Boxing Day is one of the most highly-anticipated dates of the year for Welsh Rugby as two derby games promise action.

Cardiff Rugby were set to host the Dragons at home and over to the west, Scarlets hosted the Ospreys. Two historic fixtures with sold out crowds brought about excitement during an unsettling time for Welsh regional rugby.

Cardiff overcome late scare from Dragons

Cardiff bounced back from their previous derby defeat to the Scarlets with a win over the Dragons on Boxing Day.

The Dragons headed to Cardiff Arms Park in their finest form of the year coming off the back of two consecutive wins.

It was a lively start to the derby with the travelling underdogs drawing first blood as Fine Inisi picked up Mason Grady’s fumble and moved it onto Rio Dyer who found the hands of Che Hope and the scrum-half scored his first of two for the afternoon.

The hosts found their first try of the game in the 20th minute through tight-head prop Javan Sebastian who threw himself forward towards the tryline and levelled the scoring.

After more end to end action the rivals came out for the second half with scores locked at 12-12. Josh Adams put Cardiff back in front in the 47th minute after some hard carries and a solid passing sequence led to the winger receiving the ball from Ben Thomas and taking it all the way.

The Dragons persisted but found themselves in a 10-point deficit in the 70th minute after a  Callum Sheedy penalty extended Cardiff’s lead.

With minutes remaining the Dragons were pushing for a consolation and it came in the form of a penalty try as fly-half Tinus De Beer got himself over the line but in the process was tackled by Josh McNally from an offside position.

Now Cardiff were in for a more unsettling ending, down to 14-men and only up by a three point margin. Despite progressive phases from the Dragons, Cardiff held on to secure another victory over their rivals.

“The fight that the boys showed to defend so many phases at the end was pleasing” – said Cardiff coach Corniel Van Zyl.

Clinical Ospreys defeat Scarlets in bonus-point win

With both west Wales sides at the bottom of the table, it was as high as stakes could be on Boxing Day when Scarlets hosted the Ospreys.

The Scarlets were flying high after their previous victory against Cardiff while the Ospreys were coming off a difficult home defeat to Munster.

Both squads had seen some personnel changes from their previous games, Scarlets in particular with their captain Josh Macleod and other Wales players sidelined like Blair Murray and Sam Castelow.

This did not deter the hosts from applying early pressure to the Ospreys though and they almost opened the scoring through Jake Ball who drove the ball over but had the try ruled out for extra movement.

With a man down after Kieran Williams’ sin-bin and on the back foot for most of the game, Ospreys opened the scoring against the run of play through Owen Watkin.

The away side managed to extend their lead through Captain Dewi Lake who led an unrelenting drive over the line and made it two tries to nil.

The Scarlets bit back before the break and kept themselves in the game through Joe Roberts who made the score 7-14 going into half time.

As the physical game continued, flanker Harri Deaves stood out in neutralising the Scarlets’ play which allowed the Ospreys to build on their lead.

They did so in the 60th minute from a breakaway as some quick passing from the Ospreys put Kieran Hardy in the clear to score against his former side.

The Scarlets replied eight minutes later, taking advantage of their extra man, and Joe Roberts scored his second of the day after receiving a well-played pass from Joe Hawkins.

Iestyn Hopkins then removed any remainder of doubt to secure the bonus point for the Ospreys as he latched on to the end of an impressive cross-kick from Dan Edwards, a deja vu moment for Hopkins who scored the winning try in the same corner for the Ospreys last year.

The Scarlets persisted for a bonus point of their own which came from Jarrod Taylor’s try in the closing moments being converted, though away fans were appealing for it to be ruled out due to head contact on Dan Edwards.

With the score 26-19 the Ospreys leave their rivals at the bottom of the table as they push further up.

“The commitment from the group has been ever-present

We didn’t play our best today but, off the ball, that was one of our best defensive performances,” said Ospreys coach Mark Jones.

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