Dai Sport

There are big decisions to be made in Welsh rugby right now – such as who does Warren Gatland pick in his squad next week and should the Wales coach be able to stick his nose into other people’s business. Gatland is due to name his group of players for the autumn internationals on Monday, as he attempts to turn the tide in matches against Fiji, Australia and South Africa.

Wales’ Olympic champion Emma Finucane and her fellow Paris gold medal-winners Sophie Capewell and Katy Marchant stormed to more gold for Great Britain in the women’s team sprint at the Cycling World Championships. The trio defeated the Netherlands with a time of 45.949 in Ballerup, Denmark.

Wales coach John Kear declared himself pleased with his team’s victory over Jamaica as they warmed up with a 22-16 win ahead of next week’s World Cup qualifiers. Kear’s men mounted an impressive comeback to secure victory in their first Test match in two years, at a rain-lashed Gnoll in Neath.

Having now completed a hat-trick of leagues, Henry Thomas is ideally placed to compare the contrasting competitions. He spent 11 seasons in the English Premiership with Sale and Bath, before embarking on a three-year stint in the French Top 14 with Montpellier and Castres.

Welsh driver Ella Lloyd has been selected to drive for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team for the Women’s Test, as part of Pre-Season Testing for the 2024/25 Season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Lloyd, 19, recently joined the McLaren Driver Development programme and will represent the team in the 2025 F1 Academy season with Rodin Motorsport.

Joe Allen admits he has unfinished business at the World Cup, although he admits that’s a long way down the road. The Swansea City star has made a “whirlwind” return to international football, but insists Wales have unfinished business in the tournament after flopping in Qatar.

Craig Bellamy may have made Welsh footballing history but as an international manager he insisted: “I’m such a rookie.” The confessional tone came as the Wales manager tried to play down the significance of four matches without defeat, a sequence no other Wales manager has managed at the start of their tenure. Bellamy remains unbeaten after a second victory in his Nations League campaign - a 1-0 victory over Montenegro at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Jonathan Davies has admitted he is going to miss rugby hugely after bringing down the curtain on his 18-year senior career. The former Wales, British and Irish Lions and Scarlets centre Jonathan announced his retirement from professional rugby on Sunday.

Wales manager Craig Bellamy accepts everyone loves romance in football, but thinks asking Joe Allen to solve his midfield conundrum against Montenegro would be a “gamble”. Swansea City veteran Allen, capped 74 times for his country and among Wales’ best-ever midfielders, reversed the decision he made in February 2023 to retire from international football earlier this month.

Scarlets skipper Josh Macleod has paid tribute to his team of “warriors” and to the support from the travelling fans after a nerve-jangling 25-19 victory over Cardiff at a sold-out Arms Park. Flanker Macleod had to watch on from the sin bin as the visitors were left with just 13 men for eight minutes in the closing stages of the United Rugby Championship derby after both he and wing Tom Rogers were yellow carded in quick succession.