Five things we learned from Welsh URC openers

Wales has Cardiff to convey for avoiding a complete whitewash connected nan opening play of nan United Rugby Championship.

Last up, nan Blue and Blacks hit Lions 33-20 astatine a bedewed Arms Park to commencement life aft Matt Sherratt pinch a five-point haul.

That triumph ensured their was nary repetition of nan last information of past season's URC campaign, erstwhile each 4 regions suffered losses.

There were positives for Dragons and Ospreys, who mislaid 42-21 astatine Ulster and 53-40 astatine Bulls, but it was a reliable commencement for Scarlets.

Dwayne Peel's broadside - who were Wales' champion past season, finishing eighth - were outclassed 34-21 astatine location by Munster.

BBC Sport Wales takes a look astatine 5 talking points from information 1 of nan URC.

Jac Morgan's clear-out for nan Lions' clincher - labelled "perfect" by World Cup last referee Nigel Owens - was 1 of nan Welsh highlights of nan sporting summertime but 1 of his world team-mates did not fare rather truthful good astatine a ruck.

Ben Thomas saw his yellowish paper upgraded to a 20-minute reddish nether review, aft he was deemed to person caught Nico Steyn high.

The theatrics from nan South African scrum-half matched Australian Carlo Tizzano's from Melbourne, drafting attraction to nan incident for referee Filippp Russo to mull complete pinch TMO Stefano Roscini.

It was an offence that saw flanker Taine Basham denied a debut effort and led to Cardiff having to activity overmuch harder for their deserved win.

Head coach Corniel van Zyl - who stepped up aft Matt Sherratt near to return complaint of Wales' onslaught conscionable six days earlier nan commencement of nan play - said: "It's a reliable one. I thought it was perchance conscionable a yellowish paper and it could person been play on, but they've sewage much views and astir apt saw it better.

"In nan moment, if you really spell successful slow motion, you tin spot things. That makes it reliable and it's a caller point successful nan convention and successful Europe, truthful we person to beryllium amended successful those situations."

Cardiff will beryllium without legendary Taulupe Faletau, who played conscionable 8 nine games past season, for different fewer weeks while he recovers from a summertime calf injury.

That led to Alun Lawrence continuing astatine number 8 aft featuring 23 times successful 2024-25 and he made an awesome commencement to return nan charismatic man of nan lucifer award.

The 27-year-old made 16 carries and 12 tackles successful a well-balanced back-row show pinch effort scorer Alex Mann, Basham and Dan Thomas disconnected nan bench.

Van Zyl said: "He is an unbelievable machine. He has sewage an motor connected him and it felt that he gets into nan crippled and is truthful consistent, which makes it reliable not to prime him."

Lawrence will purpose to build up a caput of steam against Munster successful Limerick connected Saturday.

Ospreys skipper Dewi Lake trim a disappointment fig afterwards, but leaving Loftus Versfeld pinch thing to show for their efforts was a coagulated start.

Home results astatine Brewery Field will find whether Mark Jones' broadside person a successful play but their opening capacity connected nan roadworthy gave logic for optimism.

Ospreys person a formidable battalion but it was their endeavor that stood retired against Bulls, pinch 4 of their six tries coming successful a superb first-half display.

They group nan reside early pinch a onslaught play to put Keelan Giles complete and location were salient performances from helping Dan Kasende and nan midfield of Phil Cokanasiga and two-try centre Kieran Williams.

Add successful nan playmaking of Dan Edwards and Jack Walsh, positive nan threat from back-rowers connected nan edges, and location is plentifulness of committedness pinch shot successful hand.

Ospreys made 12 cleanable breaks to six by Bulls but did let their hosts to put nan compression connected and did not deed their accustomed standards astatine nan set-piece.

"There was a batch of self-harm pinch really we encouraged nan Bulls into our reddish zone," admitted caput coach Mark Jones.

"With a broadside arsenic bully arsenic nan Bulls astatine this altitude it was ever going to show and we spent excessively overmuch clip without nan ball."

Ospreys look Stormers successful Cape Town connected Friday pinch Jones pledging they "won't beryllium trying to reinvent nan wheel" against hosts who hammered Leinster 35-0.

Scarlets were nan biggest disappointment of nan play erstwhile outclassed successful Llanelli by Munster successful different slow commencement to nan URC.

Hundreds of fans had marched to Parc y Scarlets successful protestation against nan Welsh Rugby Union (WRU)'s proposals for nan elite game.

But each nan sound successful nan build-up was soon silenced arsenic Munster proved by acold nan amended squad erstwhile making it 7 consecutive wins complete Scarlets.

An all-Wales world backmost statement did not unrecorded up to its billing arsenic nan location broadside toiled successful a constrictive attack, pinch scrum-half Gareth Davies surviving disconnected slow ball.

There was a glimpse of thing amended successful nan 2nd half - a training crushed move pulled disconnected pinch Davies and Sam Costelow combining good to group up Blair Murray.

Summer signings Joe Hawkins and Jake Ball put successful a displacement but it was young hooker Harry Thomas who impressed leader Dwayne Peel aft being promoted from nan bench.

"It was his first competitory start, he's a reliable cooky and a Llanelli lad which is great, he tin astir apt locomotion location from here," he said.

Scarlets look a reliable travel to Connacht successful information 2 pinch Peel urging his broadside to beryllium much ruthless successful Galway.

Dragons' play could not person started immoderate amended pinch Aaron Wainwright profiting from Ulster's nonaccomplishment to declare nan kick-off to spell nether nan posts aft conscionable 10 seconds.

It will beryllium down to nan URC to find whether nan Wales number eight's effort collapsed nan grounds group by Munster's Shay McCarthy against Ospreys past October.

Dragons grounded to make nan astir of their lightning commencement and suffered an 18th consecutive URC nonaccomplishment aft struggling to header pinch Ulster's approach.

The Irish state opted to support shot successful manus and that stretched Filo Tiatia's side, starring to a four-try burst from nan 28th to 42nd infinitesimal that put nan location broadside 35-14 up.

Last play that would person led to a blowout but Dragons showed tenacity and could easy person been heading location pinch a brace of bonuses, aliases moreover a draw.

A marginal guardant walk – pinch referee Griffin Colby perfectly placed – denied Rhodri Williams a 4th effort that would person made Ulster nervy.

The visitors showed tone and nan crippled was person than nan scoreline suggests. Even truthful Dragons still shipped six tries and 42 points, which must beryllium addressed if they are to amended their triumph tally.

Ulster racked up 16 cleanable breaks, ran for 560 metres and hit 25 defenders, pinch Tiatia's broadside having a tackle occurrence of conscionable 77 per cent.

There were different positives – pinch combative fly-half Tinus de Beer impressing connected his debut – but subject needs to amended to support Sharks retired of their 22 astatine Rodney Parade connected Friday.