WINNERS
Keelan Giles
It has been pleasing to see Keelan Giles back enjoying his rugby again, getting a run of games under his belt after a tumultuous time with injury in the last few years.
His career to this point has been significantly hampered by serious knee injuries but he seems to be hitting the ground running this term and is proving a handful for defences, as evidenced in his two-try performance against Glasgow.
The highlight was his opening score on the half hour mark, when he managed to evade three visiting defenders with barely a blade of grass between himself and the touchline to score in the corner.
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He sprinted away from one and then withstood the shunt of the other two to cross in spectacular style.
The second wasn’t bad either, winning a foot race to a loose ball following a turnover to put his side in a commanding position.
It’s form that will be delighting Ospreys boss Toby Booth and Wales will be keeping an eye on it too. Wayne Pivac has injury problems in the back three and, though he is keen to maintain a settled squad, the Wales boss might be tempted if Giles keeps this up.
Leigh Halfpenny
Not a performance that will be ranked among the greatest of his career but it was a significant evening for the vastly-experienced 33 year-old, who was making his return to action after over a year on the sidelines following his latest knee injury.
Halfpenny injured his ACL on his 100th Test cap against Canada in the summer of 2021 but was back in action on Saturday night as the Scarlets lost away to Benetton.
Nobody will be in a rush to compile Halfpenny’s greatest moments from the match but to see him reclaiming high balls and knocking over kicks from 50 metres on the angle was a joy in itself.
When a player has faced such adversity, and Halfpenny has squared up to more than most, then sometimes the small victories are worth celebrating.
Given his age, this latest ACL problem could have had serious repercussions for his career. That he is back out on the field again is something that should ease the sting of the defeat for Scarlets fans.
Dragons pack
There is a real siege mentality brewing at Rodney Parade following the events of recent weeks. Though it is yet to be confirmed, it is believed Dean Ryan is leaving his post as Director of Rugby, putting new head coach Dai Flanagan in complete control of operations.
The off-field chaos, though, appears to be galvanising the players and they claimed a rare and very welcome home win over Munster the weekend before last.
They backed that up on Saturday night with a strong effort against the Sharks, who rolled into Newport with a sizable pack. But the likes of Will Rowlands, Ross Moriarty and summer signing George Nott really came to the fore and faced up to the challenge.
Ben Carter and Elliot Dee were also throwing it about a bit and the hosts did a real job on the Sharks’ lineout and driving maul, taking away a real strength of all the South African sides.
In the end, they lost by a point. But there is a sense that the tide is turning at the Dragons and the performance of their pack in particular showed it.
We must also drop a line in about Sio Tomkinson. Another summer signing who appears to be having a real influence particularly in defence, making smart reads and chopping down attackers.
LOSERS
Johnny Williams
A tough break for Johnny Williams this weekend. The centre had to deal with his fair share of disappointment over the summer, travelling to South Africa with Wales but not seeing a minute of action in the three-Test series.
But he has started this season in fine form and crossed for a decent try against the Ospreys on the opening weekend before getting another in Treviso on Saturday night.
But it was followed swiftly by what appears to be a lower leg injury, which he suffered whilst throwing a pass in the second half of the match.
There will be hopes that it is nothing serious because he was showing some good early season form. But Williams had the look of a man who thought he’d suffered a knock that might keep him out for a while.
In a Rugby World Cup year, injuries can be a disaster. Let's hope this is not a serious one.
Jarrod Evans
It was a night to forget for the man in charge of controlling the Cardiff attack.
Conditions at the Arms Park on Friday night for the visit of the Lions were horrid. The wind howled off the River Taff and brought sheets of rain with it. When the Blue and Blacks had it at their backs in the first half, they were not able to make hay.
Of course, they dominated territory but opportunities were spurned time and time again. They only ever looked like scoring when they kept it tight and played direct rugby but that suited the visitors.
Evans drew significant groans from the crowd in the first period when he persisted with a cross kick towards Theo Cabango and Edwill van der Merwe whenever he approached the red zone, all of which were snaffled by the South African.
The third and final attempt at the tactic came when Cardiff had real momentum, quick ball and a four-on-two. Had the ball stayed in hand, someone would have surely found a hole or a soft shoulder.
But Evans went to the boot and the chance went begging. Afterwards, captain Josh Turnbull felt the conditions were worth about 15 points, but Cardiff led by just three when they had to turn and face the wind in the second period. From there, the Lions never looked like losing.
Cardiff fans
Staying in the capital city, Cardiff’s win over Munster on the opening weekend of the season must be feeling like a distant memory for the fan base. Particularly the 6,000 or so that dragged themselves to the Arms Park, defying the rank conditions to stand on the terrace and give it their best.
They were not rewarded with a performance that they or their players will be proud of and there is already a sense that this season could slip away from them quickly if issues are not addressed.
Director of Rugby Dai Young agrees that when momentum swings against his side in matches, they are not able to reverse it and instead succumb to the pressure. That is of growing concern because it was evident throughout last season as well.
There is also the fact that the club’s hierarchy are meeting the management of a pub in Cardiff today to discuss events that allegedly took place when the team gathered there for a social event on Saturday.
These are choppy waters for the Blue and Blacks.
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