This season’s Challenge Cup has brought many twists and turns to the Welsh side.
Ospreys, Cardiff City and Dragons are no exception in the third round of the group.
While Scalai and under-criticized manager Dwayne Peel are struggling in Europe’s top tier of Champions League, both Ospreys and Cardiff have secured places in the knockout stages of League Two.
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Somehow, despite a humiliating 74-point defeat away to Benetton, the Dragons are still in Challenge Cup contention.
It was one of two defeats for Welsh teams in Italy this weekend, with the Ospreys losing 23-19 to Zebre. In contrast, Cardiff earned a decent bonus point win over Racing 92 at home.
Wales head coach Steve Tandy will be an interested observer with just one weekend of games remaining before he names his Six Nations squad.
Despite the usual chaos off the pitch as the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) faces an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and a vote of no confidence in chairman Richard Collier-Keywood, BBC Sport Wales is keeping an eye on the action on the pitch this weekend.
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Cardiff City considering Exeter European selection gamble
Cardiff City have won two of their three games in Europe so far this season [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
This month is proving to be a waiting game for Cardiff City both on and off the pitch.
As WRU prepares to be sold to new investors, they remain hopeful that a resolution can be reached for a new owner.
They beat French visitors Racing 92 32-13 on Saturday but had to wait another 24 hours to confirm promotion to the Challenge Cup knockout stages when Ulster secured victory in the canceled game against the Cheetahs.
The Arms Park side travel to Exeter next Sunday knowing that an away win could result in a draw at home in the last 16.
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However, they must also consider their United Rugby Championship (URC) play-off hopes when they face Benetton next weekend.
“Exeter will be a challenge because we know how good they have been this season,” coach Cornil van Zyl said.
“We have to make the right choices to ensure we keep the kids fresh at Benetton, which will be a short six-day turnaround time.”
Captain Liam Belcher made his 100th appearance and showed the power of Saturday afternoon rugby in front of more than 8,000 fans, with van Zyl delighted to return to winning ways after defeats to the Ospreys and Scarlets in the festive derby.
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“After the derby we felt a little bit cramped and a little bit pressured, whereas against Athletic it felt like the kids were out having fun and enjoying themselves,” he added.
“We focus on the things that made us great to start the season and make it fresh.”
Ospreys lose but still secure Challenge Cup spot
Ospreys had already secured bonus points wins over Connacht and Montauban before being beaten by Zebre [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
Despite a narrow defeat in Parma, the Ospreys became the first Welsh team to officially qualify for the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup.
The Ospreys only needed to lose a point to secure a place in the last 16 and although they did just that, head coach Mark Jones was left frustrated by the defeat.
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“We caused a lot of problems in the first half and put ourselves in a difficult position, which gave Zebre a boost of confidence,” Jones said.
“We did a good job at halftime to work out some of the issues we had and start attacking in a way where we could get some benefits.
“We could have won and probably should have won. Unfortunately we were too loose and let Zebre out of those pressure moments too often.”
The Ospreys will face familiar rivals Montpellier in Bridgend’s final Group One match next Saturday night.
France have the highest points so far, with the Ospreys four points adrift of them, and Jones’ side know victory will still give them a chance of finishing top of the group.
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Dragons aim to redeem Newcastle
Dragons head coach Philo Tiatia is in his first full season in charge [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
The Dragons’ victory over Connacht on December 20 was their best recent win, but Saturday’s 74-21 loss to Benetton was at the other end of the spectrum.
It was their third-biggest defeat, behind a 64-3 loss to Munster in 2022 and a 69-14 loss to the Sharks in 2023.
The Dragons gave up 74 points in Italy on Saturday, the most the organization has conceded since its inception in 2003.
Benetton won the defensive battle across the board, attacking at will and making an astonishing 28 clean breaks against a defense that only succeeded in 71% of its tackles.
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However, the Dragons can still reach the knockout stages and if they do it will be a trip to one of the three group winners, so potentially the Ospreys.
To do that, they need to beat Newcastle on Friday 16 January (20:00 GMT), where Filo Tiatia will bring back a host of influential figures.
After six days of changes, the team decided to make eight personnel changes for the game against Benetton and two positional changes in the XV that defeated Scarlets 28-5 on January 1.
Back-row forwards Aaron Wainwright and Harry Keady took no chances with the hiccup, while full-back Angus O’Brien, center Fawn Inisi, forward Che Hope and lock Ben Carter were given some breathing space.
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Center Aneurin Owen and level-headed Robert Hunt, two key players who have had a heavy workload this season, came off the bench at Monigault Stadium.
With so many seniors on the injured list, the changes expose the Dragons’ lack of depth and give credence to those who believe there are players in all four divisions who shouldn’t make it to the pros.
The wisdom of Tiadia’s selection will depend on whether he can perform well against Newcastle.
The blow to Italy might be less painful if his side win their fourth home game in the rotation – something they have not done since Dean Ryan was in charge in 2019-20.
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One of the quirks of the tournament is that a win at Rodney Parade could even get them back into the last 16 at Monigault Stadium, where no player would hold back.
Thomas takes center stage
Cardiff City center Ben Thomas made his Wales debut against Canada in 2021 and has featured in 16 international matches [Huw Evans Picture Agency]
This is the penultimate weekend for Wales as they look to impress before Tandy names his Six Nations squad, and Ospreys number eight Morgan Morse will make his hopes come true this weekend.
While Tandy will be responsible for managing new players, he is also interested in players returning to form, with Cardiff City center Ben Thomas having impressed in the past few games.
Thomas, 27, was named man of the match after producing a superb attacking display in the 33-22 loss to the Ospreys on New Year’s Day and scoring a bonus point for a cross against Racing 92.
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Thomas started at inside center in Wales’ record-breaking win over Argentina and a late win over Japan, but was replaced by Joe Hawkins in the final two defeats against New Zealand and South Africa.
“Ben had a bit of a rough patch against Wales in the autumn series so I’m delighted for him that he’s bounced back,” Van Zyl said.
“He’s a good player and has shown that in the last few games.”
With Max Llewellyn, who played outside center for the first three Autumn games, injured for at least the first half of the Six Nations, Tandy’s decision on what to do with this problematic center pairing will be one of the interesting options.
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