Winless Welsh regions eye URC breakthrough while Cardiff look to build on positives
Wales hooker Dewi Lake impressed in Round Two against Stormers
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Three defeats and a postponed game told the story for the four Welsh teams in the second round of the United Rugby Championship.
The Ospreys ended their South African tour with a 26-10 defeat at Stormers, while the Dragons recorded a dramatic draw against the Sharks at Rodney Parade.
The Scarlets’ planned trip to Connacht was postponed after a nightmare travel day saw their flight to Dublin diverted twice to Manchester.
Cardiff, meanwhile, came away from their clash against Munster with two match points, thanks to a hat-trick from teenage sensation Tom Bowen at Thomond Park.
With round three approaching, the question remains: what lies ahead for the Welsh sides this weekend?
Scarlets welcome South African opposition
The Scarlets will host the Stormers on Friday night at Parc y Scarlets, following last week’s postponed fixture.
Before their ill-fated trip to Galway, it emerged that Dwayne Peel’s side were carrying several injuries, including internationals Josh Macleod, Kemsley Mathias and Ryan Elias. Fly-half Sam Costelow is on the bench after recovering from a head injury sustained against Munster.
Springbok hooker Marnus van der Merwe has also rejoined the squad following the conclusion of The Rugby Championship.
The Scarlets are still searching for their first win of the campaign and will be eager to move off the bottom of the table after their round one defeat to Munster in Llanelli.
The Stormers arrive in West Wales with momentum, having claimed victories over Leinster and the Ospreys. They are further boosted by the return of South African internationals Damian Willemse, and Sacha Feinberg-Mgomezulu for their northern tour.
If the Scarlets are to pull off an upset, they will need to be prepared for a physical battle, particularly at the set-piece. The Stormers have lost just one lineout out of 39 this season and have already won 11 penalties from the scrum.
Openside battle set to entertain in Bridgend
Ospreys head coach Mark Jones was disappointed to leave South Africa without a win, despite his side leading both games at half-time against the Bulls and the Stormers.
There were, however, positive signs, particularly from hooker Dewi Lake and lock Huw Sutton. Lake’s turnover tally rose to five by half-time in Cape Town, the most of any player in the URC so far.
The Ospreys return home for their first match of the season in Wales, hosting Zebre at the Dunraven Brewery Field.
Zebre have enjoyed a strong start, claiming back-to-back wins over Edinburgh and the Lions, both secured by late penalties. Flanker Bautista Stavile has been a standout performer, earning two consecutive Player of the Match awards.
He could face Ospreys’ Harri Deaves, who currently leads the league with 43 tackles in two games.
The Welsh side’s scrum remains an area of concern. They have yet to win a penalty at scrum time and have managed just a 77 per cent success rate on their own feed. It will be intriguing to see whether this continues to be an issue outside of encounters with the powerful South African teams.
Dragons face tricky task in Glasgow
The Dragons’ wait for a win almost ended last Friday at Rodney Parade. With the score locked at 17-17 deep into added time against the Sharks, the hosts pushed for a try rather than setting up for a drop goal. A looping pass from Rhodri Williams followed, only for a knock-on to end their hopes.
While debate over the Dragons’ game management continues, their attention now turns to a challenging trip to Scotstoun Stadium to face Glasgow Warriors.
Franco Smith’s Warriors are coming off a narrow defeat to Benetton, where Rhyno Smith’s last-gasp drop goal sealed a two-point victory for the Italians.
Head coach Filo Tiatia faces a blow with the loss of Tongan international Fetuli Paea to an arm injury. The 31-year-old centre had impressed before leaving the field.
Scrummaging remains a major worry for the Dragons, with referee Filippo Russo penalising them nine times in the set-piece against the Sharks, including a yellow card for replacement Chris Coleman. If that area falters again, Glasgow will surely look to exploit it early on.
Cardiff chasing back-to-back home wins
Of the Welsh teams, Cardiff have had the most encouraging start to the campaign. Despite a narrow 23-20 defeat at Thomond Park, the Blue and Blacks sit fifth in the standings with seven points.
Nineteen-year-old Tom Bowen stole the show against Munster with a hat-trick, including a spectacular try from a Callum Sheedy cross-field kick, which the young winger gathered while diving for the line.
This Saturday, Cardiff return to the Arms Park to host Connacht.
The Irish province, consistent play-off contenders in recent years, opened their season with a win over Benetton before last week’s postponement against the Scarlets.
With Taulupe Faletau sidelined, number eight Alun Lawrence has stepped up impressively, leading the URC in carries. There could also be a second debut for Leigh Halfpenny, who has returned to full training in recent weeks.
