Wales need to patch up squad for Springboks
So much felt commonplace about Wales’s 30th consecutive defeat by the All Blacks, it seems perfectly apt that Warren Gatland’s task to patch together a squad for the match which could salvage the autumn is also eerily familiar.
This is not the first time Gatland has had to pick through his depleted troops for the visit of South Africa and his problem is not confined to the England-based players who might not be available because the Test falls outside the official international window.
While Owen Williams, Taulupe Faletau and Tomas Francis are all set to be back on Aviva Premiership business next weekend, Rhys Webb and Jake Ball are almost certain to join Wales’s ever-lengthening injury list.
Webb must go through concussion protocols after his early exit on Saturday and Ball’s shoulder complaint has provoked fears he could be a long-term absentee. With five Lions already out in Jonathan Davies, Liam Williams, George North, Sam Warburton and Ross Moriarty, as well as tighthead Samson Lee, Gatland and his coaching staff will plainly need to be creative.
Expect Hadleigh Parkes – the Kiwi who actually completes his three-year residency qualification on Saturday – to appear in the centres, outside Scott Williams, who will likely move in from No13. And it is also probable that Josh Navidi who – together with Owen Williams – is Wales’s main find of the past month, will shift to No8, with Justin Tipuric stepping up to fill the openside berth.
Gatland will require all of his experience to field a strong enough XV, but he has done it before. In 2014 it was a similar scenario in the build-up to Wales beating South Africa for the first time in 15 years, while 12 months ago, acting head coach Rob Howley was also hastily forced to shuffle the pack before the 27-13 morale-booster over the Springboks.
As Aaron Shingler said, it does have the feel of a definitive encounter as to whether this campaign is adjudged a success or failure. “It is going to be another tough game and one we probably need to win as well to finish the campaign on a positive note, otherwise it is going to be a pretty disappointing autumn,” the blindside said.
“The big thing is to win next week. We have to keep playing rugby and keep defending as hard as we can, but there will be pressure on us to win. We have been reasonably good to watch, pretty entertaining, but obviously you need the results to be a happy camp at the end.”
As motivation, Gatland has dangled history in front of his players, declaring, “no Wales side has ever