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With all four Welsh regions touring to South Africa over the next two weekends in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship. Photo: SA Rugby website

United Rugby Championship: Guide to the Welsh teams playing in South Africa

With all four Welsh regions touring to South Africa over the next two weekends in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.

by Garrin Lambley

24-11-2022 12:07

in United Rugby Championship

With all four Welsh regions touring to South Africa over the next two weekends in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship. Photo: SA Rugby website

With all four Welsh regions touring to South Africa over the next two weekends in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, profiles on each team have been provided for South African rugby fans about the visitors from the north.

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CARDIFF RUGBY

Where is the team based?

They play their home games in the Welsh capital of Cardiff, right in the city centre at the Arms Park, which is alongside the Principality Stadium. For three years, they moved to the bigger Cardiff City football stadium, but returned to their traditional home in 2012.

Who is the coach?

Former Wales and British & Irish Lions prop Dai Young is in his second spell in charge. He was first at the helm from 2002 to 2011, winning the Anglo-Welsh Cup and European Challenge Cup in successive seasons towards the end of his reign. He then spent nine years with Wasps before returning to Cardiff as director of rugby at the start of 2021.

Who are the key players?

Thomas Young
Like his father Dai, flanker Thomas is back at the Arms Park after a lengthy spell at Wasps, where he established himself as one of the most consistent opensides in the English Premiership. The 30-year-old, who has won four caps for Wales, has made a big impact since rejoining over the summer. He’s made more tackles (109) than any other player in the BKT URC this season and is second when it comes to turnovers won, with 7.

Rey Lee Lo
The Samoan international centre ranks as one of the best overseas signings ever to come into Welsh rugby. Since arriving from New Zealand’s Hurricanes in 2015 he has proved an absolute class act and has been a strong contender for the league’s team of the season multiple times. He’s 36 now but is still delivering the goods with his priceless ability to make an outside break and his offloading game.

James Botham
The grandson of cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham is maintaining the family tradition by forging his own successful sporting path. Born in Cardiff when his dad Liam was playing on the wing at the Arms Park, James joined the club after being schooled in England and has nine Welsh caps to his name. He is leading the BKT URC turnover chart with 10 and his ability to play right across the back row makes him hugely valuable.

What’s the heritage of the team?

Some of the greatest players in Welsh and even world rugby history have worn the Cardiff colours, notably Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Gerald Davies, Terry Holmes and the legendary Jonah Lomu, while more recent times have seen the likes of Sam Warburton, Jamie Roberts and Gethin Jenkins don the shirt. The club was founded in 1876 and has recorded victories over South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. It retained standalone status when Welsh rugby went regional in 2003, being re-branded as Cardiff Blues, but the Blues name has now been dropped to emphasise the club’s history and tradition, with the Cardiff Rugby title being adopted.

What’s the story of their season so far?

There’s been a significant improvement on last term when they finished 14th in the BKT URC with just seven victories out of 18 games. They have won four of their seven matches so far this season to install themselves as the leading Welsh side in the competition, lying in sixth place. Ending the 15-match unbeaten run of reigning champions the Stormers on a euphoric evening at the Arms Park has been the high spot so far.

Did you know?

The club initially played in a piratical all-black strip adorned with a skull and crossbones, but following complaints the colours were changed to blue and black.

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DRAGONS RFC

Where is the team based?

They play in the east Wales city of Newport, at Rodney Parade, which is also the home of Newport County Football Club. Their training base is at Ystrad Mynach, some 15 miles north in the Rhymney Valley.

Who is the coach?

Former Cardiff and Ospreys flyhalf Dai Flanagan came on board from the Scarlets over the summer, having been the backs coach down in west Wales. He soon found himself fully at the helm at Rodney Parade, with director of rugby Dean Ryan no longer involved after the opening week of the season. Flanagan is young for the job at 37, but he has impressed with the assured way he has stepped into the hot seat.

Who are the key players?

Ross Moriarty
Rugby is in his blood, with father Paul and uncle Richard having both played for Wales. Ross has followed in their footsteps, with 54 caps to his name to date. An abrasive, combative back row who really makes his presence felt in contact, he is equally comfortable at 6 or 8. Not one to take a backward step.

JJ Hanrahan
The versatile Irishman has proved a valuable acquisition since arriving from French club Clermont Auvergne in the summer. He’s figured primarily at fly-half so far, but can also cover full-back and centre, while he brings bags of experience to the party. Having had two spells with Munster, it was a big day for the 30-year-old when he kicked 18 points in September’s shock victory over the Irish province.

Aaron Wainwright
Like fellow back row Moriarty, the 36-cap Wainwright was left out of Wales’ autumn squad, which was something of a new experience for him having been a regular fixture with the national team set-up for some four years. He has responded to that omission by returning to his best, showing off the galloping athleticism and threat in wide channels that is very much his trademark.

What’s the heritage of the team?

It has been through a few guises over the years. It was launched as Gwent Dragons in 2003 through the merger of Newport and Ebbw Vale. But it was soon renamed as Newport Gwent Dragons amid a new ownership model, with both Newport and the Welsh Rugby Union holding a 50 per cent stake. In 2017, the WRU became sole owners of both the region and Rodney Parade, cutting the team title to just Dragons. Earlier this year, it was rebranded again as Dragons RFC.

What’s the story of their season so far?

There’s been a significant improvement. They won just two BKT URC matches all last season, but they have already surpassed that after just seven fixtures, with home victories over Munster, the Ospreys and Zebre. That’s taken them up to the giddy heights of tenth in the table as the second-highest placed Welsh team in the league, which is a rare experience for a side that has regularly finished lowest of the four.

Did you know?

A number of South Africans have played for the Dragons over the years, including Springboks Percy Montgomery, Zane Kirchner and Tonderai Chavhanga, while current Stormers prop Brok Harris spent seven years with the region.

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OSPREYS

Where is the team based?

They play in Swansea, Wales’ second biggest city, at the 21,000-capacity home of Championship football club Swansea City. Their training centre is at Llandarcy some five miles east.

Who is the coach?

In Englishman Toby Booth, the Ospreys have someone with more than 20 years of coaching experience. In his mid 20s, he swapped life as an electrician for studying biology and sports science at St Mary’s College in Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, going on to become director of sport at the college, while also being player-coach at Blackheath. He began to forge a reputation as an innovative thinker on the game, working with England Students and U21s, and then, over the years, at London Irish and Bath, before heading for Wales in 2020.

Who are the key players?

Keelan Giles
The re-emergence of Giles has been one of the real feel-good stories in Welsh rugby this season. He was tipped as a star in the making when he first burst onto the scene as a teenager in 2016, with his blistering speed and thrilling try-scoring exploits on the wing. But then two awful knee injuries checked his progress for the best part of three seasons. He never gave up though and now, at 25, he’s back and firing on all cylinders, having touched down eight times already this term, while also beating the second most defenders (18).

Morgan Morris
The back row forward from the picturesque Gower Peninsula can consider himself unfortunate not to have received the call from Wales to date as he’s been one of the most consistent performers in the regional game over the past few years. He’s been at it again this season, featuring in the BKT URC top five when it comes to carries (61), while he’s also very effective over the ball and is able to slot in at 8 or 7 with equal ease.

Rhys Webb
A Test Lion out in New Zealand in 2017, scrumhalf Webb has won 38 caps for Wales, scoring nine tries along the way. To the bafflement of a fair few, he hasn’t featured on the international front for the past two years, but that’s proved to be the Ospreys’ gain, with his experience, leadership and game management making him a major asset. Attended Brynteg School in Bridgend, which also produced the likes of JPR Williams, Rob Howley, Gavin Henson and Josh Navidi.

What’s the heritage of the team?

They were formed amid the regional revolution of 2003 through the merger of Swansea and Neath. Those two famous clubs were initially included in the team name, but then it was stripped back to just the Ospreys. They have been the most successful Welsh side of the regional era, winning the Celtic League – the forerunner of the BKT URC – four times, while also lifting the Anglo-Welsh Cup and defeating Australia.

What’s the story of their season so far?

On the plus side, there was an impressive 32-17 victory over Glasgow and a battling draw with champions the Stormers in appalling conditions. But there’s only been the one win so far from seven matches, with narrow home defeats to the Lions and Connacht serving as particular frustrations. They lie 13th in the table, having been Wales’ highest finishers last season, earning Champions Cup qualification in the process.

Did you know?

The Ospreys name was inspired by the use of the bird on Swansea RFC’s centenary badge. The Welsh translation of the team name is Gweilch.

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SCARLETS

Where is the team based?

They are to be found in the west Wales town of Llanelli. Their home ground is the 14,800-capacity Parc y Scarlets, which was opened in 2008, taking over from the now demolished Stradey Park.

Who is the coach?

Dwayne Peel enjoyed a glittering playing career, winning 76 caps for Wales at scrum-half and also starting all three Tests on the Lions’ 2005 tour of New Zealand, the year he played a big part in the Welsh team winning the Grand Slam. He is now back at the club where he first made his name as a No 9, following coaching stints as an assistant at Bristol and Ulster.

Who are the key players?

Sione Kalamafoni
Last season, the Tongan No 8 made the second-most carries of any player in the league and was sixth-best when it came to tackles. This term, he has moved up to another level again. After the first seven rounds, he is way out on top of the carrying chart, with 117, which is 30 more than the next best, Edinburgh’s Viliame Mata, and he’s also leading the way for successful carries (59). As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also fourth for tackles-made (79) and metres gained (367). What a signing he has been.

Ryan Conbeer
Only Edinburgh’s Scotland star Darcy Graham has scored more tries in the BKT URC this season than 23-year-old winger Conbeer, who has touched down nine times. He’s the kind of player who could beat you in a phone box, so quick are his feet, while his stats confirm what a fine finisher he is. His predatory form has seen him tipped as a Wales squad contender.

Vaea Fifita
Having won 11 caps for the All Blacks between 2017 and 2019, back-five forward Fifita has now just launched a second international career, making his debut for the land of his birth Tonga as a result of new eligibility rules. A high-profile summer signing from Wasps, he will be wanting to make up for lost time on the Scarlets’ trip to South Africa, having missed their last three BKT URC matches after being sent off against Cardiff.

What’s the heritage of the team?

We’ve just had the 50th anniversary of the Scarlets’ most famous triumph, a 9-3 victory over the All Blacks at Stradey Park in 1972, a day on which the pubs ran dry, so legend has it. It’s also the 150th anniversary of Llanelli RFC being founded in 1872. The 1970s, 80s and 90s saw numerous Welsh league and cup triumphs, while the world champion Wallabies were famously beaten in 1992. Like Cardiff, they retained standalone status with the move to regional rugby in 2003, first as Llanelli Scarlets and then, from 2008, just as the Scarlets, with winning the 2017 PRO12 title the high point of modern times.

What’s the story of their season so far?

It’s been pretty grim. They have only won one of their first seven BKT URC matches and that was against the only team now below them in the table, Zebre. There was an opening day draw with the Ospreys and the other five games have all ended in defeat. Disciplinary issues haven’t helped, as they have picked up two red cards and ten yellows. But they do have a number of seasoned Welsh internationals in their 30-man squad for South Africa, including the likes of Jonathan Davies, Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies and Scott Williams, plus overseas Test players in Kalamafoni, Fifita, Sam Lousi and Tomás Lezana.

Did you know?

The goalposts at Parc y Scarlets are adorned with saucepans as a tribute to the town’s history, with Llanelli having been one of the biggest producers of the kitchen utensil. That’s also the background to the Sospan Fach song that fans belt out at games.

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