By Paul
December 7 2005

Forget nail biting last minute victories, Welsh regions need to start killing matches off and stop being so ponderous, this weekends return to Heineken cup rugby, would be a good time to start.

It seems to be a difficult habit to kick at the moment, Welsh sides seem to want to keep you on the edge of your seat well into the dying minutes, whether this is down to a simple lack of talent inexperience I'll leave it down to you. Either way the regions certainly do not exude confidence. Sides like Leicester and Munster have a mental toughness that allows them to win "dirty" if needs be.

Contrast that to their Welsh opposition in this weekends' Heineken cup, and it is easy to see why we are going to be perennial strugglers, unless the winds of change blow stronger through the Welsh game.
Lyn Jones has orchestrated a mini change of sorts with his Ospreys, but the home side are so streetwise at Welford road, they face a simply massive task if they are too make next weeks return tie meaningful, especially in Cockbains' absence.

Dark skies over Rodney Parade refuse to break, Munster will paint the town red and only something truly inspired is going to help the Dragons. Likewise a classical Stradey cup performance is needed if the Scarlets are going to end Wasps tournament aspirations. You just know the Blues are somehow going to mess a fairly straight forward tie in Italy up.

As per usual Sky are going to flog us all to our tele-visual deaths.

Friday
Ulster v Saracens (7.30pm) SS2 7.30pm
Castres v Sale (delayed) SS2 7.30pm

Saturday
Dragons v Munster (1pm) SS3 12.30pm
Clermont-Auvergne v St. Francais (3pm) SS3 12.30pm
Leinster v Bourgoin (5.15pm) SS2 5pm
Calvisano v Cardiff (delayed) SS2 5pm

Sunday
Llanelli v Wasps (1pm) SS2 12.30pm
Leicester v Ospreys (3pm) SS2 12.30pm