A look at the big deals the Welsh regions have pulled off
THIS week has already seen a big Welsh rugby deal done, with Jonah Holmes signing for the Dragons on a long-term contract.
It was one of many well-trailed deals to finally be sorted, but what of the others?
There’s more than a few big moves close to completion.
But who is going where, what’s the reason behind the moves and do any of them have benefits for Wales as well as the regions involved?
Here’s the biggest deals yet to be done...
Nick Tompkins
Since bursting onto the Test scene earlier this year, Nick Tompkins’ future has constantly been discussed.
Now looking like a long-term answer for Wales in midfield, it was always going to be the case that sooner or later he’d have to leave Saracens and come back to Wales.
The Scarlets were initially linked before the Cardiff Blues became the front-runners.
The English club’s problems off the field only increased the odds Tompkins would be heading back over the bridge – with the defending European and Premiership champions banished to the Championship for next season.
However, Tompkins’ current deal with Saracens is understood to run beyond 2022 and it seems the 25-year-old isn’t ready to leave the club permanently just yet.
And that’s where a season-long loan deal comes into the equation.
A move to the Dragons is expected to be announced in the next week.
Having him at a region would suit Wayne Pivac, with the new Wales coach keen on getting exiles back playing in Wales – while he would be available for all training sessions and out-of-window matches.
But how much rugby the Rodney Parade region would see from him, given Test rugby could dominate the calendar when rugby returns, remains to be seen.
Cory Hill
The Wales lock’s rise since making his debut in 2016 has been remarkable.
Less than two years after his first cap, he was captaining his country in the summer of 2018. All of this was done while playing for the Dragons. However, it’s been announced that the 28-year-old will be leaving Rodney Parade ahead of next season.
His destination is all but confirmed, with a move to the Cardiff Blues on the cards. Swapping Newport for Cardiff is unlikely to have any great effect on his Wales credentials, given his high stock in the national team at the moment.
A return to the region where he played academy rugby could see his game grow under new coaches and fresh challenges. As for the Blues, they’ve been desperate for a quality lock for some time now. Hill certainly fits the bill.
Rhys Carre
It wasn’t all that long ago that Rhys Carre was saying his farewells to his team-mates in Cardiff, with a move to Saracens set to help the young prop round out his game and grow as a player. However, his new club went through some rather high-profile issues in his first season there and it seems likely that Carre will be heading back to the Arms Park some time soon. As with Hill, nothing is official yet, but the Blues have made a point of not announcing anything at the current time.
While Carre likely went to Saracens to learn from others and grow, a return to Wales certainly has its benefits. For starters, Carre will be available for all Wales squad sessions and out-of-window matches, enhancing his international prospects. And whereas he often was
on the periphery in London, you’d expect the eight-cap international to be a regular starter in Cardiff. Johnny Williams
With Hadleigh Parkes, Kieron Fonotia and Cory Baldwin all departing, the Scarlets are in desperate need of some midfield reinforcements.
Wales international Tyler Morgan has arrived from the Dragons and a fresh start for him could reinvigorate his career at both domestic and international level.
And it’s looking increasingly likely another Welsh-qualified centre will be joining Morgan at Parc y Scarlets.
Johnny Williams is set to join from Newcastle Falcons. Having been a part of the England U20s side that featured at the 2016 World Championships, he also made an appearance in an uncapped match for
England against the Barbarians last summer. However, Pivac had already identified him as a potential Wales international at this point and having the 23-year-old, who made his return to rugby this January after being diagnosed with testicular cancer at the start of the season, back in Wales can only be a good thing for his Test chances. In sight, in mind and all that.
But before all that, signing on the dotted line and then subsequently impressing for the Scarlets will be on the to-do list.
Owen Williams
Not every deal yet to be done will benefit Wales. Just as Hadleigh Parkes has decided to head to Japan, Gloucester playmaker Owen Williams is expected to do the same.
The Dragons and Ospreys had been speculatively linked, but it looks like the three-cap international is ready to turn his back on a Test career that seemingly begun and ended in 2017.
He was called into the Six Nations squad by Wayne Pivac this year, but a hamstring injury ruled him out of contention.
Many had called for a playmaking option in midfield for some time before Williams impressed in the latter part of 2017. Unfortunately, that same autumn, Parkes qualified for Wales and made the 12 jersey his own.
A fourth cap never came thanks to Parkes’ hold on the position and Williams’ own awful luck with injuries.
In theory, it would have been nice to see him return to Wales and challenge for the jersey under Pivac. But given the current climate, you can’t begrudge him for taking a good deal in Japan.