Gatland hails new Wales captain Owens
Warren Gatland said Ken Owens’ “outstanding rugby intellect” lay behind his decision to appoint the Scarlets hooker as Wales captain for the Six Nations.
Owens, who has won 86 caps for his country, is set to lead Wales for the first time in their tournament opener against Ireland in Cardiff on Feb 4.
Gatland, returning for a second spell as Wales coach after his fellow New Zealander Wayne Pivac was sacked last month, had several other options as skipper including former Test captains Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Biggar and Justin Tipuric.
The former British and Irish Lions boss also thought about installing a younger captain as part of a longterm plan.
But with a World Cup in France coming up later this year, he settled on the 36-year-old Owens.
“Looking at the squad, I think if we are picking a team, if you look at the way he [Owens] played in the autumn and how he came back from injury, he is probably number one in that position,” Gatland said after naming his Six Nations squad on Tuesday.
“I did contemplate whether we picked a young captain and looked at that for the future.
“Talking to the other coaches, there are probably a few contenders post the World Cup, where there will be significant change to the squad.”
Gatland added: “I have a huge amount of respect for Ken as a person and I’m sure he’ll be popular with the players.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve, has an outstanding rugby intellect and he relates well with people.”
Gatland has returned following a woeful 2022 for Wales that yielded just three wins and included losses at home to both Italy and Georgia.
MCCONNOCHIE PICKED
Former England wing Ruaridh McConnochie was named in Scotland’s 40-man squad for the Six Nations on Tuesday.
McConnochie, 31, was capped twice by England in 2019, featuring against the United States at the World Cup in Japan.
But World Rugby’s eligibility rules allow a capped player to switch allegiance to another country for which they are eligible following a three-year cooling-off period.
The Bath back’s change follows a similar switch by former Australiaturned-Scotland international Jack Dempsey, who made his Dark Blues debut earlier this season, with McConnochie now opting to represent the nation of his father’s birth.
With fellow wing Darcy Graham injured, McConnochie could make his Scotland debut against England in their Six Nations opener at Twickenham on Feb 4.