What to look out for in Welsh rugby’s New Year’s Day derbies

Welsh professional men’s rugby will change a lot in 2026, but thankfully, on-field issues get the attention right away.

On December 26th, Cardiff defeated eastern rivals Dragons at the Arms Park, and Ospreys won the title of the game by defeating Scarlets in Llanelli.

In Round Nine of the United Rugby Championship (URC), Dragons host Scarlets at Rodney Parade (15:00 GMT), and Ospreys welcome Cardiff to Bridgend’s Brewery Field (17:30 GMT).

Both teams are on the verge of winning back-to-back derby victories in Bridgend, with Cardiff, who will have the added benefit of claiming the victory even though they will have played two games more than the Stormers.

Before Christmas, The Blue and Blacks were defeated at home by Scarlets, but they won by edging out Dragons 22-19 when they were forced to retrace a late charge.

On a surface that should be superior to the 2024 mudbath between the sides, Corniel Van Zyl’s team will need to up their game at Brewery Field.

It will be a physical battle, according to Cardiff captain and hooker Liam Belcher, who added: “It is difficult to win at the Brewery.

Top-eight teams are clinical, and there is still much to work on. We are good at what we do, but the pressure is on to keep saying it.

With a five-point haul in Bridgend, Ospreys moved from the bottom of the table to 12th place overall.

Although the campaign had a difficult start, Mark Jones’ men still have play-off ambitions and have already gotten their South Africa double-header out of the way.

If it is mathematically possible, then, of course, why not, according to Wing Keelan Giles? That’s what we’re going to work toward, and we’re going to take it one step further.

The Welsh Shield, one of the quartet, is unavoidable to win silverware this year.

The Dragons endured a nightmare 2025 that didn’t produce any victories until they defeated Lyon in the Challenge Cup on December 14, which was followed by a stunning URC victory over Connacht six days later.

The men led the URC last season under Filo Tiatia’s leadership, but recent strong performances have given rise to hope.

Dragons are currently 15th, but they could surpass Scarlets if they win.

They want to avoid being Wales’ worst team for the first time since 2019-20, but they also want to avoid adding to the pile this season.

Tiatia, the head coach, believes that Cardiff’s spirited display was motivating.

He said, “We stayed in the fight to try to win it at the end, and there were some positives.”

We had some physicality issues, but we had five or ten percent off, according to Scarlets.

Scarlets are currently at the bottom of the URC, but they do have a game in hand and recent advancements have been abruptly stopped in the fight against Ospreys.

Head coach Dwayne Peel’s side has Champions Cup games against Pau and Northampton on the horizon, and “the games are coming thick and fast.”

“The Dragons is yet another significant and challenging game for us.” We must ensure that our energy and spark is present at Rodney Parade.

There are places available for grabs, but Steve Tandy will have several names on his Six Nations squad list.

Derbies give the hopefuls a good chance of influencing their direct rivals by winning.

In Newport, promising Dragons forward Ryan Woodman, a blind-side by trade, shows his versatility when starting at lock, while his Newport coworkers Rio Dyer and Tom Rogers square off against one another.

Josh Macleod, who started at open-side against Japan twice in the summer but missed out on November because of injury, gives Scarlets hope.

The flanker, who was a fan of the 29-year-old, suffered a head injury against Cardiff, but is now back in the starting x-team along with Tiatia, a tough back-rower in his playing days.

The Dragons boss said, “He is strong and tough.” In the loose forwards, it will be a good fight.

Owen Watkin, a fit-again center, joins Keiran Williams and Owen Watkin for a strong partnership.

Keelan Giles squares off against Josh Adams, while powerful Mason Grady, who is recovering from an injury misfortune, is playing against Cardiff’s other wing.

More than 12 000 people attended the events in Cardiff and Llanelli on December 26. Newport and Bridgend will be crowded in 2026.

For the Scarlets fixture, Rodney Parade’s uncovered south stand, which typically only houses away supporters at Newport County games, will be accessible.

The main terrace will be crowded, and the seats for the two main stands along the touchlines are already sold out.

The support from the Dragons has helped them win another championship game against Scarlets this year and have done so well in Newport this year.

Head coach Tiatia remarked, “The players love the fans. We’re excited to go back home because they come in large numbers and are very loud.

The Cardiff game featured a record number of tickets sold as a result of Ospreys’ victory over Scarlets.

The club reports limited availability on both terraces despite the fact that the main stand has sold out.

Head coach Jones remarked, “It was awesome to share the win with the fans down at Parc y Scarlets, and everyone will hopefully be out there supporting the boys.”