THE BEST SIGNINGS IN WELSH REGIONAL RUGBY THIS SEASON

With the season coming to a close, teams already have one eye on next year's business as they enter the final sprint.

For the Ospreys, there's still a play-off place to play for, while the other regions will want to finish strongly. But all four are already in the market for new recruits, despite the added complication of budgets coming down.

The Dragons are targeting seven new signings, while the other three clubs have already announced deals for next season.

But what about the signings for this season? Who are the ones who have impressed?

Tinus de Beer

The South African fly-half so easily might not have linked up with the Blue and Blacks, with the WRU leaning towards blocking the move from the Pumas last summer.

Thankfully for Cardiff, they didn't and de Beer has proven a shrewd signing. He's brought an assured presence to the young Cardiff backline, with a surprisingly good running game.

His kicking game maybe isn't perfect, but after an exodus at the Arms Park last year, he's played his part in bringing back some optimism.

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Alex Craig

It's been a tough season for the Scarlets, but Scotland lock Craig has been a rare shining light in Llanelli.

The 26-year-old, signed from Gloucester, has been to the fore in the Scarlets' few victories - including a superb outing at the Arms Park in January - while he's shown up well in several losing causes.

Craig, who has won two caps for Scotland, has thrived with regular minutes - managing over three times as many minutes this season as he did in his last two years at Kingsholm combined - and leads the URC for tackles made with 181.

Rhys Litterick

A few years ago, tight-head prop Litterick was working as a landscaper while playing semi-pro rugby for Worthing.

Now, he's just penned a long-term deal with Cardiff, having impressed in his first season at the Arms Park after joining from Harlequins.

A thumb injury curtailed his impact after featuring in the first 12 matches of the campaign, but the Welsh-qualified prop - who was highly-rated by Adam Jones at Quins - has still made an impression in his first season in Wales.

James Ratti

After four years at Cardiff that saw him called into Wales squads but never handed a cap, Ratti returned to the Ospreys last summer and has slotted in perfectly.

Fourteen of Ratti's 15 appearances have been starts this season, with the 26-year-old getting through plenty of work either in the second-row or on the blindside.

An underappreciated workhorse who carries strongly. As an aside, scrum-half Luke Davies has been a solid bit of business for the Ospreys, backing up Reuben Morgan-Williams since joining from Jersey Reds.

Ioan Lloyd

Last summer, Ioan Lloyd swapped Bristol for Llanelli in order to get more minutes in one position and ultimately target a Wales recall.

In fairness to Lloyd, both probably came sooner than he'd have expected. Injury to Sam Costelow gave him the keys to the Scarlets' fly-half jersey and he did enough in the position to earn a call-up for the Six Nations.

In teams that have lost far more than they've won this season, it's not always been an easy ride for the 23-year-old, but he'll be happy with how his first season down west has panned out.

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