By Steffan Thomas

Copyright walesonline

The United Rugby Championship returns in a fortnight’s time and it’s safe to say most of the build up in Wales has been overshadowed by the Welsh Rugby Union’s proposals to cut down from four to two professional teams. Uncertainty is crippling the game in Wales but nevertheless players and staff at all four of Wales’ professional clubs – Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets must focus on the start of the new season. Only the Scarlets reached the play-offs of the URC last season and it will be a big ask to improve on that this time around. But despite Welsh rugby’s many problems there are reasons to believe they can at the very least be competitive this season. We take a look at all four Welsh sides to determine their prospects ahead of the new season. What the future looks like for Cardiff remains uncertain after the Welsh Rugby Union assumed ownership of the club last season when it entered administration. Former CEO of SA Brain, Scott Waddington, has been appointed the new chair of the club while the WRU searches for permanent owners. Despite the structure of the professional game in Wales set to change in the near future, WRU CEO Abi Tierney, currently on sick leave, has already gone on record to say it is “hard not to see rugby in Cardiff .” On the field Matt Sherratt will be hoping to build on another season of near misses. Cardiff played some excellent rugby but fell on the wrong side of too many tight games and narrowly missed out on the play-offs last year. Key player – Ben Thomas The 26-year-old is integral to the way Cardiff attack, while his versatility in being able to play 10, 12 and 15 is invaluable to this squad. Sherratt has previously described Thomas as a “shot caller” and Thomas is a key player in ensuring Cardiff’s expansive brand of rugby works. While many other clubs prefer a powerful carrier at 12 Thomas is a playmaker with a strong kicking game who has the ability to get the best out of other players. Wales lock Teddy Williams will also be a key player this season. One to watch – Taine Basham Rewind the clock back to 2021 and it was Taine Basham not Jac Morgan or Tommy Reffell who looked destined to succeed Justin Tipuric in the Wales number seven shirt. Basham put in two standout performances in defeats against New Zealand and South Africa but his international career has stalled since then. But it is a fresh start for the 25-year-old who has swapped Rodney Parade for the Welsh capital. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Basham is an explosive carrier who is effective both in the tight and the wide channels while he can cover the backrow. It will be interesting to see whether this move reignites his international career. New signings: Javan Sebastian (Edinburgh), Sam Wainwright (Scarlets), George Nott (Dragons), Taine Basham (Dragons), Ioan Lloyd (Scarlets), Ioan Emanuel (Bath – on loan), Ieuan Davies (Bath – on loan), Tom Cottle (RGC). Departures: Rhys Litterick (Edinburgh), Efan Daniel (Ospreys), Seb Davies (Dragons), Thomas Young (Dragons), Gabriel Hamer-Webb (Leicester Tigers), MacKenzie Martin (Dragons – on loan), Gwylin Bradley, Tinus de Beer (Dragons), Rey Lee-Lo (retired), Regan Grace, Kodie Stone (Merthyr). Strengths and potential weaknesses If you look at the Cardiff pack, the breakdown is an area of strength given some of the backrowers Sherratt has available to him. Basham is a fine player but don’t forget about James Botham who has been a model of consistency for Cardiff and will have Wales ambitions of his own, while Alex Mann is also effective in this area. Cardiff will look to dominate here because they will want to win some quick ball to unleash what is a dangerous backline. The Welsh club scored 63 tries last season and will want to continue in that vein. With regards improving on last season it depends on whether the pack can become a little more dominant. Cardiff don’t have as many ball carriers as other teams but if they can at least gain parity up-front and the set-piece holds up they can be competitive. Predicted finishing position – 10th The aim has to be reaching the play-offs and they are capable of doing it if they can get a bit of luck with injuries but they may just miss out again. Things couldn’t have gone worse for the Dragons last season who won just twice in both competitions and finished bottom of the URC. But there is reason to be more optimistic this time around with the Gwent-based side having overhauled the squad with 16 new signings. This has also been Filo Tiatia’s first pre-season as head coach after the former All Blacks backrower replaced Dai Flanagan before the halfway point of last season. Like all four professional clubs the future remains uncertain but the Dragons ownership group seem extremely confident they will survive any potential cull. Those involved in the club are also very complimentary about the culture Tiatia has created and pre-season was said to be the toughest in years. Key player – Thomas Young The 33-year-old is a massive signing from arch rivals Cardiff. Young is an international class player who will be available throughout the season and brings huge experience to the squad. The former Wasps star is such an intelligent rugby player who has made a habit of making big interventions at key moments of the game. He is extremely effective in the wide channels, is strong at the breakdown and gets through a ton of work. Outside-half Tinus de Beer will also be an important player because the Dragons struggled for control last season. One to watch – Levi Douglas “I want to be completely dominant both sides of the ball and aggressive,” Douglas told WalesOnline last month. “That pretty much sums me up in a nutshell mate.” This was something sorely lacking at Rodney Parade last season and will be a welcome addition to the Dragons squad. At 6ft 5in and 20 stone, Douglas is a powerful second-row who has been recruited to give the Dragons front five an edge. The 30-year-old is also Welsh-qualified so no doubt new Wales boss Steve Tandy will be keeping a close eye on him. New signings: Wyn Jones (Harlequins), Dillon Lewis (Harlequins), Robert Hunt (Cheetahs), Levi Douglas (Biarritz), Seb Davies (Cardiff), Thomas Young (Cardiff), MacKenzie Martin (Cardiff – on loan), Niall Armstrong (Exeter Chiefs), Tinus de Beer (Dragons), Jac Lloyd ( Newport RFC), Fetuli Paea (Zebre), Fine Inisi (Moana Pasifika), David Richards (Newport RFC), Codi Purnell (Bath), James Talamai (Saracens), Harry Beddall (Leicester Tigers). Departures: Taine Basham (Cardiff), George Nott (Cardiff), Joe Davies (Pontypool), Josh Reynolds, Nathan Evans, Dmitri Arhip, Dan Lydiate (retired – coach), George Young, Dane Blacker (Scarlets), Lloyd Evans, Josh Thomas (Coventry), Will Reed (Worcester Warriors), Scott Williams, Harry Wilson, Ashton Hewitt, Jordan Williams, Walker Price. Strengths and areas to work on During the summer months a student interviewed this writer and asked what the on-field identities of all four Welsh clubs were. When it came to the Dragons this journalist was none the wiser and that’s what needs to change this season. They need an identity on the field, a new way of playing and something to hang their hats on. Last season the Dragons folded far too easily and firstly Tiatia must turn them into a difficult team to beat. In terms of strengths, they have recruited some quality players such as Wyn Jones, Levi Douglas, Thomas Young, Fetuli Paea, Fine Inisi and Mackenzie Martin, among others. They’ve also got some quality youngsters like Harry Beddall, Huw Anderson, Ryan Woodman and Harri Ackerman, among others, who should kick on this season. But the set-piece will have to be stronger this year if they are to significantly improve while there needs to be more control at half-back. Prediction – 12th There is every reason to believe the Dragons will improve significantly this season but it will take a while before they start reaching play-offs. It is quite plausible the Dragons will take a few scalps this season and they may not even finish as the weakest Welsh side this time around. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free The main target has to be significant improvement and that should be achievable. The Ospreys were made to pay for a poor start to the 2024/25 season, with Toby Booth leaving as head coach in December. But they were competitive after that, with a stunning away victory at Glasgow Warriors the high point of their season. Mark Jones will have just completed his first pre-season as head coach and, while the departure of experienced Wales lock Adam Beard to Montpellier is a blow, the signings of former Queensland Reds captain Ryan Smith and Ross Moriarty are shrewd acquisitions. Like the others, the future of the Ospreys remains uncertain given the WRU are considering a reduction in the number of professional clubs but the noises coming out of the club are positive. They will play their home games at the Brewery Field in Bridgend this season before moving into a redeveloped St Helen’s for 2026/27. Key player – Dan Edwards The easy answer would have been Jac Morgan or Dewi Lake but while both senior Wales players are going to be vitally important, Edwards is arguably even more crucial. A lot of pressure will fall onto Edwards’ shoulders this season and with Owen Williams having left the club the 22-year-old is now the senior outside-half. Edwards has an extremely high ceiling and was excellent in Wales’ victory over Japan this summer. If Edwards continues in the same vein of form he will be the favourite to wear the Wales number 10 shirt this autumn. One to watch – Ross Moriarty Welsh rugby has lacked big men with a physical edge and that is something Moriarty brings in the bucketload. After spending a couple of seasons at Brive in France, Moriarty will be keen to make a big impression at the Ospreys. At 31 he still has plenty left to give, not just the Ospreys but potentially Wales as well. New signings: Ross Moriarty (Brive), Efan Daniel (Cardiff), Ryan Smith (Queensland Reds), Harry Williams (Tuggeranong Vikings). Departures: George McGuigan (Newcastle Red Bull), Will Spender (Chambery), Adam Beard (Montpellier), Justin Tipuric (retired – defence coach), Tristan Davies (Scarlets), Owen Williams (Nice), Will Austin. Strength and areas to work on Out of all four Welsh clubs the Ospreys have the strongest pack and can compete physically with most teams. A back-row of Moriarty, Jac Morgan and Morgan Morris or Morgan Morse is a mouthwatering one. Even though Adam Beard has left Ryan Smith is a high-quality recruit and is a good replacement, while the likes of Rhys Davies and James Fender will also be hoping to impress Tandy during the opening rounds of the season. Experienced South African tighthead Tom Botha will also be a key player and is a very powerful scrummager. In terms of areas to work on there isn’t as much bite behind the scrum as some of their play-off rivals. Prediction – 8th The Ospreys have a strong pack along with a settled squad and coaching team which could see them sneak into the play-offs. As always it depends on injuries, with the likes of Tom Botha, Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan and Dan Edwards key players they can’t really do without. But with luck on their side they stand a decent chance of making the play-offs. Dwayne Peel’s side finished as the strongest Welsh side last season, reaching the URC play-offs and qualifying for the Investec Champions Cup. After some agonising narrow defeats during the first-half of the season the Scarlets began to turn losses into victories. They finished the season with some momentum on their side and will want to carry on where they left off. The loss of former All Blacks star Vaea Fifita is a blow but they have a very dangerous backline who can hurt any side. Like the other three Welsh sides the future of the Scarlets will be decided over the next month so Dwayne Peel will have to manage this uncertainty within the squad. Key player – Gareth Davies The former Wales scrum-half might be approaching the end of his career at 35 but he remains as important as he’s ever been for the Scarlets. Davies enjoyed a fine 2024/25 season, scoring a number of important tries while also bringing a huge amount of control and experience. He will have another big role to play this season and is an old head in what is a young backline. One to watch – Joe Hawkins It will be fascinating to see how the 23-year-old fares after a couple of seasons plying his trade for Exeter Chiefs in the English Premiership. Prior to his move to England, which made him temporarily ineligible to represent his country, former Wales coach Warren Gatland had high hopes for the five-cap playmaker. Hawkins will undoubtedly have a point to prove and should fit in well with a very talented back line. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. The former Ospreys man is a triple threat player with a strong kicking game who has the vision to put others into space. Peel seems to have signed him as an outside-half to compete with Sam Costelow but he can also play inside centre. Another player Tandy will be keeping a close eye on. New signings: Tristan Davies (Ospreys), Joe Hawkins (Exeter Chiefs), Dane Blacker (Dragons), Ioan Jones (Gloucester), Jake Ball (NEC Green Rockets). Departures: Vaea Fifita (Montauban), Sam Wainwright (Cardiff), Shaun Evans ( Carmarthen Quins), Steff Evans (Carmarthen Quins), Alex Craig (Glasgow Warriors), Morgan Jones (Doncaster), Efan Jones (Ampthill), Ioan Lloyd (Cardiff), Edd Scragg, Charlie Titcombe (Leicester Tigers). Strengths and areas to work on The Scarlets backline looks very sharp and is worth getting excited about. Players like Hawkins, Macs Page, Joe Roberts, Tom Rogers, Blair Murray and Ellis Mee, among others, are all capable of scoring tries and unlocking the tightest of defences. They also possess some very good loose forwards in the shape of Taine Plumtree, Josh Macleod and Max Douglas, who can play both lock and blindside. According to the official URC stats the Scarlets had the best performing scrum in the URC and will need to carry on in the same vein this time around. Former England tighthead Henry Thomas was a big reason behind that, as was current Springboks hooker Marnus van der Merwe. They will be without their inspirational Springboks hooker for the first part of the season due to international commitments. A lack of powerful ball carriers up-front and a lack of depth is an issue. Prediction – 9th If the Scarlets pack can win quick ball then their back division can tear teams to shreds and that will be the key to any success this season. They need luck with injuries and they need their pack to front up as it did towards the end of last season. It will be touch and go with regards reaching the end of season play-offs.