Welsh Regions

• Munster v Scarlets
  Magners League

  Hooker Ken Owens and centre Jonathan Davies will play for the Scarlets away to Munster on Thursday after being released by Wales.

  The Magners League clash will be broadcast live 8 March at 19:25 on S4C.

  A win for Nigel Davies' team, who are one place from bottom, will take them above rivals Cardiff Blues.

  Munster on the other hand, who are fifth in the league, have made eight changes from their loss against the Dragons on 6 March.

  It's Munster who have come top in the last eight meetings between both teams.

  Munster team: S Deasy; D Howlett; T Gleeson; J de Villiers; I Dowling; P Warwick; P Stringer; M Horan; D Varley; J Brugnaut; M O'Driscoll (capt); B Holland; N Williams; N Ronan; J Coughlan.
  Replacements: D Fogarty; D Ryan; A Quinlan; T O'Donnell; D Williams; J Manning; D Hurley.

  Scarlets team: Dan Newton; Joe Ajuwa; Regan King; Jonathan Davies; Andy Fenby; Rhys Priestland; Tavis Knoyle; Iestyn Thomas; Ken Owens; Deacon Manu; Lou Reed; Dominic Day; Josh Turnbull; Richie Pugh; David Lyons (capt).
  Replacements: Phil John; Emyr Phillips; Damian Welch; Rob McCusker; Martin Roberts; Daniel Evans; Gareth Maule.

• Italians to join Magners League
  Magners League

  The Magners League will be revamped from the start of next season with the inclusion of two Italian sides.

  Treviso and new region Aironi are the two sides who will take part in the competition. Their inclusion will increase participating clubs from ten to twelve.

  At the moment, the Magners League has four regions from Wales, two from Scotland and four Irish regions, including holders Munster. The Italians have received a four year licence into the Magners League.

• Magners League Weekend
  Magners League

  The Dragons had a fantastic win against Munster on Saturday and went a step closer to securing a play-off place. Wings Aled Brew and Will Harries scored in the Dragons first win against Munster since January 2007.

  The Dragons now sit ahead of Cardiff Blues and the Scarlets in the race to qualify for the Heineken Cup next year. The final score was Dragons 31 - Munster 22.

  Edinburgh scored five tries in their 33 -17 win against the Ospreys at Murreyfield on Sunday. Wing Tim Visser scored three tries after coming on for the injured Simon Webster.

  Jerry Collins and Sonny Parker scored two late tries but Edinburgh's defence stood firm and managed to stop the visitors from going home to Wales with a bonus point.

  In the other games over the weekend, Leinster climbed to the top of the Magners League in their 26 - 29 win against the Blues in Cardiff and the Scarlets beat Ulster 25 - 8 at Parc y Scarlets.

• Edinburgh v Ospreys
  Magners League

  Jerry Collins leads the Ospreys as they face Edinburgh in Murrayfield on Sunday. The match will be broadcast live on S4C, 7 March at 13:45.

  Mike Phillips starts his first game for the region since October and is hoping to grab the attention of the Welsh coaches ahead of the Ireland game.

  Andrew Bishop, Ian Gough and Dan Biggar have also been released by the Welsh squad for the game. Edinburgh winger Scott Webster makes his first start of the season.

  Edinburgh: B Cairns, M Robertson, N De Luca, J Houston, S Webster D Blair, M Blair (captain). K Traynor, A Kelly, G Cross, S MacLeod, S Turnbull, A MacDonald, R Rennie, R Grant.
  Replacements: S Crombie, R Grant, C Hamilton, D Callam, G Laidlaw, P Godman, T Visser.

  Ospreys: Gareth Owen/Barry Davies, Jonny Vaughton, Sonny Parker, Andrew Bishop, Nikki Walker, Dan Biggar, Mike Phillips; Ryan Bevington, Richard Hibbard/Ed Shervington, Craig Mitchell, Ian Gough, Ian Evans, Jerry Collins (Capt), Marty Holah, Filo Tiatia.
  Replacements: Ed Shervington/Marc Breeze, Cai Griffiths, Andy Lloyd/James Goode, Steve Tandy/Ben Lewis, Jamie Nutbrown, Ashley Beck, Barry Davies/Gareth Owen.

• Charteris and Lydiate in for Dragons
  Magners League

  Wales stars Luke Charteris and Dan Lydiate are both included in the Dragons squad after being released back to the region to face Magners League Champions, Munster. The match will be broadcast live on S4C, Saturday 6 March, 18:10.

  Winger Will Harries, who has returned from Wales Sevens duty in Las Vegas, is also included in Paul Turner's squad.

  Dragons team

  Martyn Thomas, Richard Fussell, Will Harries, Aled Brew, Tom Riley, Mathew Watkins, Ashley Smith, Jason Tovey, James Arlidge, James Leadbeater, Wayne Evans, Ben Castle, Hugh Gustafson, Pat Palmer, Tom Willis, Duane Goodfield, Adam Jones, Luke Charteris, Rob Sidoli, Hoani Macdonald, Lewis Evans, Dan Lydiate, Gavin Thomas, James Harris.

• Magners League thrillers
  Magners League

  Warren Gatland must be happier after some exciting performances by the international players released to their regions as they returned to Magners League action over the weekend.

  Ken Owens sealed a good performance for the Scarlets against Leinster with a first half try. But despite the try and Rhys Priestland's perfect boot, Leinster and outside half Jonathan Sexton were celebrating with a 27 - 14 win over in Ireland.

  Notable good news for the Welsh squad is the return of scrum-halves Dwayne Peel and Mike Phillips after being side-lined with injuries. Peel played the full 80 minutes for Sale as they fell to defeat against Leeds.

  Phillips was brought on earlier than expected as a second-half replacement in the Ospreys victory over Connacht at the Liberty Stadium.

  The Ospreys now lead the Magners League table after man of the match Gareth Owen and Dan Biggar crossed for tries. Connacht fought back and nearly got a shock victory in Swansea. The final score was Ospreys 19 Connacht 17.

  Another player who prove his worth to Gatland over the weekend was Dragons captain Luke Charteris. With Alun Wyn Jones sidelined for the rest of the Six Nations, Charteris is expected to step into the breach alongside Bradley Davies. The final score was Ulster 22 Dragons 22.

  Gareth Cooper and Tom James, two players released by the Welsh squad to play for Cardiff Blues over the weekend, scored a try each as the region thrashed Glasgow, 30 - 7, at Firhill on Friday night.

• Ospreys v Connacht
  Magners League

  Mike Phillips is on the bench for the Ospreys as the region welcome Connacht to Liberty Stadium on Sunday. The scrum-half has been out for four months with injury. The match will be broadcast live on S4C on Sunday 21 February, 16:45.

  Lock Ian Gough and fly-half Dan Biggar have been released by Wales to play against the Irish region who currently sit on the bottom of the league table.

  The Ospreys have won their last five matches while Connacht haven't managed a win in their last 14 away matches.

  Ospreys: Gareth Owen; Jonny Vaughton, Sonny Parker, Ashley Beck, Nikki Walker; Dan Biggar, Jamie Nutbrown; Ryan Bevington, Richard Hibbard, Craig Mitchell, Ian Gough (capt), Ian Evans, Tom Smith, Marty Holah, Filo Tiatia.

  Replacements: Ed Shervington, Cai Griffiths, Andy Lloyd, Jerry Collins, Mike Phillips, Barry Davies, Tom Prydie.

  Connacht: G Duffy, T Nathan, N Ta'auso, K Mathews, F Carr, I Keatley, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, S Cronin, R Morris, M Swift, B Upton, J Muldoon, R Ofisa, G Naoupu.

  Replacements: A Flavin, J Hagan, M McCarthy, J O'Connor, C O'Loughlin, A Wynne, L Bibo.

• Leinster v Scarlets
  Magners League

  The Scarlets have named three members of the Welsh squad to challenge Leinster on Saturday. The match will be broadcast live on S4C, Saturday 19 February, 18:10.

  Martin Roberts, Jonathan Davies and Ken Owens are part of the squad that travel to Ireland and they'll hope they can turn gutsy performances into wins.

  Leinster have won their last five matches while the Scarlets have won their last three away games.

  Leinster: G Dempsey, S Horgan, F McFadden, S Berne, I Necewa, J Sexton, E Reddan; S Wright, B Jackman, CJ van der Linde, D Toner, M O'Kelly, K McLaughlin, S Jennings (cpt), S O'Brien.

  Replacements: J Fogarty, R Strauss, M Ross, T Hogan, S Keogh, S Keogh, P O'Donohoe, E O'Malley, A Conway.

  Scarlets: Dan Newton; Daniel Evans, Regan King, Jon Davies, Andy Fenby; Rhys Priestland, Martin Roberts; Iestyn Thomas, Ken Owens, Deacon Manu, Dominic Day, Damian Welch, Rob McCusker, Johnathan Edwards, David Lyons (capt).

  Replacements: Phil John, Emyr Phillips, Rhys Thomas, Vernon Cooper, Josh Turnbull, Tavis Knoyle, Gareth Maule

• Ospreys v Leeds
  LV Cup

  The Ospreys will hope for a better result against Leeds on Thursday night following the defeat against the Dragons in the LV Cup last Friday. The match will be broadcast live on Rygbi: Cwpan LV on Thursday 4 February at 19:25.

  Leeds also lost their last game in the competition, against the Saracens, and although it's impossible for them or the Ospreys to qualify for the quarter finals, Leeds will hope to get revenge following the beating they had at Liberty Stadium in a pre-season friendly back in August.

• LV Cup weekend
  LV Cup

  An Osprey's team that included Welsh internationals Shane Williams and Adam Jones lost their Anglo Welsh LV Cup match away to the Dragons on Friday night.

  Dragons fly half, Jason Tovey, kicked seven penalties and two conversions in the 40 -19 win at Rodney Parade. Teenage Welsh squad member, Tom Prydie, also crossed the try line for the home team.

  The other LV Cup matches over the weekend also saw a dominant Cardiff Blues side beat Newcastle at Cardiff City Stadium. The Welsh region won 45 - 23 and now sit on top of Pool Three.

  The Scarlets also won over the weekend - beating Wasps 13 - 18 - away at Adams Park. Scarlets fly-half Rhys Priestland kicked all of the visiting side's points.

• Dragons v Ospreys
  LV Cup

  Dragons centre Ashley Smith will lead Paul Turner's squad during the LV Cup derby match against the Ospreys on Friday night.

  Warren Gatland has released four Ospreys players from the Welsh squad to be included for selection in the LV Cup match in order to gain some game time ahead of the Six Nations Championship. Adam Jones, Shane Williams, Kristian Phillips and Tom Prydie are all available.

  Dragons: Jason Tovey, Martyn Thomas Aled Brew, Will Harries, Richard Fussell, Ashley Smith (c), Matthew Watkins, James Arlidge, James Leadbeater, Wayne Evans; Pat Palmer, Aaron Coundley, Ben Castle, Ali McKenzie, Lloyd Burns, Steve Jones, Rob Sidoli, Hoani MacDonald, Adam Jones, Lewis Evans, Gavin Thomas, James Harris, Grant Webb.

  Ospreys: TBC

• Seven players released ahead of LV Cup
  LV Cup

  Ahead of the 2010 Six Nations Championship opener against England, Warren Gatland has released seven players back to the regions for game time in this weekend's LV Cup.

  Ospreys wingers Shane Williams, Kristian Phillips and Tom Prydie will join prop Adam Jones in the Swansea region's squad for their game against the Dragons at Rodney Parade on Friday, to be broadcast exclusively on S4C.

  Tom Shanklin and Sam Warburton will be free to play in the Blues LV Cup clash with Newcastle on Sunday and Matthew Rees returns for the Scarlets' visit to London Irish.

  Guinness Premiership prop duo Eifion Lewis-Roberts (Sale Sharks) and Rhys Gill (Saracens) will also return to club rugby this weekend.

• Ospreys fly to the Quarters
  Heineken Cup

  A certain Wales coach will be more than happy with the performances of his players in the Heineken Cup over the weekend.

  The Ospreys battled hard to defeat Leicester Tigers at the Liberty Stadium to secure their place as the only Welsh region in the Heineken Cup quarter finals.

  Tommy Bowe crossed for the only try of the game, but the Ospreys now await a decision on their fate after Leicester lodged a complaint against the home side who fielded 16 men for a minute when Lee Byrne returned from a blood injury.

  The tournament organisers - ERC - will make their decision on the Ospreys punishment, if any, in the week.

  The Blues and Scarlets seasons have been saved with convincing away performances over the weekend that sees the two included in the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter finals.

  The Blues enjoyed a comfortable 45 - 20 bonus point victory against Harlequins in London. Tries from Gareth Thomas, Ben Blair, Ceri Sweeney, Xavier Rush and two from Wales centre Jamie Roberts secured a place in Europe's second-tier competition for the Welsh region.

  Nigel Davies' Scarlets squad fought back from 10 - 10 draw at half time to claim victory against Brive in France. The fight back kept the Scarlets European season alive with Damian Welch and Morgan Stoddart crossing over for tries. The Scarlets will return to France in April for the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter final tie against Toulon.

  Gloucester caused an upset at Rodney Parade as an Akapusi Qera hat-trick left the Dragons trailing at the bottom of their pool.

  Heineken Cup quarter finals:

  Munster v Northampton
  Biarritz v Ospreys
  Toulouse v Stade Francais
  Leinster v Clermont Auvergne

  Challenge Cup quarter-finals:

  Connacht v Bourgoin
  Toulon v Scarlets
  Wasps v Gloucester
  Newcastle v Cardiff Blues

• Gwyn Jones
  Heineken Cup

  When the fixtures came out, we knew it would come down to this. The final pool match between the Ospreys and Leicester will decide which team goes through to the quarter finals.

  It would be a shuddering blow for either side if they failed to claim a place in the last eight and that should make Saturday's match even more enthralling.

  Selection is the issue dominating the headlines this week as the Ospreys decide who will make the starting line up. Shane Williams is no more match fit this week as he was last week after only a minute of rugby in Clermont. But I cannot fathom the Ospreys going into this match without a player proven to be a match-winner at any level.

  Walker is a reliable international player but he does not possess the game changing abilities of Williams who will surely start.

  The other player whom I would include against the Tigers is Ian Gough. The Ospreys were starved of possession for an hour by Clermont and were impotent in doing anything about it. Jonathan Thomas has all the attributes but perhaps the naked aggression and mental toughness of Gough would give the Ospreys a better chance against Leicester.

  But the main dilemma facing Scott Johnson is whether to start with James Hook or not. He wants to play at fly half but he can forget that for this game. When it comes to outside halves, Biggar really is better.

  However can Hook force his way into the centre? Both Bishop and Parker had typically solid games in France. They have been impregnable as a partnership for over a month and there were examples against Clermont that Byrne was in tune with their intentions.

  I would hope that the recent revelations of Hook's intentions to leave unless he plays at fly half would not colour the selection but the Ospreys management has a history of making a stand against them. Remember the public admonishing of Henson when he went AWOL for a day.

  If Hook wants to play at outside half, then he has every right to pursue his ambitions. He only has one crack at his rugby career and he must do what he feels is right. Although he is a talented player, personally I don't think he will ever be an established international outside half. If he wants to play international rugby, I think he will have to be satisfied with another position, but the choice is ultimately his.

  I would also urge the Ospreys to play Hook at centre alongside Bishop for their crunch match this weekend. He has too much ability to be on the bench. Scott Johnson was regarded as the architect of Wales' scintillating back-play during the 2005 Grand Slam campaign. Only occasionally has his region played with such flair. I hope he is true to his instincts and picks players with innate ability to take on the English giants.

  Leicester will come to the Liberty with a power game. A big scrum, a driving line-out and a relentless back-row up front, they will have a solid kicking game and bombard midfield with ball carriers. But to beat the Tigers you must not only deal with their tactics you have to overcome their unbending will.

  The Ospreys have witnessed the strength of their spirit first hand and it cannot be underestimated. But I believe that the Welsh region will at last put all of the pieces of the jigsaw together and record a win that will secure them a quarter final.

  It is possible for Wales to have another team in the last eight if results go as expected. If Munster beat Northampton and Leinster beat London Irish, two results which are more than likely, then the Blues could go through with a bonus point win at the Harlequins.

  On the whole I don't think that the Blues deserve to go through, based on the standard of rugby they've played this season. However that is utterly irrelevant and while there's a possibility, there is hope. The Blues will endure the agony of watching each game before they know their own fate.

  Another nail-biting weekend of European rugby is about to begin. There's nothing like it.

• Gwyn Jones
  Heineken Cup

  January is a defining month in the rugby season. By the end of this month, the national squads will have been named for the Six Nations' Champi0nship and we will know the names of the eight teams that will have qualified for the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup.

  Not for the first time at this pivotal point in the calendar, all eyes turn to the Ospreys. They are the only Welsh region that can realistically get out of their group and they also have two enthralling matches to come.

  The matches in Pool Three of the Heineken Cup this season have been mesmerising. Each time, The Ospreys, Leicester Tigers and Clermont Auvergne have clashed, they have produced pulsating rugby and one hopes that as the stakes increase, so does the drama.

  It looks likely that two teams will qualify from this group but trying to guess which two out of the three is a different matter.

  Clermont will face the Ospreys at home on the back of an away win in Toulouse which takes them to the top of the French league.

  Over the last few victories, the Ospreys appear to be developing into a team rather than a collection of outstanding individuals.

  So, what do the Ospreys need to do to win in Clermont? The key to the game will be the first twenty minutes.

  French sides explode early on at home; they throw everything at their opponents hoping to crack them. The Ospreys will need to be prepared for a ferocious opening ten minutes when they must not yield.

  But also in those first minutes the Ospreys must challenge Clermont's defence. They cannot hold out in the same way as they did against the Scarlets because the quality of the attack will be so much higher.

  Should the Ospreys survive the early pressure they will then need to settle into a pattern. Central to their game of late has been the decision making of Dan Biggar. He is developing as a fly-half and is confident enough to take the responsibility as he sees fit.

  The Ospreys midfield were opened up countless times in their first match against the Tigers and although those errors have improved, Biggar's tackling ability will be tested again on Saturday.

  Adam Jones' return should steady the scrum which was a major weakness in the first two rounds and the Ospreys need to use that platform effectively.

  I like the look of Tommy Bowe in the centre and with Shane back fit it is the best way of getting all the big guns on the field at the same time.

  Make no mistake, the game will depend on what happens up front and, if anything, the Ospreys are overly reliant on Ryan Jones as their ball carrier. The other forwards who are capable of crossing the gain line such as Alun-Wyn Jones and Jerry Collins will need to lighten the skipper's load.

  One of the major threats that the Ospreys face is Clermont scrum-half Morgan Parra. His alert mind and sharp bursts are devastating. The Welsh region will have to be extra vigilant around the fringes of the ruck or else it could be trouble.

  Ultimately, the Ospreys must believe in themselves. It is time that the 'Galacticos' of Welsh rugby were praised for their grit.

• Winter weather hits Magners League
  Magners League

  Edinburgh enjoyed a comfortable win against Cardiff Blues at Murrayfield in the only Magners League fixture played over the weekend.

  Ross Rennie and Jim Thompson touched down for the home side as the Blues only came to life in the final quarter in the 21 - 12 defeat. The Blues have now lost all of their away matches in the current Magners League campaign.

  Munster's match against the Scarlets, despite the contingency plans of the Irish outfit, was cancelled due to the wintery weather, as was the Ospreys visit to Ulster and the Dragons match against Connacht in Galway.

• Munsters v Scarlets
  Magners League

  It's possible that the Scarlets match against Munster in the Magners League will have to move venue if Musgrove Park is affected by the icy weather.

  If the game is played it will be broadcast live on Y Clwb Rygbi, Sunday, 10 January, 16:45.

  The Scarlets are without Lions, Stephen Jones and Matthew Rees, but scrum half Martin Roberts is available and Morgan Stoddart is fit enough to be named on the bench.

  The West Wales region has lost their last five encounters against Irish regions and have only beaten Munster away once, in 2003.

  Munster: D Hurley, I Dowling, D Howlett, T Gleeson, J de Villiers, K Earls, L Mafi, P Warwick, R O'Gara, D Williams, T O'Leary, P Stringer, W du Preez, S Archer, T Buckley, D Fogarty, D Varley, P O'Connell, D Ryan, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, A Quinlan, N Ronan, B Holland, D Wallace, J Coughlan.

  Scarlets: Daniel Evans; Lee Williams, Sean Lamont, Jon Davies, Andy Fenby; Rhys Priestland, Martin Roberts; Phil John, Ken Owens, Deacon Manu, Damian Welch, Dominic Day, Rob McCusker, Johnathan Edwards, David Lyons(capt).

  Replacements: Jamie Corsi, Emyr Phillips, Lou Reed, Richie Pugh, Gareth Davies, Morgan Stoddart, Gareth Maule.

• Edinburgh v Blues
  Magners League

  Leigh Halfpenny returns to the full-back position and Ceri Sweeney is selected at outside-half for the Blues, in the week where Jamie Roberts and John Yapp have both signed contract extensions for the Blues.

  Xavier Rush and Gethin Jenkins are rested for the trip to Scotland.

  22 year old fly-half Rory Hutton makes his Magners League debut for the Scottish side in place of Phil Goodman, who is out with a hip injury. Scrum-half Greig Laidlaw returns to the squad after being struck down by a viral infection.

  Y Clwb Rygbi will broadcast the match live with Gareth Roberts introducing the battle in Murrayfield alongside Wales' former scrum-half Robert Jones. Expert commentary will be available on the full eighty minutes from Cennydd Davies and Gwyn Jones while Sarra Elgan will get the reactions of the players and coaches after the final whistle.

  Edinburgh squad: Chris Paterson (capt), Jim Thompson, Ben Cairns, John Houston, Tim Visser, Rory Hutton, Greig Laidlaw, Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford, David Young, Jim Hamilton, Scott MacLeod, Alan MacDonald, Ross Rennie, Roddy Grant, Andrew Kelly, Kyle Traynor, Craig Hamilton, Scott Newlands, Ross Samson, Nick De Luca, Mark Robertson.

  Blues squad: Leigh Halfpenny, Richard Mustoe, Casey Laulala, Jamie Roberts, Tom James, Ceri Sweeney, Gareth Cooper; Sam Hobbs, T Rhys Thomas, Taufa'au Filise, Deiniol Jones, Paul Tito (captain), Andries Pretorius, Martyn Williams, Andy Powell, Rhys James, Scott Andrews, Bradley Davies, Ben White, Richie Rees, Dai Flanagan, Gareth Thomas

• The Ospreys and Swansea win
  Magners League

  It was a Happy New Year for the Ospreys in a snowy Liberty Stadium as they continued their fine form with a clinical performance against the Blues.

  Winger Nikki Walker's two tries and Dan Biggar's boot gave the home side their first half lead and the victory was secured in the second half with a Ryan Jones try. This was the first time in three years that the Blues failed to score any points in a match.

  But there was cause for concern, especially with the Six Nations looming, when centre Tom Shanklin was forced to leave the field after 30 minutes with a knee injury.

  Swansea RFC celebrated their first win of 2010 in the local derby against Llanelli on Parc y Scarlets. The final score was Llanelli 18 Swansea 31.

  It was a fierce battle between the two sides with Llanelli managing to score on three occasions - thanks to Aaron Shingler, Nick Reynolds a Dale Ford - whilst Swansea crossed the line four times. Steffan Jones, Liam Davies and James Dixon (2) scored for the visitors.

• Blues squad announcement
  Magners League

  Dai Young and the Blues have made three changes to the victorious squad against the Dragons on the weekend as they prepare to face the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium on New Years Day.

  Casey Lauala, Robin Sowden-Taylor and Gary Powell are the three players drafted into the squad, with Jamie Roberts and Martyn Williams rested and left out of the 22.

  The Ospreys squad announcement is yet to be announced, but it is likely that Shane Williams will feature after injury sidelined him in December. There are concerns over James Hook and Alun Wyn Jones' fitness after they both received shoulder injuries in the win against the Scarlets.

  Blues: Ben Blair; Richard Mustoe, Casey Laulala, Tom Shanklin, Tom James; Sam Norton-Knight, Richie Rees; Gethin Jenkins (capt), Rhys Thomas, Gary Powell, Bradley Davies, Scott Morgan, Robin Sowden Taylor, Xavier Rush.

  Replacements: Gareth Williams, Taufa'au Filise, Paul Tito, Ben White, Gareth Cooper, Ceri Sweeney, Gareth Thomas.

• Blues 42 - 13 Dragons
  Magners League

  It was a game of two halves at the Cardiff City Stadium over the weekend as the Blues came from behind to clinch a clinical win over local rivals, the Dragons.

  The visitors were dominating in the first half and it was them who led at half time 13 - 3, thanks to winger Aled Brew's try, Jason Tovey's drop goal and James Arlidge's penalty.

  But it was a different story in the second half as the man of the match, Blues scrum-half Richie Rees, sparked a home revival. A bonus point win was secured for the Blues with tries from Rees, Bradley Davies, Richard Mustoe, Tom Shanklin and Tom James.

  The Blues' next challenge will be at the Liberty Stadium against the Ospreys, who also tasted victory over the festive period against the Scarlets, on New Years Day - live on S4C.

• Blues v Dragons
  Magners League

  The Newport Gwent Dragons will face the Cardiff Blues at the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday afternoon for their first visit to the stadium.

  Full-back Jason Tovey and Pat Palmer return to the Dragons 24-man squad, whilst scrum-half Gareth Williams, who joins the region from Harlequins, is expected to make his debut during the derby.

  Tom Willis is the visitor’s captain in the week where the Dragons head coach Paul Turner has signed a two-year extension to his contract, which will see him at the club until the end of the 2011/2012 season.

  As we head into the festive period, the Dragons sit comfortably in fourth place with 22 points – the better of all four regions, whilst the Blues are close to the bottom of the Magners League with 14 points.

  Dragons
  Jason Tovey, Aled Brew, Will Harries, Richard Fussell, Matthew Watkins, Rhodri Gomer-Davies, Tom Riley, James Arlidge, Danny Lee, James Leadbeater, Gareth Williams; Steve Jones, Tom Willis (C), Hugh Gustafson, Pat Palmer, Peter Bracken, Hoani MacDonald, Robert Sidoli, Joe Bearman, Gavin Thomas, Grant Webb, Lewis Evans, Adam Jones.

• Gwyn Jones
  Heineken Cup

  We have reached the quirky stage of the Heineken Cup when teams face each other twice in a matter of a week. This anomaly has never really made sense to me but it does give us direct evidence of the magnitude of home advantage.

  This is not a thought that will provide any solace to the Scarlets in light of their shattering defeat in front of a disappointing crowd in Llanelli. What awaits them in Dublin is potential humiliation unless they can discover the form that overcame London Irish not all that long ago.

  The Blues also had the first match of their double-header on home soil and recorded the result of the weekend from a Welsh perspective by beating Toulouse.

  This was largely achieved due to the discipline and organisation of their defence and by their efficiency in the tackle area. The Blues repeated last season's feat of keeping the French team tryless and nullified any hint of Gallic flair.

  The advantage of being at home has never been fully understood by those who try to analyse the game. Its effects are due to a mixture of psychological factors that influence the players and the referee.

  At least the Blues know it's coming and so they have the time to be mentally prepared and they will have been reminded of the capricious nature of French teams by Biarritz's mauling of the Dragons on Sunday.

  It struck me that the Dragons went there to do a containment job. They were hoping for a bonus point but would probably have settled for a loss of around twenty points in the end. Instead they were taken to the cleaners in every aspect of the game.

  But here is the beauty of this competition, the Dragons have a chance to rectify those mistakes just five days later. Friday night will be very different and if the local support is out in force then I can see Biarritz becoming the latest victims to leave Gwent with nothing but a loss.

  Since the Dragons demonstrated that damage limitation is a defeatist attitude it was disappointing to read that the Blues are going to Toulouse hoping for a bonus point.

  If a team goes to France hoping to lose by just seven, the chances are they will lose by a whole lot more. The Blues must travel to the South of France with nothing other than winning in their minds.

  There is no way that Munster or Leicester would ever entertain the idea of a losing bonus point being good enough. You show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser.

  Taking that into account, quite what Viadana will be hoping for on their trip to the Liberty is anyone's guess. The Ospreys were ruthless in Italy and will do an equally clinical job this time around. That should set up a mouth watering run-in in their group in January between themselves, Leicester Tigers and Clermont Auvergne.

• Welsh regions defeat Irish visitors
  Magners League

  The Ospreys and the Dragons were celebrating clinical and impressive wins over the weekend against Munster and Leinster in bad weather conditions.

  The Ospreys beat current Magners League Champions, Munster, at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday with a 19 - 14 victory. The visitors led at half time with after being awarded a penalty try, but it was Dan Biggar's foot that kept the Ospreys within a point. Winger Tommy Bowe crossed the try line in the second half to secure the win for the Ospreys against his fellow countrymen.

  Paul Turner's Dragons were the top team against Leinster at Rodney Parade with winger Aled Brew opening the scoring with a clinical finish. Jason Arlidge, Wayne Evans and Richard Fussell also scored throughout the game as the match finished 30 - 14, with the Dragons also winning a bonus point. Leinster's Simon Keogh crossed for a consolation try for the visitors, who were without their international players after the autumn series.

• Ospreys v Munster
  Magners League

  The Ospreys will be without international winger Shane Williams for the match at the Liberty Stadium against Munster in the Magners League this Saturday. The match can be seen live on Y Clwb Rygbi, S4C, 18:10.

  Shane was injured while playing for Wales against Australia last week and he'll join Mike Phillips, Lee Byrne and Adam Jones on the sidelines.

  The last time these teams met, the Ospreys were out classed in a 36 -10 victory for Munster back in May - the night the Irish team won the league.

  It's Munster who've won the last four meetings between both teams in all competitions.

• Dragons v Leinster
  Magners League

  Dragons captain, Tom Willis, and back rower Joe Bearman are fit for the clash against Leinster at Rodney Parade in the Magners League this Sunday. The match can be seen live on Y Clwb Rygbi, S4C, 16:45.

  The Dragons also welcome back Dan Lydiate and Luke Charteris to the squad after the autumn away with the Welsh national team.

  It'll be a hard battle for the Dragons against the Irish team who lead the league, but Leinster are without some of their most influential players in Brian O'Driscoll, Jamie Heaslip and Gordon D'Arcy, who are rested.

  The last five games between the two teams have all been won by the home side on the day.

  Dragons squad

  Aled Brew, Danny Lee, James Arlidge, Jason Tovey, Martyn Thomas, Rhodri Gomer Davies, Richard Fussell, Tom Riley, Wayne Evans, Will Harries, Adam Jones, Dan Lydiate, Duane Goodfield, Gavin Thomas, Grant Webb, Hoani MacDonald, Hugh Gustafson, Joe Bearman, Luke Charteris (capt), Pat Palmer, Peter Bracken, Rob Sidoli, Steve Jones, Tom Willis.

  Leinster squad

  Mark Flanagan, John Fogarty, Trevor Hogan, Bernard Jackman, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Jack McGrath, Malcolm O'Kelly, Mike Ross, Rhys Ruddock, Dominic Ryan, Paul Ryan, Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner, CJ van der Linde, Shaun Berne, Girvan Dempsey, Chris Keane, David Kearney, Michael Keating, Simon Keogh, Ian Madigan, Fergus McFadden, Ian McKinley, Niall Morris, Eoin O'Malley.

• Blues 3 - 31 Australia
  Friendly

  Australia beat the Blues in convincing fashion

  It was Australia who left the Cardiff City Stadium with smiles on their faces as a four-try blitz ensured their first victory against a Cardiff-based side in over a century.

  Ryan Cross, Kurtley Beale (2) and Luke Morahan were the players to break through the home defence and cross the try-line that sent a message to Warren Gatland and the Welsh squad ahead of Saturday's match.

  Blues full-back Ben Blair provided the only points for the region with an early penalty. Despite having Gareth Cooper and Sam Warburton available for selection after being released by Wales, players including Jamie Roberts, Martyn Williams, Gethin Jenkins and Leigh Halfpenny were absent due to international commitments.

• Blues v Australia team news
  Friendly

  Wales release Cooper and Warburton

  Scrum-half Gareth Cooper and flanker Sam Warburton have both been named in the Blues squad to face Australia at the Cardiff City Stadium after Warren Gatland released the two from the international squad.

  Cooper's release paves the way for Dwayne Peel to make his second start of the series as Wales scrum-half against Australia at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday. Scarlets number nine, Martin Roberts, is the other option in that position.

  Regular captain Paul Tito starts the match on the bench, leaving the captaincy in the hands of Xavier Rush.

  Ryan Cross is the only player to remain in the Australian squad amidst a ring of changes following their 9 - 8 defeat to Scotland in Murrayfield.

  Cardiff Blues: Ben Blair; Richard Mustoe; Gareth Thomas; Dafydd Hewitt; Chris Czekaj; Sam Norton-Knight; Gareth Cooper; Taufa'au Filise; Gareth Williams; Gary Powell; Deiniol Jones; Scott Morgan; Sam Warburton; Ben White; Xavier Rush (capt).

  Replacements: T Rhys Thomas, Sam Hobbs, Paul Tito, Robin Sowden-Taylor, Richie Rees, Ceri Sweeney, Gavin Evans.

  Australia: James O'Connor; Lachie Turner, Ryan Cross, Tyrone Smith, Kurtley Beale; Matt Toomua, Luke Burgess; Pekahou Cowan, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Sekope Kepu, Dave Dennis, Dean Mumm (capt), Mitchell Chapman, Matt Hodgson, Richard Brown.

  Replacements: Salesi Ma'afu; Matt Dunning; Mark Chisholm; George Smith; Richard Kingi; Quade Cooper; Luke Morahan.

• Blues v Australia
  Friendly

  For the first time in their history as a region, the Cardiff Blues will welcome international opposition to the brand new Cardiff City Stadium - and the friendly tie is live and exclusive on S4C's Y Clwb Rygbi.

  Australia, who are currently on a tour in the Northern Hemisphere, come face-to-face with Dai Young's squad. The Blues are Australia's final opponents before the visitors face Wales at the Millennium Stadium next weekend.

  Rugby clubs in the Welsh capital have an excellent record against Australia. Cardiff RFC have beaten the Wallabies on six occasions, most recently in 1984. During that particular tour the Wallabies beat all four home nations, but Cardiff defeated their Grand Slam team.

  Huw Llywelyn Davies will commentate on the match, and he explains, "This is a great occasion for the Blues' players. It gives them a chance to taste the thrill and excitement of international rugby. Although these are the Blues - and not Cardiff RFC - everyone is aware of the proud record Cardiff holds over Australia.

  "It's also great to have touring teams playing games other than their international matches. It's reminiscent of the traditional touring matches when visiting squads would challenge the likes of Llanelli, Cardiff, Neath and Swansea."

  "Australia has a lot of talent," adds Huw. "This was evident in Twickenham against England at the start of the month - and they can play thrilling and exciting rugby."

• Anglo Welsh misery for the regions LV
  LV= Cup

  The Ospreys lost their second game from two in the Anglo Welsh LV Cup after Bath took advantage of an under strength Welsh region in terrible weather conditions.

  Despite a first half lead of 3 – 6, the Ospreys conceded three penalties in the second half as well as seeing Luke Watson and Daniel Browne cross over the line for the home side. A consolation try from Justin Tipuric was not enough to secure a win or bonus point, leaving the Ospreys with not much hope of progressing in the Cup competition. The final score was 21 – 11.

  The LV Cup matches over the weekend also saw a defeat 29 – 20 for the Dragons in Leicester and the Blues narrowly missed out as they were beaten 11 – 12 against London Irish at the Cardiff City Stadium.

  However, Nigel Davies’ team will be celebrating after a four-try win against Worcester at Parc y Scarlets. The final score gave Scarlets a 32 – 17 victory.

• Bath v ospreys
  LV= Cup

  The Ospreys have rung the changes for their second LV= Cup match against Bath on Saturday, with a staggering 29 absentees due to international duty and injuries.

  After impressing the coaching staff in their debuts last week against Northampton, Justin Tipuric and James King are handed their first starts for the region. Former Cardiff Blues player James Goode, who joined the Ospreys earlier this week, also makes his debut as lock.

  Will Taylor and Hanno Dirksen will also be looking for their debuts as the pair start the match in Bath on the bench.

  Bath's new South African signing Luke Watson looks set to make his debut for the Guinness Premiership side as lock Danny Grewcock begins his two-week suspension.

  Ospreys squad: Barry Davies, Nicky Thomas, Sonny Parker, Andrew Bishop, Ashley Beck, Gareth Owen, Liam Davies; Ryan Bevington, Ed Shervington, Cai Griffiths, James King, James Goode, Jerry Collins (Capt), Justin Tipuric, Tom Smith, Richard Hibbard, Will Taylor, Ross Davies, Richard Kelly, Steve Tandy, Rhys Webb, Matthew Jarvis, Hanno Dirksen

• Dragons ensure victory in horrendous conditions
  Magners League

  The Dragons edged to victory in difficult conditions in Murrayfield to beat Edinburgh and become the highest placed Welsh region in the Magners League. James Arlidge's perfect boot ensured the 8 - 9 victory for Paul Turner's men despite a late resurgence from Edinburgh's Andrew Turnbull.

  The Dragons recorded their first away win of the Magners League campaign, which sets them nicely for the LV Cup tie against Sale Sharks, to be shown exclusively on S4C on Friday, 6 November.

  An under strength Blues gave a valiant effort against Leinster despite losing 23 - 6 in Dublin. The Heineken Cup champions were too strong for the Blues who were without ten international players.

  In a wet and windy Liberty Stadium, the Ospreys recorded a draw with the Glasgow Warriors courtesy of Gareth Owen's boot. Owen had a chance to win the match for the Ospreys in the dying minutes with a drop goal, but it was kicked wide.

  Connacht were also victorious over the weekend as they beat the Scarlets 16 - 10 in Galway.

• Edinburgh v Dragons
  Magners League

  Dragons captain Tom Willis is sidelined after an aggravated calf injury forces him out of contention. Steve Jones will take over captain duties for the Edinburgh match.

  Forward duo Luke Charteris and Dan Lydiate miss out on the Scottish trip as they are training with the Welsh squad ahead of the autumn internationals. Paul Turner's request to the Welsh coaching squad to release Lydiate was rejected earlier this week.

  New signing Pat Palmer makes his debut as tight head prop for the Dragons as the Newport based side's front row injury crisis continues.

  Edinburgh:

  Chris Paterson, John Houston, Ben Cairns, Nick De Luca, Tim Visser, Phil Godman, Greig Laidlaw; Allan Jacobsen, Ross Ford, Geoff Cross, Steve Turnbull, Scott MacLeod, Scott Newlands, Alan MacDonald, Allister Hogg (capt)

  Replacements: Andrew Kelly, Kyle Traynor, Craig Hamilton, Roddy Grant, Mike Blair, Mark Robertson, Steve Jones

  Dragons:

  Jason Tovey, Aled Brew, Tom Riley, Matther Watkins, Richard Fussell, James Arlidge, Wayne Evans; Hugh Gustafson, Steve Jones (capt) Patrick Palmer, Rob Sidoli, Adam Jones, Hoani Macdonald, Gavin Thomas, Grant Webb

  Replacements: Duane Goodfield, Peter Bracken, James Harris, Toby Falatau, Martyn Thomas, Rhodri Gomer Davies, Danny Lee

• Leinster v Blues
  Magners League

  March 2004 was the last time the Blues beat Leinster away, and Dai Young's squad will hope they can overcome their opponents this weekend. The game will be broadcast live on S4C, Saturday, 31 October, 18:00.

  The Blues are without ten of their international players as they're preparing for the Wales match against New Zealand next week. Hooker, Rhys Williams, and flanker Ben White start for the first time this season.

  This is Leinster's last home match before Christmas, and although they lost away to Ulster last week, both try scores from that game, Shaun Berne and Luke Fitzgerald, are included in the squad.

  Leinster have won their last eight home matches in the Magners League, and the Blues have lost their last three away games.

  Leinster squad

  Leo Cullen, John Fogarty, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Nathan Hines, Bernard Jackman, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O'Brien, Malcolm O'Kelly, Mike Ross, Dominic Ryan, Devin Toner, CJ van der Linde, Shaun Berne, Gordon D'Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Luke Fitzgerald, Shane Horgan, Chris Keane, Rob Kearney, Simon Keogh, Fergus McFadden, Isa Nacewa, Brian O'Driscoll, Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton.

  Blues squad

  Ben Blair, Richard Mustoe, Gareth Thomas, Gavin Evans, Chris Czekaj, Sam Norton Knight, Richie Rees; Darren Morris, Rhys Williams, Taufa'ao Filise, Deiniol Jones, Paul Tito, Scott Morgan, Ben White, Xavier Rush, Rhys James, Gary Powell, James Down, Josh Navidi, Darren Allinson, Ceri Sweeney, Dafydd James.

• S4C to broadcast Anglo-Welsh rugby
  Magners League

  S4C is to offer live, exclusive and free-to-air broadcasts of a number of LV= Cup matches as well as extensive highlights.

  Over the next two seasons, the Channel will broadcast up to five live matches from the pool rounds, while highlights of the semi-finals and final, held in March 2010, will also be screened.

  Coverage of the knockout competition will kick off at Rodney Parade, Newport on Friday, 6 November as the Dragons host Sale Sharks. On the second weekend of the competition S4C will show live coverage of Bath v Ospreys from the Recreation Ground. Other matches will feature in the New Year from weekends 3 and 4.

  Live coverage of Wales' autumn international campaign will also be available on S4C, starting on Saturday, 7 November when Wales host New Zealand at the Millennium Stadium. S4C will also broadcast the matches against Samoa, Argentina and Australia live.

  S4C also broadcasts Heineken Cup, Magners League, Principality Premiership and SWALEC Cup matches and highlights throughout the season.

  Geraint Rowlands, S4C's Content Editor, Sport said: "The inclusion of the re-vamped Anglo-Welsh cup competition to S4C's schedules will offer even more exciting live rugby action to fans and further strengthens the Channel's impressive rugby and sports portfolio."

  Roger Lewis, Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) Group Chief Executive, concluded, "Anglo-Welsh rivalries are amongst the oldest in world rugby and this competition will once again stir a huge amount of excitement from players, coaches and fans.

  "The Welsh Rugby Union has always championed this competition and it's great news for rugby fans that S4C will broadcast live, free-to-air LV= matches as well as highlights of the final and semi-final across Wales and the rest of the UK.

  "We look forward to another season of top class rugby between the best English clubs and our Welsh regions."

• The Blues get the better of the Ospreys
  Magners League

  Two tries at the start of both half's meant the Blues had a comfortable victory over the Ospreys at Cardiff City Stadium over the weekend.

  Tom James scored in the first couple minutes after Norton-Knight kicked a perfectly measured kick across field. Then at the start of the second half, Martyn Williams crossed the advantage line to set up Gareth Cooper for the second try.

  Although the Ospreys came back with tries from Tommy Bowe and Jerry Collins, it wasn't enough to stop the Blues from winning 20 -12.

  In the West, six penalties from Rhys Priestland secured a victory of 18 - 3 for the Scarlets against the Dragons at Parc y Scarlets.

• Welsh derby as the Blues host the Ospreys
  Magners League

  The Ospreys first visit to the Blues' new stadium, the Cardiff City Stadium, will be broadcast live on S4C this Saturday, with kick-off at 6.30pm.

  Martyn Williams makes his first appearance of the season in a Blue shirt after a shoulder injury sustained during the Lions tour. With regular captain Paul Tito starting on the bench, Gethin Jenkins will lead the home side.

  There are a number of injuries within the Ospreys camp, with Lee Byrne, Adam Jones and Mike Phillips among the players sidelined. Winger Shane Williams takes over the captain duties as Ryan Jones joins James Hook and Nikki Walker on the bench.

  Blues squad

  Ben Blair; Leigh Halfpenny, Tom Shanklin, Jamie Roberts, Tom James; Sam Norton-Knight, Gareth Cooper; Gethin Jenkins (capt), Gareth Williams, Taufa'ao Filise, Deiniol Jones, Scott Morgan, Sam Warburton, Martyn Williams, Xavier Rush.

  Replacements: T Rhys Thomas, Gary Powell, Paul Tito, Ben White, Richie Rees, Ceri Sweeney, Richard Mustoe.

  Ospreys sguad

  Barry Davies; Tommy Bowe, Sonny Parker, Andrew Bishop, Shane Williams (capt); Dan Biggar, Rhodri Wells; Duncan Jones, Richard Hibbard, Cai Griffiths, Ian Gough, Alun Wyn Jones, Jerry Collins, Steve Tandy, Tom Smith.

  Replacements: Ed Shervington, Paul James, Jonathan Thomas, Filo Tiatia, Ryan Jones, James Hook, Nikki Walker.

• Good weekend for Welsh regions
  Heineken Cup

  It was celebrations for the Scarlets, Ospreys and Dragons over the weekend as they triumphed over London Irish, Clermont Auvergene and Glasgow in the Heineken Cup.

  Scarlets

  A penalty by Steven Jones in the last minutes of the match against London Irish guaranteed a special win for the Scarlets at Madjesti Stadium, Reading.

  It was a draw at half time with both teams on 18 points each, but a try from Captain Mark Jones and a superb try from full back Daniel Evans, meant that the Scalrets caused the biggest upset of the weekend.

  Ospreys

  For the second weekend running, the Ospreys came close to losing after being ahead for most of the match.

  It was 22 - 3 for the Ospreys at half time but Clermont came back to make it 25 - 24.

  Ryan Jones, Tommy Bowe and Barry Davies scored for the home team.

  Dragons

  Adam Rhys Jones, Luke Charteris and Martyn Thomas were the heroes at Rodney Parade on Friday night as the Dragons beat Glasgow 22 -14.

  But Dragons coach Paul Turner has problems in the front row as Phil Price joins Ali Mckenzie, Ben Castle and Nigel Hall on the injury list.

  Blues

  The Blues nearly beat Sale Sharks away and Andy Powell was unlucky to be punished with a yellow card.

  The Blues were behind for most of the match, but tries form Andy Powell and Robin Snowdon- Taylor meant that it was a testing last few minutes for the home team. Final score 27 - 26.

• Gwyn Jones blog
  Heineken Cup

  The first weekend of Heineken Cup action will have brought a mixture of relief, frustration and satisfaction for all of the regions in varying measures.

  Dragons

  The Dragons deserve a rethink from me. I have always been impressed by their effort and team spirit but that is a prerequisite for any outfit, professional or not.

  I had previously believed that they lacked star quality and despite gutsy performances I never expected them to be able to upset a decent French or English side. Well, I was wrong. They have a few stars, maybe not in the glamour positions, but they have players who can influence a game. Bearman and Charteris are leading the way, with Dan Lydiate rapidly improving. Their performance against Gloucester has earned the respect, not just of this prejudging pundit, but more importantly of their on-field peers. They must now adjust to the pressure of expectation against Glasgow. But with confidence riding high they should go into Friday night's match looking to make an impression and pull up a few trees.

  Ospreys

  It was the Ospreys' inability to fell a few trees, Twelvetrees to be precise, that turned an eighteen point lead into a battling draw against the Tigers. This was rugby's version of cricket's losing draw. But the Ospreys need not be downhearted. I know they should have won. I know that they should have protected the lead. I know that Leicester had half a team but when we reach January all that matters is how many points you've got.

  When the two Jones props are back and the scrum stops retreating, the Ospreys should beat Leicester at home to top the pool. Clermont will have noticed the growing partnership between Bigger and Hook which appears to be based on a natural understanding. Their interchanging appears to occur organically as the game develops. Have we found Hook's best position? I think we have for now.

  Blues

  The trip to Sale would be winnable if every top player had been available but the question is, do the Blues possess the same fortitude in adversity as the Tigers?

  I would like to see the Blues get the ball into midfield a little earlier to allow the power of Roberts and Shanklin to be most effective. With Rush and Powell both wanting to run with the ball, the centres rarely have a chance from first phase. It will take something special to win with such depleted resources but it is not out of the question.

  Scarlets

  The Scarlets have the 'big ask' of the weekend with a trip to London Irish. But, having defeated Brive, their hopes of progressing from the pool stages remain intact.

  We shall see whether their confidence will be equally robust on their return journey from Reading this weekend. Irish are a very capable side and this will be by far the sternest challenge the young west-Walian forwards will have had this season. Playing high-risk-high-reward rugby, the Scarlets should be worth watching. Their problem will be getting enough quality ball, so that they are not forced into foolhardy decisions during the match.

  I was pleasantly surprised with the way last weekend turned out but the fun is in watching it all unfold.

• Heineken Cup action on S4C
  Heineken Cup

  After an exciting opening weekend to Europe's biggest rugby competition, some of the Welsh regions will hope go one step further in the second round of matches this weekend.

  The Dragons are the first region to play when they welcome Glasgow to Rodney Parade on Friday night. The Dragons have beaten the Scots once this season, in the Magners League, but the Heineken Cup's a different kettle of fish.

  Later in the evening the Blues travel to the north of England to face Sale. The Blues had a good victory against Harlequins last week. But without their injured talismanic captain, Paul Tito, it will be a hard journey for them.

  Highlights of both games can be seen that night on Cwpan Heineken on Friday, 16 October, 22:00.

  On Saturday, 17 October, the Scarlets will be in action as they travel to London to play against London Irish. Last week, the Scarlets won their first game since the Magners League's opening weekend. They'll hope that this result will spur them on to take fulfil their potential. Highlights of the game will be shown that night, 21:30.

  The Ospreys gave a good performance away to Leicester last Sunday and they'll welcome Clermont Auvergene this week. But after throwing away a comfortable margin the Ospreys will have to raise their game once again. Highlights of the match will be shown on S4C, Sunday, 18 October, 18:30.

  If you miss any of weekend's action there will be highlights of all the games on Clwb Heineken, Monday, 19 October, 22:00.

  All Cwpan Heineken programmes will be available to watch on Clic for seven days after transmission.

• Heineken Cup videos
  Heineken Cup

  All the Welsh regions' tries in the Heineken Cup's opening weekend.

  Heineken Cup - Round 1

  

  • Scarlets v Breive
  • Blues v Harlequins
  • Gloucester v Dragons
  • Leicester v Ospreys

• Shane disappointed after Leicester draw
  Heineken Cup

  The battle between the Ospreys and Leicester Tigers was the match that grabbed the headlines following the Heineken Cup's opening weekend as the Tigers fought back from an eighteen point deficit.

  Shane Williams said following the match: "We're quite disappointed and there are many things we need to improve if we want to progress and win the cup. We've got a home game against Clermont next week and we need to build on this performance."

  The Dragons were unlucky Friday night as the lost away to Gloucester. The Dragons were ahead until the last few minutes when ex-Blues fly-half, Nicky Robinson, ensured victory of 19 - 17 for the home side with his kicking.

  Although they've been struggling in league so far this season, Saturday was a good day for the Blues and Scarlets. Leigh Halfpenny showed amazing turn of pace to score a late try in the Blues' victory over Harlequins. The Scarlets beat French side Brive, 24 - 12, at Parc y Scarlets.

• Gwyn Jones Blog
  Heineken Cup

  Predicting the teams that are going to qualify for the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup is an annual pastime enjoyed by both pundits and armchair aficionados alike.

  Instead of looking forward I have decided to look back, the past being the best predictor of the future as they say. By examining the previous five Heineken Cups I am searching for the minimum number of points that a team needs to accumulate from their six pool matches to get them into the knockout stages. The average number of points that a team needs to win its group is 23, but teams have won their group with a score as low as 19. However, in order to almost guarantee safe passage into the last eight it is better to look at the two 'best loser spots'. Only once in the past five seasons has a total of 21 points not been good enough to qualify.

  With these facts in hand, it's time to apply this historical perspective to this year's competition.

  Dragons

  The first thing that strikes you is that the Dragons and Glasgow are in the same group this season. But before Gloucester and Biarritz start counting their chickens, they should be warned that the Dragons are no longer the walkover they once were.

  They still lack the class to be contenders in their group but at least they won't be ignored this season. Twenty one points is not within their grasp but a couple of home wins and the odd bonus point should see them reach double figures.

  Blues

  The heady heights of last season's 27 points seem a distant memory for the Blues. If all the teams in this group were on form then pool 5 with Toulouse, Harlequins and Sale could have been this year's 'Group of Death'. Instead, all the teams are operating under a major malaise. The Blues look like a Joe Calzaghe Waltz - uncoordinated, shapeless and lacking precision. This pool is there for the taking and the first team that gets its act in gear should win it. I reckon that Toulouse's ability to win at home and score tries will take them to the top of this group, but not by much.

  Ospreys

  Is this the year that the Ospreys fulfill their potential? This is a question we ask every season, but end up disappointed.

  I have seen more signs of cohesion from the Ospreys in the last couple of weeks than I have for some time. Biggar has given the side some shape, Ryan has a degree of urgency back in his legs and Bowe in the centre gives the backline greater potency. My only concern is the scrum which Leicester will test to breaking point but hopefully not beyond. As long as the Ospreys return with something from Wellfield Road, they will be on course for the last eight.

  Scarlets

  Finally the Scarlets find themselves in the invidious position of having Europe's two form teams in their pool. Leinster and London Irish are both high on confidence as the struggling Scarlets fail to push on from a promising start.

  Almost without noticing the Scarlets have swapped places with the Dragons as a team that gets sympathy rather than criticism when they lose by 45 points. The chances of the Scarlets reaching 21 points are slim to say the least.

• Gareth Roberts
  Heineken Cup

  Cwpan Heineken returns to S4C with three exiting days of rugby from Europe's biggest rugby competition.

  Gareth Roberts, Arthur Emyr and Gwyn Jones will present the highlights of all of the Welsh region's games over the weekend, as well as the other games in the competition.

  But how will the Welsh regions fare in the competition this year? Gareth Roberts gives us his opinion.

  Dragons

  This season the Dragons have played exciting rugby in the Magners League and the squad is united. But they will have to secure maximum points in their home matches.

  Their first opponents are Gloucester away in Kingsholm where a number of changes have happened over the summer. There's a new coach and many new faces in the squad, including fly-half, Nicky Robinson who was instrumental to the Blues' success last year.

  Blues

  Sale, Toulouse and Sale - three teams who've had a good start to the season and have a strong squad. It's a hard group to qualify from. After reaching the semi-finals last year, everyone knows what to expect from the Blues so it will be hard for them to emulate the same success again.

  I suspect the Blues will miss Nicky Robinson in the crucial fly-half position. He's a good leader, a great influence within the squad and he can put his stamp on a game. Neither Norton-Knight or Sweeny have had the same effect in that position this year.

  Ospreys

  The Ospreys, like the Blues, have to play better rugby than they have so far this season to reach the latter stages of the competition. They both have a hard group and it'll be a challenge for them to reach the next round and secure a home game in the quarters.

  It's hard to believe there's pressure on Scott Johnson after so little time at the helm. Like the Blues, there are hard teams to play against in their group including Clermont and Leicester. The only comfort they have is that there's a team from Italy in their group and the Ospreys will be expected to get maximum points from their matches against them - home and away.

  Scarlets

  There are signs that things are starting to get better in Llanelli and that will give the squad a psychological boost. But with the Scarlets poor record in the competition over the last few years, who knows what to expect?

  Brive haven't played in the Heineken Cup for a few seasons so it will be interesting to see what they have to offer.

• S4C's bumper Heineken coverage
  Heinken Cup

  Heineken Cup rugby returns to S4C this weekend as the Channel offers exclusive free-to-air highlights of the competition.

  Four special programmes will feature all the first round clashes from the opening weekend of the 2009/10 competition in the company of presenters Gareth Roberts, Arthur Emyr and Gwyn Jones.

  Gareth Roberts says, "The best thing about this competition is the fact that it's hard to win and no team from Wales has won it in the past. It's a competition where the standard is always high, every game is meaningful and it's a test for all the players involved as they face off against the best rugby teams in Europe."

  Extensive highlights

  The Dragons will kick off the competition against Gloucester on Friday, 9 October and highlights can be seen that night in the first of a new series of Cwpan Heineken at 22:00.

  On Saturday, 10 October, the Scarlets will be in action as they challenge French outfit Brive at Parc y Scarlets. Cardiff Blues also welcome the Harlequins to their new home, the Cardiff City Stadium, on Saturday. Highlights of both games will be broadcast Saturday night at 21:30.

  The Blues came painstakingly close to a spot in the final last season and Dai Young's men will look to go one step further in this year's competition.

  Things haven't been quite going to plan at the Liberty Stadium so far and Scott Johnson and his coaching staff will be aiming for a change of fortune in the Heineken Cup. The Ospreys face tough competition in their opening clash as they meet rivals Leicester Tigers at Welford Road for the big clash on Sunday, 11 October. There will be highlights on S4C at 19:00.

  If you miss any of weekend's action there will be highlights of all the games on Clwb Heineken, Monday, 12 October, 22:00.

• Mixed weekend for Wales regions
  Magners League

  It was another weekend of mix fortunes for the Welsh regions in the Magners League. The Dragons impressed once again at Rodney Parade as they beat Irish outfit Connacht 23 - 10 with tries from James Harris and Joe Bearman.

  It was far from inspiring at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday as the Blues fell to a fourth defeat out of five in the current Magners League campaign. Glasgow Warriors dominated the game throughout and the Blues' misery continued as Thom Evans and Johnnie Beattie crossed the touch line. Sam Warburton scored the Blues' consolation try in the second half.

  In the other Magners League matches, the Ospreys looked powerful as they beat Edinburgh at the Liberty Stadium with a 31 - 10 victory. The Scarlets were defeated in Ulster 45 -24 and now stand in ninth place, one behind the Blues

• Blues v Glasgow preview
  Magners League

  The Blues should have more confidence going into the home time against Glasgow on Saturday after recording their first win of the season last weekend. The match is broadcast live on S4C, 3 October, 18:20.

  Dai Young's back row headache continues as both Xavier Rush and Maama Molitika are both sidelined due to injuries. It has been recently reported that Young and his coaching team are looking to recruit a new player who can calm the team's woes.

  Meanwhile, Glasgow delayed their team selection for the match after stomach bugs affected the majority of the team.

  Blues squad

  Ben Blair, Richard Mustoe, Tom Shanklin, Gavin Evans, Gareth Thomas, Sam Norton-Knight, Gareth Cooper, John Yapp, Gareth Williams, Gary Powell, Deiniol Jones, Paul Tito, Sam Warburton, Robin Sowden-Taylor, Andy Powell, Darren Morris, Rhys Williams, Bradley Davies, Scott Morgan, Richie Rees / Darren Allinson, Ceri Sweeney, Leigh Halfpenny

  Glasgow squad

  Bernardo Stortoni, Rob Dewey, Dave McCall, Graeme Morrison, Thom Evans, Dan Parks, Chris Cusiter, Jon Welsh, Dougie Hall, Moray Low, Tim Barker, Alastair Kellock, Richie Vernon, John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie, Pat MacArthur, Kevin Tkachuk, Dan Turner, Kelly Brown, Colin Gregor, Hefin O'Hare, DTH van der Merwe

• Dragons v Connacht preview
  Magners League

  The Dragons face a centre crisis ahead of their clash against Connacht at Rodney Parade on Saturday. The match will be available to see live on S4C, 3 October, 16:20.

  Wales centre, Matthew Watkins has a side strain while Ashley Smith and Rhodri Gomer Davies are doubtful. Dragon's captain, Tom Willis, is also out after failing to recover from a calf strain.

  But lock, Luke Charteris is back to lead the Dragons after his eye injury.

  Connacht will be without Robbie Morris who's banned for three weeks, or flanker Ray Ofisa who's injured.

  Dragons squad

  Wayne Evans, Jason Tovey, Aled Brew, Ashley Smith, Tom Riley, Richard Fussell, Martyn Thomas, Matthew Watkins, Shaun Connor, James Arlidge, Danny Lee, Steve Jones, Rob Sidoli, Dan Lydiate, Luke Charteris, Gavin Thomas, James Harris, Hugh Gustafson, Nigel Hall, Gethin Robinson, Adam Jones, Hoani MacDonald, Duane Goodfield, Joe Bearman.

  Connacht squad

  Liam Bibo, Andrew Browne, Fionn Carr, Sean Cronin, Gavin Duffy, Adrian Flavin, Jamie Hagan, Conor Higgins, Ian Keatley, Ronan Loughney, Keith Matthews, Mike McCarthy, Mike McComish, John Muldoon, Dermot Murphy, Frank Murphy, Troy Nathan, Mike Nikora, Johnny O'Connor, Conor O'Loughlin, Michael Swift, Niva Ta'auso, Brian Tuohy, Bernie Upton, Brett Wilkinson, Aidan Wynne.

• Plenty of drama in the Magners League
  Magners League

  A late fightback by the Scarlets failed to stop the Blues from winning their first game of the season at Cardiff City Stadium. The Blues won 19-15.

  A try by New Zealander Paul Tito and Ben Blair's boot lead the Blues to a 19-3 advantage. But the Scarlets scored two tries in as many minutes that lead to an exciting end to the match.

  The Dragons suffered a defeat away to the reigning Magners League champions Munster in Cork. Although it was level pegging at half time, a hat-trick of tries from Nick Williams and one from Doug Howlett assured a comfortable win of 27 -3 for the Irish side.

  The Ospreys won away against Glasgow 16 - 26. A superb individual try from Tommy Bowe and another from Nikki Walker meant that they climb to fifth in the table.

• Munster v Dragons preview
  Magners League

  It's a tough test for the Dragons as they head out to Cork to challenge the reigning champions Munster this weekend as many of their players are injured. The game will be broadcast live on Y Clwb Rygbi, Sunday, 27 September, 16:55.

  The Dragons are without their captain, Tom Willis, their lock Luke Charteris or their flanker Gavin Thomas. But Hoani MacDonald is fit for the first time this season.

  What make's things harder for the Dragons is that Munster see the return of their Lions tourists. They've named Paul O'Connell, Donncha O'Callaghan, Keith Earls, Ronan O'Gara and South Africa centre Jean de Villiers in their squad.

  But after a promising start to the season, spirit is high in the Dragons camp, and they'll hope to steal victory out in Ireland.

  Munster squad

  M Horan, J Brugnaut, T Buckley, J Hayes, D Fogarty, D Varley, M O'Driscoll, P O'Connell, D O'Callaghan, D Ryan, A Quinlan, T O'Donnell, D Leamy, N Williams, J Coughlan, T O'Leary, T Morland, R O'Gara, J Manning, L Mafi, J de Villiers, B Murphy, D Hurley, K Earls, F Jones.

  Dragons squad

  Martyn Thomas; Aled Brew, Tom Riley, Ashley Smith, Richard Fussell; James Arlidge, Wayne Evans; Hugh Gustafson, Steve Jones, Nigel Hall, Adam Jones, Rob Sidoli, Dan Lydiate, James Harris, Joe Bearman, Duane Goodfield, Ali McKenzie, Gethin Robinson, Grant Webb, Hoani MacDonald, Shaun Connor, Danny Lee.

• Blues v Scarlets preview
  Magners League

  The battle of East versus West

  Cardiff Blues centre Tom Shanklin and Scarlets' hooker Matthew Rees make their first Magners League start of the new campaign in Saturday's East versus West derby. The game will be broadcast live on Y Clwb Rygbi, 26 September, 18:00.

  Stephen Jones has been left out of the squad to visit the new Cardiff City Stadium due to a persistent Achilles injury. But former Osprey's youngster Tavis Knoyle, who starts on the bench, will be hoping for his first competitive appearance for the region.

  For the Blues, who are chasing their first league win of the season, Norton-Knight returns to outside-half with Ceri Sweeney starting as a replacement.

  Blues squad

  Ben Blair; Richard Mustoe, Tom Shanklin, Jamie Roberts, Gareth Thomas; Sam Norton-Knight, Richie Rees; John Yapp, T Rhys Thomas, Taufa'ao Filise, Bradley Davies, Paul Tito, Maama Molitika, Robin Sowden-Taylor, Xavier Rush, Darren Morris, Gareth Williams, Deiniol Jones, Andy Powell, Gareth Cooper, Ceri Sweeney, Gavin Evans.

  Scarlets squad

  Daniel Evans; Sean Lamont, Gareth Maule, Jonathan Davies, Mark Jones, Rhys Priestland, Martin Roberts; Iestyn Thomas, Ken Owens, Deacon Manu, Lou Reed, Dominic Day, Simon Easterby, Richie Pugh, David Lyons. Phil John, Matthew Rees, Vernon Cooper, Josh Turnbull, Tavis Knoyle, Dan Newton, Lee Williams.

• Scarlets v Munster
  Magners League

  In a nail-biting thriller, Munster piped the Scarlets with a late try to secure a 20 - 22 win at Parc y Scarlets.

  The Scarlets dominated for the majority of the game with tries from Deacon Manu and captain Mark Jones. Denis Hurley responded for Munster with two tries, including the last minute winner, and the Irish scrum-half Toby Morland also scored for the visitors.

  The Dragons comfortably beat Glasgow Warriors at Rodney Parade with a 30 - 19 victory. Tries from James Arlidge, James Tovey, Aled Brew and captain Ashley Smith propelled the Dragons into second place.

  But it was another disappointing weekend for the other Welsh regions with the Ospreys and Blues both experiencing defeats. The Blues have failed to win a single game in this year's Magners League campaign and stand at the foot of the table after a 18 - 16 loss at Connacht. The Ospreys suffered an 11 - 18 loss to Leinster at the Liberty Stadium.

• Scarlets v Munster - Match preview
  Magners League

  The Scarlets recall Rhys Thomas for the league visit of Munster. The prop had been dropped against Glasgow last week following a head butt in the opening match of the season.

  Reigning champions Munster travel to Parc y Scarlets on Saturday. The game will be shown live on Y Clwb Rygbi, 19 September, 18:00.

  The Scarlets hope to build on a relatively good start including a home win against Leinster in their opening match. But history is against them and Munster have won the previous seven meetings between both teams.

  South Africa centre Jean de Villiers arrived at Munster on Thursday, but he will not play in Llanelli. The Scarlets will be without Lions tourists Stephen Jones and Matthew Rees.

  Scarlets coach Nigel Davies has emphasised that his side have to better their discipline after having three players sin-binned in their opening two Magners League games.

  Munster squad

  Danny Barnes, Felix Jones, Scott Deasy, Denis Hurley, Doug Howlett, Barry Murphy, Tom Gleeson, Lifeimi Mafi, Jeremy Manning, Toby Morland, Peter Stringer, Marcus Horan, Tony Buckley, Julian Brugnaut, John Hayes, Denis Fogarty, Damian Varley, Mick O'Driscoll, Donnacha Ryan, Alan Quinlan, Billy Holland, Tommy O'Donnell, Niall Ronan, Denis Leamy, James Coughlan.

  Scarlets squad

  Daniel Evans, Sean Lamont, Gareth Maule, Jonathan Davies, Mark Jones, Rhys Priestland, Martin Roberts, Iestyn Thomas, Ken Owens, Rhys Thomas, Lou Reed, Dominic Day, Simon Easterby, Dafydd Jones, David Lyons. Phil John, Emyr Phillips, Deacon Manu, Vernon Cooper, Richie Pugh, Lee Williams, Dan Newton.

• Huw Llywelyn Davies
  Magners League

  With two games played in Magners League so far this season, Y Clwb Rygbi's experienced commentator, Huw Llywelyn Davies, gives his opinion on the Welsh regions performances.

  Dragons

  To be honest, the Dragons have played better than the other regions so far. Paul Turner's squad play with potential, and all the players give a honest effort. It's obvious that there's spirit in the squad, and they play as an unit, which is totally different to what's going on down at the Liberty.

  Ospreys

  The biggest task facing Scott Johnson is how he can blend the brilliant individuals into a unit and show there's a constant pattern to their play. That isn't happening at the moment. But, after saying that, I expect them to raise their game as the season unfolds.

  I Expect the captain Ryan Jones, to show more leadership and influence, and I want someone to step up to the mark and control the back row. At the moment, James Hook show's a lack of control. If they did that, they'll have a good chance to reach the play-off's at the end of the season.

  Blues

  I still think the Blues have made a big mistake letting Nicky Robinson leave for Gloucester because he was key to their success last year. The squad also misses the menace that is Gethin Jenkins in the front row and they need the speed and power of Jamie Roberts in the centre to create more chances.

  Scarlets

  The Scarlets haven't had a bad start to the season, but there are a lot of weaknesses they need to address. There's a lack of power and presence in the front five and a lack of control amongst the backs. Once Stephen Jones and Regan King return, I think they'll have a good balance between experience and youth, because Jonathan Davies and Daniel Evans look like promising players.

  A lack of discipline in the last quarter against Glasgow lost the game for them. With Simon Easterby in the sin bin, it was impossible for them to ensure victory.

• Weekend of misery for Welsh regions
  Magners League

  Warren Gatand returned to Wales last week after an extended summer break in his native New Zealand to be confronted with defeats for all four of the Welsh regions.

  The weekend of misfortune began when Munster defeated the Blues in Thomond Park. To add to the misery, the Ospreys failed to tame Ulster at home and the Dragons fell foul to Leinster. Glasgow were too powerful for the Scarlets at the Firhill Arena in the Sunday afternoon match.

  The next live game on Y Clwb Rygbi will be Scarlets v Munster live from Parc y Scarlets, Saturday, 19 September, 18:30.

• Glasgow v Scarlets - Match preview
  Magners League

  Wales prop Rhys Thomas will be on the bench for the Scarlets' first away match of the season against Glasgow on Sunday. He received a yellow card in Saturday's home win against Leinster but was cleared by a disciplinary panel earlier this week of alleged use of his head.

  The Scarlets have won their last three matches in the league but haven't won four in a row since the 2006/07 season. After a good performance last week, Scarlets coach Nigel Davies will hope his team can carry the momentum north of the border this Sunday.

  Glasgow have won their last three matches against the Scarlets - and after thrashing the current champions Munster last week - things are looking good for the Scottish side.

  The game is broadcast live on S4C, Sunday, 13 September, 16:55.

  Scarlets squad

  Daniel Evans, Sean Lamont, Rob Higgitt, Jonathan Davies, Mark Jones, Rhys Priestland, Martin Roberts, Iestyn Thomas, Ken Owens, Deacon Manu, Lou Reed, Dominic Day, Dafydd Jones, Richie Pugh, David Lyons, Phil John, Emyr Phillips, Vernon Cooper, Simon Easterby, Lee Williams, Dan Newton, Gareth Maule.

  Glasgow Squad

  Bernardo Stortoni, Rob Dewey, Peter Murchie, Graeme Morrison, Thom Evans, Dan Parks, Chris Cusiter, Jon Welsh, Dougie Hall, Moray Low, Tim Barker, Alastair Kellock, Kelly Brown, John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie, Pat MacArthur, Kevin Tkachuk, Dan Turner, Richie Vernon, Mark McMillan, Colin Gregor, Colin Shaw.

• WRU and regions reach a ground breaking deal
  News

  The WRU and the Welsh regions have reached a ground breaking agreement which will deliver more financial security to each Region and contractually ensure that rugby in Wales has a greater focus on recruiting, retaining and selecting talented Welsh players in future.

  Funding

  It gives the regions a basic £6m a year between them, an increase of £2.4m, with extra funding from competitions.

  Squads

  Match squads for all Regional games are intended to contain on average at least 17 players qualified to play for Wales out of the 22 or 23 named from now on.

  Internationals

  In future the Wales team will be able to play up to 13 international matches every year with the appropriate training release times built in.

• Ospreys v Ulster - Match preview
  Magners League

  You will be able to watch the Ospreys in action this weekend as they welcome Irish side Ulster to Liberty Stadium in their first home match of the season. The game will be broadcast live on S4C, Saturday, 12 September, 18:00.

  Last week, Ulster succumbed to a defeat at the hands of a powerful Dragons side while the Ospreys enjoyed a comfortable win against Connacht in Galway.

  It fares well for the Ospreys with Tommy Bowe, an ex-Ulster player, joins fellow Lion Mike Phillips and James Hook in the squad. Ulster on the other hand will have to make do without Ferris, Wallace and Trimble due to Ireland commitments.

• Magners League opening weekend
  Magners League

  It was a spectacular opening weekend for Welsh regions in the Magners league as the Scarlets, Dragons and Ospreys all won their encounters against three of the Irish regions.

  A statue of Scarlet great, Ray Gravelle, was unveiled before their match against Leinster on Saturday. It might have inspired the West Wales team to victory - although Leinster were without three of their stars – Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy and Jamie Heaslip.

  The Ospreys beat Connacht in Galway while the Dragons caused a shock with their impressive win against Ulster.

  A perfect weekend for the Welsh regions was marred by the Blues home defeat by one point to Edinburgh in their new stadium.

  The next live game on Y Clwb Rygbi will be Ospreys v Ulster in Liberty Stadium, Saturday 12 September at 18:00.

• Gwyn Jones gives us his predictions for the new season
  Magners League

  Gwyn Jones Blog

  There was a time when rugby put its feet up in the summer and allowed other sports to enjoy their fifteen minutes of attention.

  But with drugs, eye gouging, Henson doing a Lord Lucan - fake blood and conspiracy has dragged the sport through the mire. Thank goodness we can start talking about some actual rugby now that the new season is upon us.

  Blues

  The best Welsh region last season were the Blues who set up a smooth move to their new stadium with some great performances in two cup competitions. However, pre-season fixtures suggest that the EDF Cup holders have much work to do.

  I am convinced that they will miss Nicky Robinson more than they anticipated. Fly-half is the toughest position on the field and last year Robinson broke free from his fragile and inconsistent past to be imperious.

  There is a slight worry too that some of their senior players are...well, a bit too senior.

  I think it will be a transitional season and they will fight hard for the fourth play-off spot in the Magners League.

  Ospreys

  Will this be the year that the Ospreys fulfil their potential? They have eventually filled the position vacated by Lyn Jones with the return of the players' sweetheart Scott Johnson. The man that makes hardened international forwards go all dewy eyed is back to cure the Ospreys malaise.

  His first major job as the 'number one' will test his matey credentials. However, I have not met a single rugby player who failed to be impressed by his coaching. This could be the final piece in the jigsaw for the ambitious club. I expect them to reach the final of the new Magners League play-offs.

  Scarlets

  The Scarlets need a big year. Their pitiful home crowds reflected their abject performance in the second half of last season. The atmosphere was not good.

  Through injury and lack of funds, the Scarlets were forced to blood some young talent but they will need that potential to develop rapidly to compete on every front.

  Stephen Jones remains the rock around which this team stands and his added authority after an outstanding Lions tour may be enough to rescue the club. My prediction for the Scarlets is mid-table and survival.

  Dragons

  That leaves the Dragons. The stoic Gwent side's struggle to beat the odds continues. As always they will be proud at home and they may surprise a few but they know that their fate will be towards the bottom of the table trying to cling onto their place in the Heineken Cup.

  That's how I see things now but, if it's like every other season, you can tear this up after a month and start all over again.

• Magners League facts and figures
  Magners League

  This season's tournament promises to be one of the best seasons so far with players such as Lions Chris Cusiter and Nathan Hines as well as Welsh scrum half Gareth Cooper returning to the league with the Blues.

  Also making their debut in the leage are New Zealand legend Jerry 'The Hitman' Collins with the Ospreys and current Springbok centre Jean de Villiers on his way to Munster at the end of the Tri Nations series.

  Here we take a look back some of the statistics since the Celtic league was formed.

  Current Champions 2008/09

  Munster

  Previous Champions

  2007/08	Leinster
  2006/07	Ospreys
  2005/06	Ulster
  2004/05	Llanelli Scarlets
  2002/03	Munster

  What Celtic Rugby has delivered since 2005?

  • Three Grand Slams and three Six Nations titles - Wales in 2005 and 2008 and Ireland in 2009.
  • Five Triple Crowns in succession - Ireland in 2006, 2007 and 2009 and Wales in 2005 and 2008.
  • Three Six Nations players of the year - Martyn Williams in 2005, Shane Williams in 2008 and Brian O'Driscoll in 2009.
  • IRB Player of the Year Award for Shane Williams in 2008.
  • Lions tour captain in South Africa in 2009 in Paul O'Connell.
  • 2009 Lions Player of the Tour for Jamie Roberts.
  • IRB World Sevens title by Wales in 2009.
  • Heineken Cup final wins by Munster in 2006 and 2008 and Leinster in 2009.
  • EDF Energy Cup successes for the Ospreys in 2008 and Cardiff Blues in 2009.

• Scarlets v Leinster
  Magners League

  Following two defeats to Bath in pre-season friendly's, the Scarlets will aim to get a better start to the new season in their opening match against Leinster live on S4C on Saturday, 5 September, 18:00.

  The last encounter between both teams was in Dublin last May when Leinster stunned Llanelli in a seven try rout.

  But with new experienced players, such as winger Sean Lamont and flanker Richie Pugh, recruited to the Scarlets setup over the summer. Scarlets coach, Nigel Davies, will hope to establish his side as a team to be reckoned with this season.

  Scarlets squad

  Daniel Evans; Sean Lamont, Rob Higgitt, Jonathan Davies, Mark Jones (capt); Rhys Priestland, Martin Roberts; Iestyn Thomas, Ken Owens, Rhys Thomas, Lou Reed, Dominic Day, Simon Easterby, Richie Pugh, David Lyons, Phil John, Emyr Phillips, Deacon Manu, Vernon Cooper, Dafydd Jones, Lee Williams, Dan Newton.

  Leinster squad

  Leo Cullen, John Fogarty, Cian Healy, Bernard Jackman, Shane Jennings, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O'Brien, Malcolm O'Kelly, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Stan Wright. Shaun Berne, Girvan Dempsey, Shane Horgan, Chris Keane, Simon Keogh, Brendan Macken, Fergus McFadden, Niall Morris, Isa Nacewa, Paul O'Donohoe, Jonathan Sexton.

• New rugby season on S4C
  Magners League

  It's been a busy summer for rugby supporters with Wales' successful tour to North America and the Lions' phenomenal our in South Africa.

  But this weekend sees the start of the Magners League. S4C will broadcast its first live game of the campaign as the Scarlets welcome Leinster to Parc y Scarlets on Saturday.

  The team at the helm of Y Clwb Rygbi will be presenter Gareth Roberts, with commentary from Huw Llywelyn Davies and Gwyn Jones. Brynmor Williams will be analysing the games.

  Gareth Roberts said: "There's no doubt that the Magners League has raised the standard of play year upon year. The baseline for this is the Heineken Cup. Last season, three of the four clubs in the semi's were in the Magners League - Leinster, Munster and the Blues."

  This year, the league will be home to three Lions test captains and four Tri Nations' winners amongst a hosts of other stars.

  The Blues, Ospreys and Dragons will also be in action over the weekend. The Blues welcome Edinburgh to their new stadium; the Ospreys travel to Galway to challenge Connacht; and the Dragons play at home against Ulster.

• Heineken Cup 2009/10
  Heineken Cup

  2009/10 Heineken Cup Pool Stage announcement

  Today, (Tuesday 9 June), the ERC have announced the 2009/10 Heineken Cup pool stages in a special press conference in Paris.

  Leinster were crowned the 2008/09 Heineken Cup champions when they beat the Leicester Tigers in Murrayfield. Next season, they will have to finish top of their group to secure a quarter final spoy by beating rivals London Irish, Scarlets and Brive.

  • Pool 1

  • Munster
  • Perpignan
  • Northampton Saints
  • Benetton Treviso

  • Pool 2

  • Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque
  • Gloucester Rugby
  • Newport Gwent Dragons
  • Glasgow Warriors

  • Pool 3

  • Leicester Tigers
  • Ospreys
  • ASM Clermont Auvergne
  • Viadana

  • Pool 4

  • Bath Rugby
  • Stade Français Paris
  • Ulster Rugby
  • Edinburgh

  • Pool 5

  • Toulouse
  • Cardiff Blues
  • Sale Sharks
  • Harlequins

  • Pool 6

  • Leinster
  • London Irish
  • Scarlets
  • Brive

• Cardiff Blues v Leicester - preview
  Heineken Cup

  Gwyn Jones

  The Blues produced the finest performance in their history against Gloucester in the quarter-finals - and arguably the best display of quality rugby by any of the regions in their short existence.

  Gloucester may not have helped themselves but the crispness of the handling, the incisive angles, the speed of thought, and the pace of the movements all backed up with irresistible power would have been too much for most international teams on that sunny afternoon. It was one of those exceptional days for any team when everything comes off. They are few and far between.

  The Tigers will have watched the video of the Blues' victory and fast-forwarded through the pretty stuff and taken huge consolation from one thing, a penalty try at the scrum. This is the Blues' weakness and in equal measure it's the Tigers' strength.

  Expect Leicester to commit numbers to every tackle area in an attempt to turn rucks into unresolved pile ups and consequently scrums. Expect them to take the option of the scrum whenever practicably possible. Expect them to use the high ball hoping for knock-ons and expect them to kick to touch, away from the deadly counter-attack of the Blues.

  The Blues will be confident that they can win the game however it turns out. In three different matches, against Northampton, Toulouse and Gloucester they have played in contrasting styles and have displayed different qualities. They have all ended in victory.

  I also believe that the Blues are up to this task. There is an air about them, an assuredness in every step and a certainty in each deed. What has brought about such a transformation from nearly men to winners is impossible to pinpoint, but they are a changed side.

  The time is right for their blend of players. The ELVs suit them and the chemistry between them has formed strong bonds. I'm not predicting anything other than a hard fought win for the Blues. Their reward, a shot at immortality by beating Munster in the final.

• The Ospreys travel to the Scarlets new home...
  Magners League

  Saturday 18 April
  Y Clwb Rygbi
  S4C 17.10

  The Ospreys travel to the Scarlets new home for the first time on Saturday, fresh from their disappointing defeat to Munster in the Heineken Cup. The Magners League clash from Parc y Scarlets will be shown live and exclusively on S4C with Gareth Roberts at the helm and Huw Llywelyn Davies and former Wales captain Gwyn Jones providing expert commentary. Brynmor Williams is the man in the van analyzing the full eighty minutes while Sarra Elgan will be reporting from pitch-side. With the Scarlets hoping to better their recent performances and the Ospreys looking to close the gap on the top of the league, this should be a great battle.

• Heineken Cup quarter finals - preview
  Heineken Cup

  Gwyn Jones

  The Heineken Cup enters the nailbiting phase and Wales has two teams with enough ability to grace the last four. We have said this before but invariably they fall short after a spirited effort.

  That may change this season because both the Blues and the Ospreys are, on paper at least, good enough to force their way into the semi-finals. But will they make it this time?

  The Blues

  Let's start with the Blues. They are a good side at the moment with strengths all round. It's the same team as last season, apart from the emergence of Leigh Halfpenny, so why do they appear so different?

  I think that much of their improvement is due to a change in their attitude. The fragility that dogged the Blues, particularly away from home and also in big games, seems to have been replaced by a hardened resolve.

  They won a mud-fight in Biarritz with outstanding defence and they then travelled to Kingsholm to face Gloucester where they turned a house of pain into the bungalow of mild discomfort. In both matches, you got the sense that they were never going to lose whereas in the past you knew they were never going to win.

  However, I have two concerns regarding the Blues. Firstly, their scrum and, in particular, their tight head is a potential weakness. Good scrimmaging sides have demolished them at times. The other is the scrum-half. Jason Spice is a niggly player who occasionally lets the game consume him. The Blues will need numbers three and nine to be on their mettle.

  The Ospreys

  Turning to the Ospreys, where do you start? No-one questions their individual talents or their desire to succeed. Their commitment is normally first class and we know they all have the temperament for a big occasion. But how many times has it been said?

  Over recent weeks, the blitz defence and its mainly Osprey proponents has looked a liability. Diagonal kicks timed perfectly have made the system vulnerable. O'Gara unpicked the weakness behind the wingers against Wales in the Grand Slam decider more than once and Gloucester did the same against the Ospreys in the EDF semi-final.

  The Ospreys will need to vary their tactics on Sunday because they are too easy to read at present. But it is in attack that the Welsh side has looked so disjointed. For once, they will need the cohesion that has eluded them to make a dent in the Munster defence.

  This is James Hook's big moment. A controlling performance could make him a Lion and he needs to show everyone, including himself, that he has the stature to play fly-half at the very highest level.

  Predictions

  Finally, it's time for the predictions. Those of you who have managed to reach the end of my articles over the years without going into a coma will know that I have been pretty dire lately at guessing the winners and losers. However, there has been something of a transformation of late. After dispatching little Jonny from the Scrum V prediction table last year, I also managed to top the table on the S4C pundit predictions this year. I'm on a hotter streak than Tiger Woods on steroids.

  I predict that the Blues will win by five and that the Ospreys won't.

• There's a double-bill of rugby on S4C...
  Magners League, Welsh Premiership

  Y Clwb Rygbi: Scarlets v Glasgow
  Saturday, 4 April, 5.10pm
  Y Clwb Rygbi: Swansea v Llanelli
  Friday, 10 April, 5.00pm

  There's a double-bill of rugby on S4C this week featuring both Magners League and the Welsh Principality Premiership action. Gareth Roberts presents live coverage of both matches. On Saturday afternoon, Nigel Davies and the Scarlets host the Glasgow Warriors for a nail-biting clash - with both teams needing to leave with points. Huw Llywelyn Davies and Gwyn Jones will offer expert analysis on the game, with the man-in-the-van Brynmor Williams analysing every kick, ruck and maul. The Scarlets are out of the Heineken Cup and out of the EDF Energy Cup - the Magners League is all they have left to win. Meanwhile, on Friday night, the team are live from St Helens, Swansea, where leaders Llanelli visit their neighbours. Will Swansea be able to dismantle Llanelli's position at the top of the table or will the red shirts be too much for the home side?