METAPHORICAL horses, in the form of Welsh rugby internationals, are galloping all over Europe - yet this has not deterred the Welsh Rugby Union from at last attempting to fit some sort of a lock on the stable door.

The departure of Wales and Newport Gwent Dragons flanker Dan Lydiate to pastures French next season was announced, with a considerable degree of irony, on the day a new body called the Professional Regional Game Board (PRGB) was created.

This will oversee the professional game, its aim to "improve the position and strength of Welsh professional rugby, both on and off the field, supported with additional resource from the WRU."

Presumably this means that in future, more will be done to try to keep Wales' best players in Wales, rather than seeking big bucks elsewhere.

They cannot be blamed for doing so. As has been said many times before, a rugby player's career is relatively short and the risk of serious, career-threatening injury is never far away. They must make their money while and where they can.

The PRGB will comprise representatives from the WRU and the four regional sides and it will have, let us not be shy, a hell of a task on its hands.

While the regions have had to scrimp and save in recent times, introducing a salary cap while French Top 14 clubs wave their sugar daddies' wallets in the players' faces, the WRU has crowed from the rooftops about its healthy financial position and profit-making.

This has driven something of a wedge between the WRU and the regions, the removal of which must be the PRGB's priority. And another delicate and vital task is to get all parties to work together, while maintaining a healthy rivalry between the regions.

The central contracts idea dumped during the summer was never a goer, given that while it might have kept Wales' top players here, it would have starved the regions of the £6.2 million they receive collectively from the WRU, thus weakening them financially while strengthening them in playing terms.

The Welsh regional sides are simply not financially strong enough to compete on the field without WRU investment, and if they are not competing on the field, ambitious players will leave for more financially fruitful foreign fields anyway.

If as is suspected, the autumn international results indicate that having a large amount of players playing abroad - with all the problems of squad togetherness and training that might bring - is detrimental to the national team, then Wales could be in for a difficult few years.

One question that has been asked in the wake of Lydiate's announcement is, is Toby Faletau next? He may well be, and it won't stop there unless the PRGB can work some magic.

George Osborne is a glad bearer of bad tidings

LIKE a weasel having its tail trodden on, it is easy to tell when Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne is about to announce bad news.

His voice gets more and more strident, he gets more and more animated, even excited.

I know that the Conservative-Lib Dem Coalition's tenure in charge has been characterised by downturn and false hopes of recovery, but he appears like a man who has forgotten that it is good news, not bad news, that should be delivered in an upbeat fashion.

Delivering his autumn statement this week, Mr Osborne appeared scarcely able to contain himself as he delivered bad fiscal news to one and all.

With Christmas just around the corner, he turned his attempts to describe how he will get Britain out of the economic morass into a macabre carol.

Given the economic hand he has been dealt, it must be difficult to keep the financial plates spinning to everyone's satisfaction.

But he would fare much better if he didn't drool so much over proposed tax rises and cuts to the welfare state.

The demonisation of benefit claimants is more or less a national sport these days, and Mr Osborne has joined in enthusiastically, seemingly convinced that anyone claiming anything from the state is guilty of grievous folly.

Time and again during the run-up to, and while delivering, his autumn statement, he positively chirruped at the prospect of slashing this benefit or that.

Empathy is clearly not a word in the Osborne English Dictionary. Perhaps it should be. Then maybe the manner of his delivery of bad news might not leave such a bitter taste.