Winners and losers as legend’s career ends in fairytale and Welsh team now on the edge

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It was another action packed weekend of Welsh rugby as Llandovery were crowned Super Rygbi Cymru champions, while the Ospreys claimed the double over arch-rivals the Scarlets in the west Wales derby to win the URC Welsh Shield.

There were also numerous impressive individual performances with numerous players looking to impress Wales head coach Steve Tandy ahead of Monday’s squad announcement.

Here are your winners and losers.

Winners

Lee Rees and Llandovery

Ahead of Sunday’s Super Rygbi Cymru final between Llandovery and Ebbw Vale, several players interviewed by S4C named Lee Rees as the competition’s best player, and the veteran scrum-half showed exactly why at Eugene Cross Park.

The 35-year-old, making his 402nd and final appearance for the Drovers, delivered a masterclass as Llandovery secured a superb 27-10 victory over Ebbw Vale.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest players to represent the Drovers, Rees was at the heart of everything good from the visitors and capped a brilliant display with a memorable try.

Spotting space just inside the Ebbw Vale half, the diminutive No.9 chipped the ball forward on several occasions before regathering to touch down in stunning fashion.

Few players deserved to end their career on such a high more than Rees, who bowed out with yet another unforgettable performance.

Llandovery deserve to be crowned champions having beaten table toppers Cardiff at the Arms Park last weekend before finishing with a statement victory at Eugene Cross Park.

Jac Morgan

The Wales star was excellent in what was his final home appearance for the Ospreys before joining Gloucester ahead of the 2026/27 season.

In a tense game at the Brewery Field the Ospreys came from behind to edge out arch-rivals the Scarlets to claim a 27-20 victory.

Morgan scored the winning try, powering over from short-range to ensure the Ospreys won the URC’s Welsh Shield.

The loss of Morgan is a huge blow for the Welsh club who are also losing Wales captain Dewi Lake to Gloucester.

Both players opted to leave Welsh rugby primarily due to the uncertainty engulfing the game in Wales. The Ospreys hope both players return in a couple of years, but even if they do, they will be sorely missed in the interim.

Bryn Bradley

The Wales U20s centre played a starring role as Harlequins thrashed Newcastle Red Bulls 76-17.

Bradley played havoc with the Newcastle defence using his explosive power to get over the gainline and make significant post contact metres in the process.

His distribution was also on point throughout the game, and he claimed two tries for his side.

The 23-year-old, who qualifies for both England and Wales, will surely have caught Tandy’s eye.

He couldn’t have done much more to at least force his way into the conversation and even if he misses this summer’s squad it is surely only a matter of time before senior international honours come his way.

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Nicky Smith and Tommy Reffell

Wales internationals Smith and Reffell were highly influential as Leicester Tigers posted a record 41-17 home victory over Northampton Saints in the Gallagher Prem.

Smith dominated at scrum time while also showing his worth around the park by winning an important turnover in his own 22 when Leicester was under pressure, and he claimed a jackal penalty shortly after.

The 32-year-old is a shoe-in for today’s Wales squad announcement but Reffell’s selection is anything but certain.

Reffell was a regular under Warren Gatland but has not yet been selected by Tandy.

But he did his chances of selection no harm with an all-action performance in what was his first appearance since sustaining a throat injury in March.

Reffell claimed one jackal penalty and was a constant menace at the breakdown while bringing huge physicality in defence.

Losers

Cardiff Rugby

It was a difficult night at the office for Cardiff who suffered a heavy 40-17 defeat to Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun and now find their URC play-off hopes on a knife edge.

Corniel van Zyl’s side started well enough but ultimately got badly beaten by their hosts.

Defence coach Gethin Jenkins will be bitterly disappointed at the manner of the defeat, with players falling off tackles during the latter stages of the game which contributed to the one-sided scoreline.

Cardiff are now seventh in the table and face a must win-clash with second-placed Stormers at the Arms Park this Friday night.

They will have to be much better than they were last Friday if they are to make the United Rugby Championship play-offs for the first time in their history.

Scarlets scrum and discipline

The Scarlets’ discipline killed their chances of claiming a rare away victory over the Ospreys at the Brewery Field.

After a difficult start to the game the Scarlets were on top for large periods of the second-half and had chances to win the game.

But when the penalty count is 19-4 against you it is always going to be an uphill task.

It is true the 50/50 decisions went against the Scarlets in the second-half and they were unlucky on a number of occasions but poor discipline has been a problem throughout the 2025/26 season.

The scrum was also an issue with Kemsley Mathias given a torrid time by Tom Botha which resulted in the Wales international getting sent to the sin bin.

Former Wales U20s prop Josh Morse looked a lot stronger at the scrum but by this time the referee had already made up his mind about who was in the ascendancy and he too fell on the wrong end of decisions.

Ebbw Vale

This is the second season on the bounce Ebbw Vale have lost in the SRC final, and they will be bitterly disappointed with this latest defeat.

Llandovery were by far the better side as they claimed a comfortable 27-10 victory at Eugene Cross Park.

Ebbw Vale have been excellent throughout the season, finishing second on the table, so they will not be happy with how things ended.

But the smart money is on Ebbw Vale bouncing back to compete in the latter stages of the SRC once again next season.

Wales Women

This was another disappointing defeat for Sean Lynn’s side who have now lost nine Test matches on the bounce.

There were some positive signs following the defeat to England at Ashton Gate a fortnight back but this was undoubtedly a step backwards.

Wales were competitive in the first half, but Ireland, ranked fifth in the world, raced clear after the break to claim a comfortable 33-12 defeat.

Lynn’s side were significantly off the pace and it appears they have stopped making progress.

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