:00:18. > :00:26.As the Pro12 returned to our screens, Scarlet are hoping to
:00:27. > :00:35.return to the top. The Dragons were hoping to start climbing the table,
:00:36. > :00:41.while Newport, cross keys jostle for position at the top. The Blues and
:00:42. > :00:44.Ospreys battled their elements, and each other, in the big Welsh
:00:45. > :00:49.head-to-head. And another one to savour with the first all-inclusive
:00:50. > :00:54.Welsh derby. It will be an absolutely fantastic day for Bill
:00:55. > :00:58.bridging off the field and showing that inclusive rugby is on the up
:00:59. > :01:06.and we play as hard as anybody else -- rich building. It all went so
:01:07. > :01:09.quickly. I was back before I knew it and I wanted that because I was
:01:10. > :01:12.eager to get back and start playing again.
:01:13. > :01:15.Good Evening and welcome to the programme.
:01:16. > :01:17.The Pro12 is back after a two-week European break.
:01:18. > :01:21.Phil Davies and Ryan Jones are here as part of a heavyweight back row to
:01:22. > :01:26.I'll have the latest from the Principality Premiership,
:01:27. > :01:28.and the weather-disrupted games in the lower leagues.
:01:29. > :01:31.And get in touch with us as well here on the programme -
:01:32. > :01:37.@bbcscrumv on Twitter, or email us at bbc.co.uk/scrumv.
:01:38. > :01:40.All that and more to come, but we'll start tonight with the big Welsh
:01:41. > :01:44.derby at the Liberty Stadium - a place where the Blues hadn't won for
:01:45. > :01:56.Before the main event at the Liberty, some of the Ospreys and
:01:57. > :02:03.Blues players attended and Ospreys organised on a meant for under
:02:04. > :02:08.eights which included teams from both regions and over 500 children.
:02:09. > :02:12.A good event, really, getting the kids away from the computer games
:02:13. > :02:15.which they are usually stuck on on days like this. It is freezing. But
:02:16. > :02:22.a good turnout, it has been a good day. The big thing with grassroots
:02:23. > :02:27.rugby, getting people involved, getting the numbers up, getting
:02:28. > :02:31.people to come along and then they can go to watch the Ospreys. It is
:02:32. > :02:43.good for them to then go and watch their heroes play. After doing their
:02:44. > :02:46.thing. The Ospreys were without their front row International and
:02:47. > :02:51.Paul James due to injuries. With Pandy's side in following
:02:52. > :03:07.back-to-back wins for the first time this season -- Tandy's. Jared Evans
:03:08. > :03:10.starting at fly-half. COMMENTATOR: A high ball into the
:03:11. > :03:24.box. The winger has done exceptionally well. Despite the
:03:25. > :03:28.attention from Evans, Dirksen -- Dirkson, not normally accustomed to
:03:29. > :03:35.the midfield. A fairly lengthy injury list for the Ospreys. Not
:03:36. > :03:38.staying on their feet. Holding on as well, an opportunity for the Blues
:03:39. > :03:49.to put the first points on the board. And up and coming Jared
:03:50. > :03:54.Evans. What a game this is for him. -- Jarrod. And that, you have to
:03:55. > :04:05.say, is a very assured strike from the youngster. Eli Walker, at ten.
:04:06. > :04:17.An amazing run from the winger. Tipuric finds his captain, tackled
:04:18. > :04:20.by Filise. What an interception. Evans continues. That has gone
:04:21. > :04:24.by Filise. What an interception. Evans continues. That has gone
:04:25. > :04:29.forward... Turnbull. Is there an advantage coming? They all look at
:04:30. > :04:35.the referee. That was scrappy, wasn't it? A disappointing site. He
:04:36. > :04:44.has obviously done something to his head or neck. And another
:04:45. > :04:49.disappointing sight. We saw Dan Biggar taking a little bit of a bomb
:04:50. > :05:05.in that first half and he has duly been replaced by Sam Davies. -- a
:05:06. > :05:14.bit of a bump. He called feet, and presumably his feet were too far
:05:15. > :05:20.back. Nigel Owens is calling. They were quite far back, in fairness.
:05:21. > :05:25.That is nice. Decent striking from the youngster. That was a very, very
:05:26. > :05:37.good kick. He gets a high-5 from Dan Fish. Jarvis is there to support.
:05:38. > :05:41.Baker, this time. There is not an awful lot the number eight can do.
:05:42. > :05:45.It is difficult for the Ospreys here because the Blues are coming in.
:05:46. > :05:51.Making their tackles, getting back on their feet, get in the line.
:05:52. > :05:57.Bevington, this time with support from Parry. Jarvis is there a...
:05:58. > :06:03.This is how you are going to do it if you are to score. A good
:06:04. > :06:09.drive... He is over! Just when they needed someone to come up with the
:06:10. > :06:18.goods. Alun Wyn Jones, the first try of the game. No more than the
:06:19. > :06:25.Ospreys deserve. A sensible call, for the hooker coming on, to hit the
:06:26. > :06:31.front. Back to Davies, who thought about the past. Hit in midfield by
:06:32. > :06:39.Mitchell who does very well to pinch it, illegally so, though, says the
:06:40. > :06:40.referee. The picture of concentration, from Sam Davies. A
:06:41. > :07:04.good strike. The chase comes. Number six! You
:07:05. > :07:08.have to say, given what has just happened, that was a very soft
:07:09. > :07:15.penalty to give away and the coaching staff will be fuming. The
:07:16. > :07:23.second time of asking, and he doesn't miss. Nothing is really on
:07:24. > :07:30.for the Blues. They are almost devoid of ideas now and the
:07:31. > :07:39.Ospreys... It has come back. And no con. -- a knock-on. The Blues have
:07:40. > :07:50.not beaten the Ospreys in nine encounters. Asked whether this will
:07:51. > :07:55.define the season, I want to see no, you don't want to look too far but
:07:56. > :08:00.we have not too much to do. I thought we matched them in the end,
:08:01. > :08:03.throughout the game. A few decisions against us. The game went away from
:08:04. > :08:04.us. Welsh derbies are usually either
:08:05. > :08:06.heart-stopping thrillers, or attritional affairs won by the team
:08:07. > :08:20.that makes the fewest mistakes. Yes, very attritional. Both teams
:08:21. > :08:23.are sort of coming back together, if you like, after the World Cup, and
:08:24. > :08:27.the weather did not help, that's for sure. But you have to admire the
:08:28. > :08:32.physicality, you know, the commitment of the players, and I
:08:33. > :08:36.thought the Blues defensive effort was quite impressive. They certainly
:08:37. > :08:40.turned up with an aggressive main set, with a main set of getting, you
:08:41. > :08:44.know, the Ospreys runners on the floor early, contesting the
:08:45. > :08:48.breakdown, to give them line speed, to get off the line and make those
:08:49. > :08:55.tackles. We will speak about the defence in depth soon. But about Sam
:08:56. > :09:00.Davies, Ryan, he came on at half-time, real testament to his
:09:01. > :09:04.influence. That was a real masterclass of game management? Yes
:09:05. > :09:08.I think he showed skill beyond his years. We have seen the influence
:09:09. > :09:15.playing with the likes of Dan Biggar has had on his game, a performance
:09:16. > :09:18.we would expect from Dan. The best player in the northern hemisphere,
:09:19. > :09:22.you know. We didn't like to see him off and I hope he is OK but this was
:09:23. > :09:27.really world-class from Sam, what he did there. That kind of kicking at
:09:28. > :09:32.the Liberty Stadium. Skidding the ball along. The Blues will be
:09:33. > :09:36.disappointed with their back three position but time and again Sam just
:09:37. > :09:41.got to grips with the game, grab it by the scruff of the neck and
:09:42. > :09:45.brought those Ospreys forward. Gaining possession in the attacking
:09:46. > :09:50.third, that change the game and we see they're what we have come to
:09:51. > :09:55.expect from an Ospreys ten, slotting it from 40 yards. You mentioned the
:09:56. > :10:00.Blues defence. That was a positive. Prior to that game they had the
:10:01. > :10:04.weakest defence in the league, more tries and penalties conceded than
:10:05. > :10:09.anyone else. At a time when they are more than their fair share of
:10:10. > :10:14.possession, the Blues held firm? Yes, a quality coach in Graham
:10:15. > :10:18.Steadman, and he will be trying to put his system in place. They will
:10:19. > :10:23.get inconsistencies but here is an example of the first collision. The
:10:24. > :10:28.first guy goes low, second guy targets the ball. Baker does well to
:10:29. > :10:32.miss the first tackle but Lou Reed, he goes for the space instead of the
:10:33. > :10:36.ball and make things quite and tidy, you know, for the Ospreys. Here they
:10:37. > :10:42.are defending their line, they come off the line well, make the tackle,
:10:43. > :10:49.then Dan Fish, over the ball, and he slows it up and gets a penalty from
:10:50. > :10:52.Nigel Owens, and the Blues relieve pressure. A positive part of the
:10:53. > :10:56.game for me and other things were to do with the ball obviously. I think
:10:57. > :10:59.they would have been pleased yesterday with their aggression and
:11:00. > :11:06.their tenacity to slow the ball and get it of the place, off the line.
:11:07. > :11:10.The set piece and the work of the pack will be big but defence and
:11:11. > :11:15.work around the breakdown is key as well, one of Danny's mantras. Lou
:11:16. > :11:19.Reed putting the fit in, it is all about disrupting the flow. On those
:11:20. > :11:25.foundations, that is where he will build his team. The nuisance factor.
:11:26. > :11:29.Before we move on the Blues chairman has said in the press they have
:11:30. > :11:34.signed four exciting players, not giving any names away. Perhaps more
:11:35. > :11:37.to come. Leigh Halfpenny is reportedly at the top of the
:11:38. > :11:41.shopping list. Can you honestly see him coming back to the Blues, taking
:11:42. > :11:46.a big pay cut and playing for a team currently not in the Champions Cup?
:11:47. > :11:50.The Blues have been a never listen, if you like, for the last three or
:11:51. > :11:56.four mag years. They certainly need quality players. They do have a lot
:11:57. > :12:00.there, by the way -- four years. They are looking the groups are more
:12:01. > :12:03.quality can come in but for me all those things are crucial. For me it
:12:04. > :12:08.is about consistency and continuity, continuity, Tullo, as
:12:09. > :12:20.Ryan has said, Danny's mantra. To allow him to build the group quality
:12:21. > :12:25.players. We will move on but a quick injury update. We saw Sam Warburton
:12:26. > :12:30.and Dan Biggar leaving the field. Dan Biggar's is thought to not be
:12:31. > :12:34.too serious, a back spasm. And Sam Warburton, we hope his moon but was
:12:35. > :12:38.precautionary. But for one of their number,
:12:39. > :12:40.things are looking up. Lloyd Williams has re-established
:12:41. > :12:42.himself as the region's first-choice scrum-half, and his out-of-position
:12:43. > :12:45.cameo in last month's World Cup was one of the most memorable
:12:46. > :13:01.moments of Wales's campaign. The whole world stood still, and it
:13:02. > :13:06.was like, this is going to happen. A matter of trying to create something
:13:07. > :13:09.as the game was coming to a close. He in his mind is running the line
:13:10. > :13:15.Gareth Davies was running, he knew that. Knew where Gareth Davies was
:13:16. > :13:27.supposed to be. This will happen, they will score! It is history! I am
:13:28. > :13:30.thankful to Gareth for picking up the ball and scoring, so there were
:13:31. > :13:35.two different factors leading to that as well, but I was glad I was
:13:36. > :13:39.part of it. It is all there, it moves on so quickly. I was back
:13:40. > :13:44.before I knew it and, you know, I wanted that because I was eager to
:13:45. > :13:48.get back and start playing regional rugby. It was nice to be back,
:13:49. > :13:55.playing scrum-half with number nine on my back. There have -- has been a
:13:56. > :13:59.lot of change over the last four years and it has been tough for
:14:00. > :14:03.everyone with the amount of changes on year to year basis but finally we
:14:04. > :14:08.have some stability year and I feel that although results have not gone
:14:09. > :14:12.our way the club is on a turn and at stages we look good and do some good
:14:13. > :14:16.things. We scored a lot of tries this year already. It is just the
:14:17. > :14:22.fact that at times we let ourselves down, and do things that cannot be
:14:23. > :14:26.the case. I feel once we can put those things right we can really,
:14:27. > :14:30.you know, establish ourselves as a force, because until now, over the
:14:31. > :14:38.last three years, we have been on the retreat. It is a good thing that
:14:39. > :14:42.there are good scrum-halfs around because they are competitive people
:14:43. > :14:46.as it is so you just equally want to be on top of the game and you do not
:14:47. > :14:54.want to give anyone a chance to kind of sneak in in front of you. Rhys
:14:55. > :14:57.Webb is obviously the established scrum-half, and Gareth did very well
:14:58. > :15:01.Webb is obviously the established in the World Cup. I was frustrated
:15:02. > :15:02.to not play much as a scrum-half during the World
:15:03. > :15:04.to not play much as a scrum-half am just as determined to make my
:15:05. > :15:17.claim now. Personally I just try to concentrate
:15:18. > :15:22.on doing my job as good as I can for the Blues. I think the other honours
:15:23. > :15:27.take care of themselves. When you are involved in the Welsh setup you
:15:28. > :15:31.want Wales to win. I was more than happy to see Gareth scored a try
:15:32. > :15:39.against England. That is Gareth's game and I cannot control it anyway.
:15:40. > :15:44.We always hear players say, if everybody plays well in their
:15:45. > :15:50.position, it elevates everybody's level. There are so many good
:15:51. > :15:57.scrum-half 's in Wales, some days you might think, have an off day.
:15:58. > :16:01.Only human, isn't it? But he will be glad he is figuring at a time coming
:16:02. > :16:05.he is fortunate to play some great Welsh teams as well. What's great is
:16:06. > :16:10.his character, he works incredibly hard. Hopefully with the development
:16:11. > :16:15.of the Blues he will have more impact throughout his career. Let's
:16:16. > :16:18.be fair, when he came on against England it was a moment of
:16:19. > :16:22.brilliance. He played and executed, his skill set on the wing, don't
:16:23. > :16:27.forget, with instinct and precision. He will dine out on that for the
:16:28. > :16:28.rest of his career. Absolutely, everybody still talking about that
:16:29. > :16:33.fantastic bit of skill. Let's return to the action on the
:16:34. > :16:36.pitch now, and the Dragons and Edinburgh locked horns on Friday at
:16:37. > :16:38.Murrayfield - both hoping they could transfer their recent European
:16:39. > :16:51.form to the Pro12. Without a win on the road since
:16:52. > :16:56.March the Dragons are still without an injured player but had Tom prided
:16:57. > :17:02.back his first game since October since recovering from a knee injury.
:17:03. > :17:06.Edinburgh made five changes to their starting 15, and two positional. The
:17:07. > :17:09.Dragons had not won at Murrayfield since 2012.
:17:10. > :17:19.COMMENTATOR: A metre short of Edinburgh. Forwards keep it tight.
:17:20. > :17:22.Counter ruck. To that man again. He is inches short of the try line.
:17:23. > :17:30.Advantage being played here for Edinburgh. Free ball. What does that
:17:31. > :17:38.mean? Have they got something up their sleeves? The forward screen,
:17:39. > :17:50.but they got there, the try will be given to Nel. Now it's got with the
:17:51. > :18:05.off-load. Sevens rugby from the home side. Five metres short. And I think
:18:06. > :18:12.Nel has got a second. Good play. Got to question whether it was a double
:18:13. > :18:23.movement but he is allowed to reach out. And the boos say everything
:18:24. > :18:33.around Murrayfield. Solid scrum. Eventually a penalty given. Got his
:18:34. > :18:46.yellow card out here, the referee. Boris
:18:47. > :18:59.Stankovich goes into the bin. And now two loosehead props. It will be
:19:00. > :19:03.13 men against 15 men. Dragons are superb on the defence, here.
:19:04. > :19:08.Stankovich will be back on, they will be back to 14. They need to
:19:09. > :19:15.hang on. There is an advantage being played. Huge overlap on the far
:19:16. > :19:20.side, was that pass forward? The concern over the try line, touches
:19:21. > :19:23.it down, and Edinburgh celebrate the second.
:19:24. > :19:29.Marius Mitrea is going to tease the crowd first, check the foul play and
:19:30. > :19:36.then give a decision on the try. What about this one on Dorian Jones?
:19:37. > :19:48.Up in the air. Takes him down gently. And there's a 11 before the
:19:49. > :19:56.Dragons. Try Andy card. -- try and yellow card. One metre from the try
:19:57. > :20:04.line. Desperate stuff in defence from the Dragons. Sam Hidalgo Klein
:20:05. > :20:11.has no interest in this one, he says to the forwards, you keep going.
:20:12. > :20:12.Half a metre. Now it's out wide. Brown with a try, a third for
:20:13. > :20:24.Edinburgh. Hamish Watson. Change at scrum-half
:20:25. > :20:30.with Sean Kennedy on. And this is Sean Kennedy. Door opens up to him,
:20:31. > :20:36.over the 22. Numbers out wide. They need quick possession. Desperate
:20:37. > :20:47.defence from the Dragon. That is the bonus point. Scott with the driver
:20:48. > :20:51.Edinburgh. One last throw of the dice. Write to the very end, Jackson
:20:52. > :21:00.will not be giving up. Taken quickly, and there is the
:21:01. > :21:12.past. Our kicking game absolutely
:21:13. > :21:13.destroyed us, mixed up with four yellow cards.
:21:14. > :21:15.Our kicking game absolutely destroyed us, mixed up with four
:21:16. > :21:20.It's just a recipe for a 32-13 scoreline, which it turned out to
:21:21. > :21:22.be. Many talking points following that,
:21:23. > :21:27.but the glaring one was Marius Mitrea's fondness
:21:28. > :21:35.for the yellow card. He said at least two of them were
:21:36. > :21:43.needless, your take? I wouldn't totally disagree. What you want is
:21:44. > :21:47.consistency from the referee, really. When you look at the
:21:48. > :21:54.situation with Stankovich, persistent infringing on his part.
:21:55. > :22:00.He is not square in the first instance, so Edinburgh are in the
:22:01. > :22:01.ascendancy, he is coming across, it is a fair card. This one here I
:22:02. > :22:05.thought was ridiculous against Phil Price. The Dragons have ascendancy.
:22:06. > :22:09.The Edinburgh tight head has his elbow in the air but he suddenly
:22:10. > :22:14.dropped his shoulder which takes Phil Price's bind away and he goes
:22:15. > :22:19.to the floor. For me that is a penalty against Edinburgh, not a
:22:20. > :22:27.yellow card against Phil Price. Again there is an ascendancy factor.
:22:28. > :22:30.Here with young Dorian, it is a strong tackle, I was quite pleased
:22:31. > :22:33.to see a ten tackling the second row but his leg is slightly above the
:22:34. > :22:37.horizontal and under the letter of the law he is off. Again you would
:22:38. > :22:44.like to see the referee show some empathy. The key here are the two
:22:45. > :22:47.highlighted guys. The backlift is behind the catcher which is
:22:48. > :22:53.essentially offside. You can't argue too much what happens to Mick Hunt
:22:54. > :22:56.after this. There is an issue for me. If I was the Dragons coach I
:22:57. > :23:06.would be upset, that is a penalty for the Dragons, not a yellow card.
:23:07. > :23:13.There was a penalty first and foremost for the Dragons for the
:23:14. > :23:18.illegal setting up of the more. The referee will form an opinion, two of
:23:19. > :23:22.them were persistent infringement, and you have given him an outcome
:23:23. > :23:28.he's got the option. Same with Dorian Jones. As players we know
:23:29. > :23:37.that you cannot do this in the modern game, especially with slow
:23:38. > :23:41.motion. Second offence for Nic Cudd, and it is an easy penalty to give.
:23:42. > :23:46.When referees are not very experienced and do not have the
:23:47. > :23:48.confidence, whenever we say Nigel Owens is the best referee in the
:23:49. > :23:52.game, that's because of his empathy and his confidence not necessarily
:23:53. > :23:57.to referee to the letter of the law but the way it is meant to be
:23:58. > :23:59.applied. That's why he's the best in the world, Nigel Owens. He refereed
:24:00. > :24:02.the Welsh derby yesterday as well. There were two Irish derbies over
:24:03. > :24:07.the weekend, including a top of the table clash between Pat Lam's
:24:08. > :24:31.high-flying Connacht and Munster. brought about by Tomas O'Leary, but
:24:32. > :24:36.it is back with Marmion. Bundee Aki using his strength. Looking at the
:24:37. > :24:38.options, flicked back inside. The big second row just held a fraction
:24:39. > :24:52.short. He was held up first. Possession is eventually coming back
:24:53. > :25:00.from all doom. Bundee Aki, the inside ball. -- for Muldoon. Time
:25:01. > :25:05.for the Munster defence to regroup. Away from Buckley eventually. Oh,
:25:06. > :25:09.lovely break from O'Halloran, cutting in on the angle, and he's
:25:10. > :25:15.come through for the first score on 17 minutes.
:25:16. > :25:28.O'Donoghue with the catch from scan all's throw. Scannell has it back,
:25:29. > :25:34.the hooker. Being driven over in a red wave, and a try for Niall
:25:35. > :25:38.Scannell. Only real way to Keighley. Keighley posing questions.
:25:39. > :25:46.Conway was taken out up in support. The situation is a 211 with the
:25:47. > :25:52.full-back, the player passes it, you tackle the player earlier, the try
:25:53. > :25:58.was probably going to be scored for your act, it's going to be a yellow
:25:59. > :26:04.card and a penalty try. John Muldoon can hardly believe the decision from
:26:05. > :26:10.Ben Whitehouse but it is a penalty try, much to Connacht's anger.
:26:11. > :26:14.Muldoon taking it forward as Connacht look to close out this game
:26:15. > :26:21.with just two and a half minutes left. That's the Munster 22 metre
:26:22. > :26:25.line. Marmion has it. Can they end 29 years of hurt in Limerick? Oh,
:26:26. > :26:28.lovely step from Henshaw, off-load to Bundee Aki, and he surely seals
:26:29. > :26:42.it in the corner. Both sides had disappointing start
:26:43. > :26:46.to their European Champions Cup campaigns, and neither side charm in
:26:47. > :26:50.the flows grin Irish Derby. With Ulster looking for successive wins
:26:51. > :26:54.in the tournament for the first time since February, it was the home team
:26:55. > :26:57.who came away with the victory. All the points came in the first half,
:26:58. > :27:00.Sean Cronin scoring the try of the match.
:27:01. > :27:06.Not the most compelling between them stand also, but the one between
:27:07. > :27:10.Connacht and Munster, the first time Connacht have won there in the
:27:11. > :27:18.professional era, massive result. How significant is that? Fantastic,
:27:19. > :27:22.going back ten years they were the sort of province where all the
:27:23. > :27:26.players would go who everybody else didn't want, sort of thing. To come
:27:27. > :27:31.forward and be top of the leak, that's a first. To win in Limerick
:27:32. > :27:35.is fantastic. Great testimony to the system they have put in place. They
:27:36. > :27:39.have kept consistency and continuity with coaches over a long period of
:27:40. > :27:43.time. Pat Lam is putting the icing on the cake for them and they are
:27:44. > :27:48.playing terrific rugby, as we have seen. Achieving some fantastic
:27:49. > :27:53.results. Million-dollar question, can they sustain it, are they
:27:54. > :27:58.potential champions? I don't see why not. They have seven wins, five home
:27:59. > :28:03.wins. It is a tough place to go with the wind and rain coming in. The
:28:04. > :28:08.conditions can be incredible. We've got to remember that they lost the
:28:09. > :28:13.least amount of players to the Rugby World Cup, so they have played with
:28:14. > :28:18.consistency. Tournaments and leaks are won with confidence. They all
:28:19. > :28:22.know exactly what they are doing and they are becoming incredibly tough
:28:23. > :28:25.to beat. Who'd have thought it? Connacht top of the league after
:28:26. > :28:28.eight rounds. Starlets chasing them of course.
:28:29. > :28:31.but first, here's Beth with news from the Premiership and beyond.
:28:32. > :28:34.Despite the atrocious weather, no games were postponed in
:28:35. > :28:36.the Principality Premiership this weekend, and we start our round up
:28:37. > :28:52.Good week for Crosskeys. They had the Player of the Month for October,
:28:53. > :28:55.and their home win over Neath saw them go top of the table. The Welsh
:28:56. > :28:57.All Blacks scored the try late in the second half but they remain
:28:58. > :29:01.winless. Adam Powell scored twice. They were
:29:02. > :29:13.also awarded a penalty try. Number eight Richard Brooks month
:29:14. > :29:17.his 100th appearance with two tries as the drovers demolished Cardiff.
:29:18. > :29:21.The blue and Blacks failing to get any points on the board. The bonus
:29:22. > :29:25.point was secured in the first half as they kept the pressure on
:29:26. > :29:32.Crosskeys at the top of the table. The fifth try came late on. Another
:29:33. > :29:35.player market century for his club over the weekend, Ceri Sweeney for
:29:36. > :29:42.Pontypridd, but he had little to celebrate as Bedwell scored a
:29:43. > :29:46.hat-trick of tries before half-time. A flowing move, here. Pontypridd
:29:47. > :29:50.scored a penalty try in the second half but have now lost three
:29:51. > :29:53.consecutive games in the league. It was 10th against 11th at the park
:29:54. > :29:57.when the ravens number eight Ashton Evans once again touched down for
:29:58. > :30:02.his side. In the end it was the home team who made sure of the win in a
:30:03. > :30:05.hard-fought contest. Quins centre Darren Morgan took advantage of a
:30:06. > :30:17.loose ball, winning the race to the line in the final moments of the
:30:18. > :30:23.game. Taking advantage of the wind at their backs they scored two tries
:30:24. > :30:28.in the first half. The visitors held on for the win despite conceding two
:30:29. > :30:33.tries. And then the first game here since 2009, they went top of the
:30:34. > :30:37.league, albeit short-lived. A remarkable turnaround for a side
:30:38. > :30:49.that were bottom last season. With three tries themselves, a bonus
:30:50. > :30:51.point, but losing their third consecutive league game. That defeat
:30:52. > :30:54.sees them dropping to ninth with Newport third. Cross Keys have gone
:30:55. > :31:03.top with no change at the bottom. Homosexuality
:31:04. > :31:06.in sport is still often considered a taboo subject, but Welsh rugby is
:31:07. > :31:08.breaking down these barriers. And at grassroots level two Welsh
:31:09. > :31:11.clubs are leading the way; The Swansea Vikings and the
:31:12. > :31:15.Cardiff Lions are both Gay inclusive teams, and we recently sent
:31:16. > :31:35.our cameras along to this ground We are the new kids on the block,
:31:36. > :31:39.this gay and inclusive rugby squad. It was founded by the chairman and
:31:40. > :31:43.the idea was to give a safe environment for gay men to start
:31:44. > :31:47.playing rugby go black to playing it if they played many years ago. I saw
:31:48. > :31:54.it on Facebook and I did comment on Steve. He came back and said, it is
:31:55. > :31:58.not gay only. I explained I was straight and he said great, yes,
:31:59. > :32:09.anybody can play, any build, any age, any sexuality. We will give
:32:10. > :32:13.110%... To actually say, hang on a minute, I cannot play rugby, I
:32:14. > :32:19.cannot play football because of my sexual orientation. It is high
:32:20. > :32:25.time, if you well, that those kind of messages awestruck of people's
:32:26. > :32:29.radars. World rugby signed a charter against homophobia with the
:32:30. > :32:36.international organisation. Sexual orientation is not a barrier,
:32:37. > :32:39.period. I came away from rugby after school, mainly because I did not
:32:40. > :32:44.feel comfortable in that environment. There was a lot of gay
:32:45. > :32:47.banter, as it would probably be called now. For someone coming to
:32:48. > :32:51.terms with their sexuality at Israeli hard to accept who you are
:32:52. > :32:57.yourself without people you play rugby with adding to that pressure.
:32:58. > :33:04.With Gareth Thomas, he obviously came out in a few years back now and
:33:05. > :33:09.set the bar, for people to be accepted. Is mainstream rugby that
:33:10. > :33:15.inclusive? I think in Wales, yes, especially with great role models
:33:16. > :33:20.like Gareth Thomas and Nigel Owens. Obviously it has been around since
:33:21. > :33:26.2004, the Lions have been around. To get a team setup to play competitive
:33:27. > :33:35.rugby regular, it is great. There is always the, and Swansea rivalry for
:33:36. > :33:43.us. Cardiff and Swansea, in any sport, they have that rivalry. We
:33:44. > :33:50.will send them back and be the top gay and inclusive team in Wales.
:33:51. > :33:57.I think it is absolutely fantastic. I think you should be able to play
:33:58. > :34:02.rugby or do whatever you want, if you are gay first-rate, it doesn't
:34:03. > :34:07.really matter. It just goes to show that rugby is rugby, anyone can play
:34:08. > :34:11.it. I think it is good for any community, then, to actually see
:34:12. > :34:14.people from different walks of life all coming together, joined in the
:34:15. > :34:20.actual team spirit and aiming to win for their local team. You know,
:34:21. > :34:26.rugby was seen as such a masculine, macho sport and it is really great
:34:27. > :34:29.it is inclusive and people of all sexualities and sexual identities
:34:30. > :34:35.can come together for the love of the game. My son is playing, so I am
:34:36. > :34:40.just here to support my son and his team. I always remember the rivalry
:34:41. > :34:43.between Cardiff and Swansea so it is really nice, to spend some time in
:34:44. > :34:51.Cardiff, and be back on supporting the local team. They have done what
:34:52. > :34:57.we asked, and we won the game. I would say, as hard as it seems, get
:34:58. > :35:02.in a club and give it a go. Once you have team-mates, your have them for
:35:03. > :35:06.life. Don't think of any negatives, just jump in. Six months together,
:35:07. > :35:10.all new mates. Some of them had confidence issues and know they are
:35:11. > :35:11.gone, through rugby, through the team. I would say just make the
:35:12. > :35:19.effort. -- now they are gone. Well, the Premiership endured the
:35:20. > :35:22.weather, but plenty of games were postponed in the lower leagues,
:35:23. > :35:24.including Pantyffynnon against Penygroes, that's where Rick O'Shea
:35:25. > :35:31.was going to go, but we'll hopefully catch up with Pantyffynnon's goal
:35:32. > :35:33.kicking hooker later in the season. There was some up
:35:34. > :35:36.the jumper rugby at the weekend! A 3-3 draw between Tonmawr
:35:37. > :35:39.and Birchgrove and a 5-5 draw But quite a result for Merthyr
:35:40. > :35:45.in the Swalec Championship: In the Aviva Premiership,
:35:46. > :35:48.Rhys Priestland was on the bench Fresh from his new contract
:35:49. > :35:59.at Franklin's Gardens George North faced his Wales team mates
:36:00. > :36:01.James Hook and Ross Moriarty And in the Top 14,
:36:02. > :36:05.Luke Charteris was in Racing 92's team who beat Toulouse,
:36:06. > :36:13.with Mike Philips on the bench, after a certain Dan Carter, the ?1.3
:36:14. > :36:16.million player was unveiled Very good. So he is not one of the
:36:17. > :36:25.mystery four men. Back to the Pro12 now,
:36:26. > :36:28.and the Scarlets' outstanding start to the season had hit the skids
:36:29. > :36:30.in recent weeks. After six wins in row,
:36:31. > :36:33.they slipped to three defeats Wayne Pivac's men were hoping to
:36:34. > :36:54.return to winning ways Pivac made ten changes to his side
:36:55. > :37:06.that lost to Russ and 92, including a new front row, in your back row
:37:07. > :37:10.and a new partnership of Davies and Thomas -- Racing 92. The Italians
:37:11. > :37:17.travelled with confidence after five wins in five matches in all
:37:18. > :37:21.competitions. COMMENTATOR: He didn't really want
:37:22. > :37:31.to know that. Gareth Owen gets a hand to it, tapped back on the
:37:32. > :37:38.Scarlets side. Away to Hadleigh Parkes. James Davies, up in the
:37:39. > :37:43.outside centre position. The flanker likes the wide open spaces, and
:37:44. > :37:54.there is a chance here for Hadleigh Parkes to make his way through for
:37:55. > :38:04.the first score after eight minutes. He sees his fourth line-out stretch
:38:05. > :38:14.go astray Alan Davies... Aled Thomas. The try scorer, there is the
:38:15. > :38:23.chance! Davies to finish off, glorious stuff from the Scarlet 's.
:38:24. > :38:32.Nine minutes into the second half. The line-out leap can Zebre wrestle
:38:33. > :38:36.their way over, from seven, eight metres out. They are through... They
:38:37. > :38:45.are up to the line, they are over and Zebre have their first reward of
:38:46. > :38:51.the afternoon. Carlo Canna, looks to go down the middle. Berryman was
:38:52. > :38:59.calling for the cross kick. He hasn't got it down yet, I don't
:39:00. > :39:05.think. For the line. The last ditch tackle held him up there, I think.
:39:06. > :39:15.Is he over? That is good. That is no try. It is repeated infringement
:39:16. > :39:23.against your team. The ball was not out. The yellow card against
:39:24. > :39:28.Maselino Paulino, repeated infringement by his side. Zebre
:39:29. > :39:33.against a 14 man Scarlet defends with this chance, then, to get back
:39:34. > :39:39.within striking range. It has gone down on this nearside. Van Schalkwyk
:39:40. > :39:59.goes again. He has powered his way over. Spun out. Pinched illegally.
:40:00. > :40:06.He needs to stick this one over now, Nick. The pressure is on Steve
:40:07. > :40:13.Shingler. He has hit it low, but this time it is straight enough and
:40:14. > :40:17.at last the Scarlet have a lead. They had a strong line-out drive,
:40:18. > :40:20.our discipline let us down and they took a couple of their chances
:40:21. > :40:24.really well then it was game on again, pleased to have shot it out
:40:25. > :40:30.but certainly lots of work to do for next week.
:40:31. > :40:33.So this is how the table looks after eight rounds of action.
:40:34. > :40:36.That victory for the Scarlets takes them back up to second spot
:40:37. > :40:38.Munster and Leinster make up the top four.
:40:39. > :40:40.Defending champions, Glasgow are snapping at their heels
:40:41. > :40:46.The Ospreys, Dragons and Blues are in eighth,
:40:47. > :40:49.ninth and tenth respectively and are still way off the pace when it comes
:40:50. > :40:56.Another game in which the weather played a big part.
:40:57. > :40:58.Great start for the Scarlets, but a dogged comeback from Zebre?
:40:59. > :41:01.Important to get the win after what was a bad couple
:41:02. > :41:06.It wasn't as easy as it appeared after ten minutes? No, I know from
:41:07. > :41:11.experience they can be a difficult team to play against. The Scarlets
:41:12. > :41:15.scored I think it was after the first 90 minutes, those two tries,
:41:16. > :41:19.and the second one was a great line-out from Shingler and then
:41:20. > :41:23.Davies over the fireside. Zebre were frustrated. They had a pretty good
:41:24. > :41:31.driving line-up, good set piece, pretty direct -- the far side. You
:41:32. > :41:35.have to keep your discipline and there was a bit of frustration where
:41:36. > :41:40.perhaps Scarlet did not keep that. But the ground out the win. And
:41:41. > :41:45.Shingler, not for the first time this year, kicking a vital penalty
:41:46. > :41:50.at the end to deny, you know, Zebre a bonus point and get Scarlet that
:41:51. > :41:54.win. It will be good for them to see the momentum building with the new
:41:55. > :41:59.signings, exciting times there. Briefly, because we do not have much
:42:00. > :42:03.time, but your old mate there, Alun Wyn Jones, leaving the Ospreys. How
:42:04. > :42:10.desperate will they be to keep in their? I am sure both Ospreys and
:42:11. > :42:13.Wales will be desperate to keep him. He is in my opinion the best player
:42:14. > :42:17.in a generation and is important to everything good both on and off the
:42:18. > :42:20.field at the Ospreys. These guys want to play top-class winning
:42:21. > :42:24.rugby, competing for the biggest trophies in Europe and in the world
:42:25. > :42:26.on offer so we need to ensure we are still offering them that. Indeed. We
:42:27. > :42:32.will see what happens with that. The rugby world has been
:42:33. > :42:37.in mourning for a fortnight since we His funeral is tomorrow in
:42:38. > :42:40.New Zealand. We thought we'd end tonight,
:42:41. > :42:54.with our memories of the big man. Good night. Father, South Auckland,
:42:55. > :42:59.he spotted the 15-year-old there, six foot six.
:43:00. > :43:07.# My father in South Auckland. It was obvious to see then his
:43:08. > :43:13.potential, then he kind of became part of the family and I remember
:43:14. > :43:16.when I met him, this big fellow, my little Big Brother, if you like.
:43:17. > :43:22.COMMENTATOR: He has passed Chris Wyatt, just swatted him aside.
:43:23. > :43:29.Matthew Robinson is on the field for Wales but his chase is in vain. It
:43:30. > :43:35.is the first we have seen of Lomu. Was the most potent attacking weapon
:43:36. > :43:39.in the history of rugby. It gives me great pleasure to present Jonah Lomu
:43:40. > :43:43.with overseas sports personality of the year, 1995. Was someone who
:43:44. > :43:47.inspired a lot of others to start playing rugby. Ireland were watching
:43:48. > :43:51.him at the Blues. I came to watch every game when he played at home,
:43:52. > :43:55.just such an exciting player and the fact he played for the Blues for a
:43:56. > :44:01.short while, you know, it is something to remember and cherish.
:44:02. > :44:06.The welcome from the wells, every time I come here, it is phenomenal.
:44:07. > :44:12.For myself, I call it a home away from home the Welsh. Aggressive,
:44:13. > :44:16.running over the top of people, just a total desire to score tries and
:44:17. > :44:19.win. Off the field he was a totally different character. He loved
:44:20. > :44:27.giving, would do anything for anyone, a great guy. It is a game
:44:28. > :44:31.you should love. If you are in Paris in the biggest stadiums or, you
:44:32. > :44:34.know, at the millennium, you know, for me, it is just a privilege to
:44:35. > :44:41.play the game that I love.