It was another eventful weekend in Welsh rugby
Aaron Wainwright runs in a try for the Dragons against the Sharks(Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency)
It was another eventful weekend of Welsh rugby action both in the United Rugby Championship and Super Rygbi Cymru.
There were no victories for the Welsh sides in the URC, with the Dragons coming the closest only to be held to a draw by the Sharks. The Scarlets’ trip to Galway got postponed due to Storm Amy while it was a mixed weekend for Welsh players in the Gallagher Prem.
Here are your winners and losers.
Aaron Wainwright
The Dragons threw the kitchen sink at the Sharks in terrible conditions at Rodney Parade on Friday night but could not quite get over the line as they were held to a 17-17 draw. But this was as good as the Dragons have played in two years and Wales No 8 Wainwright led the charge with an excellent individual performance.
Wainwright finished the game as the joint highest carrier with 13 and also put in a big defensive shift, while he was also effective in the wide channels.
But his moment of glory came in the 17th minute when he hit a terrific angle off a nice pass from Tinus de Beer to charge clear before stepping the final defender to score.
New Wales head coach Steve Tandy was watching on in the stands and he will have been very impressed by the 28-year-old who will surely be a key player for his country this November.
Tom Bowen
The 19-year-old had a cracking game scoring a hat-trick of tries to ensure Cardiff left Limerick with two match points.
Cardiff couldn’t quite get over the line at Thomond Park as they slipped to a 23-20 defeat but Bowen was electric.
Bowen has serious pace and is also a deadly finisher, as was evident on Saturday night as he become the youngest ever player to score a hat-trick for Cardiff.
He had to work hard for all three tries, showcasing his speed for two of them, and his skills to pluck Callum Sheedy’s cross-kick out of the air for another. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Bowen remains a work in progress but is improving with every game and it surely won’t be long until he is celebrating a first senior cap for Wales. A real star seems to to have arrived.
Cardiff’s Tom Bowen scored a hat-trick against Munster(Image: Huw Evans Agency)Harri Deaves
The Ospreys fell short again in South Africa but went down fighting. Mark Jones’ side were excellent in the first-half scoring a couple of well-worked tries but got overpowered after the break against a strong Stormers side in Cape Town.
But one player who put in another massive shift was backrower Harri Deaves. The 24-year-old put in a monumental 27 tackles in another all-action performance.
He might not be the biggest player on the field but the man from Pontyclun RFC has the heart of a lion and you’d struggle to find someone who works harder for his team.
Tiaan Sparrow
The 19-year-old backrower scored the match-winning try at the death which required a Ioan Hughes conversion as Llandovery beat RGC 36-35 at Church Bank.
Sparrow has long been considered a player with a big future and was a standout performer for Scarlets U18s when they won the Regional Age Grade competition a couple of years ago, while he has also been involved with Wales U18s.
But Sparrow’s progress was halted by a serious illness and he has shown tremendous character to return to the field of play firstly with home town club Ammanford RFC and Super Rygbi Cymru outfit Llandovery.
Sparrow is an all-action backrower who is very highly rated within both the Scarlets and Wales age grade set-up. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
He is part of the senior Scarlets academy and stands a good chance of breaking through at professional level over the next couple of seasons.
Nick Tompkins and Rhys Carre
Both Wales internationals were outstanding as Saracens annihilated Bristol Bears 50-17 at the Stone X Stadium on Saturday.
Tompkins was left out of Wales’ summer tour of Japan and seems to be the forgotten man when pundits and journalists debate selection. But he is very much appreciated at Saracens where he has made a tremendous start to the season.
The 30-year-old was excellent again on Saturday, putting in 15 tackles, two of which were dominant, and winning two turnovers.
He also scored a well-earned try later on in the game and if Tandy’s first Wales squad is selected purely on form then Tompkins gets in.
One player who is not available to Tandy due to the controversial 25-cap law is powerful loosehead Carre. The 27-year-old put in a big shift with a number of powerful carries and is a player capable of making significant post contact metres.
Carre also showcased his handling ability to put Theo Dan over for the opening try.
LosersLouis Rees-Zammit and Joe Jenkins
The 24-year-old Rees-Zammit actually had a decent game despite the one-sided scoreline as he created two tries for the Bears. But he was helped off the field in discomfort after injuring his toe during the second-half of what was a chastening afternoon for Bristol.
According to Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam in the aftermath of the game it is too early to know the extent of his injury.
But Wales boss Tandy will have his fingers crossed Rees-Zammit has fully recovered in time for a demanding November schedule against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.
Welsh-qualified centre Joe Jenkins is another one who is facing a spell on the sidelines after injuring his hamstring in the same game.
Dragons’ game management
On the whole, Dragons half-backs Rhodri Williams and Tinus de Beer played well on Friday night and was even named player of the match in the 17-17 draw with the Sharks at Rodney Parade.
But in the crunch moment at the very end of the game the Dragons’ game management let them down.
Filo Tiatia’s side lay siege to the Sharks line and with de Beer standing deep in the pocket in front of the posts surely the drop goal would have been the correct call. Instead Williams gambled and went wide, which resulted in a knock on just short of the line.
At this level it is fine lines because if the Dragons had scored Williams would have been praised for his decision-making. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
But ultimately they came up just short and if the Dragons are to start winning regularly then their game management and decision making under pressure needs to be better.
Scarlets’ travel woes
Dwayne Peel’s side were due to face Connacht on Saturday but Storm Amy wreaked havoc on their travel plans.
The players boarded a flight from Bristol at 1.30pm on Friday and were initially told there would be a 90-minute delay before taking off. After finally getting in the air there were multiple failed attempts to land in Dublin before the aircraft was diverted back to Manchester, landing at 5.30pm.
More than five hours later, the players remained on the runway at Manchester airport after 11pm. There were even unconfirmed reports from fans on the flight of police being called after a woman tried to open the emergency door.
The match was eventually postponed to a later date.
Newport RFC
It has been a very difficult start to the season for defending SRC champions Newport.
Ty Morris’ side remain winless after four games and were beaten 24-14 by Swansea in Dunvant on Thursday night.
Newport need to get back on the horse quickly and their next game is a tricky one in west Wales against Carmarthen Quins.