Reality smacked Welsh rugby's super-optimists hard in the face over the course of 24 hours as Cardiff, the Scarlets and the Ospreys fell to disappointing United Rugby Championship defeats that didn't augur well.
Cardiff lost the physical battle in Glasgow on Friday evening, with their defence way too suspect as they leaked eight tries. The Scarlets struggled to match Ulster's recycling and offloading game and were always chasing the match, while the Ospreys were authors of their own downfall against the Lions.
But the Dragons got the job done against Munster.
Theirs was a hugely spirited effort cheered on by supporters who have experienced more lean times than many would care to remember over the years.
Anyway, here's the Welsh rugby team of the week in the URC.
15. Angus O’Brien (Dragons)
“I played with Angus quite a bit when he was really young and coming through into the senior team, and he won so many games with that long range boot of his. And of course Wales are looking for full-back options. So his performance today will surely catch the eye of Wayne Pivac.”
So said former Wales international Andrew Coombs from the commentary box of Angus O’Brien as the Dragons man put in a well-nigh perfect display against Munster.
At 28, the summer signing from the Scarlets hasn’t had a sniff of a cap over his senior career but his effort on Sunday had it all — booming kicks from deep, dangerous counter-attacking, solid defence and passes that opened up space for others.
There was a touch of class about everything he did.
Now he needs to hold such form.
14. Rio Dyer (Dragons)
Maybe he should be in this team for his brilliantly taken try alone, an effort saw him race between Peter O’Mahony and Malakai Fekitoa and then effortlessly speed outside full-back Mike Haley. Messrs O’Mahony and Fekitoa were reduced to Keystone Cops-style defending as they came close to crashing into each other.
There was another moment when Dyer accelerated away to leave British and Irish Lions wing Simon Zebo wondering what had just happened.
Wow.
13. Michael Collins (Ospreys)
A slight liberty here, as Collins lined up for the Ospreys at No. 12, but it’s hard to leave him out because he defended well, made ground with ball in hand, organised all around him and came up with one of the moments of the game. Namely a sumptuous back-of-the-hand offload as he was heading for touch at breakneck speed, helped by a couple of Lions players, allowing Keelan Giles to secure the platform from where Rhys Webb crossed. A nod to the Dragons' Sio Tomkinson, who manned the barricades expertly.
12. Jack Dixon (Dragons)
Malakai Fekitoa will not forget his first encounter with Jack Dixon and, in particular, the episode that saw the powerful Dragon trample over the All Black with a relentlessly direct carry.
Such moments can inspire team-mates. Dixon played with the unflinching commitment that’s become his hallmark. You can read more about the unheralded stalwart here.
11. Keelan Giles (Ospreys)
The diminutive wing will probably still be cursing over the moment that saw him cough up a penalty for obstruction in a dangerous position for his side. But let’s focus on the positives, of which there were many. Not only did Giles score two tries, he also helped set up one and was rarely less than a threat, offering pace and creativity out wide.
Josh Adams wasn’t the worst in a dismal Cardiff team display against Glasgow.
10. Sam Costelow (Scarlets)
The Ospreys’ Jack Walsh deserves a nod after a bright first half that saw him bewitching defenders with his handling and running. But he lost his accuracy after the break, not least from the tee, with the missed penalty shot at goal to win the game one he will have replayed over and over in his mind since Saturday. But he is young and he has potential.
Really, then, there was no outstanding fly-half performance over the weekend.
Maybe the best came from the pacey Costelow, who helped trigger some fine attacking play from the Scarlets. A black mark, though, for his second yellow card in two games, notwithstanding some felt the call to have been harsh.
9. Rhodri Williams (Dragons)
The little general, Williams directed operations snappily and intelligently for his team, making the right calls and ensuring the Dragons’ stayed on top of their brief and played at the right tempo. Rhys Webb had shown up well for the Ospreys until the moment when he had his pocket metaphorically picked near his own line as the Lions scored a try.
1. Nicky Smith (Ospreys)
Proved a key attacking weapon for the Ospreys against the Lions with his work at scrum-time giving the Welsh team a significant advantage in that area, splintering the visitors’ set-piece on a number of occasions. Smith also put in a shift around the field in an ‘are you watching, Mr Pivac?’ display.
2. Bradley Roberts (Dragons)
The Dragons will be pleased to have this chap on their books. One run upfield saw the new acquisition from Ulster fairly rip clear over 30 metres. He didn’t look a man too bothered about the east Wales region not having previously won at home since the Franco-Prussia war or thereabouts. He wasn’t there throughout all the intervening misery, so why should he care? One of the fresh faces in the Welsh regional game is physical, doesn’t let up and puts himself about — what’s not to like?
3. Tomas Francis (Ospreys)
Has started the season well and the Ospreys certainly didn’t lose because of him against the Lions. The former Exeter Chief did his bit in defence, attended many rucks and helped ensure a solid home scrum. Tick, tick, tick. A decent show, then.
4. Will Rowlands (Dragons)
Welsh rugby's player of the year in 2021-22, he has picked up where he left off and if anyone can help the Dragons shed their tag of Welsh professional rugby's perennial strugglers, it's him. He didn't stop grafting in his latest outing, steaming into rucks, tearing into mauls, doing his stuff at lineouts and pushing his weight in the scrums. Others may have taken the headlines, but no victory on a rugby field is achieved without the unglamorous stuff being taken care of and Rowlands helped do that superbly for his side.
5. Sam Lousi (Scarlets)
There were some ultra-strong second-row performances over the weekend, with Vaea Fifita and Alun Wyn Jones responsible for two of them. Fifita crowned his effort for the Scarlets with a scorcher of a try, racing half the length of the pitch for the score, while Jones snaffled opposition ball at lineouts, turned their possession over on the floor, made plenty of hits and looked to carry for his side. His show was a reminder of how much he can still offer.
Perhaps Lousi’s effort edged it this time, though. If one turnover was a highlight, with the Tonga international stepping through a ruck and picking up the ball one-handed, there were also so much else that was good, including carries, tackles and abrasive work in other areas.
More evidence is needed before we can conclude the two Scarlets locks complement each other, but Lousi was superb against Ulster with Fifita not far behind.
6. Blade Thomson (Scarlets)
As with the fly-halves there wasn’t a truly outstanding offering at blindside, but Thomson can be relied on to empty the tank and make important interventions and he did his bit in that respect for the Scarlets on Saturday afternoon. One of his offloads, putting Ryan Conbeer over for a try, made the heart sing.
7. Taine Basham (Dragons)
Always plays as if he means it. On Sunday, he was up against Munster’s dog of war Peter O’Mahony but didn’t flinch — even having the audacity to tangle with the gnarled Irishman at one point and trade a few pleasantries or unpleasantries if we are being precise. Basham managed to emerge from it all in one piece; indeed, he clearly relished the cut and thrust. He was never far from the action against Munster, the hallmark of a quality No. 7.
8. Ross Moriarty (Dragons)
This spot had been provisionally booked for Sione Kalamafoni after some battering-ram carrying for the Scarlets, but Moriarty had an immense outing for the Dragons, fighting Munster’s fire with flames himself and not retreating a single millimetre over the course of 80 minutes.
When he hits, opponents stay hit. He spends so much time in harm’s way it’s a wonder letters are not sent to him there.
He is also uncompromisingly physical.
Injury kept him out of Wales’ tour of South Africa in the summer, but, in front of Wayne Pivac, this was a stellar effort.
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