Legend Jiffy hopes Gat’s Slam-chasers can turn off-field worries into a positive against Scots
JONATHAN DAVIES has called on Wales to circle the wagons and turn the adversity of a “crazy” week to their advantage.
The Welsh legend cannot believe his country’s Grand Slam build- up has been disrupted by controversy and unrest within its domestic game.
The on-off merger between Scarlets and Ospreys has completely overshadowed preparations to face Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.
TV pundit ‘Jiffy’ despairs at how the game in the Principality has shot itself in the foot with a Grand Slam potentially little more than a week away.
“It’s crazy and it’s getting even crazier,” said Davies (right) as Scarlets issued a statement declaring g the proposed merger r to be now “off the table”.
“The timing of it doesn’t help at all. The whole thing is such a shambles. It may very well have hindered the boys’ preparation and thought-process.
“But as a player my motto was, ‘ Don’t worry about what you can’t control’ – and my hope is that this might focus their attention.” Davies, who lit up the Wales team in the 1980s and 90s eithe either side of an equally su successful spell in r rugby league, insists this is not just wishful thinking on h his part.
“It’s how I thought t when I was playing,” he e added. “These boys can’t t control the outside stuff and d what the hell’s happening.
“But the Wales set-up is s the one place they can forget t about it and focus their r energy on the job at hand.”
It is hard to believe it is only 12 days since Wales was united in jubilation after beating England to move two points clear at the top of the Six Nations table.
“It was a hell of a performance and a hell of a win,” added Davies. “They matched England physically, they had two opportunities and took both of them.” He Wales England Ireland France Scotland Italy 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 0
D0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 marvelled at the maturity of a side not just winning for a national record 12th successive time, but demonstrating an understanding of how to beat the best teams.
That momentum has now been punctured and even England have now voiced sympathy for Warren Gatland.
71 47 0 12 “I wouldn’t like to be in his 89 49 2 10 shoes,” John Mitchell said of 68 61 19 his former Kiwi house-mate. 54 78 2 6 “Distractions and external 56 69 1 5 factors are very challenging. 51 85 0 0
“You use your experience to make sure you focus on what’s important for the good of the team. It can be difficult, but Gats is smart enough to deal with that.”
A