Humphreys sets the record straight over autumn games and Six Nations
AS far as Wales are concerned, they couldn’t have been any clearer or shouted the message any louder.
The Autumn Nations Cup and the Six Nations were very different projects for them.
One was about building, one was about winning.
They took the flak while doing the former and they are now taking the plaudits for doing the latter.
While the autumn campaign brought four defeats in six matches – and a barrage of criticism – the Championship has delivered four straight wins.
Wales are now just one step away from the Grand Slam as they prepare to take on France in Paris on Saturday night.
You won’t hear them saying “We told you so” or claiming vindication for their strategy.
But it was certainly revealing to hear the thoughts of forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys on the subject.
“We kept on saying all the way through the autumn what the autumn was, but nobody wanted to listen,” said the former Wales skipper.
“I understand international rugby, but we took that tournament to be something else.
“We said – we couldn’t have shouted it any louder – this is about building depth. You have got to take what comes with that.
“Everything else that goes along with it outside is irrelevant really. You can’t control what is said outside.
“But we had believe within us that when we came to the Six Nations and picked our best available team that we would be very competitive.
“On top of that, the people that had the experience of playing in the autumn have been invaluable to us and allowed us to create momentum.
“If you look at the lineout, for example, in the autumn, we had four different callers, three different hookers.
“It was a process we wanted to go through to get to where we needed to be.”
That lineout is now functioning hugely effectively and has played a big part in Wales reeling off four successive Six Nations victories.
“This tournament was about winning. We never talked about anything else other than that,” said Humphreys.
“Obviously, it’s been good so far for us. Those first two games were massive in terms of momentum. We won them and it’s sort of grown from there.
“But it’s never been a feeling of ‘Oh great, that’s job done.’
“It’s always we need to be better to beat the next team and that’s the feeling we have now.”
So what’s the mood in the camp with the Grand Slam in their sights?
“There is a buzz about it, an excitement that we are in the hunt for a big prize,” said Humphreys.
“Games like this don’t come along very often. We are looking forward to going out there and having a crack at an extremely good team.
“So there’s excitement, but it’s very much contained by the fact we have a huge game in front of us and we need to be better than we have been in all the games before this.”
As for the team to play in Paris, Humphreys revealed Wales are facing a selection poser over the No.4 shirt – Adam Beard or Cory Hill?
Beard excelled in the opening three games, but then sat out the meeting with Italy after taking a couple of bangs against England, with Hill stepping up to the plate in impressive fashion having previously showed up
well off the bench.
“It’s about how you want to start the game and how you want to finish it,” said former hooker Humphreys.
“There are two different people that fit that bill. We are equally comfortable with either one of them starting the game.
“We are very lucky to have two people who are as capable in running the lineout. Both of them have been excellent the way they run our lineout.
“They just provide something slightly different outside that, not a lot, but just something slightly different which bends your way to starting and coming off and playing a big chunk of the game.
“They both have certain strengths that fit how you want to start the game sometimes and how you want to finish it.
“We are lucky that we have that balance. It’s brilliant.”
On how the final decision will be made, Humphreys said: “When it comes to selection, you have your say.
“There are three or four people that have got an opinion and it’s up to the big guy Wayne to settle on that at the end.
“It’s a good process, but it’s all about what’s best for the team.”
Former skipper Humphreys confirmed that scrum-half Tomos Williams is now available again having recovered from the hamstring injury he picked up in the Six Nations opener against Ireland.
Williams could now come into the equation for a place in the 23 for Paris, with Gareth Davies and Lloyd Williams the other No 9s in the mix.
“We have a full bill of health,” said Humphreys.
“We have everybody fit and ready to be selected.”
Meanwhile, Ken Owens says Pivac deserves credit for sticking to his coaching philosophies as Wales continue their charge for a Six Nations Grand Slam.
“He’s stuck to his guns, believed in his philosophy, and tweaked things along the way,” he said.
“It’s been a tough transition for him stepping into the job after the great work Gats did over the last 10 years,” said Owens.
“It was never going to be an easy job and there have been some early teething problems.
“We look at things after every campaign and I’m glad he’s backed the squad, players and management.
“The players and staff have done the same with him and we’ve got an ‘all in it together’ mentality. We’ve got some results on the board and hopefully we’re on the verge of a bit of history.
“Foundations were put in during the last Six Nations and Wayne and coaches blooded young players in the autumn campaign which we’ve benefitted from and will continue to do so.
“It comes down to everyone trusting and backing each other and working hard. We have had little bit of luck along the way, but you have to capitalise on that.”
CARDIFF City were held to a 0-0 stalemate by Stoke City on an evening which dealt the Bluebirds’ play-off hopes another dent.
The Potters had to survive a barrage of late chances, two of which Kieffer Moore will be mightily disappointed he did not convert, to come away from the Welsh capital with a point.
The draw means Cardiff have won six points in five games and, at this stage of the season, it appears their bubble might have burst at just the wrong time.
There were a few changes for City and it just disrupted their rhythm early on.
Tom Sang came in on the righthand side as Perry Ng swapped flanks and Ciaron Brown dropped into centre back to fill the void left by the injured Curtis Nelson.
But it saw City distinctly lack in clarity and coherence in the early exchanges. They didn’t know when to go wide, when to lump it up or even when to press.
Stoke sensed that and seized the initiative, arguably having the better of the two side’s early chances.
The best of the lot came when
Steven Fletcher connected with a low cross to drill it towards Dillon Phillips, who did brilliantly to parry it away. But Jordan Thompson then blasted the follow-up at goal, only for Ng, on the goal line, to deny him.
Cardiff were reduced to shots from range from the likes of Leandro Bacuna and Sang, but Stoke continued to look the most likely.
After a poor Aden Flint pass, Fletcher was slotted through the middle before he laid it off into the path of Nick Powell.
The former Manchester United man burst through on goal and, one on one with Phillips, looked certain to hand the Potters the lead, but bent his shot narrowly past the far post.
The first half had three extra minutes owing to an ugly head collision between Brown and Fletcher, which eventually saw the latter rightly taken off as a means of precaution.
And Cardiff needed all those extra minutes to fashion their best chance of the half. After Moore had earned a free-kick in a dangerous area, Will Vaulks whipped in a wicked set piece towards the back post, where Sean Morrison was wide open and waiting.
However, the City skipper missed his volley at the back post, a glaring opportunity, and that spelt the end of the half.
Thankfully for the hosts, they started the second half better than the first, but clear-cut chances were still at a real premium.
Until the hour mark, the only sniff they had came by virtue of a Bacuna volley from outside the box which was deflected over the bar and a Ng piledriver which was blocked by a body of Potters defenders.
But they were growing in confidence, of that there was no doubt, and Stoke were forced to defend deeper.
Moore was the next to go close after a Vaulks long throw, which dropped at the back post, only for his compatriot to volley over from just yards out.
As the game went on, the Bluebirds’
plan of attack was more blatant. Vaulks’ long throw was a big weapon and there was more emphasis than usual on the setpiece threat.
Then came the golden chance to win in. On the counter, Jonny Williams burst through the middle on halfway before the ball found its way to Bacuna. He slotted a lovely through ball to Moore, who was one on one with the goalkeeper, but a heavy touch saw the ball dribble straight into the hands of Adam Davies.
Then just a minute later, Sang lofted a ball over the top of the defender and Moore was through once again, but this time he fluffed his lines when he hit a weak, left