Wales captain may be destined to lift Webb Ellis Cup: White
World Cup-winning coach Jake White says Alun Wyn Jones may be destined to lift the Rugby World Cup trophy and join the sport’s legends. Jones will lead Wales into the semi-final against South Africa on Sunday.
White guided South Africa to 2007 World Cup glory and says Jones can emulate past winning skippers Richie McCaw, Francois Pienaar and John Eales.
“Look at Alun Wyn Jones, I really believe he can do it, he is the real deal and a great captain,” said White.
England lock legend Martin Johnson was another dominant figure when they won the 2003 title in Sydney.
White, now coaching Japan side Toyota Verblitz, said of Jones: “He is the most improved rugby player during the time they have played Test rugby that I’ve ever seen. “I don’t think people foresaw what he would do for Welsh rugby when he started.
“He has become one of the great Welsh players of all time with what he has achieved as a Lions and Wales captain.
“I’d say it is far beyond what even
Liam Williams has been ruled out of the World Cup and will miss Wales’s semi-final with South Africa after the full-back picked up an ankle injury in training. Warren Gatland’s side will take on the Springboks in Yokohama tomorrow, but Williams will not feature. It is a huge blow to Wales’ chances of reaching the last two. The 28-year-old has emerged as one of the leading full-backs in world rugby in the last year and has been in fine form in Japan. Williams trained with Wales on Wednesday, but it is understood he suffered an ankle problem in that day’s afternoon session after it was closed to the watching media.
Leigh Halfpenny will step in at full-back against South Africa.
Head coach Gatland is in his final campaign as Wales head coach, but his team’s prospects of beating the southern hemisphere side have been diminished by injury.
Williams will be unavailable, flanker Josh Navidi has already been ruled out with a grade two hamstring tear, and there are real he could have dreamed of. “He’s the heartbeat of Wales and if he is there then Wales have got a chance.”
Wales were disappointing in the 20-19 quarter-final win against a France side that had lock Sebastien Vahaamahina sent off. White thinks that performance can galvanise Warren Gatland’s team.
“There are a lot of positives you get out of that win over France,” said White.
“I think South Africa would have preferred to play against France as they would not have had Vahaamahina. doubts over centres Hadleigh Parkes and Jonathan Davies being fit enough to start. Parkes and Davies have been struggling with hand, shoulder and knee injuries respectively. Davies was a late withdrawal from Wales’ quarter-final win over France and has been training with his left leg heavily strapped for more than a week.
Even if Parkes and Davies do start against South Africa, Wales’s side will have a patched-up feel to it and Williams’ absence will certainly reduce Gatland’s attacking options.
The only consolation for Wales fans is that their team has a man of the class of Halfpenny in reserve. With 84 Wales caps and three British & Irish Lions tours under his belt, the 30-year-old Halfpenny is an experienced campaigner, one of the best positional full-backs in the world, and a reliable kicker.
“South Africa have got a much tougher semi-final now and I am sure Gats will be giving it to Wales this week, telling them they were close to going home and they had better get it right this weekend. “The fact they were so pushed to beat France means they will get a massive amount of confidence from that.
“Looking at Dan Biggar’s body language when they won, the way he reacted and got the crowd going, that’s why I think Wales can do it.” Wales have won the past four matches against South Africa since the Springboks defeated Gatland’s side in the 2015 quarter-final at Twickenham.
“They’ve had South Africa’s number for a while,” said White. “Everyone will have done their homework on who they would have wanted to play in the run-up to the final, but Wales would have always known they’d get SA in the semifinal.
“What I’d fear as a SA coach is that Wales weren’t great last weekend but they got over the line. That means a lot when you are looking for momentum.”