MATCH REPORT: Spirited Scarlets lose a cracker at the Kingspan

ULSTER maintained their one-hundred percent start as they saw off a spirited Scarlets, who will look back at a selection of missed kicks as something that cost them dear.

It could have been a different story in Belfast had Angus O’Brien and Dan Jones converted their respective kicks, but three tries and a pleasing performance against a strong Ulster outlet is something to be proud of, especially considering the amount of players they’re missing.

Ulster opened the scoring first with a well-worked try from winger Rob Lyttle. Matt Faddes broke away and found Lyttle who did the rest, making an outrageous step inside and touching down in the corner.

That seemed to kick the Scarlets into gear, however. A flurry of penalties went the way of the visiting side that Jones couldn’t convert. 

Then came a moment of controversy. Kieran Tredwell was penalised for a high tackle that on another day could have been a red card. This time though, he was sent to the bin for ten minutes and that’s where the Scarlets would capitalise.

By having more numbers, Llanelli were able to benefit and crossed over through Paul Asquith. A flood of quick passes meant the visiting side had men over, and the 27 year old made no mistake.

Ulster seemed as if they were under the cosh whilst Tredwell’s time in the bin ran down and the Scarlets pressured the try line, but they were relieved when Stewart Moore intercepted on his own 22 and ran the length of the field to score under the posts. 

It seemed all wind had gone from the away sides sails after that. Suddenly Ulster had found their second gear and would go over once more as the clock hit red. Openside Sean Reidy would end a series of sustained pressure from the hosts as their lead stretched to 19-7 at half time.

What’s the best way to start the second half? A try, obviously, and a really, really good one at that. Steff Hughes lined up a cross field kick, it bounced perfectly for Ryan Conbeer who nonchalantly took the ball in and touched down for his fourth try in three games.

It would be the visiting side who would strike again not long afterwards, following another lack of discipline and a yellow card for Ulster’s Maddes. Tyler Morgan made a terrific break and released Steff Evans who won the sprint to the line and brought the Scarlets within two.

Unforced errors would then prove costly for the Welsh side as first a knock on from a high ball from O’Brien and then one from Dane Blacker inside his own five-metre line would eventually lead to Treadwell bulldozing his way over.

The Scarlets weren’t finished there, though. A driving maul seemed to last an age as it stopped and started but Phil Price crossed the whitewash to set up a tense finish. The Irish side would hold on for the win, however, as it finished 26-24. A cracker at the Kingspan.

Scarlet’s head coach Glenn Delaney was happy with how his team performed Sunday as he spoke with PremierSports.

“I’m immensely proud [of the performance], the effort was amazing. We just spoke there, the players are gutted – they knew they had the opportunity to win the game. 

“The boys are gutted – they’ve come to one of the hardest places to play rugby in the world, and they’ve performed well… I think that shows how far they’ve come as a group.”

Player of the Game: Sean Reidy

ULSTER: (9) John Cooney, (10) Bill Johnston, (11) Rob Lyttle, (12) Stewart Moore, (13) Luke Marshall, (14) Matt Faddes, (15) Michael Lowry, (1) Eric O’Sullivan, (2) John Andrew, (3) Marty Moore, (4) Alan O’Connor (C), (5) Kieran Treadwell, (6) Matty Rea, (7) Sean Reidy, (8) Marcell Coetzee

Replacements: (16) Adam McBurney, (17) Kyle McCall, (18) Tom O’Toole, (19) David O’Connor, (20) Jordi Murphy, (21) Alby Matthewson, (22) Ian Madigan, (23) Craig Gilroy

SCARLETS: (9) Dane Blacker, (10) Dan Jones, (11) Steff Evans, (12) Paul Asquith, (13) Steff Hughes (C), (14) Ryan Conbeer, (15) Angus O’Brien, (1) Rob Evans, (2) Taylor Davies, (3) Javan Sebastian, (4) Jac Price, (5) Danny Drake, (6) Ed Kennedy, (7) Jac Morgan, (8) Sione Kalamafoni

Replacements: (16) Daf Hughes, (17) Phil Price, (18) Werner Kruger, (19) Sam Lousi, (20) Uzair Cassiem, (21) Will Homer, (22) Sam Costelow, (23) Tyler Morgan

(Featured Image from @scarlets_rugby on Twitter, all credit to Photographer)

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MATCH REPORT: Leinster 40-5 Cardiff Blues

By Dylan James

LEINSTER secured a bonus point victory in Dublin, as the Blues struggled to contain the constant physical pressure of the Guinness Pro14 champions.

After only 37 seconds, Leinstercentre Ciaran Frawley made a very simple line break, drew the man, and popped to Dave Kearney who crossed over. Harry Byrne secured the extras, putting the Blues on the back foot immediately.

It took Leinster 14 minutes before they disturbed the scoreboard operator again. The ball made its way through Leinster hands before Jimmy O’Brien lobbed the ball neatly over the Cardiff defence, Blues fly half Jason Tovey came rushing onto the bouncing ball but was unable to prevent O’Brien from meeting his own kick and crossing for Leinster’s second try of the match. Byrne grabbed the extra two.

After some impressive, powerful work from the Blues pack, the ball was shipped out wide and eventually full-back Matthew Morgan drew the final Leinster man, passing to Aled Summerhill who crossed over for Cardiff’s first score of the match on 19 minutes. Tovey missed the conversion, leaving the score locked in at 14-5.

Hooker Ethan Lewis of the Blues saw his name in the papers on 36 minutes. A foot race ensued requiring his dribbling skills against his opposite number in Leinster’s James Tracey, who tackled Lewis before he could make it to the line.

However, it was Tracey who stole the limelight just two minutes later. The hooker was subtly tucked in at the back of a Leinster-dominated maul, just meters from the line. Captain Rhys Ruddock drove Tracey over to make it three tries before half time for Leo Cullen’s men. The score at the break was 19-5 to the home side.

Leinster started the second half showing their intentions clearly, they wanted their bonus point. The first 20 minutes saw the Cardiff defence tested to its maximum ability, with consistent, physical Leinster pressure. Pick and go, pick and go, pick and go.

Leinster’s Rhys Ruddock exemplified his colossal presence on the field during these phases, but James Ratti did well to deal with him, quashing the chances of a score. Ruddock tried again for the line, amongst a mosh pit of heavy hits, but was penalised for double movement, thus ending a very long period on the back foot for the Blues.

Leinster got their fourth and bonus point try through replacement Scott Penny after a relentless surge on the Blues’ try line ended in success for the home side. Byrne slotted the extras.

The Blues defended valiantly once again, but were unable to prevent a Leinster score as Penny grabbed his second try just six minutes after his first. Byrne made no mistake in the follow-up.

Harry Byrne showed his quality again, slotting an inch-perfect kick through to replacement Michael Silvester, who dove across the line to make it quite a miserable Sunday viewing for the Cardiff Blues faithful. You guessed it, Byrne converted.

The game ended 40-5 and Leinster made it 26 Pro14 wins in a row, showing absolutely no signs of ending that run soon, despite some hearty defensive work from the Blues.

STAR PLAYER – Rhys Ruddock (captain), Leinster.

TEAMS:

LEINSTER – Jimmy O’Brien, Cian Kelleher, Liam Turner, Ciarán Frawley, Dave Kearney, Harry Byrne, Luke McGrath, Peter Dooley, James Tracy, Michael Bent, Ross Molony, Ryan Baird, Josh Murphy, Dan Leavy, Rhys Ruddock (captain).

Replacements – Dan Sheehan, Michael Milne, Tom Clarkson, Devin Toner, Jack Dunne, Rowan Osborne, Michael Silvester, Scott Penny.

CARDIFF BLUES – Matthew Morgan; Owen Lane, Garyn Smith, Ben Thomas, Aled Summerhill; Jarrod Evans (captain), Tomos Williams; Corey Domachowski, Ethan Lewis, Dmitri Arhip, Ben Murphy, Rory Thornton, James Ratti, Alun Lawrence, Josh Turnbull.

Replacements – Iestyn Harris, Brad Thyer, Keiron Assiratti, Teddy Williams, Gwilym Bradley, Jamie Hill, Max Llewellyn, Hallam Amos.

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Cardiff Blues: The story so far

IT has been a mixed bag for the Cardiff Blues at the start of the new Guinness Pro14 season with two wins and two defeats. Here James has a look at the story so far.

Attack

Without a shadow of a doubt, the capital region’s offence has been their biggest strength in their opening few games. In particular, their bonus point win over Connacht and 11-point defeat to Munster in Limerick.

One player that deserves a great deal of credit for this is fly-half Jarrod Evans. Evans has beaten 16 defenders, the most in the Pro14 after the first 4 rounds. He has been an integral part in the success of the backline by taking the ball to the defensive line at pace, as well as his jinking feet and kicking game. His cross-field kick created a vital Josh Adam’s try against Zebre, his two breaks against Munster meant tries for both Rey Lee-Lo and Aled Summerhill and his chip against Ulster at Rodney Parade gave the Samoan yet another try. It will be vital that both Evans and Lee-Lo stay fit throughout the season.

The likes of Josh Adams, Hallam Amos, Willis Halaholo, Matthew Morgan and Aled Summerhill have all been threatening in attack. With Owen Lane returning on the bench against Ulster on Monday, John Mulvihill is starting to have quite a few options. The Blues’ attacking game plan looks like it’s finally coming together!

Defence

You can have a very effective attack and it can be undone by your sloppy defence. However, you wouldn’t say this is the case for the Welsh side. Zebre, Connacht and Ulster combined have only managed to get 24 points, averaging eight points each.

In the opener in Italy, Josh Turnbull was red carded, meaning for the majority of the second half the Blues only had 14 men. Their fantastic defensive shift resulted in the hosts not even getting a losing bonus point. At the start of the second half against Connacht and at the end of the first half against Ulster, the two Irish sides were camped on the Blues’ try line and both managed to get over. However, the desire and effort should be applauded and will please any Blues fan.

38 points were conceded against Munster in round 3, but it was just a case of Cardiff not being able to live with the brutal driving maul. This is something they won’t face often this season.

The special mentions so far have to go to James Botham, Kristian Dacey, Seb Davies and Olly Robinson. Botham has made the most tackles in the competition so far with 63, with Dacey sitting second at 57. Not to forget Shane Lewis-Hughes, who made his debut for Wales against Scotland on Saturday. Lewis-Hughes had made the highest number of tackles and turnovers in the opening two rounds of the competition before his Wales commitments.

Discipline

Despite the heroic defence at times, unfortunately the pressure has been inevitable, and Cardiff have received yellow cards for repeated infringements. This is something the coaching staff will want to change for Edinburgh this Monday but will understand there’s not much you can do at times.

However, what can be changed is unnecessary foul play. In the opening match against Zebre, Josh Turnbull was sent off for a shoulder to the head. Against Munster, Willis Halaholo was sin binned for a trip after only five minutes. As a result, Munster kicked to the corner and scored, equalling the score at 7-7.

So, the focus must be on avoiding silly things like that because more often than not, it puts a huge swing in the momentum of the tie.

Overall, it has been a positive start for the side that only won one game in their opening five matches last season. They sit 2nd in conference B behind unbeaten Munster. They face Edinburgh on Monday, who sit 5th in the same conference. This is definitely an opportunity to get back to winning ways.

Photo credit: Huw Evans Agency

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Boyhood club Bonymaen RFC reacts to record shattering weekend for Alun Wyn Jones

by Dylan James

148 caps, one more to go. Alun Wyn Jones is set to break the world record for test caps, taking over Richie McCaw in the process, not the easiest thing to do.

From the Ospreys, to Wales, and finally, the British and Irish Lions. Alun Wyn Jones’ CV is looking pretty good, isn’t it? Well, it all started at Bonymaen RFC.

It seems Alun Wyn is still making an impact on the Swansea based rugby side. Current Bonymaen player Liam Brooks said, “It’s a bit bizarre really having a player that started his club rugby here and now he’s eclipsing a player of the calibre of McCaw!”

“Alun was very quiet from stories, but imposing when he needed to be. Much the same as now I expect!”

“He came to a training session before our plate final vs Brecon and you could see that he has an aura/presence about him.”

Rugby reporter Ben Coles, of the Telegraph, highlighted how consistent Jones’ work rate has been over the course of his 15 year-long career.

“Speaking to various former and current team-mates of his over the last year, during the World Cup and then ahead of becoming the most-capped player of all time, they’re all fixated on how hard he works and how well he speaks.”

“Honestly in the early days of his career he sounds like a nightmare, constantly going after people in training physically and relentlessly trying to win every drill and come out on top of every session.”

“It’s easy to see how other players would then be inspired by that. He’s never going to be the kind of lock throwing outrageous offloads or making 50-metre breaks, but, his work-rate is obscene and his skills are far better than he gets credit for.”

“But, really, his legacy is that he will go down as one of the great Test captains and one of the hardest workers the modern game has ever seen. Sean O’Brien told me that you would always rather be playing with him than against him. I’m not sure praise gets much higher.”

After Alun Wyn’s retirement, attentions will most likely turn to the next Welsh leader.

Well, it seems Alun may have just picked this one out himself, Pivac quoted the Wales captain, who said, “I’ve been waiting 15 years for someone like Shane to come along.”

Cardiff Blues back-rower Shane Lewis Hughes will make his test debut on the blindside against Scotland tomorrow.

Pivac also suggested some similarities between the two players. “If you look at Alun Wyn in terms of his preparation, the way he trains, and the way he reviews and previews his opposition, Shane Lewis-Hughes is a clone.”

A clone of Alun Wyn Jones? Now that is some huge praise, no pressure Shane.

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Preview: Wales v Scotland

by James Dodd

Guinness Six Nations – Wales v Scotland

Saturday 31st October – 14:15

Venue – Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

WAYNE Pivac will be hoping that his Wales side can end the 2020 Guinness Six Nations on a high when Scotland visit Llanelli on Saturday

Both sides can’t win the title, but the winner will likely finish above the other in the final standings.

Scotland currently sit fourth with 10 points, and their Welsh rivals sit fifth with seven points.

The away side have only managed one win against their Celtic cousins since 2008.

Wales

The Kiwi has made 6 changes to the side that lost to France 38-21 last week in Paris, including debutant Shane Lewis-Hughes, who wasn’t originally in the Welsh squad.

Other changes include Owen Watkin replacing Nick Tompkins at 12 and Liam Williams playing only his second match since March on the right-wing.

Williams played for the Scarlets last week in their scrappy 10-3 victory against Benetton in Italy. With North being dropped completely and Louis Rees-Zammit having a small issue with his shin, the ex Saracen has been handed a start.

The other significant change is at nine, where Gareth Davies will earn his 55th cap after Rhys Webb injured his knee last Saturday.

As well as this, Will Rowlands starts in the second-row having played for Wasps last week in their defeat to Exeter. Rowlands will partner veteran Alun Wyn Jones, who is set to break the world record for the number of international caps.

Finally, tight-head prop Tomos Francis returns having also played in the Gallagher Premiership Final for champions Exeter.

Victory would end a four match losing streak and guarantee fourth place, unless the Scots manage a losing and try bonus point, and keep Wales to three tries or less.

Wales: Leigh Halfpenny, Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies, Owen Watkin, Josh Adams; Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Rhys Carre, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis, Will Rowlands, Alun Wyn Jones (c), Shane Lewis-Hughes, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Sam Parry, Wyn Jones, Dillon Lewis, Cory Hill, James Davies, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Patchell, Nick Tompkins.

Scotland

Gregor Townsend has made four changes from Scotland’s 48-7 hammering over Georgia last Friday at Murrayfield.

These include Racing 92 fly-half Finn Russell, who replaces Adam Hastings.

Stuart Hogg and Johnny Gray return from Exeter Chief action.

The final change is at number eight, where Blade Thomson comes in for the injured Matt Fagerson.

If Scotland pull off an historic away win in Wales, it would mean they would have came out on top in three of their five matches. Something they have only managed twice since 2007.

It would also mean they will have won three Six Nations games in a row, something they have never managed since the Italians joined in 2000.

Scotland: Stuart Hogg (c), Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, James Lang, Blair Kinghorn, Finn Russell, Ali Price; Rory Sutherland, Fraser Brown, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Jonny Gray, Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Blade Thomson.

Replacements: Stuart McInally, Oli Kebble, Simon Berghan, Ben Toolis, Cornell du Preez, Scott Steele, Adam Hastings, Duhan van der Merwe.

Predictions

Dylan – “Wales showed some early signs of strength in attack, however they couldn’t quite cut the mustard against France, with Antoine Dupont showing his world class ability to scythe through the Welsh defence. Scotland looked strong last week but Wales will be stronger with the addition of Liam Williams. Wales will win by 7.”

Ben – “Paris might be known as the City of Love, but for Wales it was far from it. Although only a friendly, Wales were outclassed by a French side within touching distance of their first Six Nations crown since 2010. Les Bleus duo of Romain Ntamack and Teddy Thomas, were a constant thorn in the side of the Welsh defence, who simply had no answer to their firepower. Much to ponder for Pivac as he reflects on that night at the Stade de France. He’ll hope that that was just an off day against a classy French outfit, and that things will be put right against Scotland and into the autumn.”

Joe – “I think Pivac will get the much needed victory, but his side need to operate in a far more attacking manner than the way they played against France. Biggar is the key player for me, if his attack isn’t functioning he needs to be swapped for Rhys Patchell.“

James – “Despite having the likes of Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg playing for Scotland, I don’t believe their attack will be as effective as the French flair was last week. I think defensively Wales will cope, but it will be interesting with how the attack operates. The likes of Liam Williams, Josh Adams, Jonathan Davies and Gareth Davies have the chance to cause chaos, it’s just whether they do or not.“

PHOTO CREDIT – Getty Images

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PRO14 REVIEW: Scarlets secure their first victory and the Blues fall short in Munster.

by Dylan James

THERE was a mixed bag of results once again for the Welsh regional sides, with the East Walian teams failing to grind out a victory. 

BENETTON 3-10 SCARLETS – Friday

Despite Morgan Jones’ dismissal after a high tackle, Glenn Delaney’s men were able to grind out quite an ugly victory, their first of the season. However, with an injury-ridden list that only seems to be growing, and the international boys away with Wales, it was always expected that the game would be a tough one. 

Liam Williams looked sharp, his confidence under the high ball as prevalent as ever, which will fill Wayne Pivac with confidence going into this weekend’s Six Nations clash between Wales and Scotland, in which Williams will undoubtedly be called back for. 

The Scarlets were unable to enjoy much possession, with only 35% to their name when the final whistle blew. On the other hand, these are the kind of victories that must be appreciated, the dogged, hard-fought and frustrating games that you’re just satisfied to come out of with four points!

OSPREYS 23-15 GLASGOW – Saturday

The next statistic has spread like wildfire on social media, the Ospreys have now won the same amount of games they did last season, having only played three games, which is pretty crazy! I’m sure the Ospreys faithful will see this as a massive positive, especially seeing as their key players are away on international duty. 

Veteran Stephen Myler was on form and spurred Toby Booth’s men on to victory despite being 12-3 down at half time, which shows some real resilience and determination. 

Adam Beard’s man of the match performance will have no doubt convinced Ospreys fans that they can cope without star man and Wales legend Alun Wyn Jones. 

JOE’S VERDICT

“Glasgow will rue their missed opportunities from their visit to South Wales. They were ahead early on after scoring the two opening tries of the game. The Ospreys showed grit to stay in contention and eventually win. The early defensive frailties will be a worry for Toby Booth as the Scottish attack were able to waltz through with ease.”

ULSTER 40-17 DRAGONS – Sunday

The boys seemed to have their predictions right for this one, as Ulster did indeed win comfortably. It was always going to be difficult for Dragons, without their key players and making the difficult trip to Ireland. 

Despite two excellent tries from Jamie Roberts and Ashton Hewitt, Dragons were unable to claw back the deficit as Munster ran away with the victory

For Ulster, that’s three wins out of three and a brilliant start to their campaign. After crossing over five times in the first 40 minutes, it has become evident that Ulster will be going for glory this season. 

BEN’S VERDICT:

“This went pretty much how everyone expected it to go. The Irish side were clear favourites and flexed their muscles as they extended their unbeaten run at the Kingspan. The Dragons rallied late on to get two tries but were convincingly beaten in the end in Belfast.”

MUNSTER 38-27 CARDIFF BLUES – Monday

Easily the most entertaining tie this weekend, the Blues ensured there was a brilliant contest in Ireland, as they were unable to break their curse of failing to win at Thomond Park. 

The Blues were looking very strong, notably Jarrod Evans and Aled Summerhill linking up in fine fashion as they crossed over for their second try. 

Cardiff should have arguably come away with a better result, as despite Willis Halaholo scoring a quite magnificent try, he was given a yellow, which blunted the knife of the Blues’ attack. 

Munster joined their Irish compatriots Ulster and Leinster in securing a third successive win of the campaign. 

DODD’S VERDICT

“The Blues were left empty handed against Munster in Limerick. Plenty of positives were seen, especially in attack with the likes of Rey Lee-Lo and Willis Halaholo at centre.”

PHOTO CREDIT – Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

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REVIEW: Wales 42-0 Italy

by Dylan James

The opening weekend of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations saw quite the start for Wayne Pivac’s men, with an impressive 42-0 demolition at home to Italy. 

Wayne Pivac had some pretty big boots to fill coming into this Six Nations opener, and sure did he fill them with Wales grabbing five tries in Cardiff on Saturday. So, what did we learn from this star-studded performance?

JOSH ADAMS IS WORLD CLASS

The Cardiff Blues wide man was in fine form at the Principality Stadium, getting a hat trick of tries for himself, whilst proving that he wasn’t just a one season wonder. Adams’ speed and execution were impeccable, showing his strength to get over the line despite almost being tackled into touch.

Adams’ grabbed his second of the game following an outrageous Dan Biggar pass through the legs, the 2019 World Cup top try-scorer had the simplest of jobs touching down the ball in the corner.

Josh Adams’ third try of the game came two minutes over the stopwatch. After a number of phases Adams’ came in at an unstoppable angle to bundle the ball over the line, all whilst being held by two Italian players.

Quite the performance to say the least!

NICK TOMPKINS HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE

Debutant Tompkins was called upon pretty early in the game following a Johnny McNicholl concussion assessment, and appeared later on in the game in the place of Hadleigh Parkes.

It wasn’t long after his second appearance that he got his first try for Wales. Following some quite scrappy play in the middle of the park, Tompkins charged forward with a 30-metre sprint, whilst producing a step that Shane Williams would be proud of, to dive under the posts.

The Saracens centre showed Welsh fans what he had in store for them, producing arguably a Man of the Match performance, despite not playing the full 80.

HALFPENNY’S STILL GOT IT 

With 38 Six Nations caps under his belt, Halfpenny provided a world class display, despite being in competition with the injured Liam Williams, and his performance has certainly raised some eyebrows on who’ll take the 15 jersey when Williams gets back to full fitness.

The 31 year-old Scarlets man had magnificent confidence under the high ball, a trait which never seems to fade in quality. Halfpenny’s kick and chase was exquisite as usual, and his clinical finishing in front of the posts was on display again, sharing 2 conversions each with fly half Biggar.

A meticulous Halfpenny conversion from out wide on the 82nd minute concluded a majestic afternoon for Wales.

TIPURIC WILL BE VITAL IN IRELAND CLASH

The 30 year-old openside received the Man of the Match award, which was no easy feat in a game which had an abundance of remarkable displays.

However, Tipuric’s defensive work was crucial in keeping the Italian score at 0. The Ospreys man made 21 tackles, the most in the game by a single player, with a 100% success rate.

Despite Wales’ impressive attacking exploits, the defensive work was just as impressive, and keeping the Irish away from the try line next week in Dublin will arguably be a tougher test, so Tipuric’s involvement will no doubt vital.

LOOKING AHEAD: IRELAND V WALES

This fixture is set to be a goliath clash, with Ireland coming off the back of a nerve-racking 19-12 win over the Scots. Wales’ strength in depth will likely play an important role in the game, with some real quality in the replacements.

The defending champions will be full of confidence following their ruthless victory over Italy, but Ireland will be standing strong on home soil.

K/O is 14:15pm on Saturday, 8th February. 

IMAGE CREDIT- PA IMAGES.

 

 

 

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Wales v Italy – What should Wales’ back line look like?

By James Dodd

It’s that time of the year again, the Guinness Six Nations is almost here. With Wayne Pivac set to take charge of his first test match against Italy, Tee & Eggs takes a look at the potential options in the back line and who we believe should start against the Italians.

Back three 

With Pivac having so many options in this area, it makes it very difficult to decide who should be at full back and on the wing. However, with the news that Liam Williams will miss the match against the Azzurri and likely to return against Ireland in round 2, the door has been opened for Leigh Halfpenny. He has been going well for the Scarlets recently, and is certainly a much more confident player with ball in hand than he has been over the last few years. We don’t even need to go into detail about his defence and kicking, do we?

In terms of who gets the nod on the wing, it will be down to if Pivac wants to play the tried and tested, or give a debut to a certain 19 year old. Josh Adams has been on fire for Wales and the Cardiff Blues, scoring five tries in six appearances. You can say the same for fellow Cardiff player Owen Lane, but due to a hamstring injury, he has been released from the squad. However, the Gloucester sensation Louis Rees-Zammit will be on everyone’s minds come the day of the team announcement. His unbelievable pace and ability to finish will certainly trouble the away side. The only question would be his defensive capabilities. Will they be exposed on the international stage?

There is also the option of Johnny McNicholl and George North in the starting xv, which is why this is set to be one of the hardest decisions.

Our pick – 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Josh Adams, 11 Louis Rees-Zammit

Jonathan Davies and Willis Halaholo missing the entire championship due to a knee injury , and Owen Watkin missing the start for the same reason has really opened the door for the centre partnership. You would expect the powerful and direct runner Hadleigh Parkes to start at 12, but who should join him at 13?

Centres

The two main options Pivac will have is uncapped Nick Tompkins and British and Irish Lion George North. North has played 13 in the past for Wales and currently has that role in Swansea. He will offer a strong carry to the Italian defensive line, as well as helping the Welsh midfield in defence. With that being said, Tompkins will offer more flair for the Welsh back line, something that could likely be better against a side like Italy, but maybe not against the likes of Ireland and England.

Our pick – 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 13 George North

Half backs

The scrum half position is probably one of the biggest debates in Wales at the moment, with Rhys Webb returning to the Welsh squad since the autumn of 2017. There are reports that the 33 capped player could leave his club Toulon with immediate effect, meaning he will not be attached to a club side for the campaign. The likelihood of this having any impact on him on the field will be small. However, with Gareth Davies being Wales’ starting nine consistently over the last 18 months, you would feel the Scarlet deserves to be on the pitch from the 1st minute on the 1st February. Then of course there is Tomos Williams, who has had a year to remember for the Cardiff Blues and Wales. However, two starts in his last nine matches for Wales (not including the Barbarians fixture), is a statistic he will like to change come the end of March.

The famous 10 jersey is one that this year will have one man dominant – that man being Dan Biggar – especially after serious injuries to Rhys Patchell and Gareth Anscombe, The Northampton player had 87% goal kicking accuracy and 86% tackling success rate for Wales in 2019. He slotted a last minute penalty for Northampton away against Benetton last November and looks so calm in everything he does. His attack is still questionable at times, but he is finding ways to be like no other 10. Unless an unfortunate injury comes into play, Jarrod Evans and Owen Williams will be competing for the spot on the bench.

Our picks – 9 Gareth Davies, 10 Dan Biggar

(Image credits: Ben Evans/Huw Evans Agency)

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Parkes and North? Parkes and Adams? Who will Pivac go for at 13?

By Dylan James

JONATHAN Davies’ knee injury against Fiji last year sent ructions throughout the Welsh rugby fan base, with a very particular question brewing, who will start at 13 come February?

Supporters weren’t only concerned about their ambitions to be World champions, but their likelihood of retaining the Six Nations with Davies being ruled out for up to six months. 

Ospreys’ Owen Watkin would be the obvious choice to start at outside centre for the defending champions, but after needing knee surgery in December last year, Watkin was ruled out for up to eight weeks, leaving options pretty scarce in that department. 

Traditional wingers George North and Josh Adams have been the subject of much debate on social media linking them to the centre role and a potential partnership with Hadleigh Parkes. 

North has started his last two games for the Ospreys in the outside centre position, however, fans aren’t confident he can fill the void left by Jon Davies. 

However, with North boasting 91 caps and four of those in the centre position, Wayne Pivac may have to opt for the Ospreys man in a pairing with Parkes. 

Speaking to the BBC, North explained, ”Obviously I’m a wing, but I played most of my age grade stuff at centre and I have done for Wales a couple of times. ” With North happy to play in the position, it would seem a no brainer, wouldn’t it?

Well that’s not the case, with Cardiff Blues newboy and World Cup superstar Josh Adams on red-hot form, it becomes a split decision between Adams and North at centre. 

The regions have clearly been putting in the groundwork for Wales, with Ospreys starting North in the midfield. The Blues were due to replicate this idea with Adams but opted out of the decision due to a Hallam Amos injury, therefore Adams was required to slot back in on the wing. 

Adams was in the form of his life last year, being in the spotlight during the Grand Slam winning Six Nations team and reaching the World Cup semi finals with Wales, finishing as top scorer. However, this form has all come from the wing, and without a great deal of experience in the 13 role, you would imagine Pivac will opt for North.

Owen Watkin is due to return in time for the France game on February 22nd at the Principality, however his involvement will largely depend on how effective either Adams or North are in the opening two fixtures. 

It will be interesting to see whether the two wingmen will solidify a centre role or whether Watkin will take the jersey back, especially when Wales face up against England at Twickenham on March 7th. 

 

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Injury scare for Wales ahead of Six Nations defence as Louis Rees-Zammit limps off

By Ben Jones

Wales new boy Louis Rees-Zammit has caused a scare for his country ahead of their Six Nations title defense as he limped off in Gloucester’s 35-14 loss to Toulouse.

The 18 year old had to leave the Stade Ernest Wallon on crutches with an ice pack attached to his calf, after hobbling off minutes before the interval.

Having received news earlier in the week that he [Rees-Zammit] had been included in Wayne Pivac’s first Six Nations squad, an injury just weeks before the tournament is due to start could cause a dilemma for Pivac and his coaching staff.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales head coach Wayne Pivac has named his first #GuinnessSixNations squad, including five uncapped players.

📋 WillGriff John, Will Rowlands, Nick Tompkins, Johnny McNicholl a Louis Rees-Zammit yw’r chwaraewyr di-gap yn y garfan.

📰 https://t.co/DlUgkpX1CP #HWFN pic.twitter.com/cK4C0iquq8— Welsh Rugby Union 🏉 (@WelshRugbyUnion) January 15, 2020

The good news continued for Rees-Zammit [following his call up] as he ran in an early try to put Gloucester 7-0 to the good against their French counterparts. Things then, obviously, took a turn for the worse.

Glocuester’s loss in Toulouse ended their hopes of making the Champions Cup knockout stages, and coach Johan Ackermann had a few words to say on his youthful winger’s injury.

“The extent of the injury we still have to determine and that will take a few hours to settle.

“Obviously he had to leave, he couldn’t run on it.”

Ackermann continued: “He can be proud of what he’s achieved so far and he mustn’t let that get him down.”

Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts:

Anyway more important things happened today Louis Rees- Zammit left the field injured, devastated. Can’t cope.— Ross Jones (@RossJones1992) January 19, 2020

Louis Rees-Zammit on crutches. Not a good sight.https://t.co/ykM1JYt6Qu— Simon Thomas (@simonrug) January 19, 2020

Oh no! Must admit though as an Englishman, I wasn’t looking forward to him carving up our midfield like a Christmas turkey.— Beef (@Martin1Luke) January 19, 2020

With the Six Nations under two weeks away, Zammit will no doubt be eager to get back on the field as soon as possible. Zammit and Welsh fans alike will be hopeful that he can make a name for himself in the red jersey.

IMAGE CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

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