Dai Sport

The Guinness Pro14 is gearing up for a return on August 22 when fixtures are due to resume for the first time March. The Scarlets will host the Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys will face the Dragons but only the Scarlets have a chance of making the play-offs and then it appears unrealistic. Contrast them to Leinster – unbeaten after 13 rounds of the Pro14 and unbeaten in Europe. If this season ever finishes, then Peter Jackson says Leinster will be history-makers, setting a standard other can only marvel at. Had the season run its natural course, one team might well by now have succeeded where every other failed. Not Liverpool, Barcelona, Juventus, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain but Dublin United RFC, alias Leinster.

Athletics in Wales is slowly coming back to life. There are no races or competitions, but at least some elite athletes are doing more than just running in the park. The man responsible for the return – and the sport – is James Williams. Owen Morgan asked him about the track that lies ahead. It’s probably fair to say the past six months have been interesting for new Welsh Athletics chief executive officer James Williams. The former Welsh international probably wished he’d had a background in hurdling rather than middle distance given the number of challenging obstacles he has been forced to negotiate.

Steve Cooper has urged his Swansea City players to keep their faith as their play-off hopes continue to fade. The Swans manager had little to offer but optimism after his side were held to a 1-1 draw at Millwall that moved them up to eighth in the Championship table. But they remain four points adrift of the play-off places with games fast running out and the only consolation of a disappointing night was the fact that Cardiff City failed to extend that gap to six points.

Neil Harris insists the glass is half full for Cardiff City despite the setback of their goalless draw at home to Charlton on Tuesday night. The Cardiff City manager believes the context of other clubs failing to take advantage means it was a point gained rather than two lost as they seek to consolidate their position in the Championship play-offs. “Millwall and Swansea drew, Blackburn were beaten and so we have to be pleased with a clean sheet and a point,” said Harris, whose team remain four points clear of Preston, Swansea City and Derby County.

Cardiff City's own Bob Marley is focused on a Premier League mission – and manager Neil Harris is delighted with his German striker. Robert Glatzel has scored two goals in two Championship matches off the bench and Harris has described him, “as good a finisher as anybody I have worked with or played with. Glatzel was named Robert after reggae legend Marley, who was a favourite with his father Ghermani, a refugee who travelled from Eritrea to Germany.

Jenny Nesbitt is an international runner and a student. That’s proven a challenge over the past three months, but on Tuesday night there is an opportunity to see her in both worlds. Transatlantic Storytelling (8.00pm https://transatlanticstorytelling.com) involves seven sporting tales from Cardiff Met, including Nesbitt’s back story. Her more recent tale from the trackside is told here to Dai Sport. I thought I would start off by introducing myself. I am Jenny Nesbitt, a Masters student, adventurer, wannabe baker and a Welsh and British international distance runner. I would probably define myself as a slightly obsessive adherer to the ‘grind’, with the type of personality trait that would never allow me to finish a run with 9.98miles on my Garmin.

Matt Grimes has told his Swansea City side they need a huge improvement at Millwall tonight if they are to recover ground in the race for the Championship play-offs. The Swans visit The Den on the back of an extremely damaging 1-0 home defeat to bottom club Luton Town at the weekend. That loss – coming a week after their emphatic 3-0 win at Middlesbrough a week before when the season re-started – has left them back in 10th place and four points adrift of the play-off places.

Albert Adomah has claimed he should have stayed at Nottingham Forest rather than get dragged into a dispute between his parent club and Cardiff City. The winger has returned to Forest after Cardiff failed to extend his loan spell, despite appealing to the EFL. Bluebirds manager Neil Harris branded the decision a disgrace, but Adomah has insisted he never wanted to leave Forest in the first place and the row could have been avoided.

Former Cardiff City youth team striker Eli Phipps has signed for Southern League Merthyr Town. The arrival of Welshman Phipps is a major boost for Martyrs manager Gavin Williams following a series of player departures. Phipps, aged 22, has also played for League Two Colchester United and Southern League Western-super-Mare.

Cardiff Devils will go into the 2020-21 ice hockey season with a completely new coaching team. Head coach Andrew Lord announced earlier this month his departure to take over at East Coast League Greenville Swamp Rabbits, while his Devils assistant Luke Piggott is heading to Switzerland. Piggott, who was born in Calgary, Canada, but grew up in Britain, has been with the Devils for a decade, seven years as a player and three on the bench.