Emotional send-off for Gethin plus other big winners from the weekend

WALES’ autumn international win over the Scots on Saturday hogged the rugby limelight.

But it didn’t stop a number of Welsh rugby players outside of the Principality Stadium making their own contributions to the winners and losers column...

WINNERS DAN THOMAS AND NICKY THOMAS

Among the embarrassment of back-row riches Wales have at their disposal, some plying their trade in England can often fly under the radar.

And Dan Thomas, who has skippered Wales at under-20 level, is a perfect example of this. He was the supporters player of the year at Ashton Gate as Bristol made it back to the Premiership last season but knee problems have dogged the 25-year-old Cwmbran-born product this term.

Bristol have some heavy artillery in their back-row with Samoan international Jack Lam and All Blacks flanker Steven Luatua to name but two but Thomas showed he’s back to his very best, after knee problems, to compete with the A-list roster at the west country club.

And to make it even sweeter, his display in the Premiership Rugby Cup on the weekend saw Bristol beat former employers Gloucester for the first time in 10 years.

He covered every blade of the Ashton Gate pitch to show his former paymasters, who he left in the summer of 2017, what they might be missing out on.

The game also saw another former Welsh Cherry & White Nicky Thomas, who is on loan at the Bears from the Dragons, put in a sterling effort up front as Bristol put their squeeze on Glaws.

Thomas, on trial at the Bears, helped stifle the life out of the visiting scrum, to do his cause no harm for a more permanent deal.

RORY BARTLE

If you’re struggling to make it in Wales, there’s worse places to ply your trade than the stunning Channel Island of Jersey.

And the 22-year-old Pontypridd-born ex-London Scottish, Gloucester, and Blues back-rower can be expected to be handed the freedom of the island after stunning star-studded London Irish in the Greene King IPA Championship on the weekend.

With a cast list of Luke McLean, Topsy Ojo, Stephen Myler and Blair Cowan, the Exiles are molten hot favourites to make an instant return to the Premiership next season.

But the Reds, with Bartle packing down in the back-row, well and truly upset the applecart with a 17-14 win at their St Peter’s ground that inflicted a first defeat of the season on the visitors.

While not wreaking wholesale damage on Irish’s promotion aspirations, it gave the chasingpack some hope.

The victory moves the islanders up to third place in the Championship after a fifth successive win, while Irish remain four points clear of Ealing at the top.

And on top of that Jersey have put in a strong contender for try of the season with a stunning move under the shadows of their own posts.

SAM LEWIS

The Swansea-born flanker has been turning heads at Sixways since joining Worcester Warriors from the Ospreys in March 2015, and bagging four tries in his first five games.

His 22 games in the Premiership last season saw the 27-year-old put in 289 tackles along with 11 turnovers won and 19 defenders beaten.

And this season the rich vein of form has continued with the ex-Swansea RFC back-rower playing a huge part as Worcester recorded their biggest ever win at Leicester Tigers.

His turnover in the Worcester 22 helped contribute to a stunning length of the field try in their 31-12 Premiership Cup win at Welford Road.

GETHIN JENKINS

‘Rugby legend’ can be two overused words trawled out to laud players on their retirement.

But not in the case of prop star Jenkins who left the field for the last time on Sunday, with his Cardiff Blues team-mates giving him a guard of honour.

The Wales and Lions frontrower came off the bench at the Arms Park to help his region to a 37-0 PRO14 victory over Zebre.

He’s been forced to call it a day by a chronic knee problem and joined the fray to a standing ovation from a crowd of 6,426.

And he was given a hero’s send-off at the end of the match.

With a comfortable win over the Italians in the bag, Jenkins was persuaded at the end to attempt to convert the Blues’ last try. You can see how that turned out here.

LOSERS OWEN WILLIAMS

A year ago he was repelling pretty much everything the All Blacks could throw at him in a full-blooded clash at the Principality Stadium.

But the last 12 months haven’t exactly been kind to the 26-yearold as injuries, and plying his trade in England, has seen the Neath-born player snubbed at international level.

It hasn’t been a bowl of cherries at Gloucester either with Danny Cipriani brought in during the summer to fill the No.10 jersey, while centre is also a highly competitive position to nail down a starting slot.

But he got some valuable game time on the weekend in the Premiership Cup.

However, the man whose last Test was against New Zealand in November 2017 was left seeing a whole heap of different rugby stars.

For apart from being part of the Glaws team to lose to Bristol for the first time in 10 years, Williams had a less than memorable encounter with big-name signing Charles Piutau.

How much he will remember of is is questionable as the 17-times capped Kiwi made his Bristol debut off the bench.

His first touch of the ball saw the full-back steamroller Williams, leaving him in a crumpled heap on the floor. The Welshman required several minutes of treatment after the impact.

DRAGONS DEFENCE (OR LACK OF IT)

There was precious little the Dragons could take out of their 33-12 Guinness PRO14 defeat out in Galway on Saturday evening.

And putting a case for the defence would stump a sizeable gathering of Supreme Court judges.

It’s not as if they’re putting out inexperienced teams like last season when the defending was equally lamentable.

The fact Connacht didn’t punish the Dragons further on the scoreboard was much down to the fact a bonus point win was in the bag early doors.

With 33 tries leaked in eight outings this season, the Dragons are now propping up Conference B.

GARETH OWEN AND TOMMY REFELL

Both got onto the Leicester Tigers scoreboard on the weekend.

But they were also both part of the team that conceded a record home win to the Worcester Warriors.

Owen’s try 17 minutes into the second period gave the Tigers a chance of a comeback, but by the time Refell went over with 15 minutes left, it was merely a consolation score.

Worcester are now four points clear at the top of Pool Two after Saracens drew with Sale on Friday, while Leicester are bottom and have yet to get a point.