NEATH will delay naming their side to face Aberavon in the Swalec Cup semi-final tomorrow (2.30) until after a late training session.

There is little to separate the sides based on league form this season.

Both sides have won on the other's ground and only a point separates them in the table.

"We have experienced similar seasons in that we have both shown considerable improvement since Christmas after making poor starts by our standards," said Neath coach Patrick Horgan.

"Neath and Aberavon are usually contesting near the top of the table.

"We have had a horrendous time with injuries, but we have battled through. I could run off a list of a dozen players who are not available, but they will be supporting the boys who are available and it is up to those on the field.

"We have introduced a lot of new players and they deserve the reward of playing in a cup final at the Millennium Stadium for the efforts they have made.

"It is all about seizing the moment because cup final chances don't come along that often.

"Our preparations have been far from ideal, but it is who performs best on the day that matters and, if we play to our capabilities and get a fair rub of the green, we can do it."

Aberavon won the latest meeting between the sides by a point late last month.

They are second from bottom in the Premiership, a place behind Neath.

The winners of this tie will face either runaway league leaders Pontypridd or Carmarthen Quins in the Millennium Stadium.

"Stats and figures count for nothing when it's a semi-final, it's a game that both teams want to win," said Wizards head coach Simon King.

"Relative markers of where we are in the league don't come in to it, we're two good sides.

"They are well coached and they've got quality right across the board, but so have we.

"We played them just over a week ago, but very often the team that loses gets more out of a game like that."

Aberavon have held an extra training session this week as they aim to book their place in the showpiece.

Despite their lowly league placing, the Wizards are in good form having won their last four games.

"I'm looking forward to it, once you get to the semi-final it's an exciting time for everyone," added King.

"The fact it's a local derby is good for the club and good for the Ospreys region.

"We'll just prepare to the best of our ability.

"It doesn't make much difference who you face, if you want to win the cup, you have to beat whoever you come up against.

"There hasn't been much between the sides for a long time."

Aberavon: TBC

Neath: from G. King, A. Bramwell, K. James, D. Howells, E. Jones, D. Cummins, L. Phillips, J. Leyshon, B. Davies, D. Langdon, C. Morgans, L. Jones, O. Ford, R. Davies, G. Cunniffe, C. Davies, M. Jones, R. Clancy, S. Vokes, A. Williams, R. Jones, E. Evans, J. Griffiths, C. Davies, J. Collier, L. Ward, M. Rees, L. Evans, S. Jones, G. Gravell (capt).

IF the Pro12 play-offs are a party, then the Scarlets can almost taste the jelly, ice cream and vol-au-vents after this emphatic win over Glasgow.

They have home games against the Blues and Treviso still to play.

But this was the match that had been flagged up as their big test, against a side who had arrived in Llanelli as league leaders, who had put 51 points on Munster last time out.

And the Scarlets got the job done. It wasn't always pretty, and it could be argued a chance was missed to go for a bonus point, but at this stage of the season the key thing is to finish on the right side of the scoreline, and Simon Easterby's team managed to do exactly that.

Now they need to hold their nerve against two mid-table opponents and they will have every chance of claiming a place in the knock-out games for the first time since they were introduced in 2010.

Glasgow were unrecognisable from the side that crushed Munster.

The Scarlets got on top at forward and denied the Scots any kind of platform. When the visitors did rouse themselves late on, they found the home defence uncompromising.

It was an efficient effort from the hosts. Ken Owens and Liam Williams scored tries and Owen Williams kicked 19 points, including a drop goal. Owens shone up front, as did man-of-the-match Aaron Shingler, who ruled the line-out and worked tirelessly around the park.

The one disappointment was the crowd. Just 6,901 turned up to watch a game that was seen as crucial to the region's hopes of making a debut appearance in the play-offs.

These are the occasions the Scarlets tended to get right in their incarnation as Llanelli RFC — big, high-stakes affairs, when Gareth Jenkins used to do his stuff as coach and opponents struggled to match the best that West Wales could offer.

But rugby isn't played in the past. Instead, it is played in an era of big-money transfers, political spats and the washing of dirty linen in public.

The bottom line is the bottom line in 2013. Hence George North's impending departure to Northampton Saints. Sad, former Swansea captain Stuart Davies called it. He was right.

The big question last night was whether the Scarlets could handle the occasion and its implications. Victory would leave them on course for the knock-out games; defeat would hand the initiative to the Ospreys.

The West Walians knew what the requirement was: to front up, tackle everything that moved and ruthlessly take every chance that came their way.

But the opposition arrived in Llanelli with a series of outstanding displays behind them.

They had scored four or more tries in eight of their previous league fixtures in 2012-13 and had topped 30 points on six occasions since November.

Glasgow started confidently, spreading the ball from their own half, but the Scarlets won the early kicking battle and spent much of the opening ten minutes dominating territory.

They led 6-0 through two Owen Williams penalties and were hungry to add to their points with Owens leading the way.

Wales's impact hooker during the Six Nations, Cannonball Ken, as he is known in these parts, caused panic in the home ranks with a number of powerful surges.

Glasgow were at sixes and sevens after one such drive, but the Scarlets stayed patient, taking the ball through 17 phases before Owens finished off from close range.

Williams's conversion put the hosts 13-0 ahead.

If Owens had been the outstanding forward early on, Williams looked the part behind the scrum, controlling matters nicely and belying his 21 years. Lamentably, he is also off in the summer, to Leicester.

"He's a bigger loss than George North," someone shouted from behind the press box. "And you can put that in the paper."

Presumably, the reasoning would be that Williams would be around for much of the time whereas North wouldn't. Whatever, it is a shame that either player is leaving. Welsh rugby doesn't have such riches that it can afford to lose such young talents.

Gradually, Glasgow began to work their way into the game, inspired by their Scotland international John Barclay, who achieved two turnovers in quick succession. They got on the scoreboard with a couple of Ruaridh Jackson penalties, but mystifyingly passed up another opportunity, choosing to run a chance from in front of their posts.

The 16-6 lead their side held at the interval wouldn't have displeased home supporters, not with two pence off a pint in the clubhouse for every point scored. Perhaps there is a transition taking place to happy days west of the Loughor, after all.

There were certainly plenty of smiles early in the second half after the hosts opened up a 23-6 lead through another converted try.

The score had its roots in a charge forward by Jonathan Davies, with Owen Williams and Liam Williams combining to send the ball wide to North.

The big wing opened the defence with an inside ball to Liam Williams and the full-back raced in for the score.

Glasgow were totally out of sorts, starved of the ball they needed to launch one of the most dangerous backlines in the league, with Sean Maitland a virtual ornament for the first hour.

The Scarlets just kept their boot pressed down on the Scots' throat.

With Aaron Shingler ruling the line-out and the Scarlets outworking the visitors around the field, the hosts moved into a 29-6 lead after two more Owen Williams penalties, and the strains of Sospan Fach started to be heard around the ground.

The Scarlets finally started to go for the bonus point late on, Gareth Davies being held up over the line. There was still time for a flurry down the right-hand side, but the Scots held out.

DAN Biggar believes anything is possible for the Ospreys as they enter the closing weeks of the season.

The Liberty Stadium outfit take on Treviso at the Liberty Stadium this evening, involved in a desperate battle with the Scarlets for the fourth and final play-off spot in the Pro12.

Lose tonight — Treviso have already beaten the Ospreys twice this season — and their hopes of retaining the trophy they won so memorably in Dublin last season will surely be over.

But the Ospreys are on a fine run, putting themselves back in play-off contention after losing their first three games of the season.

In their last two games they have seen off Welsh rivals the Dragons and the Blues — and Biggar believes that momentum could yet prove crucial.

He said: "With the start of the season we had — losing the first three — we understand that we've left ourselves with a tough task.

"You don't win things in September though, it's where you are in April and May that you tend to be judged on and that will be the case this year.

"We regrouped well after a poor start. We've gone on a pretty decent run and now it's about making sure we finish the season off well with real momentum and some positive results.

"If we do that, anything is possible."

After tonight's encounter, the Ospreys face difficult trips to Glasgow and Leinster.

It is potentially a more demanding run-in than the one faced by the Scarlets, who entertain the Blues and Treviso.

Biggar added: "We know that we are probably going to have to win all three remaining matches to progress.

"Treviso are a team who will always present a huge challenge.

"They can come here with a sense of freedom, without any pressure on them, and look to play an adventurous game of rugby.

"We are going to have to really be on our mettle to get anything out of the game.

"They keep on improving every year and have become a very good team as we've seen for ourselves when they've beaten us.

"We don't need reminding about the threat they pose.

"Playing them in Italy, they are probably as tough opposition as anyone — even Glasgow or Leinster. Thankfully, we've got them at the Liberty, but that doesn't mean it's going to be any easier.

"They got a great result in Ulster last month (29-all draw) and we have to make sure that we are at our best if we want to avoid a similar scoreline — or worse."

Alun Wyn Jones leads the Ospreys tonight. He figures in a pack who includes five members of the Wales team who defeated England last month.

Ospreys: R. Fussell; T. Habberfield, J. Spratt, A. Beck, B. John; D. Biggar, K. Fotuali'i; R. Bevington, R. Hibbard, A. Jones, A. Wyn Jones (capt), I. Evans, J. King, J. Bearman, J. Tipuric. Reps: S. Baldwin, D. Jones, C. Griffiths, L. Peers, J. Thomas, R. Webb, M. Morgan, T. Isaacs.

RICHARD Hibbard has no plans to join the rush for Welsh rugby's exit door, declaring: "I'm an Osprey through and through."

With George North finalising his transfer to Northampton Saints and Dan Lydiate and Jamie Roberts bound for Racing Metro, the game in Wales is reeling just four weeks after Rob Howley's squad won the Six Nations title.

But Wales hooker Hibbard has delivered a timely boost ahead of his region's important Pro12 encounter with Treviso at the Liberty this evening (6.30).

The man who helped demolish England last month with some of the most fearsome tackling ever seen at the Millennium Stadium, who is being touted as a possible Lions Test hooker this summer, has moved to stress that playing at home still has considerable appeal.

"I'm happy where I am," he said.

"I know a few of the boys have decided to leave Wales and I hope it goes really well for them, but at this point it isn't for me.

"Playing in French rugby isn't great for a forward, anyway. A few people have said how they flog you out there and really get their money's worth.

"It is a really physical league and it probably isn't going to help you extend your career. It may be all right for backs, but I'm not so sure if that applies for the boys up front.

"I like playing for my home region — I'm an Osprey through and through.

"All we want as players is for the issues in the game here to be sorted out, so we know where we stand. That's the way forward."

Hibbard will line-up against Treviso adamant there is still petrol in the Ospreys' tank as they attempt to reach the Pro12 play-offs. The reigning champions found the going tough in the second half against the Blues last time out, failing to kick on after scoring two tries before the break.

But after a two-week break, their 23-cap hooker insists they are primed to go. "We're ready for the final push," said Hibbard.

"There are some really big games to play, so we can't afford to be tired.

"A lot of Treviso's players featured in the Six Nations as well. It's all about staying focused and getting out on the pitch and giving your all.

"We know it will be a tough ask to make the play-offs, with away games against Glasgow and Leinster to follow the Treviso match.

"But we've done it the hard way before. We're up for the challenge."

MARK ORDERS

A WOMAN who was found guilty of criminal damage in a neighbour dispute has had her conviction overturned.

Mary Lyon, 58, broke down in tears as Judge Keith Thomas told her he did not see how the conviction could remain.

The case centred around a dispute between Ms Lyons and her neighbours Mary and Leon Kettley over a fence separating their gardens at The Orchard in Newton.

Ms Lyon was found guilty in May by magistrates of taking a hammer, hacksaw and chisel to a neighbour's fence panel and damaging the fixtures of the fence the previous summer.

The dispute broke out over where the fence was built and if it was on the correct boundary.

Leon Kettley told Swansea Crown Court during the appeal that he had paid for a surveyor to check the land border, and he had placed studs along the ground, marking what he believed was the correct line.

Mr Kettley then arranged for builders to come to his home to reinstall a fence he said had been cut down by Ms Lyon on a previous occasion. CCTV recorded by one of the builders showed Ms Lyon chopping down the single remaining fence post as the builders stood by.

The judge said the prosecution case against her was "wholly misguided".

He said throughout all the proceedings Ms Lyons had said she had a defence under section 5 of the Criminal Damage Act.

The judge explained that the act says a person has a lawful excuse for committing criminal damage if the property was in need of protection and the means taken were reasonable it did not matter whether that belief is justified or not — as long as it is honestly held.

He said that throughout her interviews, trial, appeal process and the eight years preceding the criminal conviction she had maintained the fence was in the wrong place and she felt she had to take direct action once an immediate threat — in this case the construction of a new fence — was instigated by the Kettleys. "It wasn't until builders were to construct a complete fence from one end of the garden to the other, she found it necessary to take more direct action," said Judge Thomas.

He said the appeal panel, made up of himself and two magistrates, found no reason to believe Ms Lyon had acted in nothing but a reasonable way.

"She honestly believed it was the wrong line so how else was she going to protect her interests," he said.

He said the criminal court was not the place to debate the boundary dispute which had prompted the incident and said that would have to be dealt with in a civil court.

He said the appeal hearing was not there to judge who was right or wrong but whether Ms Lyons had a defence against the conviction.

"We're not criticising anybody. We make no findings as to whether Ms Lyons or Mr Kettley was right, but we say that this criminal conviction cannot possibly be made out," said Judge Thomas. Another appeal, over a breach of the peace conviction, has also been upheld.

TRIBUTES have been paid to a teenager who died after the car she was in plunged 100 ft down a ravine in the Amman Valley.

Elin Davies, 19, of Glanaman, was involved in the incident on the A4069 mountain road, near Brynaman, at 8.50pm on Sunday.

Dyfed-Powys Police are investigating the cause of the incident.

Elin was a passenger in the car and is believed to be a second year sixth form student at Amman Valley Comprehensive.

Councillor David Jenkins, who represents the area at county level, said: "I know her grandparents, and her mother was in school with my daughter.

"My heart goes out to the parents, grandparents and all the family members. This is a tragic loss of a young girl and I am sure the community will pull together and give them as much support as possible."

Three others were rescued and airlifted to Morriston Hospital.

The incident on the road, which goes from Brynaman to Llangadog, prompted a huge rescue operation, with teams from Dyfed-Powys Police, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and the search and rescue helicopter from RAF Chivenor on site.

Western Beacons, Central Beacon and Brecon Mountain Rescue also took part in the rescue, as well as ambulance teams and the road was closed until 2am Monday.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police placed a mobile unit in Upper Brynaman on Monday, in an attempt to get witness statements.

One victim was discharged from hospital on Monday afternoon after being treated for broken bones, while another went into theatre following a fractured leg. The third occupant had serious multiple and extensive injuries, but was in a stable condition in hospital.

No further updates have been released by police. The coroner's officer confirmed the inquest had been opened and adjourned.

YOU only want the best for your children.

And thanks to the generosity of the community, the love and dedication of his parents, and some 21st century technology, little Macsen Williams's future is looking a little brighter.

The 21-month-old has had a tough start in life, having been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and blindness when he was just six-months-old.

But parents Matthew and Lisa have been astounded by those who have donated an incredible £10,000 for the family to purchase special computer software, which will let Macsen make choices and communicate with his mum and dad by using just his eyes.

Dad Matthew said: "Macsen was diagnosed when he was six-months-old with cerebral palsy and cortical visual impairment.

"He cannot sit up, and can't do anything on his own, his legs and arms are stiff.

"Lisa and I are pushing all the time to find people who can help us to help him, we want him to have the best chance he can have.

"So, in November 2012, we went to the Bobath Therapy Centre for a six-week block, focused on his communication and stability.

"They were fantastic, when we had finished there, for the first time, he could decide between one thing and another by looking with his eyes."

Following the sessions, the therapy centre invited the family, who live in Erw Werdd, Birchgrove, to a trial with company Tobii which creates products using eye-tracking technology. And, impressed with what they saw, and the potential impact it could have on their son's life, the family set about trying to find a way to pay for the system, which costs around £6,000.

"As soon as I read into it and saw it we thought it was brilliant," Matthew, 31, said.

"Through infra-red, the technology tracks a person's eye movement. What was most impressive for me was that it works for those with even severe cerebral palsy.

"It was brilliant. There was one game where there were six playing cards on the screen and he managed to match three pairs together.

"It was the most advanced thing he had done and shows he was thinking.

"I went home and started looking at loans, as far as we were concerned we had to have it, there was no option.

"But the guy from Tobii told us that no-one buys the software and why don't we look at fundraising.

"That was really difficult for us. We are both professional people and we never thought we would be in a position to ask for donations.

"We thought it was going to take about six months but we have managed to raise £10,000 in just six weeks.

"It has been unbelievable, we have been blown away. We can't believe everyone has been so generous.

"We have had people I haven't seen since school donating.

"We just want to thank everyone.

"It will give him the chance to control his own play and decide what he wants to do, he has never been able to do that before.

"He is the youngest person in the word to have the system at home. We want to do everything we can for him to reach his potential."

PARENTS are being urged to sign consent forms allowing their children to be vaccinated against measles.

The advice comes as comprehensive schools in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot prepare to host MMR vaccination clinics next week, in a bid to combat the outbreak across the region.

Teenagers who have not had the jab are now believed to be one of the most vulnerable groups, leading Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board to host the vaccination clinics in four Swansea schools, and one in Neath Port Talbot.

More than 2,000 children are being targeted at the schools.

Sara Hayes, ABMU's director of public health, said: "There is no sign of this serious outbreak of measles slowing down, with the latest number of reported cases standing at nearly 700.

"Children and young people who have not received the full course of MMR are at high risk of catching measles, and there is no doubt it is a horrible disease.

"I would urge parents whose children need to have MMR to ensure they take advantage of the vaccination sessions at schools."

The clinics come after hospitals held their own MMR drop-in sessions last weekend, when hundreds queued up for the vaccination, which is the only protection against the measles virus.

Letters will be distributed ahead of the clinics to the parents of children who, according to records, are believed to need MMR vaccinations, ahead of the school vaccination sessions.

The clinics are being designed to protect as many children and young people as possible during the major measles outbreak.

Further clinics are due to be held in other schools, but the first have been chosen as they are believed to have the highest numbers of pupils at risk of catching measles, because they are either unvaccinated, or only had one MMR jab instead of two.

The health board is working with local education authorities and individual schools to maximise the number of pupils coming forward for MMR.

Details of the second round of school vaccinations will be released shortly.

MICHAEL Laudrup is convinced there will be no mass exodus at Swansea City this summer — because his players know they are on to something good.

The likes of Ashley Williams, Michel Vorm and star forward Michu have all been mentioned as potential close-season targets for rival clubs.

Indeed, only yesterday, it was reported that Williams was on both Liverpool's and Arsenal's radar. Laudrup accepts it is impossible to rule out the odd departure, for it would be hard for any of his players to say no should one of the top sides come calling.

But the Dane is confident the majority of his squad will still be around come August — because they will want to remain part of Swansea's success story.

"A lot of players only came to us this season and they can see that this season is only the first part of things," Laudrup said.

"I think they can see we can get better. I am not saying we will do better than this season — even for this club to remain in mid-table would be an achievement.

"There are so many clubs who would want to swap positions with us and will sign players to try to do that next season. But we are going into Europe and I think we can improve next season, and I think the players see that too."

Despite being linked with heavyweight clubs like Real Madrid and Chelsea, Laudrup has reaffirmed his commitment to Swansea by signing a 12-month contract extension this spring.

A whole host of the club's senior players — including top-scorer Michu and defensive stalwart Williams — have also penned new deals in recent months.

Contracts can count for little if the chance of a big move — and the big money which comes with it — arises, but Laudrup is unconcerned.

He was left to do a rebuilding job after Joe Allen, Scott Sinclair, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Steven Caulker said farewell to SA1 last summer. But Laudrup reckons the core of his current squad will remain at the start of 2013-14.

"We have a lot of players who have extended their contracts, and I imagine that if you renew your contract it's because you want to stay," he added.

"That's why I did it. You never know in football — sometimes an offer can come to play for a bigger club who will double your salary.

"But I know a lot of the players will stay whatever happens."

ALMOST 2,000 people have joined a Facebook group to help spread the message about a soldier's disappearance.

The search continues for Josh Thomas, from Seven Sisters, who vanished during a night out with friends celebrating passing an exam in Rochester, Kent.

The 18-year-old, who is a soldier at the barracks in Chatham, was last seen by friends outside the City Wall pub in Rochester during the early hours of Wednesday, April 10.

Desperate friends in Kent have been putting up missing posters and 1,759 people have joined the Facebook group called Help find Josh Thomas.

Josh's dad Gary Thomas, who lives in Heol y Waun, Seven Sisters, said he spoke to him on the Tuesday night before he went missing.

"They were in great spirits," he said. "He seemed cheerful and very happy like he always is. He had got his kit ready for the following morning."

Mr Thomas said the family had been grateful for all the support they had received from the community and further afield.

"The family have been overwhelmed with the amount of support we have had," he said. "I have got marvellous support here from family and friends.

"Because it has happened so far away we are thankful we are getting the support we are getting around here.

"Everyone who knows him loves him."

Kent Police have been using a boat, helicopter and the Army's help to search the mudbanks and marshes of the River Medway and will be looking again at all CCTV footage for anything they have missed.

Josh is known to have left the pub, sat outside on a bench with a friend and then walked onto Rochester Bridge a few hundred yards away.

Inspector Ada Leppard said: "He got a little way across, fell over, then a member of the public stopped in a vehicle — and we'd love that person to come forward."

Police are also appealing to

two people who were seen on BMX bikes in the area.

Josh was then seen just before 1am walking back off Rochester Bridge the way he came.

The last CCTV image is of Josh on a traffic island in the middle of the A2 outside the Crown pub — then he vanished.

Inspector Leppard added: "We haven't used police divers at the moment — the reason for that is because the river's very open."

SWANSEA City have dismissed reports linking them with a move for Tottenham winger Andros Townsend.

England Under-21 international Townsend has excelled since joining Queens Park Rangers on loan in January, prompting speculation that Swansea are ready to make a permanent bid for the 21-year-old.

But Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins has rejected the stories — and says the club have not considered a loan bid for Townsend either.

"We have not discussed Andros Townsend with our manager Michael Laudrup," he said.

"He is not a player we are looking to sign.

"There have been numerous names touted around, and there will be more names touted between now and the summer.

"But Andros Townsend is a Tottenham player, and we can't afford to sign players from Tottenham."

Dafydd Pritchard

SWANSEA Prison must do more to prevent suicide among inmates, a report has found.

The report carried out by the HM Inspectorate of Prisons found two-thirds of Swansea prison staff needed refresher training for self-harm monitoring, despite three inmates committing suicide since the last inspection in 2010.

The unannounced inspection in December 2012 also found Swansea Prison had made insufficient progress in "respect" of conditions for inmates as cells were overcrowded, toilet screening was inadequate and the needs of some minority groups were not met.

The prison had also failed to deliver a recommendation to provide purposeful activity for inmates.

But the report found Swansea Prison had made progress when it came to resettling prisoners, including support for their families and children.

Education and healthcare at Swansea Prison were found to be reasonably good and relationships between prisoners and staff were good.

Nick Hardwick, chief inspector of prisons, who headed the report, said: "Swansea had made progress on safety although more work needed to be done to ensure prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm received the support they required.

"However, although not uncommon in a local prison, too many prisoners were unemployed and not purposefully engaged with activities. This was further compounded by restricted opportunities for time out of cell."

Michael Spurr, chief executive officer of the National Offender Management Service, said: "I am pleased that the chief inspector has recognised the progress being made at HMP Swansea, with good staff-prisoner relationships and developments in resettlement and education.

"The governor and his staff are working to address areas for improvement iden- tified in the report, particularly in the support of prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm."

The South Wales Evening Post invited Swansea Prison to comment. It referred us to the Ministry of Justice which re-sent us the quote above from Michael Spurr.

AARON Shingler insists the Scarlets cannot take anything for granted as they head into the final straight of the Pro12 campaign neck and neck with their great rivals the Ospreys.

The Wales back-rower has been at the heart of an impressive run of victories by the West Wales region that has taken them to the cusp of a first-ever play-off spot.

With two matches remaining, the Scarlets sit alongside defending champions the Ospreys on the same points tally in the table.

But the run-in appears to favour the men from Llanelli, who host the Blues at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday evening before welcoming Treviso on the final weekend. In contrast, the Ospreys face make-or-break tests at play-off rivals Glasgow and Leinster in their final two matches.

With Glasgow having also been dragged into the scrap, it promises to be an intriguing finale to a rollercoaster campaign for Simon Easterby's men.

And Shingler believes there is still plenty of work to be done.

"We are very pleased with ourselves after our win over Glasgow, but it is so tight at the moment, you can't take anything for granted," he said.

"It is difficult to say what we need out of the two games.

"The Ospreys play on Friday night and while it won't change the way we play in any way, it will be interesting to see what happens, whether they slip up or win, which will mean Glasgow will be in sight."

The athletic Shingler was man of the match in the impressive 29-6 victory over Glasgow last weekend to add to his tally of awards this season.

And with a number of his international colleagues set to be part of Warren Gatland's British and Irish Lions party this summer, the 25-year-old looks a shoo-in to tour Japan with Robin McBryde's Wales squad.

He has other priorities first, however. As well as playing a big part in the Scarlets' title challenge, Shingler is also due to get married on June 1 — seven days before Wales's opening Test in the Far East in Osaka.

"I am not sure how that is going to be pan out, but hopefully I will play some part during the tour," he said.

"The wedding is taking place, too much time and effort has gone into it! I will just be a little bit late on the tour, if selected."

Easterby, meanwhile, has a couple of concerns surrounding injury and illness ahead of naming his side to face the Blues, South African lock George Earle among them.

The head coach has also confirmed that Wales fly-half Rhys Priestland is in contention to make his first appearance since tearing his Achilles tendon against Exeter Chiefs in December.

WALES have been booked for Friday games in the Six Nations for each of the next two seasons — provoking angry claims that supporters are being overlooked in pursuit of bigger TV audiences.

The defending champions will host France on a Friday in the third round of matches next season. And the following year's tournament will open with England in Cardiff on a Friday.

But the scheduling hasn't gone down well in all quarters, with a leading sports travel agent expressing disquiet and a representative from a fans' organisation questioning why Wales have been regulars for Friday rugby since the Six Nations committee decided to experiment with it in 2009.

Nigel Jones, secretary of the Ospreys Supporters Club, said: "Yet again it is Wales who have been singled out for Friday games.

"Supporters here have stuck by the national team through thick and thin and deserve a bit more consideration.

"But TV seems to be more important than fans these days, which is a shame.

"It doesn't surprise me that it is we who are ending up with Friday night rugby yet again.

"Presumably, if the Welsh Rugby Union shouted and bawled over it, it wouldn't be happening.

"But they have seemingly accepted it. We have to assume that because otherwise these games wouldn't be happening.

"The problem is they know that they will get 75,000 or so fans in the Millennium Stadium for a Six Nations game at whatever time. But, really, they should be thinking about Welsh fans."

He continued: "For me, Friday rugby damages and devalues the Six Nations. It is supposed to be a prime-time sporting event, made special in large part by the huge numbers of travelling fans from different countries, but you wonder how many will make trips if games are on Fridays.

"The weekend for them isn't going to add up to much. Fans making journeys are not being properly catered for, full stop. If you live in Haverfordwest and finish work at 5pm on a Friday you will have to get your skates on to be over in Cardiff for an 8pm kick-off.

"International rugby is not geared to the average supporter any more. We have seen that with every passing year, with kick-off times all over the place, and more consideration for the ordinary fan wouldn't go amiss."

Wales also have a Sunday date in their schedule next year, against England at Twickenham, and one in 2015, against Scotland at Murrayfield. But it is Friday rugby that vexes many fans, with many complaining of travel chaos when England played in Cardiff in 2011.

Jim Strachan, of Strachan Sports Travel, said: "Supporters want to watch Six Nations matches on Saturday afternoons.

"It's about time we told TV companies that while their money is important, fans matter as well and their interests should be looked after.

"We are still hoping there will be a big turnout of French supporters in Cardiff next season, because they love coming over here, but, undoubtedly, it would be better if the game were on a Saturday.

"Six Nations rugby has a huge social dimension and the problem is when you hold a game on a Friday evening the weekend is effectively over before it has properly begun."

Strachan added: "As agents we have seen a year-on-year decline in the numbers of fans taking up travel packages in the Six Nations. Paris was very, very poor this year, Italy also down on previous seasons.

"There are a number of reasons for that, but the scheduling is not helping."

MARK ORDERS

NEATH MP Peter Hain has urged the Government to take further action to prevent a spread of measles in the Swansea area.

He questioned Health Minister Daniel Poulter as to what was being done to stem the outbreak.

While in the Senedd AMs also questioned Welsh Health Minister Mark Drakeford about what the National Assembly was doing to support the efforts to tackle the problem.

Yesterday Public Health Wales announced the number of confirmed cases had increased to 765, up 72 since last Thursday.

During Health Questions in the House of Commons, Mr Hain asked what sort of early intervention ministers had ordered to tackle the outbreak.

He said: "Thousands of parents across Britain will have been tormented by the choice of whether to vaccinate their children for measles, mumps and rubella because of the scare.

"Surely the minister should take serious action to instruct public health officials to combat this issue."

In response, Dr Poulter said: "We are taking exactly that action to make sure that the vaccine is available and to promote the uptake of it.

"The right honourable gentleman will of course be aware that the problems and concerns about the failure of some families to take up the vaccine resulted from some misused data in the past.

"That was a regrettable incident concerning the use of medical data, and is unfortunately causing great problems now.

"We are committed to making sure that those vaccines are available to the children who need it."

In the Senedd Mr Drakeford was questioned on the speed of the Welsh Government's response to the outbreak.

He said there had been involvement since before Christmas when measles cases were first brought to the attention of health officials.

The minister was called on to pay tribute to the work of health staff in the wake of the outbreak, which he endorsed.

Suzy Davies, South Wales West AM, also called on him to recognise the work of the media, specifically mentioning the South Wales Evening Post, in spreading the message of how important vaccination was. Mr Drakeford said the recent reporting in the media had been "extremely helpful".

Meanwhile, Public Health Wales has again urged parents to act quickly to vaccinate their children to help stem the outbreak. Dr Marion Lyons, director of health protection, said: "We can't bring this outbreak to an end unless the parents of unvaccinated children either arrange vaccination with their GP, call into one of the weekend drop-in sessions or ensure that if their child attends a school where vaccinations are being offered, they have signed a consent form for them to be vaccinated.

"Children who do not have signed consent forms cannot be vaccinated so it is crucial parents ensure they have given their consent.

"We are reminding parents that although children of all age groups are being affected by this outbreak, the highest attack rate is in children aged 10 to 18. These are the children who may not have been vaccinated because of concerns about the safety of MMR in the late 1990s.

"The vaccine is safe, effective and the only protection against a potentially fatal disease."

A MAN with a history of violent assaults punched a stranger after she protested at one of his friends pinching her bottom.

Daniel Roberts was out in Swansea's Wind Street when one of his friends approached Joanne Richards as she stood near the newsagents at the end of Salubrious Passage and pinched her bottom.

Prosecutor Frank Phillips told Swansea Crown Court she then protested with the group but Roberts walked over and threw a single punch, hitting her in her right eye.

Miss Richards was left crying and with a bruised eye which was swollen shut after the attack, which was witnessed by her sister and friends.

Mr Phillips said Roberts of Heol Emrys, Penlan, was violent towards officers and had to be restrained at the scene and again at the police station.

The 27-year-old was subject to a suspended sentence at the time after being convicted of attacking his then partner.

For that previous offence Roberts had failed to attend Swansea Magistrates' Court to face two charges, the assault and another of criminal damage. He was convicted after magistrates heard he attacked his ex-partner by punching her several times to her body and face. Family members had to intervene to stop the assault, Mr Phillips said.

He also has convictions dating back to 2006 and one from 2010, also taking place in Wind Street. In one attack when he was a youth, he left a person unconscious in a Wind Street taxi rank.

Craig Jones, representing dad of one Roberts, said his client had not attended his magistrates' trial because of a misunderstanding. Judge Huw Davies said of the latest offence: "It was a shocking assault for a fit young man to commit against a young woman who was in no position to protect herself."

Roberts, who admitted assault, failing to attend court and breaching his suspended sentence was jailed for two months for the latest assault, and seven months of the suspended term was also activated to run consecutively.