Today's rugby news as Welsh captain out for two months and tributes paid to Wales international
Here are your rugby morning headlines for Friday, December 27.
Welsh club captain out for two months
Cardiff captain Liam Belcher has been ruled out for up to two months with a calf injury.
The hooker had already missed two months earlier this season after fracturing his thumb against Glasgow at the start of October, before returning for the clash against the Cheetahs earlier in December.
READ MORE: Cardiff come from behind to win dramatic festive derby against Dragons
READ MORE: Former Wales rugby international Geoff Wheel dies age 73
However, his comeback didn't last long - with Belcher now facing more time on the sidelines.
"Liam Belcher has got a calf injury so he's probably going to be missing for six-to-eight weeks," said Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt. "Not good news for Liam, unfortunately.
"We showed today we've got good depth at hooker. Dafydd (Hughes) was solid first-half and Evan Lloyd came on and played pretty well. Disappointed for Belch but it's a position where we've got depth."
Wales back-row Alex Mann struggled late on in the Blue and Blacks' Boxing Day win over the Dragons in Newport, having been ill in the build-up to the game.
"Alex (Mann) has been struggling all week but he hid it from me," added Sherratt. "Typical Manny as he was desperate to play.
"He's had a bit of a lurgy all week and it caught up with him in the final 10 minutes. That typifies his character.
"He's in the middle of everything. You talk about fight and he's the epitome of that for us."
Tributes paid to Wales star
Tributes have been paid to former Wales lock Geoff Wheel after he died at the age of 73.
The former Swansea, Mumbles and Barbarians second-row passed away on Boxing Day, with the All Whites confirming the 32-cap international had suffered with Motor Neurone disease.
Since his death was announced on Thursday, tributes have flooded in from former team-mates and other ex-players.
Dual-code icon Jonathan Davies simply posted: "RIP Geoff" on X, while former Wales rugby league international Jim Mills added that Wheel was a "great forward" and that it was "sad news".
BBC commentator Phil Steele said: "So very sorry to hear of the passing of former Swansea RFC and Wales lock Geoff Wheel. A great player, even greater character, talented musician and an absolute gentleman."
Esteemed rugby writer Peter Jackson wrote: "How very sad to learn of the passing of another Welsh rugby great from the 1970’s - the totemic Geoff Wheel. A double Grand Slammer he devoted much of his time to St Thomas Church as organist. Deepest sympathy to his wife Christine, family and friends."
Dragons stand-in rues missed chance
Dragons stand-in head coach Matt O'Brien was left to rue missed opportunities as the Gwent side were unable to overcome Cardiff at Rodney Parade.
It was the Dragon's 20th consecutive league loss to their closest rivals - a record that spans an entire decade.
The Dragons had raced into a 15-0 lead, only to be pegged back. A late Rhodri Williams try put them back in front, but Cardiff snatched victory.
For O'Brien, who was standing in as head coach while Filo Tiatia was back in New Zealand for family reasons, Boxing Day so nearly proved the perfect day - with his brother and Dragons captain Angus shining in his 100th appearance for the club - but it wasn't to be.
"It's a difficult one to take," said O'Brien. "I thought there was a lot of good stuff in the game, but so near, yet so far.
"I think we probably lost some moments in terms of our discipline in the middle third of the game, which cost us two tries and Cardiff were then back in it at 15-12.
"I think we probably look back on that and there were some decisions we made around discipline which cost us."
