Welsh rugby: Mud, sweat and fears as regions kick off 2024

Ospreys wing Keelan Giles scored two tries in the win against Cardiff at Bridgend's Brewery Field

A mud-fest throwback in Bridgend, a wonder try from a rising teenage star, Scarlets sorrow and Dragons delight.

The first day of 2024 brought plenty of talking points for Welsh rugby as the four sides battled atrocious conditions in Bridgend and Newport.

There was an old-school battle in the Brewery Field mud which was lit up a sensational score from 18-year-old Morgan Morse as Ospreys climbed into the top half of the United Rugby Championship.

Further east, returning Wales fly-half Sam Costelow contrived to miss two easy late kicks in Scarlets' 13-12 loss against Dragons.

So all told, an eventful New Years Day as the regions now take a six-week break from league action.

Magical Morse

Morgan Morse made his Ospreys debut against Sharks in November 2023

There is a new Welsh rising rugby star with teenage Ospreys number eight Morse transferring his junior potential onto the senior stage.

Morse, who does not turn 19 until later this month, has been a prodigy since making his Wales Under-20s debut aged 17 and has already played 15 games for his country at that level.

He has been given his opportunity following an injury to Morgan Morris, making five appearances with three starts and two replacement cameos.

It was this game where he has announced his arrival with a try for the ages which brought praise from legendary Wales and British and Irish Lions number eight Scott Quinnell.

Morse was named player-of-the-match for his exploits as he starred alongside Wales Under-20s fly-half Dan Edwards who came on as a replacement to create the winning try for Keelan Giles.

"It was really good," said Morse.

"These boys are a tight group and I have been working to this for a lot of weeks now.

"It was one of the best feelings I have had, it was amazing. There was space in front of me so I thought I would back myself then. It definitely felt like a momentum change.

"Cardiff were on top of us in the first half but the boys came out firing in the second half and the momentum shifted. It is also great to play with the Under-20s lads who I have come through with."

Ospreys head coach Toby Booth recognises Morse's potential.

"The boy's quick!" said Booth.

"We know he's a talent, can beat people and has great physical capability, everyone's seen that with the Under-20s.

"He's watched Morgan Morris, Justin Tipuric and Jac Morgan, there's some good people for him to learn off.

"He'll be the first person to say he's not the finished product because he's got some rough edges, particularly on the attacking side of the ball.

"If we can work on that, you'll get a more complete player who will have even more influence on the game."

Fit for purpose?

Ospreys players clapped off by Cardiff following the United Rugby Championship game in Bridgend

Debate raged on social media about whether Ospreys' decision to switch their home match to Bridgend was an absolute triumph or an unmitigated disaster for a game which was the showpiece between Wales' top two regions.

The hard-working Bridgend club should not face criticism, the question should be whether the game should have been switched to this venue. It had to be moved because it clashed with Swansea City's Championship football match against West Bromwich Albion.

Bridgend has the biggest capacity outside the Swansea.com Stadium within the region so the decision was taken to move the game there, with Ospreys having switched a game to south-west London when they beat the Sharks at the Twickenham Stoop in November 2023.

This fixture also coincided with some of the most intense rain Wales has seen in recent times. A sell-out 8,159 crowd squeezed inside Brewery Field with conditions so bad that live BBC Wales television coverage was lost then abandoned mid-way through the second half.

Former Cardiff and Wales centre Tom Shanklin was commentating and noted the pitch was not up to the standards required for professional sport with the venue more used to semi-professional occasions.

The pitch has not benefitted from recent surface changes at Arms Park and Rodney Parade which have cost millions.

Shanklin's sentiments were echoed by Cardiff's injured Wales duo Thomas Young and Josh Adams on social media.

There was a counter view. While the pitch was atrocious, the stadium was full with the capacity crowd witnessing an entertaining six-try encounter.

Former Wales and Lions wing Dafydd James expressing the view of many others about taking the professional game to some of the past traditional heartlands.

"The weather has been brutal since June," said Ospreys head coach Booth.

"We've changed where we train, we've done different things and this is why in this game, especially in Wales, you need to be able to play certain types of rugby.

"We want to be positive and to get a four-try bonus point in those conditions is something we should be pleased about. We want to entertain people, especially over Christmas.

"There were a lot of people saying that's an "old-school win" but it doesn't say that at the end, it says five points."

Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt was philosophical but refused to blame defeat on conditions as the Arms Park side stay 11th.

"The game should have gone ahead 100%, the pitch was fine," said Sherratt.

"The question has to be asked whether it's a good look for the league. I'm not sure if that happens in the Premiership, that it's played on a field that's a sell-out that's going to affect the product. But there's no qualms from us, it was great to have a big crowd and we're fine the game went ahead.

"You want full stadiums at the Liberty and Arms Park but we had no issues coming here it was an even game, no sour grapes from our point, it was a well-contested derby."

Peel remains under pressure

Dwayne Peel played 76 internationals for Wales

The 13-12 loss to Dragons resulted in a ninth defeat in 11 games this season for Scarlets as they lie 13th in the table.

Head coach Dwayne Peel is under more pressure with a trip to face Clermont next in the Challenge Cup on 13 January.

"It's tough at the minute, what we have to do is stay tight and work together," said Peel.

"What the last two weeks have shown us is two games we probably should have won.

"The reality is we haven't taken enough opportunities when they've been presented so we need to keep working on that.

"We're disappointed with results but the will to work hard has always been there.

"I'm not hiding from the fact we need to get better."

Peel can not account for losing Sam Lousi just before kick-off or Costelow missing a simple 73rd minute penalty which could have sealed the win.

"You don't expect it but it happened, that's just the way it goes at times," said Peel.

"It is tough on him but he'll bounce back."

Sam Costelow links up with Ioan Lloyd in terrible conditions at Rodney Parade

Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan, who worked with Costelow during his time at Scarlets, added: "That was very strange for Sam and people can't hold that against him. He is a fantastic player and we have to back him."

Scarlets welcomed back Costelow for his first regional appearance of the season after he had been missing since early November after suffering hamstring and shoulder injuries.

That resulted in Ioan Lloyd switching to full-back and the game's attacking bright spark was provided when he linked up with Costelow.

"I thought Sam played exceptionally well, especially in that first half, put us in the right areas especially against the wind," said Peel.

"For a first game back, he was pretty good. Him and Ioan looked good when we got opportunities on the outside although the weather wasn't favourable to running rugby.

"Costelow and Lloyd will flourish together as a partnership, if Ioan's playing at 15 or at 10. We saw glimpses and they're both young men only 22."

Dragons delight

Aaron Wainwright was named player-of-the-match in Dragons' 13-12 win against Scarlets

There was Dragons delight as the raucous Rodney Parade as the Newport faithful roared their side to victory.

This was a third successive home win but only a second league win in nine games this season which lifted them off the bottom of the URC table.

It followed the Boxing Day derby humbling which ended in a 55-21 defeat.

"It meant a lot to a lot of players," said Flanagan.

"We're a hurting group on the back of last week, we know that was unacceptable so it's the first step hopefully.

"This is a place we need to play well at and teams need to feel uncomfortable here. If Gwent rugby is to be built on anything it's that emotion, physicality and toughness to beat.

"We speak about representing ourselves and we let ourselves down last year, a lot of our fans came to watch and were probably as embarrassed as we were.

"We're now three from three at home and that gives us something to build on."

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