first win of the season after a draw at Benetton and a loss at home to Cardiff, face Connacht at Parc Y Scarlets on Friday night.
Connacht have an excellent record against Welsh opponents – they have won their last 10 fixtures against Welsh regions – and have a strong team travelling to Llanelli, with Irish internationals Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen, and Finlay Bealham all in the starting XV.
For Dwayne Peel’s side, they welcome back Ioan Nicholas and Sam Lousi, who come straight into the side at fullback and second row respectively.
New props Alec Hepburn and Henry Thomas start together for the first time and have been brought in to bring stability to a scrum that was Scarlets’ biggest issue last season.
In the back row, captain Josh Macleod is joined by Dan Davies and Taine Plumtree. Davis and Macleod started five games in a row together between January and March 2019 and have then only been in the same starting back row five more times since, a total of 120 games. Hat-tip to the excellent Russ Petty for that one!
Teams
Scarlets: Ioan Nicholas; Tom Rogers, Johnny Williams, Eddie James, Blair Murray; Sam Costelow, Gareth Davies; Alec Hepburn, Ryan Elias, Henry Thomas; Sam Lousi, Max Douglas; Josh Macleod (capt), Dan Davis, Taine Plumtree.
Replacements: Marnus van der Merwe, Kemsley Mathias, Sam Wainwright, Alex Craig, Carwyn Tuipulotu, Efan Jones, Ioan Lloyd, Macs Page.
Connacht: Santiago Cordero; Mack Hansen, Cathal Forde, Bundee Aki, Piers O’Conor; Jack Carty, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Niall Murray, David O’Connor; Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast (capt).
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Temi Lasisi, Oisin Dowling, Paul Boyle, Caolin Blade, David Hawkshaw, Shayne Bolton.
Wales Women Look To Bounce Back From Australia Setback
Rewind a week and Wales women were heading to South Africa full of confidence. A first ever win over their first opponents, Australia, at Rodney Parade was a massive confidence boost for a side that was clearly lacking during the 2024 Six Nations and their 40-14 friendly defeat to Scotland a week before.
All that work seemed to have left them once again as a positive first period performance (10-5) was undermined by a dismal second half display, leading to a disappointing 37-5 defeat in their first WXV2 match.
Wales have a good record against their opponents on Friday, Italy, having beaten them in their two most recent Six Nations meetings. The most recent of which was a hugely emotional 22-20 win at the Principality Stadium in front of a record crowd.
That result may well have saved head coach Ioan Cunningham his job and the scenes on the final whistle showed the relief within the camp after ending a run of seven straight defeats.
Captain Hannah Jones returns to the centres after overcoming a calf injury, while Sisilia Tuipulotu is on the bench, having been delayed in her travel to South Africa due to a visa issue.
Teams
Wales: Jasmine Joyce; Carys Cox, Hannah Jones (capt), Kerin Lake, Nel Metcalfe; Lleucu George, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Carys Phillips, Donna Rose, Natalia John, Georgia Evans, Alisha Butchers, Alex Callender, Bethan Lewis.
Replacements: Molly Reardon, Maisie Davies, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Alaw Pyrs, Kate Williams, Sian Jones, Kayleigh Powell, Courtney Keight.
Italy: Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi; Aura Muzzo, Michela Sillari, Beatrice Rigoni, Francesca Grantzotto; Emma Stevanin, Sofia Stefan, Silvia Turani, Vittoria Vecchini, Sara Seye, Valeria Fedrighi, Giordana Duca, Sara Tounesi, Francesca Sgorbini, Elisa Giodano (capt).
Replacements: Laura Gurioli, Emanuela Stecca, Vittoria Zanette, Alessandra Frangipani, Alissa Ranuccini, Beatrice Veronese, Sara Mannini, Beatrice Capomaggi.
Dragons Host The Sharks In the Battle of the Big Beasts
While the Lions and Bulls certainly have a claim, and Zebres are certainly not to be missed with, none of the teams competing in the URC can come close to Dragons and Sharks in terms of size and ferocity.
After Dragons’ momentous opening weekend win over Ospreys, Dai Flanagan’s men faced a tough trip to Dublin which ended in a 34-6 defeat to Leinster.
With two home games on the bounce coming up against Sharks and Lions, the Newport-based region have the chance to build some momentum against two sides that have proved to be inconsistent in recent times.
Teams
Dragons: Angus O’Brien; Rio Dyer, Harry Wilson, Aneurin Owen, Jared Rosser; Lloyd Evans, Rhodri Williams; Rhodri Jones, Brodie Coghlan, Leon Brown; Matthew Screech, Ben Carter (capt); Shane Lewis-Hughes, Taine Basham, Dan Lydiate.
Replacements: Oli Burrows, Rodrigo Martinez, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, Ryan Woodman, Dane Blacker, Will Reed, Joe Westwood.
Sharks: Jordan Hendrikse; Eduan Keyter, Jurenzo Julius, Andre Esterhuizen, Ethan Hooker; Siya Masuku, Jaden Hendrikse; Ntuthuko Mchunu, Dylan Richardson, Ruan Dreyer; Jason Jenkins, Gerbrandt Grobler; James Venter, Vincent Tshituka (capt), Manu Tshituka.
Replacements: Fez Mbatha, Trevor Nyakane, Hanro Jacobs, Corne Rahl, Phepsi Buthelezi, Cameron Wright, Lionel Cronje, Francois Venter.
Ospreys face hurting Munster in Cork
It’s not often that a Welsh side travels to Cork with a genuine opportunity to make some history.
Ospreys face a Munster side still wounded from their shock 42-33 to Zebre last weekend.
The Irish club have conceded 75 points so far this season, giving Toby Booth’s side a chance to record a first win at Munster since 2014.
New centre Phil Cokanasiga comes into the side at inside centre, with Keiran Williams dropping to the bench. Elsewhere, Max Nagy returns at 15, while Iestyn Hopkins replaces Luke Morgan on the wing.
In the pack, Steffan Thomas is handed a first start since his move from Scarlets and Sam Parry returns to the bench. Justin Tipuric misses out as James Ratti moves from second row to blindside flanker and Huw Sutton comes into the XV.
Teams
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Bryan Fitzgerald, Shay McCarthy; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Oli Jager; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Gavin Coombes, Conor Murray, Tony Butler, Jack Daly.
Ospreys: Max Nagy; Iestyn Hopkins, Owen Watkin, Phil Cokanasiga, Ryan Conbeer; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Steffan Thomas, Dewi Lake, Tom Botha; Huw Sutton, Adam Beard; James Ratti, Jac Morgan (capt), Morgan Morris.
Replacements: Sam Parry, Garyn Phillips, Ben Warren, Lewis Jones, Harri Deaves, Luke Davies, Jack Walsh, Keiran Williams.
Fixtures
Friday
Wales vs Italy
Cardiff Rugby vs Connacht
Scarlets vs Glasgow Warriors
Saturday
Dragons vs Sharks
Munster vs Ospreys
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Stevie Williams Caps Sensational Year With Tour of Britain Victory
Rhodri Evans
As Stevie Williams rode triumphantly into the small Suffolk town of Felixstowe, his overwhelming feeling was one of relief.
Having led the Tour of Britain from the second stage onwards, Williams had the difficult task of defending – and extending – his lead for the remainder of the week.
The man from Aberystwyth, though, was more than up to the task, winning Britain’s biggest road race for the first time in his career.
“This year, the race was laid out quite a lot differently to previous editions,” Williams explains.
“It was front-heavy for once, which suited me. Winning stage two and three put me in a great position.
“After that, we had to defend hard, and I have my team to thank for helping over the line in the end.”
Williams is effusive in his praise for his team. Having joined Israel-Premier Tech in 2023, Williams gone from strength to strength.
“Having a strong team is crucial,” Williams says.
“At the end of the day, you can be as good as you like as a leader, you can do your thing at the end of stages, but you need your team with you when you’re getting attacked left, right, and centre.
“To have five really strong guys in Simon [Clarke], Nick [Schultz], Ethan [Vernon], Jake [Stewart], and Joe [Blackmore] is a massive boost.
“To see how hard they worked for the team and for me that week was really nice.”
With such a dominant performance, one would think that Williams and the team would have spent the next couple of days celebrating. But, with the Autumn classics to prepare for, Williams and his team all had flights to catch almost immediately after.
“There wasn’t much time for celebrations, to be honest,” Williams laments.
“It was a bit of a strange feeling on the Sunday. Winning in cycling is very different to other sports.
“We have the presentation, but then media and doping control doesn’t let you go for a couple of hours.
“Speaking a couple of weeks later, though, I have such good feelings from the Tour of Britain. It doesn’t get much better than winning your home race.”
For Williams, Tour of Britain victory has capped a sensational year for the 28-year-old, following an extended period where he struggled through injury.
Williams made his breakthrough in 2018, when he won stage five of the Giro Ciclistico d’Italia or ‘Baby Giro’ but could not kick on following his early victory.
His pro career had to be put on hold for 18 months when he suffered a serious knee problem, undergoing surgery to remove the small fabella bone from his left knee in November 2019.
Williams, though, is confident that he has put those difficult years behind him now and has hit the peak of his powers in 2024.
“The past is the past,” Williams reflects.
“What’s happened with injuries and stuff obviously hasn’t been ideal. It was quite a difficult first few years of my career, but I’m in a completely different place now.
“I feel like I’m back to my best, in the elite category now. Winning some of the biggest races has just confirmed that in my mind.”
Williams started the year in the best way possible: victory in January at the Tour Down Under.
Coming from behind to win the final stage and take the general classification, that particular victory was a sweet one for the 28-year-old.
“These one-week races that come down to seconds are pretty much bread and butter for me,” Williams says.
“Winning it in the way I did, climbing Mount Lofty in the leader’s jersey, was a really nice moment.
“To win in Australia, the first world race of the season, was amazing. I won’t forget that one for a while.”
Another strong performance, this time at the Volta a Catalunya in March, proved that Williams was one to watch for the year, with the Classics season approaching and the Tour de France.
His next victory, though, did not come in a week-long race, but a one-day: La Flèche Wallonne.
The first British cyclist to win La Flèche, Williams battled the elements on an elongated course.
Having broken away on the penultimate ascent of the Mur de Huy, it was the final metres where he made his legs tell.
Williams exploded from a reduced peloton with 300 metres to go, leaving former Giro d’Italia winner Richard Carapaz amongst others in his wake, for what was arguably the biggest win of his career.
“The Ardennes Classics are the holy grail for me and the sort of rider I am,” Williams says.
“I knew I was in good shape heading into the Ardennes. To be honest, I knew I could have a day when it became a bit of a mess and a true classic.
“It was a whitling down process and as soon as I went over the Mur de Huy the first time, I knew I had the legs, from about 100k out.
“To win La Flèche in those conditions, it doesn’t get much better. No bike race is easy to win and that one was a real tough one. To get my hands up at the end was very special.”
Following a second victory of 2024, Williams was selected to be part of Israel-Premier Tech’s team for his first Tour de France.
A second-place finish on stage three of the Tour de Suisse proved to be good preparation, as Williams acquitted himself well for a debutant, even earning a new contract during the Tour.
“It was a pleasure to race at the Tour,” Williams says.
“It’s very different to every other race you’ll do, so to get the experience of doing it was great.
“Suffering heat stroke on the first weekend wasn’t ideal, and the climbs were just a little long for me at this point in my career. Coming back next year, I’ll be stage hunting.
“I feel like being with Israel Premier-Tech is one of the main reasons why I’ve stepped up so much, physically and performance-wise.
“We’ve proved this year that we’re able to compete at the highest level against the best riders in the world when we come together. It’s exciting.”
Williams did not have much time to reflect on a first Tour de France, as he was plunged straight into preparation for the Olympic Road Race.
While finishing in 31st place was not in his plan, Williams is proud to say that he competed at an Olympics.
“To finish a three-week race like the Tour de France and then a weekend and a half later, try and wrap your head around going to Paris for the Olympics was so tough,” Williams admits.
“The Olympics was a great moment for me and my family. To get both that and the Tour ticked off in one summer was an amazing feeling.”
Despite his many successes, the cycling season is not quite over yet for Williams.
At the start of October, he and the Great British team will be in Zurich for the World Championships, before he hops over the Alps for the Trittico di Autunno: Giro del Piemonte, Giro di Lombardia, and Milano-Torino.
With another exciting year to look forward to, Williams has one goal on his mind for 2025: win a stage at the Tour de France.
“It’s the biggest bike race in the world,” Williams says with a smile.
“It doesn’t get much bigger or better than that.”
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TNS Make History And Cardiff Finally Win But More Managerial Uncertainty Follows
Rhodri Evans
Cardiff City earnt a massive win in the context of their season on Tuesday night, with Perry Ng’s header settling the result at the Cardiff City Stadium against Millwall.
Ng, who was Cardiff’s top scorer in the Championship last season from right-back, towered over the Millwall defence to nod home from a corner five minutes before the interval.
While a first league win of the season is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for Cardiff, the capital side still have many questions surrounding who will take charge of the team going forward into the rest of the season.
With an international break coming up after the Severnside Derby at Bristol City on Sunday, it is likely that a permanent manager will be announced after that.
Omer Riza, who has taken charge of their recent two fixtures, has a perfect opportunity to win over the fans (and the board) with another win in Bristol but Cardiff may choose to look elsewhere.
According to DragonBet’s latest odds, Riza and Wales assistant coach James Rowberry are favourites at 4/1, with the likes of Mark Hughes (9/2), Steven Schumacher (5/1)m Freyr Alexandersson (9/1), and Nathan Jones (9/1) all trailing close behind.
Whoever Cardiff go to, stability is key to turning around their fortunes in the Championship.
TNS Make History in Florence
Despite losing 2-0 out in Florence, TNS’ performance over Italian giants Fiorentina was the talk of Welsh football on Thursday night.
75% possession painted a mis-leading picture of purple dominance, but at halftime Fiorentina had only mustered two shots on target and, crucially, had not scored yet.
On the 65th minute, the home side did eventually break the green and white dam when Yacine Adli’s left footed strike found the bottom corner. Three minutes later, former-Everton player Moise Kean sealed the result.
With more than twenty minutes to go, one could have forgiven TNS if they had let the occasion get to them, leading to a bigger score line than their resolve suggested. But no, the Cymru Premier side were a credit to the league, battening down the hatches for one last Fiorentina attack before the final whistle.
It seems strange to say after being beaten pretty soundly, but TNS will pick up points in Europe in the coming months. Fiorentina, along with Chelsea and Real Betis, are by far the strongest sides in the competition and with the likes of Astana (Kazakhstan), Shamrock Rovers (Ireland), Djurgården (Sweden), and NK Celje (Slovenia) to come, TNS will be targeting a first win in a ‘proper’ stage of European competition.
Joe Allen Returns To Wales As Swansea Lose At The Blades
While the news that Joe Allen has come out of international retirement to join up with Craig Bellamy’s Wales squad has dominated Swansea conversation over the last couple of days, their defeat at Sheffield United was a tough one to take given the close nature of the score line.
The result, settled by a Josh Tymon own goal on the stroke of halftime, was a tight defeat but Swansea’s performance was encouraging. 66% possession away at one of the favourites for promotion is a strong indication of Luke Williams’ ideas working in the biggest games.
However, the Swans only had eight shots to United’s 15, with Myles Pear-Harris missing a glorious opportunity minutes before the decisive goal.
With Swansea hosting one of Allen’s former clubs – Stoke City – on Saturday, it is the perfect chance for the diminutive midfielder to show that he is ready to be plunged straight back into international action, especially after the news of Ethan Ampadu’s injury keeping him out until the New Year.
A Rare Feeling For Wrexham
Wrexham fans experienced a strange, unfamiliar feeling on Tuesday evening: defeat.
Louis Thompson’s powerful effort won the match for Stevenage over Wrexham, who experienced just their second defeat of the season and third in their last 17 league games.
Despite the loss, Wrexham have not fallen in the table and remain in second, albeit now five points adrift of leaders Birmingham City, who also have a game in hand.
After a very good run of injury luck, Wrexham now have defender Max Cleworth and midfielder George Evans out for an unknown period of time. Phil Parkinson will have to use his squad wisely as midweek fixtures begin to start in earnest.
County Find Form Against Salford
First half goals from Kyle Hudlin and Aaron Wildig gave Newport County a solid platform before substitute Michael Spellman put the game to bed in a 3-1 win over Salford City on Tuesday evening.
Such is County’s fluctuation in form this season, they have now won back-to-back league games following three straight defeats. These latest wins leave them ninth in the table, a point away from the play-off places and just three from the automatic spots.
Potential European Qualification Has Tongues Wagging
Earlier this week, the news came out that the four Welsh EFL clubs were in contact with the FAW about entering the Welsh League Cup and potentially qualify for European competition – specifically, the Europa Conference League.
Currently the only way for Wrexham, Swansea, Cardiff, and Newport to play in Europe is via the Premier League, FA Cup, or EFL Cup. Swansea played in the Europa League during the 2013/14 campaign, following their EFL Cup in the season before.
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has openly said that the chance to qualify for Europe would be a ‘fantastic’ opportunity and that he hopes that ‘Proseict Cymru’ comes to fruition.
Nelson Jardim, manager at Newport, was slightly more coy on the news, suggesting that the club have not been contacted by the FAW about the proposal.
Certainly, having the EFL club back in Welsh cup competition would be a boost for the Welsh pyramid, but the cost of potentially losing a European place would be an interesting price to pay for it.
Certainly a fascinating time in Welsh football!
Results
Tuesday
Cardiff City 1-0 Millwall
Stevenage 1-0 Wrexham
Newport County 3-1 Salford City
Wednesday
Sheffield United 1-0 Swansea City
Thursday
Fiorentina 2-0 The New Saints
Fixtures
Friday
Bala Town vs Haverfordwest County
Connah’s Quay Nomads vs Aberystwyth Town
Newtown vs Flint Town United
Penybont vs Barry Town United
Saturday
Cardiff Met vs Caernarfon Town
Swansea City vs Stoke City
Wrexham vs Northampton Town
Sunday
Briton Ferry vs The New Saints
Bristol City vs Cardiff City
The New Saints vs Briton Ferry Llansawel
Cardiff Met vs Barry Town United
Aberystwyth Town vs Wrexham
Swansea City vs Cardiff City
Monday
Bradford City vs Newport County
If you want to read more pieces from Sportin Wales, why not read to our monthly magazine here or subscribe to the magazine and newsletter at https://sportin.wales/subscribe/.
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Career Year: Colin Ingram's Remarkable 2024
Rhodri Evans
In a world of franchise leagues and increasingly exhausting international commitments, it is rare to find a county overseas pro who comes back year on year.
Pakistani batsman Shan Masood is captain of Yorkshire but has only been ensconced at Headingley for two years, while tweaker Simon Harmer of Essex has been at Chelmsford since 2017.
Despite an impressive international and T20 league career, 39-year-old Colin Ingram stands out as a proper old-fashioned overseas pro in the modern county game.
Every April since 2015, the left-handed batter has turned up at Sophia Gardens and gone about his run scoring in a familiar, boundary-laden style.
Ingram, who has 40 caps for South Africa – all in white ball cricket – has taken his ball-striking ability all over the world: Delhi Capitals, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Hobart Hurricanes, Islamabad United, to name a few, have all benefited from the services of the South African.
None have welcomed him quite like Glamorgan. After a period where he played just one County Championship match in four years, between 2018 and 2022, the leftie has been an important part of the Glamorgan middle order ever since.
Prior to this season, an average of 39.24, with seven hundreds told a story of a solid operator, able to accumulate runs at a decent rate.
In previous seasons, Ingram’s talent was always more suited to the white ball side of the game. Excellent averages of 65.91 in List A and 33.33 in T20s proved as much.
Four successive One-Day Player of the Year awards underlined his importance to Glamorgan.
2024, though, has been the year of the red ball for Ingram. Against Leicestershire in August, Ingram passed 1,000 first-class runs in just 13 innings this season, the fewest ever to reach the landmark.
In doing so, Ingram broke another famous Glamorgan overseas batter’s record: Majid Khan had reached 1,000 runs in 15 innings in 1972.
The innings that broke a Glamorgan record, also broke a personal one for Ingram. The 257* was his first double hundred in his fifteenth year of professional cricket.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” says Ingram.
“This season has seen a number of firsts for me, and I just tried to keep it really simple and work in partnerships and push the game forward.
“We have talked about trying to get in front of the game and after yesterday’s great bowling performance we needed to knuckle down and push ourselves forward.”
Ingram’s overall record this season is best-in-class: 1351 runs at an average of 90.06, with five hundreds and six fifties.
He is the top run scorer in Division Two and second overall in the country, behind Durham’s David Bedingham.
Ingram’s remarkable form has earnt him a place on the shortlist for the 2024 Professional Cricketers’ Association player of the year, alongside England’s Joe Root and Gus Atkinson, and Hampshire’s Liam Dawson.
“I’m not someone who pays a massive amount of attention to records and I was totally unaware that I became the quickest Glamorgan player to 1,000 runs,” Ingram adds.
“I’ve touched an average of 40, which has taken me 19 years, to tick off a 200, which is something I’ve always wanted to do, makes me very happy.”
Ingram’s season started with a bang. His first eight scores of the season read: 132*, 30, 51, 82, 11*, 48, 113, and 170.
With the extent of Ingram’s form, it is difficult to imagine that, in May, he was ‘rested’ from the side when Glamorgan had three overseas players to fit into two positions in the side.
Marnus Labuschagne, Australia’s number three and one of the most accomplished batters in the world, and Pakistani international Mir Hamza were preferred to Ingram for a game against Leicestershire in May.
Following that game, Ingram re-established himself as the premier batter in the side with that 257* and has not been out of the side since.
White-ball runs are to be expected, and his calming presence in the one-day side has helped his side to the final of the One-Day Cup against Somerset where he scored 11 in a fine win for the county.
A second trophy win in four years, both win Ingram playing important roles, has underlined his value to Glamorgan as an overseas player.
However, with Glamorgan finishing the season in mid-table of Division Two, individual performances can sometimes get lost in amongst the jumble of draws, wins, and loses.
This season, though, no one connected to Glamorgan will forget the form of Colin ‘Kingram’.
If you want to read more pieces from Sportin Wales, why not read to our monthly magazine here or subscribe to the magazine and newsletter at https://sportin.wales/subscribe/.
Our podcast is back for the new season and our co-founder Alex Cuthbert is in charge! You can find all the episodes here or the video versions on our YouTube channel.
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Change In The Dugout For Cardiff While Newport Beat Crewe
Rhodri Evans
Despite sacking Erol Bulut last week, there was no change to the results for Cardiff City as interim coach Omer Riza’s first match in charge ended in a disappointing 4-1 defeat at Hull City.
Elsewhere Swansea and Wrexham draw and Newport upset the form book with an excellent 2-1 home win over Crewe Alexandra.
Read on for all that as well as the latest Adran Premier and Cyrmu Prem action. It’s the Sportin Wales weekend football round-up!
Cardiff Finally Score But Do Not Get First Win
After 18 minutes at the MKM Stadium, one would be able to forgive Cardiff fans for celebrating Callum Robinson’s emphatic opener a little too hard as their lead only lasted four minutes.
Bachir Belloumi hit back for the hosts with a brace, before Oscar Zambrano and Chris Bedia added gloss to the score line in the second half.
Cardiff, with Portsmouth, are the only sides not to have won so far this season in the Championship and Riza’s displayed familiar frailty at the back and a lack of ideas going forward.
After the match, Riza confirmed that he expects to still be in charge for Cardiff’s next match – at home to Millwall on Tuesday evening – and Bluebird fans will be looking for something different if they are to back the former Watford coach for the permanent role.
Swans Pegged Back By Bristol
Swansea’s recent league momentum took a slight hit on Sunday afternoon as they drew 1-1 at home against Bristol City.
Ben Cabango, who is having an excellent season at the Swansea.com Stadium, poked in from a corner after 15 minutes to give the Swans the lead, but the home side could not wrestle full control of the match from Bristol City.
After trading blows to the post, Lawrence Vigouroux continued his fine form with a stunning close-range save from Sinclair Armstrong’s volley.
The visitor’s pressure finally tolled in the second half as Jason Knight headed in Scott Twine’s corner to steal a point.
With manager Luke Williams cutting a very disappointed figure after the match, it is clear that he has high ambitions for this Swansea squad, and needs his players to be more consistent if they are to push for a play-off place.
Wrexham Held By Orient For A Stalemate
It is a rare thing when Wrexham do not score. It has only happened twice so far this season and Phil Parkinson was very aware of Leyton Orient’s quality in valuing a point gained on the road.
“I don’t think you can ever devalue a point on your travels,” the Wrexham boss said.
“We didn’t get the control we’d have liked until we made the change on 60 minutes. George Evans gave us that extra pass, which we were crying out for and then really in that last 25 or 30 minutes I thought we were the team who were going to go and win the game.”
With Paul Mullin still not fit enough to regularly start, Wrexham’s midfield and attack reverted back to their usual quintet. Perhaps sides have started to cotton on to the way Parkinson wants his side to play.
With the strength in their squad, though, Wrexham should have enough to continue their push for a third successive promotion, despite this slight setback.
Newport Best Crewe To Upset The Form Book
County put their recent defeats behind them to beat Crewe Alexandra 2-1 on Saturday.
Goals from Cameron Evans in the first half and Wales U21 captain Matthew Baker in the second gave the Exiles their first league victory in September, propelling them back up League Two after three successive defeats.
Beating a side of the quality of Crewe is a big boost for new manager Nelson Jardim and his squad, who have now won four and lost four in their opening eight league games.
TNS Returning To Winning Ways
Newtown were the unfortunate victims of a TNS side determined to return to winning form on Friday night, as they put six past the Newtown defence.
With the backdrop of imminent restructuring of the Cymru Prem to expand the number of side from 12 to 16 from 2026/27 onwards, newly-promoted sides Briton Ferry and Flint Town continued their resurgence.
Flint Town held league leaders Penybont for 70 minutes before losing 1-0, while Briton Ferry earnt a creditable 2-2 draw at home to Bala Town.
Those recent results mean that Aberystwyth Town have slipped to the bottom of the table, themselves losing 1-0 at Barry Town on Friday night.
Elsewhere, there were wins for Haverfordwest County over Cardiff Met (1-0) and Caernarfon against Connah’s Quay (3-1).
Briton Ferry Top of Adran Premier
Briton Ferry thrashed Cardiff Met 5-0 to leapfrog Cardiff City and go top of the Adran Premier after three games.
Cardiff’s 2-0 win over TNS leaves them six goals behind on goal difference, having also won their first three games of the season.
At the bottom, Wrexham’s 2-3 home defeat to Swansea City leaves them without a point so far this season, while the Swans are hot on the heels of the leaders.
In the other game this weekend, Barry Town recorded a first win of the season over winless Aberystwyth.
Results
Friday
Barry Town United 1-0 Aberystwyth Town
Haverfordwest County 1-0 Cardiff Met
Newtown 1-6 The New Saints
Saturday
Hull City 4-1 Cardiff City
Leyton Orient 0-0 Wrexham
Newport County 2-1 Crewe Alexandra
Briton Ferry 2-2 Bala Town
Flint Town United 0-1 Penybont
Caernarfon 3-1 Connah’s Quay Nomads
Sunday
Swansea City 1-1 Bristol City
Briton Ferry Llansawel 5-0 Cardiff Met
Barry Town United 4-0 Aberystwyth Town
Cardiff City 2-0 The New Saints
Wrexham 2-3 Swansea City
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Cardiff Mount Comeback And Ospreys Find A Way
Rhodri Evans
We were treated to another fantastic rugby weekend in Wales, as Ospreys found a way yet again, this time against the Stormers, Cardiff mounted a fantastic comeback over Scarlets, and Dragons were brought back down to earth by Leinster.
Elsewhere, Australia took revenge on Wales women in the WXV2 opener in South Africa, and there was an almost-full round of Super Rygbi Cymru after Newport’s trip to Aberavon succumbed to the rain on Thursday evening.
Young Halfbacks Lead The Way For Ospreys
Ospreys were magnificent in Bridgend on Saturday night as they ran out 37-24 winners over strong South African outfit Stormers.
The visitors started strongly, leading 3-13 after 25 minutes before Owen Watkins break and captain Jac Morgan’s bundle over reduced the arrears before halftime.
A Damian Willemse drop-goal gave the Stormers a six-point cushion, but the Ospreys ‘stormed’ back (sorry). Ospreys two young halfbacks led the charge, Reuben Morgan-Williams crashing over before Dan Edwards converted a drop-goal of his own to take Ospreys into the lead. for the first time.
They then combined in emphatic style for the third try. An over-thrown lineout was collected by Keiran Williams who offloaded for a breaking Morgan-Williams. The scrumhalf chipped ahead of the cover defence, collected and offloaded himself to the arriving Edwards for a stunning score.
Stormers showed their quality, with a JD Schickerling try bringing the game back to within one score.
As the game wound down though, the soon-to-be retiring Justin Tipuric showed why he will be missed so much. His grubber kick found touch right on the five metre line, before he wrapped up the South African ball-carrier at the subsequent lineout, forcing a turnover.
Moments later, and with the clock in the red, Ospreys maul looked destined for the line before being illegally collapsed, giving them a penalty try and the bonus point victory.
With Autumn Internationals only a few weeks away, the performances of Edwards and Morgan-Williams will no doubt have peaked the interest of Warren Gatland and his coaching staff, who have tried and failed in conjure a halfback partnership as slick and accurate as the two youngsters.
Cardiff Mount Comeback To Sink Scarlets
After a horror opening ten minutes where Scarlets stormed out of the traps to lead 15-0, Cardiff came back to win 15-24 as they scored four unanswered tries at Parc Y Scarlets.
Macs Page, continuing his excellent form from last weekend, scored after a remarkable 14 seconds to gave the host an early lead. Cardiff attempted a little trick play from the kick-off, with Callum Sheedy handing it off to Ben Thomas.
The inside centre’s kick was plucked out of the sky by a flying Tom Rogers whose own kick landed fortuitously in the hands of Page. The teenagers had a clean run-in to score and give Scarlets the perfect start.
Wales forward Taine Plumtree, who had an excellent game at number eight, scored a second ten minutes later after the returning Sam Costelow flung a wide pass to the Swansea-born man to crash over.
At 15-0 down, Cardiff could’ve collapsed, but they rallied to score two tries of their own before halftime.
A rolling maul try, marshalled by the excellent Josh McNally, gave skipper Liam Belcher a first try since November last year before Cam Winnett’s lovely line break and assist for the ever-willing Mason Grady to bring the game within one score.
Harri Millard scored the visitors third try after the break, finishing a straight forward move while Scarlets were briefly down to 13 men. Costelow then missed a relatively simple penalty that would’ve given the hosts the lead again.
Ben Thomas, impressive again from inside centre, confirmed the victory with a slightly shambolic try ‘set-up’ by Mason Grady’s fumble.
Back-to-back five-point wins for Cardiff mean that they sit top of the URC, level with Leinster at this early stage.
Dragons Suffer Under The Leinster Pressure Machine
Speaking of Leinster, the Irish region ran out 34-6 winners at the Aviva Stadium on Friday, bringing Dragons back down to earth after a dream start to the season.
With a six-day turnaround and a trip out to Dublin, one could forgive Dragons somewhat for their slightly lacklustre second half performance.
After propelling most blue attacks in the second and going into the sheds with the score a creditable 10-6, Dragons faded in the second half, with Leinster eventually running in six tries in total.
With back-to-back home matches against South African sides Sharks and Lions, both of whom lost more matches than they won last season, Dragons have the chance to bounce back and show that fight that they displayed against Ospreys can continue throughout this season.
Australia Avenge Last Week’s Loss In South Africa
After beating Australia for the first time in their history last week, Wales fell to a 37-5 defeat out in South Africa in the first match of their WXV2 campaign.
After matching Australia blow-for-blow in the first half, going into halftime 10-5 down, Wales familiar second half failings reared it’s head, as the Wallaroos ran in four tries in the second period.
Shorn of their most impactful front five player Sisilia Tuipulotu due to a visa issue delaying her arrival in South Africa, Wales struggled at set piece and in defence.
In the wake of 37 new professional contracts, with the WRU proudly proclaiming the squad as one of the highest paid in the world, this latest set back will leave a bitter taste in Ioan Cunningham’s mouth.
With kinder fixtures against Italy and Japan still to come, Wales can yet turn their form around ahead of a massive 2025 which includes a Six Nations and Rugby World Cup.
Newport Stay Top Despite Match Postponed
Despite their clash with Aberavon succumbing to the weather on Thursday night, Newport stayed top of Super Rygbu Cymru thanks to the early competitiveness of the new league.
Only Swansea are yet to record a victory in their opening three games, but pushed Bridgend hard on Saturday, losing 24-27 at home.
Elsewhere, there were strong performances from RGC over Pontypool (61-42) and Carmarthen Quins at home to Cardiff RFC (31-19), while the game of the weekend was Ebbw Vale’s high scoring win over Llandovery, with the score eventually settling at 38-29.
This weekend’s results leaves four teams on 11 points at the top of the table, and Ebbw Vale close behind on 10.
Results
Friday
Leinster 34-6 Dragons
Saturday
Australia 37-5 Wales
Scarlets 15-24 Cardiff
Carmarthen Quins 31-19 Cardiff RFC
Ebbw Vale 38-29 Llandovery
RGC 61-42 Pontypool
Swansea RFC 24-27 Bridgend Ravens
Ospreys 37-24 Stormers
If you want to read more pieces from Sportin Wales, why not read to our monthly magazine here or subscribe to the magazine and newsletter at https://sportin.wales/subscribe/.
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Dragons Face Toughest Test And Another Welsh Derby!
Rhodri Evans
After an excellent first weekend of URC action for the Welsh sides – particularly the Dragons – the message from all four coaches is to go again and back up the performances and build consistency.
Whether they can do that is yet to be seen, but with another Welsh derby on the horizon and tough matches for Dragons and Ospreys, there is much to look forward to this weekend.
Dragons Look To Back Up Derby Win in Dublin
Following their last-gasp win over Ospreys on Saturday, Dragons face the toughest test in the URC this weekend as they travel to Dublin to face Leinster.
Leinster, who beat Edinburgh 31-33 in thrilling fashion last Friday night, have an excellent record at the Aviva Stadium and backing up the Ospreys win will be a difficult ask for Dai Flanagan’s men.
Dragons have made changes to their midfield, with Steff Hughes and debutant Harry Wilson coming in for young duo Aneurin Owen and Joe Westwood. Elsewhere, Chris Coleman comes in at tighthead for Leon Brown, and George Nott replaces Matthew Screech in the second row.
While the mood around Rodney Parade is positive, Dragons’ record in Dublin is poor. Dragons have never begun a championship campaign with a pair of victories and have not won successive URC fixtures since March 2021.
Their only previous victory on Leinster soil was 16-14 in February 2015 with the Irish side having won their last 13 meetings with Dragons since the Welsh side’s 23-13 victory at Rodney Parade in January 2016.
Leinster: Jamie Osborne; Jordan Larmour, Liam Turner, Charlie Tector; Jimmy O’Brien; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath Cian Healy, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson, Brian Deeny, James Ryan, Max Deegan, Will Connors, Jack Conan (capt).
Replacements: Lee Barron, Michael Milne, Rabah Slimani, Joe McCarthy, Josh van der Flier, Fintan Gunne, Harry Byrne, Aitzol King.
Dragons: Angus O’Brien; Rio Dyer, Harry Wilson, Steff Hughes, Jared Rosser; Lloyd Evans, Dane Blacker; Rodrigo Martinez, Brodie Coghlan, Chris Coleman, Ben Carter (capt), George Nott, Ryan Woodman, Harri Keddie, Shane Lewis-Hughes.
Replacements: Oli Burrows, Rhodri Jones, Luke Yendle, Matthew Screech, George Young, Rhodri Williams, Joe Westwood, Ewan Rosser.
Another Saturday Afternoon Welsh Derby
Cardiff, the other Welsh side to record a victory on the opening weekend of the URC, travel west to Llanelli for another Welsh derby on Saturday afternoon.
The Black and Blues sit atop the URC table thanks to a bonus point victory over Zebre that featured tries from Cam Winnett as well as debutant Iwan Stephens, Dan Thomas, and Josh McNally.
They face Scarlets, who earnt a very creditable draw out in Treviso, ending the game with a heroic defensive display to end the match 20-20.
Vaea Fifita is a casualty from that match, but they do welcome back captain Josh Macleod after a nine-month absence following a knee injury suffered in January. Macleod is one of a number who are back in red this weekend, with props Henry Thomas and Alec Hepburn also in the 23.
Scarlets: Ioan Lloyd; Tom Rogers, Macs Page, Johnny Williams, Blair Murray; Sam Costelow, Gareth Davies; Kemsley Mathias, Ryan Elias, Henry Thomas, Alex Craig, Max Douglas, Jarrod Taylor, Josh Macleod (capt), Taine Plumtree.
Replacements: Marnus van der Merwe, Alec Hepburn, Sam Wainwright, Jac Price, Dan Davis, Efan Jones, Eddie James, Ellis Mee.
Cardiff: Cameron Winnett; Mason Grady, Ray Lee-lo, Ben Thomas, Iwan Stephens; Callum Sheedy, Aled Davies; Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher, Keiron Assiratti; Josh McNally, Teddy Williams; Ben Donnell, Dan Thomas, Alun Lawrence.
Replacements: Evan Lloyd, Ed Byrne, Rhys Litterick, Rory Thornton, Mackenzie Martin, Ellis Bevan, Tinus de Beer, Harri Millard.
Ospreys host Stormers at the Brewery Field
From Cape Town to Bridgend: that’s the journey that South African outfit Stormers will have taken this week as they prepare for very different conditions to the recently concluded Currie Cup.
Ospreys, who were in control of their match with Dragons for 75 mins, will be looking to put those last five minutes in the rear window at the Brewery Field.
Toby Booth will be hoping that a little rain and some forwards-dominated rugby plays into the hands of his side as they look to put a first win on the board at the second attempt.
He has named an unchanged XV for the match, with the only changes being Ethan Lewis, Garyn Phillips, and Ben Warren coming onto the bench.
Ospreys: Jack Walsh, Luke Morgan, Owen Watkin, Keiran Williams, Ryan Conbeer; Dan Edwards, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Gareth Thomas, Dewi Lake, Tom Botha; James Ratti, Adam Beard; Jac Morgan (capt), Justin Tipuric, Morgan Morris.
Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Garyn Phillips, Ben Warren, Huw Sutton, Harri Deaves, Luke Davies, Phil Cokanasiga, Max Nagy.
DHL Stormers: Damian Willemse; Suleiman Hartzenberg, Ruhan Nel, Dan du Plessis (capt), Leolin Zas; Jurie Matthee, Paul de Wet; Sti Sithole, Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouche; JD Schickerling, Ruben van Heerden; Marcel Theunissen, Dave Ewers, Keke Morabe
Replacements: Andre-Hugo Venter, Leon Lyons, Brok Harris, Adre Smith, Ben-Jason Dixon, Stefan Ungerer, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Angelo Davids.
Super Rygbi Cymru continues at pace
Welsh rugby fans have another (almost) full round of Super Rygbi Cymru action to enjoy this weekend. The sour note is that Aberavon vs Newport RFC – selected for TV – was abandoned at halftime due to torrential rain.
On Saturday, though, the weather is set to be much better and the other eight side will be in action, with early leaders Cardiff RFC travelling to Carmarthen Quins in the headline fixture.
Fixtures
Friday
Leinster vs Dragons
Saturday
Scarlets vs Cardiff Rugby
Ospreys vs Stormers
Carmarthen Quins vs Cardiff RFC
Ebbw Vale vs Llandovery
RGC vs Pontypool
Swansea RFC vs Bridgend Ravens
If you want to read more pieces from Sportin Wales, why not read to our monthly magazine here or subscribe to the magazine and newsletter at https://sportin.wales/subscribe/.
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Riza's Change To Shine: Welsh Football Weekend Preview
Rhodri Evans
As Omer Riza prepares to take charge of his first game in charge of Cardiff City, Sportin Wales previews that and the rest of the action in the English and Welsh leagues this weekend:
Audition For Riza
Following a week of speculation about who will succeed out-going manager Erol Bulut, Omer Riza has the opportunity to stake a claim to the job on the Saturday, when the Bluebird travel to Hull for their latest league fixture.
Riza, who was passed over for the Watford job in March, has vowed to make Cardiff more attacking in their approach, having only scored one goal in six league games so far this season.
“I’m an attack-minded coach. We haven’t got enough bodies in forward areas over the last six games and we’ve been timid with our pressing,” said Riza, who is looking to reverse Cardiff’s fortunes following their worst start in 94 years.
Swans Welcome Bristol
Swansea host mid-table Bristol City on Saturday afternoon as they look to keep their good recent form going and climb into the play-off spots.
With recent speculation that midfielder Joe Allen is considering a return to international football, the strength of Swansea’s midfield has been highlighted. New signing Goncalo Franco has slotted in seamlessly next to Matt Grimes, while Allen and Jay Fulton offer excellent back up.
That foundation, along with a settled back five behind them, as given Swansea’s exciting young attacker a base to work from that has born fruit so far this season. Manager Luke Williams will be hoping the momentum can continue against Bristol City.
Parkinson Prepared for ‘Hectic’ Week
Wrexham manager has admitted that this coming week – with away matches at Leyton Orient and Stevenage, before a home fixture against Northampton Town – will be a ‘hectic’ one for his side, but maintains that they are in good shape for it.
While all three of Wrexham’s opponents sit in mid-table, Parkinson is not taking any of them lightly, especially with the fixtures starting to arrive thick and fast at this point in the season.
Town, who are top of League One on goal difference above Birmingham City, are looking to build again on the form that was stopped by that 3-1 defeat at Birmingham a couple of weekends ago.
Wildig and Spellman Boost For County
Newport captain Aaron Wildig is due to return to the side on the weekend following a couple of weeks out with a concussion, while new winger Michael Spellman is set for a County debut following a spell on the side lines with a thigh injury.
The Exiles are looking to bounce back from three consecutive defeats as they host Crewe Alexandra, who travel to Rodney Parade off the back of four straight wins in the league.
While it will be a tough test for Newport, there is likely to be plenty of goals as two of the highest scoring (and conceding!) sides meet on Saturday afternoon.
Full Round of Adran and Cymru Premier Action
TNS, who lost back-to-back league matches for the first time since 2019 (149 games ago!), will be looking to bounce back when they travel to Newtown, themselves on a four-game unbeaten run, on Friday night.
Also on Friday night are matches between Aberystwyth and Barry Town, as well as Cardiff Met and Haverfordwest County.
Saturday sees the rest of the action, while Sunday is the time for the Adran Premier to shine, with the headline fixture of Wrexham vs Swansea kicking off at 17:10.
Fixtures
Friday
Barry Town United vs Aberystwyth Town
Haverfordwest County vs Cardiff Met
Newtown vs The New Saints
Saturday
Briton Ferry vs Bala Town
Flint Town United vs Penybont
Caernarfon Town vs Connah’s Quay
Hull City vs Cardiff City
Leyton Orient vs Wrexham
Newport County vs Crewe Alexandra
Sunday
Swansea City vs Bristol City
Barry Town Ladies vs Aberystwyth Town
Briton Ferry Llansawel vs Cardiff Met Ladies
Cardiff City vs The New Saints
Wrexham vs Swansea City
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Who Does The DragonBet Odds Say Will Succeed Bulut At Cardiff?
Rhodri Evans
As Cardiff City prepare for their first match after the sacking manager Erol Bulut, we asked our friends at DragonBet for their odds on who will succeed the departing Erol Bulut as Cardiff manager after his sacking last week.
As well as giving you the latest odds on who will be in the hot seat at the Cardiff City Stadium, Sportin Wales will also give you a potted history of each candidate so you can impress your mates when Cardiff hire James Rowberry or Steven Schumacher.
So, let’s get into it!
James Rowberry – 11/4 on DragonBet
Rowberry is a pure coach’s coach. A former youth player with Bristol City and Newport County retired from playing aged 21 to pursue a career in coaching instead.
Rowberry gained his UEFA Pro Licence – the highest coaching badge available – at the age of 29, becoming one of the youngest to ever earn one. Before his earnt the Pro Licence, Rowberry was already working in Newport and Cardiff’s academies set ups, and was promoted to first team coach under Russell Slade.
Fast forward to 2021 and Rowberry had his first experience of management when he took over as boss of his boyhood club, Newport County. Replacing legendary manager Brian Flynn, the then-36-year-old led Newport to 11th place in League Two in his first season, but was sacked 13 league games into his second.
Following a spell at Newport, Rowberry worked for the FAW as Head of Elite Coach Education before his appointment as assistant coach of the Wales women’s team under new coach Rhian Wilkinson in February 2024.
When Craig Bellamy was appointed Wales men’s head coach in August, Rowberry made the switch to the men’s team where he remains today.
Mark Hughes – 4/1 on DragonBet
Mark Hughes’ legend does need much introduction. A Wales legend as player and manager, he has been a part of elite football for over 40 years now and has considerable managerial experience under his belt.
Hughes’ first steps into management were similar to Bellamy’s: their first job as a head coach was that of the Wales men’s national team. After five years in charge of Wales, Hughes managed Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, and Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League.
His spent the most time as manager of Stoke City, guiding them to three 9th place finishes in a row. Following Stoke, Hughes had a short-lived and ill-fated spell at Southampton before taking a four year break from management.
In 2022, Hughes was appointed boss of Bradford City, making it the first time he had coached outside of the Premier League.
Omer Riza – 4/1 on DragonBet
Riza is the current interim manager at Cardiff City, having stayed behind after Bulut and much of his staff were dismissed last Sunday afternoon.
The 44-year-old, who was not slow to admit that he was “very disappointed” not to get the Watford job in March 2024 after Valerin Ismael was sacked, joined Cardiff in the summer after six years at the Hornets.
Riza had a modest playing career, starting out at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger before settling into coaching in 2013.
The one-team Turkey U-23 international is a highly regarded coach who has worked with England U16s and U17s teams. He will have the chance to stake his claim as Cardiff boss in their away match at Hull City on Saturday.
Nathan Jones – 9/1 on DragonBet
While his spell at Southampton in the Premier League was widely ridiculed, Nathan Jones is an accomplished coach who had previously done brilliantly with Luton Town in two separate spells.
Following his sacking at St Mary’s, Jones joined Charlton Athletic and is enjoying a positive start to the 2024/25 league season. Charlton lay in fourth at this early point in the season and look well placed for a promotion battle with the likes of Wrexham and Birmingham City.
Jones has openly admitted that he would love to coach Cardiff City, saying recently that he would “really, really love” to coach the club he supported as a boy.
“When this kind of stuff comes up I’m very flattered to be linked with that. One day – I’ve made no secret and been totally open – I would like to manage Cardiff. It is my home town club – my dad lives close,” Jones said of the links to the Cardiff job.
Steven Schumacher – 10/1 on DragonBet
An early favourite, Schumacher’s popularity with the bookies has waned slightly in recent days.
The former Bradford and Bury player was recently sacked by Stoke City, following their own poor start to the Championship campaign and is reportedly keen to get straight back into management.
Schumacher had spells coaching at Everton, Bury, and interim manager at Southport before he was appointed manager of Plymouth Argyle in June 2019.
Following a successful spell at Plymouth, where he won League One in 2023, Schumacher was given the job at Stoke and tasked with keeping them in the Championship. The 40-year-old was successful, but following a poor run at the start of this season, was dismissed from his role at the club.
The Outsiders
So there you have the five favourites for the role, now for those slightly left of field:
Rob Page and Neil Warnock are both priced at 16/1, while Wales captain Aaron Ramsey is 18/1.
Former Wales striker Robert Earnshaw is priced at 18/1, while Alex Neil is 14/1.
Chris Coleman and Frank Lampard are 25/1 as are Sam Allardyce, Osian Roberts, and Slaven Bilic.
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Dragons Steal It At The Death: Welsh Rugby Weekend Round-Up
Rhodri Evans
The Welsh regional rugby season kicked off with a bang over the weekend, with a classic Welsh derby between Dragons and Ospreys, a solid win for Cardiff and a spirited display in Treviso from the Scarlets.
Dragons Claim Another Famous Ospreys Victory
You have to go back as far as 2013 to find the last time Dragons won their first league game of the season, but you only have to look at last season’s result against the Ospreys for inspiration.
On that day, Dragons were comfortable winners, 20-5. This match was anything but comfortable.
Ospreys landed the first proper blow of the match through Keiran Williams, sent away after Luke Morgan’s sweeping break. Penalties were traded by Dan Edwards and new Dragons recruit Lloyd Evans, before Harri Keddie scored to take the lead for the home side.
Ospreys went into the sheds at halftime in the lead 13-16, but Dragons went close late on through hooker Brodie Coughlan, denied by Ryan Conbeer, making his debut for the visitors.
Jack Walsh, a constant menace, thought he had set up Williams for another score after the break, but the centre was held up over the line by Dragons duo Joe Westwood and Jared Rosser.
Soon after, Walsh got the assist he was threatening as he sent Conbeer away for a debut try. With Dragon trailing by eight points and only five minutes left on the clock, Ospreys looked to have got the ‘hoodoo’ that many of their players had mentioned in the build up off their backs.
On 77 minutes, Evans converted his third penalty and brought his side within reach. Replacement scrum-half Rhodri Williams made the incisive break and the hosts were patient as they searched for the match-winning score which prop Luke Yendle, and then Evans’s boot, provided.
Not the start departing head coach Toby Booth will have wanted for his final URC campaign.
Scarlets Earn Resilient Draw in Treviso
Benetton missed a last-minute conversation as Scarlets left Italy with a creditable draw on Saturday evening.
Coming back from 12-0 down after half an hour, Scarlets were given a lifeline thanks to teenage centre Macs Page’s wonder try.
The Wales U20 international carved through the Italian defence, repelling two tackles and powering over the try line to reduced the deficit.
Scarlets tails were up and, despite a Benetton penalty, were the better side for most of the second half. A Jarrod Taylor try, spinning away from the maul brought Scarlets to just one point behind as Ioan Lloyd nailed the touchline conversion.
Two more Lloyd penalties gave Scarlets a five point lead with 13 minutes to go.
Benetton then threw everything at Scarlets’ try-line in the dying minutes. While the red wall heroically repelled wave after wave of attack, the ball was eventually moved wide to Onisi Ratave who scored the levelling try.
A tough end for Dwayne Peel’s side, but an encouraging performance nonetheless.
Cardiff Get Bonus Point Win
Cardiff brushed aside Zebre on the opening night of the URC, thanks to a dominant first half performance from the blue and blacks.
Callum Sheedy, making his debut for his hometown club, pulled the strings in the early stages, with his deft kicks finding the hands of Cameron Winnett and Iwan Stephen for the opening two scores of the evening.
Stephens, who also made his Cardiff bow on Friday night, was joined on the scoresheet by fellow debutants Dan Thomas and Josh McNally.
While Sheedy was accurate with his kicks out of his hands, his tee-kicking left a little to be desired, converting only one of the four Cardiff tries.
Some noticeable fatigue from the home side let Zebre back into the match, scoring two tries of their own and taking a losing bonus point back to Parma with them.
Wales put past behind them in thrilling Australia victory
Less than 24 hours before Dragons beat Ospreys in dramatic fashion at Rodney Parade, Wales women registered their own important win in a end-to-end match with Australia in Newport.
Following a 40-14 loss in Scotland last week, pressure was mounting on head coach Ioan Cunningham but, much like their Six Nations victory over Italy, his players stood up under added scrutiny.
A cagey first half end 7-7, with captain Keira Bevan’s try cancelled out by Maya Stewart.
After the break, though, the match opened up dramatically.
Molly Reardon then crossed twice either side of a Caitlyn Halse try, while Tabua Tuinakauvadra’s late effort looked to have salvaged a draw for the Wallaroos.
With the game tied at 24-24, Kate Williams crashed over from close range to give the hosts a famous victory at Rodney Parade.
Having lost the first six matches between the two sides, Wales now have a psychological boost ahead of their second meeting in as many weeks in South Africa in WXV2.
Results
Friday
Wales 31 – 24 Australia
Cardiff 22 – 17 Zebre
Saturday
Dragons 23 – 21 Ospreys
Benetton 20 – 20 Scarlets
If you want to read more pieces from Sportin Wales, why not read to our monthly magazine here or subscribe to the magazine and newsletter at https://sportin.wales/subscribe/.
Our podcast is back for the new season and you can find that here or the video version on our YouTube channel.
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