Simon Thomas

3 weeks ago | dragonsports.co.uk | Simon Thomas |David Williams |David Parsons |Paul Jones

Dwayne Peel, the head coach of the Scarlets. Pic: AlamyThe Scarlets have nudged ahead of the Ospreys in the URC table and are now just three points adrift of the top eight teams who will contest the play-offs. Scarlets coach Dwayne Peel spoke of his pride after his team fought back from a nightmare start to claim a vital 38-22 bonus point victory in the big URC derby clash with the Ospreys in Llanelli.

1 month ago | walesonline.co.uk | Simon Thomas

Throughout the most memorable Wales v England matches of the 1990s and early noughties, there was one constant - Jason Leonard. He played in the first English win in Cardiff in 28 years, the last Test match at the old National Ground, the first meeting between the two countries at the new stadium and the famous Welsh triumphs of ‘93 and ‘99, as well as the World Cup clash of 2003 on the way to lifting the Webb Ellis trophy.

1 month ago | walesonline.co.uk | Simon Thomas

It’s certainly not been a case of ‘hair today, gone tomorrow’ for Xavier Rush in his life after rugby. The former Cardiff and All Blacks star is involved in a pretty unusual business venture for an ex-sportsman. He owns a hair transplant company - Head Quarters - which has recently celebrated its fifth birthday and proved such a success that he is now expanding.

2 months ago | walesonline.co.uk | Simon Thomas

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Wales winning the 2005 Six Nations Grand Slam. It was their first cleansweep in the Championship since the 1978 Five Nations, with the Slam being sealed by a victory over Ireland on a never to be forgotten day in Cardiff. Michael Owen was the Wales skipper for that match and here are his memories of a campaign that thrilled the nation. So, just what was it like to captain Wales to their first Grand Slam in 27 years?

Nov 23, 2024 | walesonline.co.uk | Simon Thomas

When you remind Andy Powell it’s now 16 years since he made his Wales debut against South Africa, his reaction reflects just what a special memory it is. “Ooh, I tell you now, the hairs are going up on my arm when you say that,” he declares. “It’s crazy how the time just goes. Hey, we are all getting older. But where has 16 years gone? “It seems mad when you look back on it.” Powell was no newbie when he won his first Welsh cap on that November afternoon in 2008.