Mix of hope & despair in Wales' festive URC derbies

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David Richards scored in Dragons' win against Scarlets while Kieran Hardy crossed as Ospreys beat Cardiff

ByChris Kirwan

BBC Sport Wales

The festive period of five Welsh derbies in the United Rugby Championship has ended with all four sides earning wins.

Ospreys will be the most content with two bonus-point victories, while Cardiff, Scarlets and Dragons managed one success apiece.

Cardiff and Ospreys are in the top eight, Dragons are enjoying a mini renaissance, while Scarlets are rock bottom with head coach Dwayne Peel under pressure.

There have been some encouraging attendances, as you would expect at this time of year.

Welsh rugby remains in a difficult position at the start of 2026 but will be hoping for some respite on the field.

Wales head coach Steve Tandy was in attendance as Dragons overwhelmed Scarlets in Newport and Ospreys outclassed Cardiff in Bridgend in the final games of Christmas week.

Dragons on the rise

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Angus O'Brien is in his second spell with Dragons after returning from Scarlets in 2022

Dragons' 41-17 defeat by a then-winless Perpignan in the Challenge Cup has proved to be something of a turning point.

Since that horrendous result they have enjoyed a fightback win against Lyon, a demolition of Connacht and then, after showing resilience in a loss at Cardiff, a comprehensive victory over Scarlets.

It was Dragons' joint-biggest derby win, with the 23-point margin sharing top spot with the 48-25 victory against Cardiff in April 2004.

Filo Tiatia's side went through 2025 without a win until they stunned Lyon on 14 December but this year should prove to be happier.

The head coach is confident there is plenty more to come from his squad as they now turn to a tricky Challenge Cup trip to Benetton and a potential cracker versus Newcastle.

"Our leaders are putting bits and pieces together and demanding things from each other," said Tiatia, whose side temporarily went 10th in the URC with victory.

"It hasn't happened by accident, they have been working hard around doing the basics well and our mantra is 'how do we improve every day?'

"There are always areas to improve and I wouldn't get too carried away. Travelling away is an area of growth for us and we need to have the same mentality as at home."

It is also worth noting that Dragons were without a raft of players, including Wales internationals Rio Dyer, Rhodri Jones, Elliot Dee, Brodie Coghlan, Chris Coleman and Dillon Lewis.

They also have good news on the horizon with Tonga centre Fetuli Paea, who has been out since breaking his right arm in an impressive debut against Sharks in October, set for a return in the next couple of weeks.

Ospreys' grunt up front

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Mark Jones was appointed as head coach of Ospreys in December 2024

Ospreys produced a trademark forward-dominant performance against Cardiff as they overpowered their opponents with second-row duo Rhys Davies and Ryan Smith outstanding.

"The Ospreys over many years have been lauded, and rightly so, for their power up front, their smarts, the character of the players as well as the physicality," said head coach Mark Jones.

"We've hopefully still got a nice balance to our game and we're showing that we can play the game a couple of different ways now."

Benefitting from that forward platform is Wales scrum-half Kieran Hardy, who scored two tries having been the only specialist Ospreys' number nine fit to face Cardiff.

"I think he's done an exceptional job," said Jones. "He showed good energy and control and his execution around all aspects of his game was excellent."

Ospreys have picked up a maximum of 10 points from two derby wins against Scarlets and Cardiff, lifting them from 16th to eighth prior to the weekend fixtures.

"I'm so pleased for the group," said Jones. "The boys have put an awful lot of work into the first half of the season and the wins column hasn't always been as nice as we'd like it to be.

"It's great to get 10 points, derbies are so physically and mentally demanding and then you add in Christmas and New Year to it, there's a lot of distractions.

"You could make a lot of excuses for not winning or performing but the players have come into work when we've asked them to and done really well and got the most out of each day.

"It's been tough because there's been lots going on for individuals and the collective in the background, but they've stayed focused."

Pressure on Peel

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Scarlets finished 2025 on the bottom of the URC table

"Sacked in the morning, you're getting sacked in the morning" was the tongue-in-cheek chant in the Candleston Stand at Rodney Parade as Peel's side longed for the final whistle in the closing stages.

Scarlets were without some key figures in Newport - locks Jake Ball and Sam Lousi, Blair Murray, Johnny Williams, Sam Costelow - but the level of performance was alarming just weeks after things looked to be getting better.

Wales' only Champions Cup club put in strong performances against Bristol and Bordeaux-Begles and then enjoyed a backs-to-the-wall win at Cardiff.

However, both Ospreys and Dragons have beaten them with bonus points and Scarlets were lucky to salvage a consolation bonus in the western derby after what seemed to be a dangerous clearout before their last-gasp try.

The Llanelli side are bottom of URC and six points behind Dragons, who are desperate to avoid finishing as Wales' worst side.

Peel's side are back in a tough spot and need to respond when hosting Pau in the Champions Cup on Saturday, 10 January.

"It's a massive game for us now," admitted the head coach. "They are flying high in the Top 14 and we've played in some really high intensity, physical games in recent weeks.

"That will be another one and then we have Northampton the week after. There are tough games ahead but that's the nature of the beast."

A bonus-point win against Pau could be enough for Scarlets to sneak into the last 16 of the Champions Cup, or at least drop into the Challenge Cup.

Cardiff get what they deserve

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Harri Deaves won his first Wales cap against New Zealand in November 2025

Cardiff coach Corniel van Zyl pulled no punches in the assessment of his side's 33-22 defeat against Ospreys.

"Basically, we got beaten in every aspect of the game," said Van Zyl. "It was 100% exactly what we expected from them, but we struggled."

Cardiff managed three tries in the final eight minutes to claim a losing try-scoring bonus point which lifted them to second in the URC table behind Stormers, although a win would have taken them top.

"Hats off to the boys with that fighting spirit of going for it," added Van Zyl.

"It's obviously nice but ultimately we lost the game, so it's still tough to take and frustrating."

Cardiff will be buoyed by the classy performance of centre Ben Thomas and the scoring prowess of Josh Adams, who crossed for two more tries.

However, they will be concerned about how they allowed themselves to be outmuscled by Ospreys.

Home delights for bumper crowds

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Ospreys are playing at Bridgend's Brewery Field in 2025-26

Ospreys announced a capacity crowd of just under 8,000 for the derby win against Cardiff, which completed a set of well-attended matches in the five Welsh URC derbies.

Ospreys have three more home games in January as they host Montpellier in the Challenge Cup (17 January) with two URC games against Lions on 23 January and the Dragons eight days later.

"Our fans are loyal," said Jones. "We just need that every week if we can. I know I'm asking a lot there.

"If they could give that every week in terms of their time I'm sure the team would respond and probably give them performances like that on a regular basis because it does make a huge difference to your mentality as a player when you've got that sort of energy surrounding you.

"It is just a big thanks to the fans. There's no doubt they played their part in that performance and particularly in the second half."

Dragons ended a 14-month wait for a win on home soil by beating Lyon in December and now they have enjoyed three on the spin at Rodney Parade, where they have been pretty good all season.

Tiatia's men have beaten Lyon, Connacht and Scarlets in Newport while they drew with Sharks and Ospreys when they should have won.

Dragons were denied a chance to push for a draw with Leinster by a poor refereeing decision at the end that led to a URC apology, meaning the home loss to Cardiff is their only major disappointment so far.

"The crowd were amazing again," said Wales lock Ben Carter. "I hope they know that's something we talk about and we want to give them things to sing about.

"It helps so much and we absolutely love playing here. It's fantastic to have such loyal fans and we really appreciate their support."