New skipper Davies can help make Wales’ year
THE WELSH train keeps chugging along. Win today and, before the England match in a fortnight, a year will have passed since Warren Gatland’s men last lost.
The victory is not in doubt, despite ten changes from last week and a new captain, Jonathan Davies. Italy have not won a tournament match here for six years.
After this clash, it will be full steam ahead for Wales to face the old enemy at the Principality Stadium and what could yet prove to be a Six Nations decider at the end of the month.
For now, Davies skippers for the first time on the occasion of his 70th cap, and is out to etch his mark in history, equalling the Welsh record for consecutive wins.
‘It is a huge honour,’ said the 30-year-old centre (below).
‘Any time you put on the red jersey of Wales, it is an honour. There is added responsibility but I am looking forward to it.
‘I like to think I won’t be shouting or raving — but if it is needed, it is needed.’
There have been some friendly digs from Davies’s team-mates. Full-back Liam Williams joked: ‘I’ve been calling him “craptain” all week!’
Williams then paid tribute to his fellow British and Irish Lion.
‘I like Foxy (Davies) a lot off the pitch, as well as on it,’ he said. ‘He will be a good captain. He will step up to the mark to replace Alun Wyn Jones.’
Davies wants to gift his father the perfect birthday present with a win as skipper.
‘My dad was 60 on Tuesday, so my parents went from Paris through Switzerland on the Glacier Express,’ he explained.
‘I think they’ve had a great week. They’ve been a huge part of where I am today. To have my family out here is great.’
Family is something of a theme here, as Thomas Young becomes the fourth son of a Six Nations-playing father to run out in the tournament.
After Owen and Andy Farrell, Romain and Emile Ntamack and Damian and Alain Penaud, Thomas follows his dad, Wasps director of rugby Dai, into the Welsh shirt. And this week, the coaches have been emphasising to him, along with Aaron Wainwright, Jonah Holmes and Aled Davies — all on their first Six Nations starts — to seize their opportunity. Gatland said: ‘When you pick a squad, there are always two or three players considered to be unlucky to miss out. ‘We picked Thomas because we wanted to assess where he was and give him that Wales shirt chance. We haven’t spoken about expectation, it’s about making an impression and enjoying it. Hopefully he takes his opportunity.’ With their camp in Nice, between two away games, Wales have looked to use this as a trial run for when they face Fiji and Uruguay four days apart at the World Cup. Hence the changes, which Italy captain Sergio Parisse does not think weaken the Welsh. ‘From the point of view of a player, it is a dangerous mindset to be in if you are more motivated to face a side that has made changes,’ he said. That is not a good place to be. ‘For us, it doesn’t matter whether Wales have made ten, 15, 11 or three changes. ‘They are still a very strong side and we will have to be at our best to beat them. ‘But we go into the game with belief. The most important thing is the whole 80 minutes against a big side in Wales who are (ranked) fourth in the world. ‘They won in France not playing their best rugby, so we know that Wales are a very dangerous side.’