Wales Team Announced: Debut For Bevan But Morgan Out Injured
Rhodri Evans
Scrumhalf Ellis Bevan will make his international debut for Wales in their match against South Africa on Saturday at Twickenham as Warren Gatland picks Dewi Lake as captain of an inexperienced side.
Gatland has given four players the chance to make their debuts, with Bevan starting and James Ratti, Eddie James, and Jacob Beetham set to make their first appearances from the bench.
Dewi Lake skippers the side and, along with Liam Williams, will play for Wales for the first time since the 2023 World Cup quarterfinal.
Lake lines up in the front row with Gareth and Henry Thomas, while Williams is joined by Rio Dyer and Cam Winnett in the back three.
Ratti is a surprise inclusion, with captain Jac Morgan out injured, the Ospreys second row joined the squad over the weekend.
Morgan has been released from the squad due to a hamstring issue, and will also not travel to Australia for Wales’ three fixtures.
On Morgan’s injury, Gatland said he was ‘gutted’ for his captain.
“He had a tight hamstring when he played against Munster, so we’ve been looking after him but unfortunately he’s been ruled out,” he said.
“It gives him the opportunity to have a full preseason.”
Morgan’s exclusion is good news for James Botham, who was only added to the squad on Monday, and lines up in the back row with Taine Plumtree and Aaron Wainwright.
Another late call up, Scarlets centre Eddie James, is on the bench, joined by regional teammates Gareth Davies and Kemsley Mathias.
Scrumhalf Davies is by far the most experienced player on the bench for Wales, with the other seven players totalling just 23 caps.
Along with the three uncapped players and Mathias, Evan Lloyd, Keiron Assiratti, and Mackenzie Martin are the others included on the bench.
Four Dragons players make the Wales XV, with Rio Dyer on the left wing, Wainwright at number eight, and Ben Carter and Matthew Screech taking their second row partnership into international rugby.
First Cap For Bevan
Gatland also spoke about Bevan’s ‘growth’ leading to his imminent international debut.
“He’s impressed us at training,” Gatland said.
“He’s got a left foot which gives us a different kicking option. The way he’s worked, the extras he’s done after training, he’s got a strong voice and been really positive about taking feedback from the coaches.
“We see a huge amount of growth in him and we wanted to find out about someone else in that position to give us some more depth.”
Grady Experiment At 12
A surprise call from the Wales coach was the decision to play Mason Grady at inside centre, while moving Owen Watkin to 13.
“The way the game is we are up against a really physical South Africa team,” Gatland said of his decision.
“It’s a chance for him [Grady] to get his hands on the ball more. A 12 ends up with the ball more than a 13 does.
“It’s a little easier to defend from 12 and with Owen’s experience at 13, it’s a good chance to see how he performs in that 13 jersey.
“Mason is not just someone who can carry, although we want him to do that, but there’s other aspects to his game like his offloading. We saw the impact he made against Italy.”
Boks Ring The Changes
South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus has also selected four debutants in his matchday 23: Edwill van der Merwe and Jordan Hendrikse from the start, and Ben-Jason Dixon and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu from the bench.
2019 World Rugby player of the year Peter-Steph du Toit captains the side at Twickenham.
A total of 10 players in the matchday squad featured in the 2023 world cup final, while 16 players were members of the world cup squad.
South Africa’s pack includes seven world cup winners, including the likes of Ox Nche, Eben Etzebeth, Kwagga Smith, and Franco Mostert.
Wales Team: Cameron Winnett, Liam Williams, Owen Watkin, Mason Grady, Rio Dyer; Sam Costelow, Ellis Bevan; Gareth Thomas, Dewi Lake (captain), Henry Thomas; Matthew Screech, Ben Carter; Taine Plumtree, James Botham, Aaron Wainwright.
Replacements: Evan Lloyd, Kemsley Mathias, Kieron Assiratti, James Ratti, Mackenzie Martin, Gareth Davies, Eddie James, Jacob Beetham
South Africa Team: Aphelele Fassi, Edwill van der Merwe, Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi; Jordan Hendrikse, Faf de Klerk; Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, Vincent Koch; Eden Etzebeth, Franco Mostert; Kwagga Smith, Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), Evan Roos.
Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Frans Malherbe, Salmaa Moerat, Ben-Jason Dixon, Grant Williams, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian de Allende.
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Spotlight On: Somerset - Glamorgan's Next T20 Opponent
Rhodri Evans
After an inconsistent start to their T20 Blast campaign. Glamorgan take on Somerset at Sophia Gardens on Sunday afternoon. This is the second in our series profiling each opponent that Glamorgan will face in this season’s T20 Blast.
Somerset, coached by Jason Kerr and captained by Lewis Gregory, are based at the County Ground in Taunton. Somerset have an excellent recent history in all formats, winning the One-Day Cup in 2019, routinely competing at the top of Division One of the County Championship, and are reigning T20 Blast champions.
Record This Season
After a shaky start, which included winning and losing high scoring encounters with Essex and Kent, and then losing comprehensively against Surrey, Somerset have been dominant in their last two games.
Showing the form that won them the T20 Blast last season, Somerset piled on 241-5 against Hampshire last Sunday before bowling Middlesex out for just 78 on Tuesday.
That ability to perform with bat and ball when required is the hallmark of Somerset’s T20 excellence and they will be a real test for Glamorgan on Sunday.
Key Man
Somerset’s batting is very consistent, with one or two of their line-up stepping up each game. In the bowling ranks, however, one bowler stands out.
Ben Green has an extraordinary T20 bowling strike rate of 12.4 and is the top wicket taker in this year’s competition, with 13 wickets in five games. Green was also among the top wicket takers last season too, taking 30 in 17 games, placing second behind his former teammate Matt Henry.
Green’s standout performance so far this season was is 5-29 against Hampshire.
The 26-year-old is a handy batter too, often coming into bat at 7 or 8 to offer some late-order hitting to supplement the Somerset batting effort.
Overseas Players
After Matt Henry’s excellent season in 2023, Australian quick Riley Meredith had big shoes to fill in this Somerset team.
So far, Meredith has been more than worthy of his place in the line-up, taking nine wickets in four games, with an outstanding economy rate of just 6.13.
Tasmanian bowler is well known for his fast bowling, routinely pushing the speed gun beyond 90mph. He has also represented Australia at international level, making his One-Day International and T20 International debuts in 2021.
Past Glories
Somerset ended 18 years without T20 silverware with last season’s triumph. 2005’s victory may be a distant memory for some, but Somerset were exceptional that year, with South Africa legend Graeme Smith scoring 64* as the west country county comfortably beat Lancashire in the final at The Oval.
Last year, they were even better, losing just two of 17 games on their way to the title. At finals day their bowling attack came to the fore, bowling out two strong batting line-ups: Surrey in the semi-final, and Essex in the final.
Wildcard
Will Smeed is an exciting talent and a controversial figurehead for the development of English county cricket. Smeed, 22, has had a meteoric rise at Somerset and Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred, scoring the first 100 of the Hundred in 2022.
Just a couple of months after his breakout innings, Smeed signed a white ball only contract at Somerset, attracting criticism from some. His decision kick-started a conversation about the future of cricket, with the rise of T20 cricket and the decline of red ball cricket.
Smeed, though, has maintained his excellent form for Somerset, most recently scoring 68 from just 30 balls against Kent.
Weaknesses
Somerset are not without their flaws. While their batting line-up is formidable, they have been prone to collapse this season, most notably against Surrey. On that day, Surrey’s seam bowlers bowled an excellent attacking line, targeting the stumps and giving little width to the Somerset batters.
With experienced T20 bowlers in the form of Timm ver der Gugten and Jamie McIlroy, Glamorgan will be confident that they can make vital early in-roads into what is a strong batting line-up.
Glamorgan play Somerset on Sunday 16th June, with play starting at 3:00pm. You can get your tickets at shop.ticketing.cm.com/glamorgan-ccc/
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Spotlight On: Hampshire - Glamorgan's Next T20 Opponent
Rhodri Evans
After an inconsistent start to their T20 Blast campaign. Glamorgan take on Hampshire at Sophia Gardens on Thursday evening. This is the first in our series profiling each opponent that Glamorgan will face in this season’s T20 Blast.
Hampshire, coached by Adrian Birrell and captained by James Vince, are based at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton and are one of the lucky ‘test match’ counties, with the ground most recently hosting one day international cricket and the inaugural World Test Championship final between New Zealand and India.
Record This Season
Hampshire have an identical record to Glamorgan this season, with two wins and two loses in four games. Glamorgan’s excellent net run rate (NRR) has the Welsh county currently in fourth, compared to Hampshire, who are in seventh.
Most recently, they were comprehensively defeated by Somerset on Sunday. The West Country county piled on 241-5 in their 20 overs and then bowled Hampshire out for 178, winning by 63 runs, some margin in T20 cricket.
Ben McDermott was the shinning light of a dim performance, scoring 46 from 29 balls, including six fours and two sixes.
Key Man
Club captain James Vince is the highest run scorer in T20 Blast history and leads second place Joe Denly by more than 4,000 runs, such has been the batter’s dominance at this level.
Vince first topped the run scoring charts in 2017, when he scored 710 runs, before consecutive 670+ run seasons in 2022 and 2023.
Despite having started without a notable score this season, Vince will be key to Hants chances of registering a fourth Blast victory.
Overseas Players
The aforementioned Australian international Ben McDermott has been a part of Hampshire’s T20 side for the last three seasons, and most notably scoring 62 from 36 balls in the 2022 final, winning player of the match for his performance.
McDermott has been a part of Australia white-ball squads since his first call up in 2021, appearing in 25 T20s and 5 ODIs.
Hampshire’s other overseas this season this another Australian international: Michael Neser. Well known to the Glamorgan faithful after his three seasons in Cardiff from 2021 to 2023, Neser has hit the ground running on the south coast, taking 7 wickets and offering an excellent batting option at number nine in the Hampshire order.
Past Glories
Hampshire have excellent pedigree in the T20 Blast, having won the competition a record three times – joint with Leicestershire.
Victories over Somerset and Yorkshire in 2010 and 2012 were followed up in 2022 with a thrilling 1 run win over Lancashire.
Several Blast legends have worn the yellow and royal blue, including Sam Northeast, Michael Carberry, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Dominic Cork, Sean Ervine, and Jimmy Adams.
Wildcard
Has there been a bigger rise in recent years than that of John Turner? The 23-year-old speedster made his T20 debut for Hampshire at the start of the 2023 season and was called up to an England squad just 70 days later.
Turner has an exceptional T20 record: 21 wickets in 11 games in his record season, bowling high pace with a low economy rate. No wonder England came calling. Unfortunately, Turner is yet to appear in England colours, after suffering an injury to his side before his first series against New Zealand.
Such was the national team’s faith in his talent, Turner was called up again in November for England’s white ball series with West Indies. Further injury issues kept him away from that tour, meaning he did not play a game between August 2023 and February 2024.
However, Turner has seemingly put his injury troubles behind him, playing all four of Hampshire’s games this season, including a stellar performance against Gloucestershire, taking 3-24.
Weaknesses
Despite their excellent opening pair of Vince and McDermott, Hampshire’s middle order can be got at, particularly with high quality spin. They do compensate for this with a long batting line-up: against Somerset, Liam Dawson came in at eight and Neser at nine, but putting these all rounders under pressure is the key to victory for Glamorgan.
If Glamorgan’s spin twins, Mason Crane and Marnus Labuschagne, can perform as well as they did against Essex – taking 4-25 and 3-35 respectively – Glamorgan have a great chance of recording a third victory, and setting themselves well on their way to qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Glamorgan play Hampshire on Thursday 13th June, with play starting at 6:30pm. You can get your tickets at shop.ticketing.cm.com/glamorgan-ccc/
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Enhancing Your Golf: Training Tips To Improve Your Game
Rhodri Evans
By Zach Gould Golf Fitness Coach
In the pursuit of mastering the art of golf, maintaining motivation to hit the gym can significantly impact your performance on the course. Here are some essential tips to keep you fired up for those gym sessions, ultimately enhancing your golf game.
Staying Motivated in the Gym for Golf Success
- Set Weekly Goals:
To keep your gym sessions purposeful, set clear and achievable goals on a weekly basis. These goals can be either process-oriented, focusing on the steps you need to take, or outcome-related, aiming for specific results like improved strength or flexibility. By breaking down your fitness objectives into manageable chunks, you’ll stay motivated and track your progress effectively.
- Find an Accountability Partner:
Having someone to hold you accountable can make all the difference in maintaining consistency with your gym routine. Whether it’s a close friend who shares your fitness goals or a knowledgeable trainer, having someone to check in with and share your successes and challenges can provide the extra push you need to stay committed.
- Variety is Key:
Combat boredom and keep your motivation high by regularly changing up your workout routine. Every four weeks, introduce new exercises, techniques, or training modalities to challenge your body in different ways. Not only does this prevent stagnation, but it also keeps your gym sessions exciting and engaging, ensuring you look forward to each workout.
Three Essential Habits for Golf Improvement
- Warm Up Before Play:
Before stepping onto the course, it’s crucial to prepare your body with a proper warm-up routine. Dynamic stretches, mobility exercises, and explosive movements can help increase blood flow, loosen muscles, and reduce the risk of injury during your round. By incorporating a pre-game warm-up, you’ll set yourself up for better performance and consistency on the course.
- Consistent Training:
Consistency is key when it comes to improving your golf game. Aim to hit the gym 2-3 times per week to work on strength, endurance, and overall fitness. Consistent training not only enhances your physical capabilities but also builds muscle memory and improves your swing mechanics, leading to more consistent and powerful shots on the course.
- Golf-Specific Mobility Exercises:
Dedicate time to incorporate golf-specific mobility exercises into your weekly routine. These exercises, focusing on areas like hip mobility, thoracic rotation, and shoulder flexibility, are designed to enhance your range of motion and optimize your golf swing mechanics. Aim to perform these exercises at least twice a week for no more than 15 minutes each session to reap the benefits without sacrificing time or energy.
With these motivational tips and essential habits in your arsenal, you’ll be well-equipped to stay committed to your gym sessions and continuously improve your golf game. Visit www.zachgouldgolf.com for more!
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Mimi Xu Makes World Junior Tennis Rankings Top 10
Rhodri Evans
Welsh tennis prospect Mimi Xu has broken into the top 10 of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior world rankings.
Xu, who was a Sportin Wales cover star in July 2023, has achieved this feat at the age of just 16.
This is not the only milestone Xu has achieved in her young career so far. In 2021, she competed at Junior Wimbledon was she was just 13, becoming the youngest ever Welsh participant of the prestigious tournament.
Xu’s excellent start to the 2024 season, including reaching the French Open girls doubles quarterfinals with partner Hannah Klugman, has been rewarded with at place in the top 10 of the ITF junior rankings.
“I am incredibly proud and humbled to reach the top 10 in the ITF junior world rankings,” said Xu.
“This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication that my team and I have put into my development. I am excited for what the future holds and will continue to strive for excellence in my career.”
Speaking to Sportin Wales in July 2023, Xu said that the best experience of her career so far has been winning 18U GB Nationals.
“The biggest and my favourite experience so far has to be winning the 18U GB Nationals, and earning a Wimbledon qualifying wildcard for women’s,” Xu added.
“My experience playing Wimbledon qualifying was a mixture of amazing and nerve racking. Overall though, I was just so excited.
“Another memorable moment was playing my first abroad tournament without my parents at 11 years old. I went to play the Top 11/12 in Bressuire, France and at the time it was the longest I’d ever been away from home, and the first time I’d been abroad for a tournament. I was extremely homesick, however I ended up winning both singles and doubles. I learnt so much about myself and tennis on an international level on that trip.”
Chris Lewis, Head of Performance for Tennis Wales, added: “Mimi’s achievement is a testament to her incredible talent and relentless hard work.
“She is an inspiration to aspiring tennis players across the country, and we look forward to supporting her as she competes this summer in the grass court season.”
Xu is set to compete in the girl’s and women’s competition at Wimbledon, having secured a place in the Ladies Qualifying event.
The Swansea tennis player is a driven character who looks to have the right attitude to forge a successful career in the future.
“I believe as long as I put 110% into anything that I do the results will eventually come,” said Xu
“Anytime I go out onto the court I want to leave the court without any regrets as I then know I have tried my absolute best, which gives me confidence in myself.
“Enjoying the game simply comes from me loving to play and compete, so seeing games as a chance to just go and have some fun, whilst my competitive side always wanting to win.”
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Ken Owens Joins Cardiff Dragons Board
Rhodri Evans
Ken Owens has joined the board of Cardiff Dragons as a director.
The former Wales rugby captain has joined the Netball Super League side in a non-executive role, following Dragons confirmation that they will be one of the eight new professional sides competing in the revamped competition.
Rebranded as LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons, the side are moving home games to the Utilita Arena and looking to build on an improved 2024 season in which they are set for a mid-table finish.
The ex-Scarlets hooker retired in April after a 18-year professional career that included 91 caps for Wales and more than 250 games for Scarlets.
At international level, Owens won four Six Nations titles, played at three World Cups and toured with the British and Irish Lions in 2017 and 2021.
Owens, 37, was previously the chair of the Welsh Rugby Players’ Association and member of the International Rugby Players’ Council and was front and centre of the breakdown in talks between players and the WRU in 2023.
“I’m hugely interested in sports governance and the opportunity to go and work in a different sport, and gain new experiences and learn new things, is very exciting,” Owens said.
“Obviously, with the advent of the new era of Super League Netball, it’s a great time to get involved. I’m newly retired now, so I’ll have a lot more time on my hands to be able to contribute in whichever way I can and support their dream of becoming a fully professional outfit.
“I’m a big supporter of netball. My wife used to play and I’ve still got friends who play and are involved in the sport.”
Owens, though, admits he will not be offering any expertise in terms of on-court skill.
“I did play a little bit of netball when I was at school, but I wasn’t very good,” he joked.
“Probably because I was over-keen on the contact side of things!
“But it’s a great sport, free-flowing and fast-paced. It’s a great to watch live as a spectator and I think with the new Super League plan, it’s only going to grow and engage with new audiences.”
Dragons chief executive Vicki Sutton is hopeful Owens’ arrival on the board is another reflection of the club’s growth and development.
“Everyone in Wales knows who Ken is, so it’s a good fit because we want everyone in Wales to know who the Cardiff Dragons are,” said Sutton.
“Ken will bring a huge amount to the board. He loves netball, he knows professional sport because he has spent more than half his life within it. He will be able to advise our board and management teams what professional sport really looks like and what the players require.
“He will also be able to advise me on what a high-performance sport business looks like, so he has lots of attributes and lots of skills we can tap into.”
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Wales Sport Round-Up: Catch Up On The Weekend's Action
Rhodri Evans
Happy Monday readers! Sportin Wales took advantage of the weather this weekend, taking in as much sport as possible. In case you missed any, we’ve rounded up the best of the action below:
Rob Page On The Ropes After Slovakia Humbling
Wales manager Rob Page admitted he “completely understands” why the fans what him to leave his post in the wake to their 4-0 defeat to Slovakia on Sunday evening.
Wales competed for the first half before Juraj Kucka’s long range strike beat the possibly unsighted Danny Ward on the stroke of half time. EURO 2024-bound Slovakia were buoyed by the lead and were dominant in the second period.
A brace from striker Robert Bozenik took the game well away from Wales, before Laszlo Benes capped off a dismal evening in Trnava with a curling effort.
This defeat is another poor result against a team below Wales in the FIFA world rankings, following their frustrating 0-0 draw with Gibraltar on Thursday evening.
It was clear that Page is fighting for his job in his post-match comments and, with the next set of fixtures not until September, there will be plenty of speculation about his job in the interim.
“They [fans] want me out. I completely understand. I’ve got to stay true to myself and focused on the job in hand. Everything else is out of my control,” Page said.
“I clapped them with the players and when the players walked, I made a point of going over to the supporters and saying ‘it’s on me’. I get the frustration. [I feel] low, disappointed, of course. I’m human at the end of the day and nobody wants to fail.
“I’m the wrong person to be asking. Only the board, the chief executive, the president, the technical director – that’s a question for them.
“After camp, we have a conversation with Dave Adams [Football Association of Wales technical director] and Steve [Williams, FAW president] and Noel [Mooney, FAW chief executive]. Of course we’ll have those conversations. One way or the other, we will decide on what’s right for Wales and move forward.”
Battling Ospreys Lose URC Quarter-Final
Ospreys saw their season end thanks to a 23-7 defeat at the hands of Munster in the United Rugby Championship quarter-final stage.
First half tries from Niall Scannell and Simon Zebo, either side of Keelan Giles’ thrilling effort gave Munster a slim lead.
Either side of half time, Ospreys struggled to control the game as they failed to score before the break despite four lineouts and one scrum inside the home side’s 22.
After the break, they defended valiantly to prevent further tries, but were let down by their ill-discipline in the middle third of the pitch as the boot of Jack Crowley settled the match for Munster.
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth has created a side that plays with tenacity and desire in all phases and it showed, with the visitors failing to gave an inch right up until the final whistle.
“My overriding feeling is of pride for the team,” Booth said.
“We can reflect on how we get better but right now a sense of pride, and sadness actually, because to say goodbye to some members of that group – Nicky Smith in particular – is an emotional moment for the team.
“But we’ve given it our best. We certainly gave it our all, lost a few key moments when it really mattered and the second half was difficult because we couldn’t get out of our half. We competed hard – a few discipline elements where you over compete – but that’s part of the growth of the team.”
Booth’s side have been Welsh rugby’s shinning light this season and Ospreys’ bead coach warns that his job will be even harder next season, with further reduced budgets for the regions.
“We had a lot of departures last year and the budgets are still going backwards so it’s difficult,” Booth added.
“But that plan of developing our own from day one when I got here four seasons ago and bits and pieces means we’re probably got in front of the curve a little bit. The youngsters and the team will be better for that experience and all the experience this year.”
Cardiff Dragons Homecoming Falls Flat
Cardiff Dragons first game at the Utilita Arena ended in a 43-51 defeat to Leeds Rhinos on Saturday evening.
The Dragons, buoyed by the confirmation of their place in the new eight-team Netball Super League, moved from House of Sport to the bigger Utilita Arena in preparation for next season.
The home side led 12-11 after the first quarter, but Leeds stormed back to take a 7-goal lead into halftime and showed their quality to stay in control for the third and fourth quarters.
With competition set to be even fiercer next season, Dragons will be bidding to improve their 7th place standing, with one game left against basement club Team Bath this Saturday.
Glamorgan Continue Hit And Miss Season
One thing you will hear this season from Glamorgan staff and players is consistency. That elusive quality that takes decent teams and makes them great.
Glamorgan are certainly that this season. A stellar batting line-up for Division Two cricket has brought the security of draws, while an underpowered bowling attack has struggled to take the 20 wickets required to win matches.
For the last couple of weeks, T20 cricket has been the dish of the day and, in typical Glamorgan style, have been inconsistent.
A first game lose at home to Surrey’s galacticos is nothing to get too down about, and they bounced back with strong victories over Sussex and Middlesex. Just as the consistency was building, their tight defeat at the hands of Essex has pushed them back into mid-table.
With ten group games still to go, Glamorgan are still well within a chance of qualifying for the quarter finals and maybe even a first finals day appearance since 2017.
Horse Takes Revenge In 2024 Man vs Horse Marathon
After two consecutive years of man beating horse, it was a horse that won 2024’s Man Vs Horse competition.
Merlon, ridden by Georgina Silk, won with a time of 2 hours, 37 minutes, and 41 seconds, while the next fastest human was Peter Taylor-Bray, who finished 11 minutes behind.
With Taylor-Bray placing in fifth, the rest of the top four were made up with horses: Phoenix, ridden by Georgina Silk; Poppy, ridden by Mary Craney; and Ltf Emiyon, ridden Nia Edwards.
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Valiant Ospreys Bow Out At Quarter-Final Stage
Rhodri Evans
Ospreys saw their season end thanks to a 23-7 defeat at the hands of Munster in the United Rugby Championship quarter-final stage.
First half tries from Niall Scannell and Simon Zebo, either side of Keelan Giles’ thrilling effort gave Munster a slim lead.
Either side of half time, Ospreys struggled to control the game as they failed to score before the break despite four lineouts and one scrum inside the home side’s 22.
After the break, they defended valiantly to prevent further tries, but were let down by their ill-discipline in the middle third of the pitch as the boot of Jack Crowley settled the match for Munster.
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth has created a side that plays with tenacity and desire in all phases and it showed, with the visitors failing to gave an inch right up until the final whistle.
The match started at some pace, Simon Zebo crossing from Munster’s first possession of the game. After several positive phases, the home side worked the ball to the right and Zebo showed all his experience to fix Keelan Giles and go past him for the opening score.
Giles would respond emphatically just three minutes later as Reuben Morgan-Williams’ chip bounced perfectly for Owen Watkin to gather and play a glorious flick out the back to Morgan Morris on the crash. The Ospreys number eight showed supreme clarity to pass to the quicker man in Giles, rather than take the ball ball into contact.
Once Giles got the ball it was a foot race that only one man was going to win. Owen Williams added the extras and the game was all tied up.
Throughout the contest, both sides showed their prowess at set pieces. Munster, who have a formidable second row of RG Snyman and Tadhg Beirne, used their lineout to great effect, leading to Niall Scannell score that retook the lead for the Irish region.
After the early scare that Ospreys gave them, Munster controlled things well, with a quality befitting the best side in the URC this season.
Ospreys’ discipline was found wanting, and Crowley banged over a penalty to extend the lead to 10.
Toby Booth’s side were getting ascendency at scrum time, though, and a penalty won by Nicky Smith’s good work gave the visitors a rare attacking platform.
Wales’ World Cup captains combined for a smart move off the lineout, around the short side but Craig Casey and Jeremy Loughman were wise to it. Munster cleared but Ospreys came again, only for Watkin to drop the ball after being put under considerable pressure.
Ospreys came again with trademark tenacity. A five metre lineout was well claimed by Huw Sutton before Jac Morgan burrowed up to just two yards out. By now, Munster were giving away penalties like sweets and all Ospreys needed was to control their white-line fever.
With another penalty platform, Ospreys opted for the scrum. Munster, though, were a group possessed, winning the scrum penalty against the head and made it to halftime with their comfortable lead in tact.
The half time interval did nothing to help Ospreys stop the Munster lineout machine as another devastating maul brought the home side up to just three yards out. Phase upon phase of pure bloody minded effort from the visitors kept the waves of red away from the try line before Morris knocked on attempting the vital turnover.
A scrum and then a free kick followed and Ospreys were at in again, defending their line with laser-like focus. When Snyman knocked on, the hoards of black celebrated with relief on their faces. A scrum penalty followed and a well-earned breather could be taken.
The red arrows were not finished, though, and a few minutes later and unenforced side entry gifted Munster a way back into the 22. A scrum penalty turned the screw and Beirne pointed to the posts for Crowley to extend the lead to 13, and then 16 just two minutes later.
Ospreys tuned to an inexperienced bench – a mark of their injury issues this season that they were unable to call upon the likes of Adam Beard, Harri Deaves, George North, Jack Walsh, Dan Edwards, or Alex Cuthbert for this fixture – but they were unable to wrestle momentum from a Munster side with dead-eyed focus until the final whistle.
Ospreys fans can look back on this season with immense pride: by far the best performing Welsh region, often going toe to toe against teams with vaster squads and purses. Throw in a European quarter-final and many will rightly be singing Toby Booth and his men their due praises.
For Munster, they march on, seeking a second straight URC title, this time as favourites for the trophy.
Munster: 23 (17) Tries: Zebo, Scannell, Con: Crawley x2, Pen: Crawley x3.
Ospreys: 7 (7) Tries: Giles, Con: O Williams.
Munster Team: Zebo (Haley 53′); Nash, Frisch (Butler 69′), O’Brien, Daly; Crowley, Casey (C Murray 58′); Loughman (J Ryan 63′), Scannell (Barron 46′), Archer (Jager 46′); Snyman, Beirne (c); O’Mahony (O’Donoghue 46′), Hodnett (Kendellen 61′), Coombes.
Ospreys Team: Nagy (Houston 71′); L Morgan, Watkin, K Williams, Giles (Scully 78′); O Williams, Morgan-Williams (L Davies 71′); Smith (G Thomas 54′), Lake (Parry 63′), Botha (Henry 54′); Ratti, Sutton (Sekekete 71′); J Morgan, Tipuric (c), Morris (Morse 73′).
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Wales vs Gibraltar: The Stats Behind A Dismal Draw
Rhodri Evans
Rob Page was honest about his side’s performance yesterday, saying that he was “disappointed” by his side’s laboured display in their 0-0 draw with Gibraltar in Portugal yesterday.
“They are entitled to their opinion, absolutely. I get it, I completely get it,” Page said when asked about him and his side being booed at halftime and the final whistle
“I’m a Welsh supporter as well as the manager, I’m disappointed. But I have to keep saying about the bigger picture and I’ll probably get criticised for that.
“It’s the bigger picture and we’re not going to lose focus on what we’ve done.”
There were some positives: five new caps for Tom King, Fin Stevens, Jay Dasilva, Charlie Crew, and Lewis Koumas.
After failing to qualify for the 2024 European Championships, thanks to penalty heartbreak against Poland, this latest result heaps more pressure on Rob Page.
“If you’ve got a business plan and a long-term plan you can’t be emotional,” Page added.
“That’s a question you should ask the board or the chief exec or the president, not myself. I’m not going to lose focus on the long-term plan we’ve got.
“It’s a draw against a Gibraltar team that we’re really disappointed with and our focus is on getting the team and squad ready for September to win Nations League games.”
Whatever Page says, fans will point towards some pretty damning stats that outline Wales’ recent struggles. Sportin Wales have compiled some of them below:
203rd
The top line is that Wales failed to beat Gibraltar, who are the 203rd ranked team in the world, compared to Wales, who are 29th. Not only that, but this same Wales side beat yesterday’s opponents 4-0 at Y Cae Ras last October.
There were four debuts that day, one less than yesterday, with the likes of Joe Low, Wes Burns, Charlie Savage, and Liam Cullen appearing from the start in both games.
15
Wales had fifteen corners against Gibraltar and struggled to create much from any of them. Even with the introduction of Kieffer Moore – by far Rob Page’s biggest aerial threat – Wales failed to create a clear chance from set pieces.
In fact, the closest Wales came closest to a goal, not from a headed chance, but when captain Josh Sheehan’s corner hit the inside of the post, having looped over everyone in the six-yard box.
50
Before yesterday, Gibraltar had never avoided defeat against any team ranked inside the top 50 teams in the world. Ouch.
78.8%
Wales had 78.8% possession against Gibraltar and, for a team that tends towards a counter-attacking style under Page, their lack of ideas showed.
With Rabbi Matondo, Burns, Cullen, and Rubin Colwill playing across a fluid front four, Wales were not able to get the ball to them in dangerous areas nearly enough for the amount of possession they had.
Sheehan and Savage in the middle of the park had plenty of the ball but often passed sideways to Stevens and Dasilva on the flanks, rather than finding forward, penetrative passes forward.
4
Despite all the possession at 17 shots, Wales only managed to get four on target. Second half substitute Lewis Koumas came closest with his turn and shot shortly after coming on, but Gibraltar ‘keeper Jaylan Hankins needed to be tested far more than he was for Wales to win in a manner befitting their stature in international football.
1.13
From their 17 shots, Wales accumulated an xG of 1.13. That means each of Wales’ shots had an average likelihood of going in of just 6%.
Wales struggled to enter the Gibraltar box at all and especially through the middle of the pitch. They missed a target forward in the mould of Kieffer Moore to swing crosses into the box – their usual method for generating shots.
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Man Vs Horse: The Strangest Sport In Wales Is Back
Rhodri Evans
Every year, more than 800 runners compete to see if they can beat a horse over marathon distance.
Yes, you heard that correctly. Over a distance of approximately 22 miles and hilly terrain, runners will be running directly against horses and their riders in the market town of Llanwrtyd Wells.
This year, six Olympians are competing: Jason Kenny, Britain’s most successful Olympic cyclist; Sam Cross, GB Sevens silver medalist and Wales international; Heather Fisher, English 15s and 7s player who represented GB at Rio in 2016; Shona McCallin, gold medalist at hockey in Rio; Mohamed Sbihi, gold and bronze medal winning rower and flag bearer for Tokyo 2020; and Gareth Warburton, middle distance runner who appeared at London 2012.
Kenny, Cross, and Fisher are competing together for Team Crunchy, while McCallin, Sbihi, and Warburton are together in Team Smooth. Both teams will be aiming to win the relay part of the competition.
One may imagine it is impossible to beat a horse over any distance, let alone 22 miles, but four people have done it in the event’s history.
Last year, Daniel Connolly beat the first placed horse with a time of two hours, 24 minutes and 38 seconds, beating DNS Ronaldo, who was ridden by Kate Atkinson, by just under ten minutes.
Connolly joins original winner Huw Lobb (2004), Florien Holzinger (2007), and Ricky Lightfoot (2022) in the pantheon of Man vs Horse champions.
This year, humanity is looking to make it a hattrick of victories over their equine foes, as the humans slowly win back their athletic dignity after years of failure.
The event began in 1980, making Huw Lobb’s achievement all the more impressive, as the early years were horse dominated.
The idea came about following a chat over a pint in the Neuadd Arms Hotel in 1980, where the then Landlord, Gordon Green, overheard two men discussing the relative merits of men and horses running over mountainous terrain.
The enterprising Green, never one to miss an opportunity to promote Llanwrtyd Wells and improve business at his hotel, decided to put it to the test. And so began Green Events and its first, longest standing and now internationally acclaimed event, Man v Horse.
The course was changed in 1982 to provide a more even match between the man and the horse, resulting year on year in very close finishes – sometimes with the horse winning by only a few seconds.
There is a cash prize for the winner, starting at £500, escalates each year a horse wins by a further £500. The first jackpot received by Huw Lobb had reached £25,000 before being won by the inaugural champion.
Throughout its 44-year run, Man vs Horse has expanded to events in Scotland at Dores, near Loch Ness, in New Zealand, and in Prescott, Arizona.
Organiser of the event Bob Greenough was surprised that the last two winners have been runners.
“It’s the first time the event has been won two years in a row by a runner, and only the fourth time overall in 42 years of the race,” he said.
“It was an incredibly hot day today. The event went remarkably well. Everyone was in very good spirits.”
