Welsh Rugby Regions Achieve Most Successful URC Weekend in Over Three Years

Following Cardiff’s notable victory against Ulster, national head coach Warren Gatland likely welcomed the Welsh regions’ recent resurgence, which he views as indicative of the national team’s form, ahead of the upcoming autumn Test series. Welsh rugby experienced its most successful weekend in the United Rugby Championship (URC) in over three years, securing three victories. This marks the first occasion since March 2021 that the regions achieved three wins in a single round without any of those matches being a Welsh derby. The Scarlets extended their improved performance with a third consecutive win, the Ospreys moved away from the bottom of the league standings, and Cardiff executed an impressive comeback. The Dragons were the sole Welsh team to suffer a defeat during the weekend, offering Gatland some optimism that the national squad might break its nine-Test losing streak next month. Wales is scheduled to host Fiji at Principality Stadium on 10 November, followed by matches against Australia and the reigning world champions, South Africa. BBC Sport Wales evaluates the key takeaways from the weekend’s rugby action. Gatland faces a positive selection dilemma at inside centre, as both Ben Thomas and Eddie James delivered performances that impressed sufficiently to create disagreement among Scrum V pundits Alex Cuthbert and Richie Rees. While Gatland praised Thomas as the top back in Wales, former Wales wing Cuthbert suggested that James’ physical stature might give him an advantage. The 58-cap former wing stated, “I’m not sure having Gareth Anscombe and Thomas at 10 and 12 will be as defensively strong as Warren Gatland would want.” He added, “That’s when you start looking at someone like Eddie James, who is big, has good hands and has a kicking game as well.” Cuthbert concluded, “It could be a great battle between him and Thomas for the 12 jersey and a great headache for Warren to have.” However, former Cardiff coach Rees countered, “People don’t give Ben enough credit for his defence and he’s a very good ball carrier.” Concurrently, Nick Tompkins showcased his abilities by scoring his first try of the season for Saracens in their match against Leicester. Eddie James demonstrated capabilities beyond just ball-carrying against Zebre. Meanwhile, Anscombe received a yellow card for verbally abusing referee Ian Tempest during Gloucester’s victory over Newcastle Falcons, a game where scrum-half Tomos Williams scored once more. While the fly-half might need to be more careful with his language, James also had a slip of the tongue, uttering a four-letter word during his live post-match interview with Scrum V. James was understandably thrilled after delivering a man-of-the-match performance in Scarlets’ 30-8 win against Zebre, only days after receiving his call-up for Wales. Although Wales urgently requires a ball carrier, James also displayed skillful playmaking, setting up tries for Tom Rogers and Macs Page. Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel commented, “There is a lot more to his game, he’s a real good ball player.” Peel added, “He’s got intent, carries really well, has that ability to carry and slip the ball in contact. He’s only going to grow at 12.” Despite not being named Wales captain in Gatland’s autumn squad, Jac Morgan led the Ospreys effectively, inspiring them to a crucial victory against Edinburgh. Morgan, alongside international teammates Dewi Lake and Adam Beard, returned from a period of rest, contributing to the Ospreys’ continued success at Bridgend’s Brewery Field. The flanker delivered a comprehensive performance, securing three turnovers, completing 18 tackles, and making 13 carries. Ospreys head coach Toby Booth enthusiastically stated, “He’s just an incredible player.” Booth continued, “One of the reasons for him taking over the [Ospreys] captaincy is we believe in a captain that leads by example and Jac, like Justin Tipuric before him, does that.” He concluded, “From the get go, you saw the collisions, driving people backwards, ball carrying relentlessly, getting off the floor, he is a special player.” After conceding three tries during Evan Lloyd’s costly yellow card, Cardiff dramatically reversed their fortunes, preventing Ulster from scoring any points in the second half of their 21-19 victory. Head coach Matt Sherratt remarked, “The biggest part of that performance was not conceding a point in the second half.” He elaborated, “It would have been so easy to have another situation like against Glasgow when you mount a comeback but then leave gaps to conceded another 20.” Sherratt added, “I was so pleased with the way we closed out that game and it showed a real growth in our game.” He further noted, “We showed fighting spirit with experience like James Botham and Thomas Young coming off the bench to provide a real calmness at the end.” To date, Cardiff’s defense has proven more formidable than that of the Irish teams Munster, Ulster, and Connacht. As the initial block of league games concludes, Dai Flanagan appears increasingly frustrated by the Dragons’ ongoing difficulty in overcoming persistent weaknesses. Following a promising beginning to the season, they have now allowed the most points in the URC, with only Zebre having scored less. Their 31-7 defeat at Connacht mirrored this trend, as they failed to capitalize on early opportunities to establish themselves in the match. Flanagan stated, “We’ve competed in games throughout this block and only been a point here or there off getting more but we have to be frustrated that we’ve not taken more.” He continued, “We have a chance to freshen up the group with some players coming back for this next block which are the Welsh derbies and Europe.” Flanagan concluded, “That’s the highlight of the season for many, so we have got to ensure we make it count and get both performances and results.” Wales centre Scott Williams, who trained with the Dragons last week, could be among the players to revitalize the squad. The 34-year-old is eager to continue his playing career after his release from Scarlets during the summer, and the Dragons are seeking a replacement for Steff Hughes, who is moving to the USA. Williams informed BBC Radio Cymru, “Training by yourself doesn’t compare to rugby training with a squad.” He added, “It’s been tough but it’s good to be back a part of a squad, giving 100% and I still feel like I can play to a high standard so I hope I can get something off them.” Ospreys number eight Morgan Morris executed 25 carries against Edinburgh. An examination of the statistics from the initial block of URC games reveals intriguing insights, particularly concerning players not selected by Gatland. Taine Basham and Gareth Davies share the distinction of being the league’s joint leading try-scorers; concurrently, Ioan Lloyd, Lloyd Evans, and Dan Edwards are the highest-scoring Welsh players. Scarlets’ Lloyd has also gained more metres than any other regional player, and Morgan Morris has completed the highest number of successful carries across the entire URC. Teddy Williams is only one tackle shy of leading that particular statistical category, with Brodie Coughlan close behind. Dan Thomas is at the forefront of the league for turnovers, closely followed by Shane Lewis-Hughes, and Angus O’Brien possesses the statistically strongest kicking game in the URC. None of these mentioned players are included in the Wales autumn squad. Scarlets scrum-half Gareth Davies expressed concern, stating, “He will probably have me at the garage on Monday selling cars,” as he anticipates his father’s plans for him during his unusual mid-season break after retiring from international rugby.