Things had been looking pretty grim across all levels of Welsh rugby in recent months, but the past two rounds of European competition have been a welcome tonic ahead of the festive derbies.
With the regions occupying three of the bottom four places in United Rugby Championship, with the Dragons, Scarlets and Ospreys collectively recording just five wins from 27 matches, one might have expected the worst in Europe.
But the unexpected success in the first two rounds of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup has suddenly reignited the anticipation for these hugely important derby matches.
