Ryan mighty, happy Harri but Beck blow puts him back to square one
EUROPE took centre stage for the regions while Storm Callum was the headline grabber lower down Welsh rugby’s food chain.
But the wind and rain that lashed many parts of Britain on the weekend, with Wales bearing the brunt of it, didn’t stop our winners and losers having a field day...
RYAN EDWARDS
THE Newport-born wing is probably the least known-about Welshman plying his trade in the Gallagher Premiership.
He joined Bristol Bears back in 2012 after studying at the city’s West of England University and had one game with the Dragons Under-18s before crossing the Severn.
The Newport HSOB player is approaching 80 outings for Bristol and has a decent strike rate of 24 tries in that time. He had a short loan spell with the Cardiff Blues last term, playing one game in the Anglo-Welsh Cup against London Irish.
Last week he was one of the rare shafts of light in their gloomy 52-7 defeat to Worcester Warriors, after coming on at Sixways in the second period, and kept his place for the European Challenge Cup opener with Zebre at Ashton Gate.
The 28-year-old certainly gave coach Pat Lam something to think about contributing two tries in a 43-22 victory and showing a blistering turn of speed that did a job on the Italians.
GARETH ANSCOMBE
WHEN Brian O’Driscoll earmarked Anscombe as one of his six players to watch in the Champions Cup back last week it proved something of a prophecy from the Ireland and Lions legend.
The individual brilliance of the New Zealand-born back helped Cardiff Blues pull off one of the European results of the weekend in their 30-21 win in Lyon.
He didn’t miss a shot at goal and scored an outstanding solo try as he helped himself to a 20-point haul.
You can see what he made of his own brilliance in the video below.
GREG WOODS
WITH Welsh rugby bemoaning a lack of homegrown coaches at the highest level, one wonders why the Ebbw Vale boss hasn’t been given a go in the regional game.
He worked wonders with Cross Keys and now is sprinkling his magic dust on the Steelmen, who are seven from seven at the top of the Principality Premiership.
Woods’ was in seventh heaven at Ebbw on Saturday at the expense of the side he coached to Welsh Cup success in 2012 and the final of the British & Irish Cup that season.
But Woods admitted he was “over the moon” with their 22-7 win over Keys live on S4C TV.
“I thought it was a proper Gwent derby, it was a whole-hearted performance, which I always expect off the Keys,” said Woods.
“Every point this season is crucial and to get over 30, we’re over the moon but we’ve got two tough games coming up with Pontypridd and Merthyr.”
BRIDGEND RFC
STORM-HIT Wales did have a Silva lining at the Brewery Field on Saturday as the Ravens chalked up their third win of the season in the Principality Premiership.
It would have been a good bet on Bridgend being there or thereabouts when four sides fall through the Premiership trapdoor in 2019.
But under coach Matthew Silva they’ve not only opened up a six-point buffer on the bottom four but accounted for a club tipped to be among the title contenders this season in Llandovery.
Connor Tantum, Geraint Roberts and Jamie Murphy all went over as the Ravens recorded a first league win over the Drovers since 2008.
Silva said: “We won the contact area, putting in some big shots and had a warrior attitude. The quality of the league this year has been outstanding; the number of one score games highlights the competitiveness.
“We’re a young side and go into the game with Newport next week with some confidence looking for another win.”
HARRI MORGAN
IT was quite some day for the 18-year-old fledgling Osprey, who became the first player born this century to play a senior game for the region.
His debut against Pau in the Challenge Cup didn’t start too well as he began by lumping a box-kick straight into touch.
But the Maesteg product worked his way into the game and in the final seconds earned reward by supporting a kick ahead from