Peter Jackson: Munster eye Ospreys for New Year gains

The perennial Welsh failure to keep the red flag flying over the European club scene must have socialist superstars like Aneurin Bevan and James Larkin spinning in their graves.

Far from ‘raising the scarlet standard high’ in the words of the anthem’s Irish author, Jim Connell, Welsh teams have been unable to plant it on the smallest molehill. No Welsh team has ever won Europe’s premier tournament, none has ever reached the final and only one have gone as far as the semis in 11 seasons.