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Shane Williams picks his top 4 players to watch in the Christmas Pro14 Welsh derbies
By Ciarán Kennedy
Former Wales international Shane Williams has picked his top talents to watch in the Welsh derbies ahead of a busy block of Guinness Pro14 fixtures. The four Welsh regions will all play each other over the next three weeks as part of the Pro14's traditional Christmas derby window, and Williams has picked one player from each team who he is particularly looking forward to watching.
"I'll start with the Ospreys. I think you've got a lot of good players coming through now actually, who have come from nowhere," Williams said.
"I really enjoy Matt Protheroe on the wing. He looks slighter than I did, he looks about 60 kilos, but God, he gets stuck in, doesn't he? He's fun to watch. I really enjoy him, and also Keiran Williams, who I'm a big fan of as well. (There's a) Big stake for both of those players to put their hands up in these derbies, because they are playing against players that are wearing their red jersey, I suppose. So that's exciting for me at the Ospreys.
"At Scarlets, someone like Steffan Evans. I pretty much pick him (as one to watch) every time Scarlets are playing. I really enjoy how he plays. He's gutsy, he comes off the wing, he offers himself inside and outside 10, and is always heavily involved. That's why he comes away with so many man of the match performances.
"The Blues, someone like Owen Lane. He's come back from injury, he had a good game in Rodney Parade a couple of weeks back where he scored a cracking try, probably on his first touch of the ball. I want to see him fit and pushing people like George (North) for that shirt.
"(At the) Dragons, local boy to me, I'm a big Rhodri Williams fan. I actually played against his Dad, so I'll big him up. He's a good local lad and plays in a position where we've got a lot of contenders to play in the national side, which is a shame.
"Also an honourable mention for Jac Morgan at the Scarlets. I think he's injured at the moment unfortunately. Gutted. A local boy to me again, but he's really come up the ranks. Again, another player who was told he was too small to be a seven, and he's really stuck it up them, as they say.
"There's a lot of good players coming through in Wales at the moment, I have to say, and I'm going to enjoy them all, hopefully, playing over the Christmas period."
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