Despite the Six Nations having a fallow week, the rugby does not stop!

With a full round of United Rugby Championship action, as well as the Super Rygbi Cymru Cup and some Wales women news, today’s weekend preview is a packed one.

Let’s dig into it!

Hewitt back for Dragons test

Dragons wing Ashton Hewitt returns to the Dragons squad for the first time in 14 months, following a lengthy spell on the side lines due to an ACL injury.

Suffered in training back in 2023, the injury ruled Hewitt out of all rugby in 2024, with the 30-year-old making his return against Zebre on Friday night.

With Zebre on rare form – winning their last two URC matches – Dragons will have to raise their level if they are to catch the Italian side.

Zebre beat Ulster and Edinburgh away in the last two rounds, while the Dragons suffered chastening home defeats to Munster and Glasgow.

Despite recent form, head coach Filo Tiatia is confident Hewitt is ready to perform in the URC.

“All I’ve seen is a powerful athlete, he’s quick and communicates well,” said Tiatia.

“Ashton brings lots of exuberance for his age and scores a lot of tries. He can beat people one-on-one, it’s just building that confidence.”

Zebre

Geronimo Prisciantelli; Scott Gregory, Fetuli Paea, Damiano Mazza, Simone Gesi; Giacomo Da Re, Gonzalo Garcia; Muhamed Hasa, Luca Bigi (capt), Ion Neculai Rusiate Nasove, Leonard Krumov, Giacomo Ferrari, Bautista Stavile, Giovanni Licata.

Replacements: Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, Luca Rizzoli, Juan Pitinari, Matteo Canali Davide Ruggeri, Alessandro Fusco, Giovanni Montemauri, Jacopo Trulla.

Dragons

Huw Anderson; Rio Dyer, Joe Westwood, Aneurin Owen (capt), Ashton Hewitt; Will Reed, Dane Blacker; Rhodri Jones, Brodie Coghlan, Chris Coleman, Joe Davies, George Nott, Ryan Woodman, Taine Basham, Shane Lewis-Hughes.

Replacements: James Benjamin, Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, Paula Latu, Steve Cummins, Barny Langton-Cryer, Che Hope, Harri Ford, Scott Williams.

Tipuric Captain For Glasgow Trip

Former Wales international Justin Tipuric will captain the Ospreys instead of Jac Morgan for their trip to reigning champions Glasgow Warriors on Saturday.

With Morgan absent due to international commitments, Tipuric lines up in the back row with young tyros Harri Deaves and Morgan Morse.

Wales squad members Garyn Phillips, Sam Parry, and Dan Edwards are all available for selection and go straight into the starting XV.

New signing Waisea Nayacalevu is not ready for the 23 yet, but Mark Jones is able to take a strong squad up to Scotland, despite missing a number of quality players.

“Glasgow are the champions, and you don’t win the league without having quality depth,” said Jones.

“We’ve paid them the respect they have earned and deserve in the build-up.

“If one of the teams don’t get themselves quite where they need to be, the other team is capable of taking advantage. We’re well aware of that and the boys will be prepared.”

Glasgow

Adam Hastings; Sebastian Cancelliere, Ollie Smith, Duncan Munn, Facundo Cordero; Duncan Weir (capt), Ben Afshar; Patrick Schickerling, Grant Stewart, Fin Richardson, Jare Oguntibeju, Alex Samuel, Euan Ferrie, Henco Venter Jack Mann.

Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Nathan McBeth, Sam Talakai, JP du Preez, Ally Miller, Angus Fraser, Sean Kennedy, Kerr Johnston.

Ospreys

Jack Walsh; Daniel Kasende, Evardi Boshoff, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles; Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy; Garyn Phillips, Sam Parry, Tom Botha; James Ratti, James Fender; Harri Deaves, Justin Tipuric (capt), Morgan Morse.

Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Cam Jones, Ben Warren, Will Spencer, Morgan Morris, Scott Whitlock, Tom Florence, Iestyn Hopkins.

Cardiff Aim For Dublin Shock

Cardiff will be without their head coach Matt Sherratt as they travel to Dublin to try and be the first team to beat Leinster this season.

The Irish club are unbeaten in both the United Rugby Championship and EPCR Champions Cup and will be a stern test for Cardiff on Saturday afternoon.

Stand-in head coach Gethin Jenkins has been boosted by the release of Ellis Bevan, as well as the return from injury of Tinus de Beer and Regan Grace, all three of whom make the bench.

Cardiff sit sixth in the table and firmly in the play-off race, but have not won an away match in Ireland since 2017.

Leinster

Jimmy O’Brien; Tommy O’Brien, Hugh Cooney, Charlie Tector, Andrew Osborne; Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath (capt); Jack Boyle, John McKee, Rabah Slimani, Diarmuid Mangan, Brian Deeny, Alex Soroka, Will Connors, Max Deegan.

Replacements: Stephen Smyth, Ivan Soroka, Rory McGuire, RG Snyman, Scott Penny, Oliver Coffey, Liam Turner, Rob Russell.

Cardiff

Cameron Winnett; Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Rey Lee-Lo, Rory Jennings, Harri Millard; Callum Sheedy, Johan Mulder; Dany Southworth, Liam Belcher (capt), Rhys Litterick, Josh McNally, Rory Thornton, Ben Donnell, Thomas Young, Alun Lawrence.

Replacements: Efan Daniel, Rhys Barratt, Will Davies-King, Seb Davies, Alex Mann, Ellis Bevan, Tinus de Beer, Regan Grace.

Joe Roberts Back For Scarlets

Wales centre Joe Roberts goes straight into the Scarlets starting back line for their trip to Northern Ireland on Saturday.

While Taine Plumtree is unavailable due to a head knock, Roberts has been released after appearing off the bench for Wales against Ireland in the Six Nations.

Elsewhere in the Scarlets XV, Macs Page gets the nod on the wing with Tomi Lewis starting for the first time this season. The return of stand-in skipper Ryan Elias sees form player Marnus van der Merwe drop to the bench.

Ulster

Stewart Moore; Michael Lowry, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Murphy, Conor McKee; Callum Reid, Rob Herring, Scott Wilson, Alan O’Connor (capt), Matthew Dalton, Matty Rae, Nick Timoney, James McNabney.

Replacements: John Andrew, Sam Crean, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, David McCann, Nathan Doak, Jake Flannery, Jude Postlethwaite.

Scarlets

Ioan Nicholas; Macs Page, Joe Roberts, Johnny Williams, Tomi Lewis; Ioan Lloyd, Gareth Davies; Alec Hepburn, Ryan Elias (capt), Sam Wainwright, Alex Craig, Sam Lousi, Max Douglas, Dan Davis, Jarrod Taylor.

Replacements: Marnus van der Merwe, Sam O’Connor, Gabe Hawley, Jac Price, Vaea Fifita, Archie Hughes, Charlie Titcombe, Steff Evans.

Jones to stay as captain while Cunningham takes on new role

New Wales women head coach Sean Lynn has confirmed that Hannah Jones will retain her place as captain of the team ahead of this spring’s Six Nations.

Jones was first named captain by previous head coach Ioan Cunningham in 2023 and has played for Lynn at Gloucester-Hartpury throughout that time.

Alex Callender and Keira Bevan will serve as Jones’s vice-captains. Bevan captained Wales last autumn during the WXV2 competition, while Jones was absent through injury.

Both are experienced members of the squad with 41 and 68 caps respectively.

“Hannah is a player and person I know well from our shared time at club level,” said Sean Lynn

“I know how much being Wales captain means to her, and she is somebody who wants to win and has been a mainstay at centre for club and country.

“I know how important leadership is to every side and have worked with three national captains and they all set the standards and drive the team culture. The Wales team culture will be a family one where we all care for each other, but we will challenge each other.

“Having coached against Keira and Al Cal I know the leadership they offer on the field and look forward to working with them and seeing them develop the undoubted leadership skills they already have.”

Lynn’s predecessor, Ioan Cunningham, is back in international management, months after resigning from his role as Wales women head coach in November.

Cunningham, who coached Wales from 2021 to 2024, as been appointed as head coach of Fiji women – Fijiana.

The Fijiana side are in the same World Cup group as Wales for August’s tournament in England, along with Scotland and Canada.