The magic number... 38 Welsh stars are in an elite group picked by Pivac but which regions are they with?
IT’S a number you will have heard mentioned a lot in Welsh rugby over the last year – 38.
That’s how many players figure in the allimportant elite group chosen by Wales coach Wayne Pivac.
It’s significant for a couple of key reasons. It shows which players are very much in Pivac’s thoughts in terms of selection and it also has a big bearing on the budgets of the four regions.
Under the new funding formula introduced last year, the WRU pay 80 per cent of the salaries of the elite 38.
It’s replaced the old dual contract system, under which the Union paid 60 per cent of the wages of a select group of players, with the regions paying the remaining 40 per cent.
The 38 are all home-based and they remain contracted to the regions.
Their wages are decided by a panel when they come out of contract, as part of the WRU pay-banding system.
The 80 per cent contribution from the Union makes up tier one of the overall pot of money available for the professional game.
The more players the regions have in the 38, the better off they are financially, as they only have to pay 20 per cent of their wages, freeing up money to spend on other personnel. It means elite players are now prize property and why you see a scramble for their services when they become available.
Not only do they enhance your squad and give you a better chance of pushing for silverware, but they are also an attractive proposition financially.
So that’s how the system works, but further detail has proved elusive.
The make-up of the 38 has never been made public in terms of which players are on the list and it’s not entirely clear how often it is updated. Nailing it down exactly is a challenge and requires a certain amount of guesswork.
But what I can tell you is how many players each region has on board at present.
The Scarlets lead the way with 14, Cardiff Blues provide 11, the Ospreys 8 and the Dragons 5.
So the next question is which players are on the list?
As I say, they are all home-based, so it doesn’t include the likes of Dan Biggar, Taulupe Faletau, Tomas Francis, WillGriff John and Louis Rees-Zammit, who are plying their trade over the border.
Those exiles aside, it’s essentially the group of regional players that Pivac will look to utilise during the hectic autumn schedule and the next Six Nations.
So let’s try and work it out region by region... The Scarlets (14)
The west Wales side have the biggest contingent, reflecting both their player development and the strength of their squad.
You can name the bulk of the group pretty easily.
Clearly, it’s going to include the likes of Ken Owens, Jonathan Davies, Leigh Halfpenny, Gareth Davies and the returning Liam Williams.
Then you’ve got fellow internationals Jake Ball, Rob Evans, Wyn Jones, Aaron Shingler, Rhys Patchell, James Davies, Ryan Elias and Johnny McNicholl.
That makes 13 and you may well then be looking at one of Steff Evans or Samson Lee to complete the set.
Cardiff Blues (11)
Cory Hill’s arrival from the Dragons and the return of Rhys Carre from Saracens has added to the elite numbers at the Arms Park.
They will be joined in the 38 by Josh Adams, Tomos Williams, Josh Navidi and Dillon Lewis, who have all figured prominently for Wales over the past year.
Then you’ve got Jarrod Evans, Owen Lane and Hallam Amos, plus Ellis Jenkins who will hopefully be back in action before too long after almost two years out with a horrendous knee injury.
You are probably looking at one of Seb Davies or Willis Halaholo to round off the 11.
Ospreys (8)
As ever, the first name you put down is Alun Wyn Jones, with Justin Tipuric and George North swiftly added.
Rhys Webb is also on board, having returned to the region from Toulon, via a spell at Bath, with Owen Watkin, Adam Beard, Nicky Smith and the sidelined Gareth Anscombe likely completing the contingent.
Dragons (5)
This one is a bit trickier to work out as there are a few different contenders.
Ross Moriarty, Aaron Wainwright and Elliot Dee would be definites, with Leon Brown also likely included.
Nick Tompkins doesn’t come into the equation as he is on a one-year loan deal from Saracens.
So then it’s a question of whether Will Rowlands is perhaps the fifth name.
The lock’s move from Wasps hasn’t been confirmed yet, but the word is it’s a done deal and he’s going to be part of the 38.