Welsh rugby's winners and losers as signing of the season shines again

It was a busy weekend in Welsh rugby, with three of the four Welsh professional sides in European knockout action. There was also the matter of the WRU National finals in Cardiff . Here are the winners and losers from this weekend.

.. Winners Ospreys A week on from defeat in Llanelli, the Ospreys were comfortably the better team in the second leg of this west Wales double-header.



Last week's clash was a significant blow to their hopes of reaching the United Rugby Championship play-offs, but - just like last season - they are Wales' last hope in Europe. Getting past Lyon will be no easy feat, but a home quarter-final means there's a decent chance of Mark Jones' side progressing to the semi-finals. The former Wales wing's team selection was on the money this week, with Dewi Lake making his first start since mid-December.

Tom Botha, Rhys Davies, Justin Tipuric, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles, Daniel Kasende and Jack Walsh were also brought into the team - with all of them making an impact. Botha brought scrum dominance, while the likes of Lake, Davies and Williams brought raw carrying power that the Scarlets struggled to live with. Morgan-Williams had a field day, orchestrating matters, while Tipuric and Walsh linked things together nicely - with Giles and Kasende both impressing.

Throw in big performances from the likes of Jac Morgan, Adam Beard and Dan Edwards, and there was a lot to like for Ospreys fans. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Daniel Kasende Picking out any individuals from the Ospreys' comprehensive win over the Scarlets on Sunday night seems like a fool's errand, given how good they all were in the 36-14 victory.

However, having not featured in Llanelli the week before, the Swansea clash once again reiterated what a brilliant piece of business the Congolese-born winger has been. Weeks after willing the Ospreys to victory away to defending champions Glasgow Warriors with a superb example of never giving up a lost cause, Kasende's work-rate was once again a constant thorn in the Scarlets' side. Aerially, he's very good, while he's got some silky offloading skills.

Also, when it comes to tries, the Postman, as he's known, fittingly tends to deliver. But, if you're looking for a moment that sums up Kasende, then look to the 52nd minute. Following up Luke Davies' box-kick from his own 22, a huge hit on Wales wing Ellis Mee dislodged the ball - with the wing then springing back to his feet to continue the chase as the Scarlets were pinned back to their own tryline.

Flinging himself into breakdowns as the Ospreys turned the ball over, it laid the platform that, a couple of passes later, saw Jack Walsh cross on the other wing. Having weathered the Scarlets' attacking efforts at the start of the second-half, Kasende's knack of willing positive results just through sheer work ethic killed any hopes of a Scarlets comeback. Caernarfon There were some cracking clashes at the Principality Stadium on the weekend.

Llanelli Wanderers came back from 32-7 down in the WRU Championship Cup final to beat Tondu in a corker. Earlier in the day, Caernarfon had lifted the Division One Cup after edging out Bridgend Athletic in a pulsating final. Full-back Aled Jones proved the match-winner - with his conversion of Tom Devine's late try the difference in the 30-29 win.

Bridgend would have a chance to snatch victory at the death, but Rhys Williams' drop-goal was off-target - sending the 700-odd Caernarfon fans in the stadium wild. To cap it all off, Caernarfon had also apparently booked a room in a bar on St Mary Street to either celebrate or commiserate - thankfully for them and the hefty travelling support of was the former. You imagine it was quite a night for the Cofis on Saturday! Losers Cardiff's discipline The Blue and Blacks were firmly in their Challenge Cup quarter-final away to Connacht, with Matt Sherratt's side crafting some lovely tries.

However, as has been a bit of a recent theme, their own discipline cost them in the end. Yellow cards for Josh McNally and Ben Thomas - with both preceding tries for the Galway side - took their toll on Cardiff's chances out in Ireland. Leigh Halfpenny and Wyn Jones The Welsh pair both featured in Harlequins' matchday squad for the trip to Croke Park to face Leinster.

Full-back Halfpenny missed an early penalty while the game was scoreless. Remarkably, that was as good as it got for Quins. In the end, the Irish province ran out convincing 62-0 victors - with some using the defeat to question whether Europe really needs a last-16 or whether it would be better just skipping straight to the quarter-finals.

It could feasibly be the last time either Halfpenny or Jones feature in Europe's premier competition and this was quite a sad way to exit if so. Scarlets It just wasn't their day on Sunday. Having once again conceded a flurry of quick tries for the second week in the row, there was to be no comeback for Dwayne Peel's side.

The former Wales scrum-half had few complaints afterwards, admitting the better side had won. In all honesty, it could have been a bigger margin. Now, the west Walians have to lick their wounds and try salvage a URC play-off place in the final four games.

With Judgement Day, then a home clash with Leinster and a trip to South Africa to finish, it won't be an easy task..