DAVIES FACING FRESH BATTLES
WALES coach Wayne Pivac has made Jonathan Davies’s international future crystal clear – even if that may not align with how the Scarlets see it.
The two-time Lions tourist was not named in the matchday 23 to face Australia at the end of the autumn series, marking perhaps the first time in his illustrious Test career that he’s not been selected for a big match when fully fit.
However, with the centre now 33 and having suffered serious injuries in the past few years, there were fears that not featuring could mark the beginning of the end for the man agonisingly perched on 99 Test caps for Wales and the Lions.
Pivac insists that isn’t the case and that there’s no doubt that Davies will notch up his century, adding that the decision not to play him was to get a better look at Willis Halaholo in midfield.
“I can’t speak on his behalf but what I can tell you is that we’ve had conversations and Jonathan understands exactly why we’re making these selections,” said Pivac when asked about Davies’s mindset as he battles against more midfield competition than at any other time in his Test career.
And, looking at the bigger picture, Pivac believes it isn’t likely the 2017 Lions man of the series will be walking away from the game any time soon.
“He knows that we’ve got a World Cup that we’re working back from and he’s desperate to play at that World Cup,” he added.
“He believes he’s got something to contribute and offer, otherwise I believe he would retire.
“Jonathan has got something to offer in our view and that’s why he’s in the squad. We’ll just have to wait and see how things pan out for the Six Nations.
“If I was a betting man, I wouldn’t bet on Jonathan Davies walking away too soon.”
However, while Pivac is adamant that Davies does still have plenty to offer at Test level, there is a minor caveat.
And that is that, while Davies has been Wales’s only choice at 13 for a decade, it’s one position inwards that he’s now viewed as by his coaches.
Put simply, they want to see more of him in a No. 12 shirt.
“As much as he wants to play, he understands the reasoning,” said Pivac.
“We’ve spoken to Jonathan and he knows what’s expected of him when he goes back to club rugby.
“He’ll want to get a run of games, as he did from the middle of the Six
Nations on. He had three games and if you looked at his performance against France in the No. 12 jersey, it was outstanding.
“We know what Jonathan can do in the 12 jersey.
“With the centre injuries, we pushed Jonathan to 13 but our intention was to play him at 12 before the squad came together.
“He’s put the team first and he’s doing that again.
“He’ll go away and we just hope he gets plenty of opportunities in the 12 jersey to show everyone what he can do.”
There’s just one small issue. While that’s clearly the position Pivac and his coaching staff have marked out for him with Wales, as demonstrated by the job he did there not only in the Six Nations, but during the summer, it’s not so clear that his Scarlets coach Dwayne Peel will share the same opinion.
With Scott Williams and Johnny Williams both vying for the 12 jersey, it’s hard to see Davies getting too much time at inside centre at his region, which does muddy the waters a touch when it comes to him proving his worth in the position.
How much of a difference will that really make?
Well, it’s certainly hard to see Davies missing out on a Wales squad in the new year just because he’s plying his trade at 13, not 12. Even Warren Gatland would have balked at such a bold move.
But with the likes of Halaholo, Nick Tompkins and Johnny Williams all pushing hard for an inside centre spot, while the 13 jersey still floats around in uncertainty as Pivac toys with the idea of moving another winger – Josh Adams – there to replicate the successful George North experiment, it’s hardly ideal for Davies.
For now, though, talk of the sun setting on his Test career just yet is a little premature.
Particularly when, in the absence of Alun Wyn Jones, Davies offers an experience in camp that few can match.
“He has a big input off the field, he’s a senior player,” added Pivac.
“He understands that we always put the team first.”