By Harry Corish
The fierce West Wales derby between the Scarlets and the Ospreys will bring the curtains down on an action-packed day of Welsh regional festive celebration.
The two derbies will inevitably show the best of regional rugby, as bumper crowds are expected to liven up Welsh club rugby’s most exciting day of the year.
Scarlets face a short trip over the Lougher bridge to take on an Ospreys side full of confidence, at the Liberty Stadium on Boxing Day. The game will follow another a huge Welsh derby at Rodney Parade, between the Dragons and Cardiff Rugby.
Scarlets stand in captain for the two recent European fixtures Josh Macleod has fond memories of the ‘Scarlets Ospreys’ derby, after his dramatic match winning try against Scarlets’ traditional foe in front of his home fans at Parc y Scarlets in 2016.
The game on Monday could be just as tight, with both teams peaking at the right time, with big wins in European Competition. Although the Scarlets currently sit second bottom of the URC, they beat Bayonne 39-7 and the Cheetahs 45-26 in the Challenge Cup in recent weeks.
Meanwhile the Ospreys who sit just one spot above their rivals in league competition are also back firing, having picked up a historic 21-10 win over the current French Champions Montpellier, securing their first win in France since 2008.
But Macleod is confident that his side can front up against Ospreys’ imperious pack and is excited to test himself in a huge back row battle, as he lines up against the likes of his Wales teammates Justin Tipuric, Jac Morgan, and Morgan Morris.
Macleod said: “Their back row isn’t too bad, is it? It’s why we play the game, to test ourselves against the best, so we are expecting a huge battle. It is a physical and emotional battle, and we need to win both. We all know each other well, so it will be interesting.
https://twitter.com/ChallengeCup_/status/1605194310818725888
“We need to front up and we have to do a job for the backs. Our attack starts with us building a platform, so we will have to be at our best to get on top of the Ospreys, who ae very strong in that area.”
“We are looking forward to taking on the Ospreys, it’s always a huge battle, whenever we face each other.
Dwayne Peel is also relishing the test his side faces, against a tough Ospreys outfit who will be confident following their win out in France.
The former British and Irish Lion has urged his side to make the most of the derby atmosphere at the Liberty Stadium, as they look to bring their excellent European form into the United Rugby Championship.
Peel added: “Having those two wins was important for us, we played some really good stuff.
“This game on Boxing Day is nicely set up and both sides need to win as well. Both sides have been in games and come out on the wrong side of results when it has been tough battles.
“We had a good tussle at the start of the season which ended in a draw, and I am sure it will be a big battle again.”
“It is important that the boys relish those occasions. I have great memories of this fixture and the ones before, Swansea versus Llanelli, not just as a player but as a fan as well, going down to Stradey to watch.
OSPREYS ON THE ROAD: Montpellier Hérault Vs Ospreys
Watch here: https://t.co/HjtOsYj6Zz pic.twitter.com/b5ZKE8OIpL
— Ospreys (@ospreys) December 21, 2022
“I remember playing at the Liberty with a capacity crowd on a Boxing Day and you remember those games as players and as supporters.
Cardiff are probably the form side of the four Welsh regions at the moment, winning four from their last six games.
A shock 35-0 victory out in South Africa against the Sharks at the end of November showed that Dai Young has begun to turn things around at the club, and two excellent wins in Europe against Brive and Newcastle in the last few weeks have cemented that theory.
Now sitting at the top of pool A in the Challenge Cup and moving into the top half of the table in the URC, Young’s men head into the derby against Dragons looking to continue their charge up the URC table.
However, injuries to Willis Halaholo and Max Llewellyn have left Cardiff light in the inside centre position, which means that Young will have to alter his winning formula that has worked so well during the last few weeks.
Dai Flanagan has turned the Dragons into a formidable outfit in recent months, picking up big wins against Munster and the Ospreys, before securing a draw against the Emirates Lions out in South Africa, which is no mean feat.
But it hasn’t been all plain sailing for the former Pontypridd scrum half, while at the helm at Rodney Parade.
The Gwent region now sit 13th in the United Rugby Championship and following their dramatic loss last weekend 27-21 against Pau in the Challenge Cup, it may prove to be a difficult festive period for the Dragons.
27 December, 2022
Ospreys v Scarlets
Dragons v Ospreys