Ospreys and Scarlets secured victories in the United Rugby Championship (URC), but both clubs operate in the shadow of uncertainty regarding the future, due to the plans of the Welsh Rugby Union.
Ospreys defeated Dragons in a Welsh derby at Rodney Park. Cardiff opened the season with two wins, but subsequently lost in Dublin to the reigning champions, Leinster.
Tom Rogers, who moved from Scarlets to Ospreys with the intention of primarily playing at full-back, started matches against the Sharks and Lions on the right wing. Head coach Mark Jones insisted that the 27-year-old Rogers was brought in as a hybrid player. Against the Dragons, Rogers was given the number 15 jersey and was named man of the match, in one instance as the last man in defence forcing Harri Keddie to drop the ball.
Scarlets beat Benetton thanks to a late penalty by Sam Costello, despite trailing 21-7 at half-time. The man of the match award went to full-back Blair Murray, while Ellis Mee scored two tries — the first following a break by his wing colleague Maes Page, and the second with quick footwork. Mee had started matches against Argentina and South Africa in July, while Page was an unused member of the travelling squad in Japan in 2025. The director of rugby for Scarlets is Nigel Davies.
Elliot Dee scored a late equaliser in Benetton, having in total this season scored double tries against both Scarlets and Ospreys. Against Scarlets, he was named man of the match, and in the current campaign, he has accumulated five tries. Defensive players must separate and move to the back when they pass the ball. Dee scored nine tries in 2017-18, while the young players of Dragons in the 2025-26 season combined for 14 tries.
In other news, Louis Rees-Zammit of Bristol returned to the wing, while Josh Adams of Cardiff is approaching a return from injury. Cardiff coach Corniel van Zyl is preparing the squad for the trip to Northampton in the Champions Cup; Northampton scored 11 tries in a 71-48 victory over Bath on Saturday.
