‘I think it’s been brilliant for out about the people who can
hadn’t trained all week because of some issues with both feet. For a tighthead to go 75 minutes while covering two bad feet was an incredible job for us. It just makes us go deeper, try and find solutions and you find out about people.
Q: Have you considered calling up a tighthead?
JH: The people outside who could possibly be called in are all injured as well. It’s one of those. It is a testing time.
In terms of resources, we are probably as deep as we can go in nearly all positions there.
The tanks right now are low, but I know that come the weekend we are going to be right and we are going to be ready for the fight, which it is going to be, against one of the best teams in the world, coached by one of the best coaches in the world.
Q: So do you have a loosehead able to cover tighthead if WGJ and Tomas Francis are both ruled out? JH: We’ve had Wyn Jones who covered tighthead in the last World Cup, so we would be in that situation if it comes that way.
It is what it is. I’m sure we’ll find a way to find a way to fight our way out of it.
Q: Wyn Jones hasn’t started the last two games. What are your thoughts on how he is going? JH: We’ve come into the autumn playing a lot less games than we would normally. We’ve come into the toughest campaign Wales has ever had in an autumn.
There are a variety of factors which go on with people who turn up not in the best shape they could be in; limited pre-seasons, stuff going on off the field.
What you’re seeing with Wyn is he has made significant progress over this period of time. He’s worked hard and he understands he wasn’t where he needed to be, but he’s desperate to get back there.
Wyn is a huge player for us – he’s a Lions loosehead. He was a big player for us in last year’s Six Nations.
There has been a lot of onus on people who are undercooked trying to fight their way back into form and he’s certainly down the road to where he needs to be. He’s a lot more confident in himself.
Q: With Will Rowlands likely to miss out, does Seb Davies come into the equation at lock after featuring on the blindside in the last three games?
JH: He’s definitely an option for us.
Coming into this tournament, we’ve lost Cory Hill and Jake Ball, then we’ve had Alun Wyn Jones’ injury, so that’s 250 caps gone there.
So it was all about trying to develop who was going to give us our stock. We wanted to try Seb at 6, we need to develop a hybrid role, especially going to the World Cup.
We people who can cover both positions. So we have been trying to find about Seb as a 6, but he’s certainly a factor for us at 4, simply because our resources are pretty down to the bare bones there.
Q: Could we see Christ Tshiunza involved again following his debut against Fiji?
JH: Yes, I think so. It was brilliant to see a 19-year-old kid come on the field and almost get a standing ovation for making his debut.
I thought he was very, very positive in what he did. I think we’re going to see him again soon.
Q: How do you reflect on the autumn campaign so far?
JH: When you take it into context, who have 15 front-line forwards missing, you are coming up massively undercooked playing New Zealand, then you are playing South Africa and then coming up against Fiji.
For me, we were always going to start slow and you are up against arguably the best side in the world. To be in that game, 12 points down after 68 minutes, and then to go against South Africa – 74 minutes – and we’ve gone toe to toe with them, missing a huge amount of people, I think it has been massively positive.
It’s pouring down with rain in the stadium and these guys have gone toe to toe. You’ve got five people in that pack who have done 80 minutes back to back, and then gone up against Fiji. Although it wasn’t perfect against Fiji, we found a way to win, we found an angle to win. I think it has been incredibly positive.
Coming down Westgate Street is something we’ve missed, seeing all the people lined up. It has been a hugely-positive campaign, I feel.
Q: What about how Ryan Elias has performed in your old position? JH: He’s been a huge, huge positive for us. He’s gone more or less three 80 minutes. I really feel that of the positives to have come out of this campaign, he’s a massive plus for us.
His line-out work has been great. We always knew going into New Zealand there would be one or two issues. But it’s got a lot stronger.
The physicality of Ryan’s game… he’s a big kid, 112kgs, and he’s putting himself about. He’s leading the forwards and I’m delighted for him. He’s needed this break where he can play, get on the front foot, and play well. He’s loving it.
Q: Is Jonathan Davies ready to come back in at captain or do you continue with Ellis Jenkins as skipper?
JH:
I think that’ll come down to selection.
If Jon’s in the team then there’s a high probability he will captain it.
If he’s not in the team and Ellis is, then he’ll captain it.
It will come down to selection and how Wayne and Stephen want to go with the back-line.
Q: What’s your assessment on how the scrum has gone over the autumn?
JH: Coming in, we felt technically we were very high and we had a lot of work to do.
We got to the point where we needed to, the last scrum against Fiji five metres out. I know they were one guy down, but technically that’s where we want to be and where we want to get to. So we’re fighting our way back in that area.
Q: Has the autumn been frustrating in terms of missing players and performances?
JH:
Not frustrating at all.
We’re extremely lucky to be playing the top three sides in the world and then Fiji who pose a massive physical challenge.
I think it’s been brilliant for us in terms of finding out about people who can add to our depth.
I don’t see it as being frustrating at all. Those injuries that we’ve had have forced players to play who probably wouldn’t have played much.
If Alun Wyn had stayed fit all the way through, then Will Rowlands doesn’t get as much time as he has and Will has been outstanding for us.
So rather than look at the negatives of we’re missing all these people and has it maybe stopped us winning, against particularly South Africa, I think the bigger picture is telling us we’ve got a team that can fight with all those injuries and that’s a huge positive for us.