Hit and miss campaign but some stunning tries
Modern day Test rugby is all about momentum and after victory over South Africa, Wales can go into the Six Nations with a degree of confidence.
But the Autumn campaign could, and should, have been a lot better. Two wins from four is not bad, but it’s not great either – about a B-minus. There were some good things, but certainly plenty of areas to improve upon.
This win didn’t come easily and midway through the second half I was really concerned. But we came out on the right side of the result which was nothing short of vital. Lose and Wales would have ended the series with just one poor success over Georgia.
A 50 per cent win ratio is hardly something to gloat about, I know, but I was interested to hear Warren Gatland say after the game that he’s more than happy for the media to talk up the likes of England, Ireland and Scotland for the Six Nations.
The first half against South Africa was exactly the sort of rugby I’ve wanted to see from Wales – it was great to watch but the question I have to ask is why has it taken this long for it to arrive?
It was clear to see Dan Biggar targetting South Africa in the air and once full-back Andries Coetzee had tried to claim a couple of high balls, you could see why. He was awful in that area, but Wales do deserve credit for the way they exploited the Springboks weaknesses in defence to claim three first-half scores.
The first for Scott Williams was a beauty. It was a sublime cross-kick from Dan, so good in fact that Hallam Amos didn’t even have to break stride as he ran on to the ball. After that, all the momentum was with Wales and Scott had a relatively easy finish.
It was brilliant stuff and while Wales have been hit-and-miss this autumn, they have scored some excellent tries. Scott’s effort against New Zealand was another one. Minutes later Hadleigh Parkes crossed for his first of the afternoon and again the score came from a fine Biggar chip.
I really liked Dan’s performance because he mixed up his game nicely. He clearly sensed his kicking game was going to bring its rewards but when it was on to play and go wide, he did exactly that. Dan has continued to stamp his mark as the first-choice outside-half. Thank goodness too that he’s made it to 60 caps which means he can play for Wales when he signs on at Northampton for the start of next season. Hopefully, the head knock he took against South Africa isn’t too bad, either, especially with the Ospreys struggling.
As for Parkes, what a debut he had. I know the three-year residency rule is controversial and I’ve said in the past I’m a firm advocate of that period being extended to five, but I was pleased for Parkes because no-one can blame any player for taking the chance to try international rugby. I thought he was excellent.
Of course, his two tries were the main headline acts, and rightly so, but I thought that on the whole Parkes mixed his game up well. At 30-yearsold he’s had plenty of experience and that was shown by his decision making. When it was the right moment to kick, he kicked. When the ball had to go wide, it went wide. That might sound simple, but Wales in the past haven’t had a player in midfield with an ice-cool head. Parkes delivered that and for me the inside centre berth is going to be a really interesting selection for the Six Nations.
Parkes has certainly staked his claim for that jersey, but let’s not forget about Owen Williams, who I thought was excellent against Australia and New Zealand. That’s certainly a headache for Warren come the first few months of next year.
When I look at the Autumn campaign as a whole, I’ve been impressed by some of the fringe players who have stepped up. Josh Navidi and Aaron Shingler have certainly stood out, showing they’re more than capable of delivering on the Test stage. Elsewhere, young forwards like Eliott Dee, Leon Brown and Seb Davies will reap huge benefits from from their Test introductions.
Now attention turns to the Six Nations and it’s going to be a fascinating tournament. I don’t think I’ll be shocking anyone by saying that England are favourites to win, especially given the form they’ve shown under Eddie Jones. Then you’ve got Ireland who are playing some fantastic stuff and Scotland who are improving rapidly under Gregor Townsend.
Those three teams are all likely to be ahead of Wales in the betting, but I’m not too concerned. We’ve known for a while that Warren’s boys like being the underdogs. In that position we often produce our best rugby and I wouldn’t be surprised to see us claim a big scalp or two. The first game against Scotland in Cardiff is going to be monumental. Win that and who knows what will happen.
Jonathan Davies and Jake Ball will miss the Six Nations through injury and I’m not expecting Sam Warburton to play, either. But on the flip side, Justin Tipuric should be back in contention after missing almost all of this autumn. So, too, should Ross Moriarty.
There are still exciting options for Gatland to consider, the promise of an ever-evolving style of play, and the fact we play three of our Six Nations games at home in 2018.
On the whole we’ve had an autumn that’s just above average, but don’t for one second write this Wales team off. There have been positive signs that we’re heading in the right direction and the Six Nations will be an acid test of where we are with the next World Cup in mind.
Wales have to target a top two finish and that’s a more than realistic aim and after last season’s fifth-placed spot, it can’t get much worse than that.
“Thank goodness Biggar has reached the 60-cap mark so he can still play next season”