The excitement is starting to build already. Rugby is set finally to return to Wales this weekend and you couldn’t have asked for anything bigger, or more mouthwatering, than two rounds of derby matches.
Cardiff Blues head to Llanelli to face the Scarlets on Saturday and then the Ospreys host the Dragons the day after. The players will be chomping at the bit after spending the past five months in lockdown and then graduated training.
This weekend it will be the real thing and I’m expecting fireworks! The Welsh derbies are always feisty affairs and there will be plenty of jostling for position, not only among the players in each squad, but also on the national front with the prospect of so many international games on the horizon.
While all the players will be happy to get back to work, Wayne Pivac will be the most relieved person of all. He and his coaching team have had no players to work with at all over the past five months.
He has the final Six Nations game against Scotland to think about in October. Then there will hopefully be the mini-tournament in November and December to plan for.
Given the start he has had since taking over from Warren Gatland he will be looking to rediscover the winning formula. Having Liam Williams back in Wales at the Scarlets will be a bonus for him, as will having Jonathan and James Davies fully fit again, but there are still worries over Ellis Jenkins and Gareth Anscombe.
He’ll be counting in the wounded warriors who were carrying injuries back in March, and looking to see if there is any new talent ready to emerge. One thing is certain, everyone should be fighting fit at the weekend.
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin August 16, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin August 16, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Army leave it late to regain trophy
MOMENTS and minutes change matches in equal measure, and that is exactly what happened at Kingsholm as the British Army’s men regained the Inter Service Championship trophy.
Blues hold on in battle at the top
BLUES held on with their backs to their try line as they edged past the Hurricanes 31-27 to leapfrog their Kiwi rivals and move top of the table.
Harrison leads from front to seal it for Saracens
SARACENS returned to Allianz PWR action with a bonus-point win at StoneX Stadium.
Coventry denied by powerful Pirates
SHEER pack power delivered two classic late rolling maul tries as Pirates maintained their quest for a second place Championship finish.
Davies the leading light in Welsh quartet
FOUR international flyhalves took flight from Wales last year, understandably so given the alternative of staying put on contracts shredded by the rugby recession.
Rugby's holy trinity prove the difference
SINCE time immemorial, rugby has been cloaked in its own cliches: Prince Obolensky was always “dashing”; Colin Meads lived his life as an “unsmiling giant”; Martin Johnson was rarely anything other than “beetle-browed”; and Billy Vunipola, easier to stop with an elephant gun than he is with a Taser according to recent evidence from a late-night bar in Mallorca, will forever be known as “the man who shamed the shirt he wasn’t wearing”.
Tbilisi win was key - Skivington
GEORGE Skivington has credited the European Challenge Cup win against Black Lion in Tbilisi as the moment Gloucester turned their season around.
Scarlets pay price for lack of discipline
ULSTER gave their URC play-off hopes a major boost as they capitalised on indiscipline from the hosts to secure maximum points in Llanelli.
James at his best as Sale keep in the race
SAM James might be departing for pastures new but Sale’s Mr Dependable produced a nigh on immaculate performance at full-back as they continue to battle for a play-off place.
Russell masterclass has Bath in top gear
FINN Russell scored eight points, pulled the strings for three of Bath’s tries and barely put a foot wrong in a classy display that will send shivers down the spine of their Premiership title rivals.