Welsh clubs aim to feed off promising Six Nations campaign as URC clicks back into gear
Corniel van Zyl's Cardiff begin the final block of the season over in South Africa
©Inpho Photography
The United Rugby Championship returns following an exciting Six Nations campaign, with France snatching the title from Ireland with the final kick of the tournament.
For Wales, there were positives to take despite a third consecutive Wooden Spoon, as their 31-17 victory over Italy in the final round secured a first win in the competition since 2023.
Attention now turns back to the URC, with six games remaining in the regular season before the top eight sides progress to the knockout rounds.
During the Six Nations fallow week, there were encouraging results for the Welsh regions, with Cardiff and the Ospreys recording impressive home wins over Leinster and Ulster respectively.
The Dragons were held to a 15-15 draw with Benetton at Rodney Parade, while the Scarlets suffered a narrow defeat to Edinburgh.
Cardiff currently sit fifth heading into the final block of the season, with Mark Jones’ Ospreys in 10th - just one point outside the play-off places.
The Dragons and Scarlets still have outside hopes of reaching the knockouts, but will require a favourable run of results.
So, what can we expect from the Welsh sides, and what impact might the returning internationals - buoyed by a renewed confidence - have during the business end of the season?
Cardiff head to South Africa looking to boost play-off chances
As Wales’ top-performing side this season, it has been an impressive campaign for Corniel van Zyl and his squad.
In previous years, Cardiff were often criticised for being overpowered by more physical opposition up front. However, they have largely addressed that issue this season.
They travel to South Africa with a 10-point cushion over the Bulls, who currently occupy the final play-off spot. Cardiff face them in Pretoria on Friday evening to open the weekend’s action, buoyed by positive off-field news following Tom Bowen’s contract extension despite reported interest from La Rochelle.
After starting all five Six Nations matches, Josh Adams and Alex Mann are unavailable, but James Botham returns after featuring three times during the tournament, including starts in Wales’ final two games.
Cardiff will need to be at their best against a Bulls side renowned for their physicality at the set-piece. Securing points from both fixtures on this tour [the other being against the Sharks] would go a long way towards easing any late pressure in the play-off race.
Dragons looking to translate home form to away matches
After winning just once in 18 league games last season, the Dragons have shown clear improvement during the 2025/26 campaign.
They have recorded four wins and three draws in all competitions, although all of those results have come at Rodney Parade.
Their away form remains a concern, with no victories on the road since beating Newcastle in December 2024 - despite narrow defeats to Munster and the Ospreys before the Six Nations.
A challenging tour of South Africa awaits, beginning with a clash against the Stormers in Cape Town on Sunday. They will be without Aaron Wainwright and Ben Carter, both of whom impressed for Wales during the Six Nations.
Uncapped flanker Ryan Woodman was involved with the national squad but did not make his debut. The former Wales U20 captain is expected to feature in Filo Tiatia’s squad, either in the back row or at lock.
Off the field, recruitment is already underway. Co-captain Angus O’Brien and scrum-half Che Hope have both signed new deals, while Tongan international Anzelo Tuitavuki will arrive next season from Pro D2 side Colomiers.
Ospreys face tricky but winnable couple of weeks
Despite ongoing uncertainty off the field, the Ospreys remain firmly in the URC play-off race and are also competing in the knockout stages of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
The coming weeks will be crucial in shaping their season, starting with two difficult away fixtures against Benetton and Connacht.
To stay in contention for the top eight, they will likely need at least one win from these matches, while targeting bonus points in the other. That task could be complicated if Dan Edwards and Dewi Lake are rested ahead of the trip to Treviso.
They will also be without Rhys Davies, who withdrew from Wales’ Six Nations squad with an ankle injury. However, Harri Deaves, Gareth Thomas, Reuben Morgan-Williams and Kieran Hardy are all expected to return.
There is also optimism surrounding captain Jac Morgan, who has resumed training following the shoulder injury he sustained against Argentina in November.
Can Scarlets spark a late charge?
On Friday night, the league’s bottom sides meet at Parc y Scarlets as the Scarlets host Zebre Parma.
After a difficult start to the season and a change in coaching staff - with Nigel Davies stepping in as Director of Rugby until the end of the campaign - there have been signs of improvement for the Scarlets.
A competitive display against Edinburgh last month offered encouragement, although a
There were still positives to take, with Joe Roberts showing signs of a return to form, scoring a try and providing an offload assist in Galway. Joe Hawkins, Eddie James and Ellis Mee have also impressed on the international stage.
Blair Murray will add further attacking spark to the back three, but the absence of Sam Costelow - sidelined with an ankle injury sustained against Scotland - is a significant blow.
Teenager Carwyn Leggatt-Jones will once again fill the fly-half jersey, having started the last three URC matches as well as featuring prominently for Wales U20s.
If managed carefully, the 18-year-old looks like a highly promising prospect for the future.
