Dai Sport

Russell Martin has praised his Swansea City players’ character as they made it three matches unbeaten in the past 10 days. The Swans head coach was happy enough to take a point from a 0-0 draw at promotion-chasing Queens Park Rangers, which backed up a weekend victory over Preston. The visitors had midfielder Flynn Downes sent off in added time after a clash with Charlie Austin, but the 10-men hung on to cut the gap between themselves and sixth-placed Huddersfield to 12 points with three games still in hand.

Dai Burchell is riding into the sunset, but not before one of Welsh horse racing’s greatest characters has dispensed some advice for those left behind. The legendary trainer – who will turn 85 on February 4 – can hardly be described as moving gently into retirement, either. At Fakenham the other day, in what was likely to be his penultimate meeting as a licensed trainer, he had yet another winner. The aptly named Good Impression won a two-mile novice handicap hurdle to give Dai his 435th career victory. Few would bet against a 436th at Uttoxeter at the end of January when the curtain finally falls.

Mica Moore has sprinted at the Commonwealth Games, bobsleighed at the Winter Olympics and stepped into the boxing ring for a charity bout. The multi-talented sportswoman even tackled an obstacle course in Argentina to win the BBC's Winter Wipeout TV show as a teenager. But despite her varied sporting exploits, the 29-year-old is genuinely excited about her latest challenge as part of the Welsh team taking part in next month's innovative new indoor athletics international in Glasgow.

Ryan Giles could be heading back to Cardiff City with Wolves reported to be keen to allow him to return to the Bluebirds. The winger was arguably Cardiff’s most consistent attacking performer in the first half of the Championship campaign when he provided nine assists in 21 games in his first loan spell. Now, it seems Wolves are willing for Giles to go back and complete the season with Steve Morison’s side with the Cardiff manager having already expressed his desire to re-hire the 21-year-old.

Paul Turner believes a development Anglo-Welsh league would help solve the annual Welsh identity crisis on the eve of the Six Nations. For the fourth year in succession, Welsh rugby will have no representatives in the last eight of the Heineken Champions and none in the last 16 this season following tournament changes introduced to streamline the number of matches during the pandemic. In fact, in the past decade, only the Scarlets in 2018 and Cardiff Blues in 2012 have made the last eight of the main tournament and this year’s attempts in both the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup have been weaker than ever.