Parkes to make Wales debut hours after he qualifies
Kiwi-born centre is eligible from tomorrow Gatland happy to give supporting cast a chance
Warren Gatland believes it is a “blessing in disguise” that a host of injuries and unavailabilities has given him the opportunity to blood several new players such as Hadleigh Parkes, the New Zealand-born centre, for the contentious fourth Test of the autumn against South Africa at the Principality Stadium.
Parkes qualifies for Wales on the three-year residency ruling tomorrow, having arrived in the country on Dec 2 2014, but will slot straight into a team showing five enforced changes from the side who went down to a spirited 33-18 loss to New Zealand last weekend.
This Test match is outside the established international window but generates significant funds (£2.5million) for the Wales Rugby Union and also affords the head coach the chance to nurture players with a view to generating strength in depth for the World Cup in Japan in two years’ time. Parkes has been selected for the No 12 role that Gloucester’s Owen Williams filled with a reasonable degree of success in the opening Tests of the autumn as Wales looked to develop a twin playmaker role.
The 30-year-old, who has also had a stint playing in South Africa, came to Wales with the intention of furthering his lifestyle and rugby experiences but was made aware of the possibilities of international selection by Gatland a while ago. There are several other Scarlets in the Wales set-up and Parkes hooks up with his teammate Scott Williams in the centre.
Gatland is without the bulk of his Englandbased players, who are not required to be released outside of the international window, with Bath No 8, Toby Faletau the exception, leaving his club open to a fine from Premier Rugby.
Aled Davies, the Scarlets scrumhalf, gets his first start after Gatland opted to leave out Gareth Davies, who has been carrying a shoulder injury. Rhys Webb, who took a bang to the head against the All Blacks, is on the bench. The pack has a raw feel with two relative newcomers in the front row in hooker Kristian Dacey and Scott Andrews on the tighthead. Cory
Hill, the Dragons’ lock, packs down alongside Alun Wyn Jones. Wales are without 11 players but Gatland sees this as a chance to test players in the most challenging of environments, agreeing that such an opportunity was “a blessing in disguise”. “Definitely,” said Gatland who views Parkes first and foremost as an inside centre. “We see him more prominently at 12 at the moment. He’s an experienced player, and he has been pretty significant for the Scarlets. “We’ve thrown him in just to see if he can cope at this level and obviously he has that partnership with Scott as well. We’ve spoken about building some more depth. If we are in this situation come the World Cup then we have got players with caps and experience under their belts. I think that’s important for us.
“It’s a balancing act. The fourth international generates a lot of money. Part of the union’s responsibility is helping to fund the regions, contracts for the players, the community game. We could have taken different options, but I have always been a strong believer that the only way you get better is by playing against the best.” Parkes will be grateful for the experience of Dan Biggar inside him, the Northampton-bound fly-half hitting the critical mark of 60 caps, the future tipping point for selecting players outside of Wales.
“We should call it the Dan Biggar Game, the Dan Biggar Memorial Game,” said Biggar, who makes no bones about the fact that Wales have to knuckle down if they want to come out of the autumn with respect and self-confidence. “If the scoreboard is in South Africa’s favour we’ll all have to admit it’s been a poor autumn. We need to get our own house in order. We need to toughen up and it’s about not doing the pretty things. It’s to knuckle down and get your boots dirty and front up.”
South Africa have made five changes to the side who beat Italy 35-6 last week. Promising backthree player, Warrick Gelant, gets his first start on the left wing while back-row forwards, Dan du Preez and Siya Kolisi step in for the absent Duane Vermeulen of Toulon and Bath’s Francois Louw, both back at their clubs. Hooker Malcolm Marx returns from injury alongside prop Steven Kitshoff. Prop Tendai Mtawarira failed
a fitness test.