Liam should face Boks - but who’d be a selector?
How do you solve a problem like Liam Williams? I’m guessing you’ll all be thinking is that a problem? Well, where do you play him this weekend? And who do you drop?
For those of you who think Warren Gatland has got an easy job, just imagine the agony he is going to have to go through this week when he tries to pick his side to play South Africa on Saturday.
There is so much at stake and who to play, and where in the back three, will be one of his biggest conundrums. Fair play to Liam, he overcame the inevitable emotion that comes with running out on your own to allow the crowd to salute you on your 50th appearance and produced a masterclass in finishing, counter-attack and defence.
He truly is a quality act, but will he get the nod over Leigh Halfpenny in his favoured position of full-back this weekend?
If not, and it was great to hear Warren saying post-match that both Leigh and George North hope to be back in full training this week after their knocks in the win over Australia, then which of the wings does Warren stand down? George is back firing on all cylinders and Josh Adams has grown with every minute he has played on the international stage.
He was excellent against the Wallabies.
It’s a nice problem to have, but it doesn’t end there. Who wears the No.10 jersey? This is a perennial debate in Wales and it looks as though we’ve got another major battle for the much vaunted shirt with Dan Biggar coming back with a bang against the Tongans.
He ran the show superbly with his variety of kicking and off the tee he was perfect – it was a magnificent response to two impressive showings from Gareth Anscombe to score 19 points and be man of the match.
But then we also had a magnificent cameo from the fit-again Rhys Patchell in the final quarter when the game opened up and the tries flowed.
I’m not sure his mother would have been happy at seeing him given his first run for three or more weeks after concussion against a team like Tonga, but he led them a merry dance.
His solo try was one of the highlights of the game, dummying past the first line of defence and then racing 50 metres to the posts. Two minutes earlier his half-back partner Aled Davies had scored another rip-roarer that involved four offloads. Patchell’s kicking out of hand and off the tee was magnificent and his distribution added an extra dimension to the Welsh attack. So, who will it be at No.10 – Anscombe, Biggar or Patchell?
I’d go for Anscombe, but it’s another nice problem to have!
Against Tonga I thought Jake Ball came back with a massive game in the second row, Seb Davies was sensational at No.8, Ellis Jenkins gave Justin Tipuric a few things to think
“Liam overcame emotion of his 50th cap to produce a masterclass in finishing, counter attack and defence”
about, and the centres Owen Watkin and Tyler Morgan looked more than capable of filling in for Hadleigh Parkes and Jonathan Davies.
I know from painful experience how difficult it can be to play against a tier 2 nation at this time of year. We got out of jail against Fiji in 2005 but only thanks to a Nicky Robinson drop goal that earned us an 11-10 victory. So when the Tongans got back to 24-24, it became a searching test of character.
But this young Welsh side came out of it with flying colours. To score 10 tries in any game, but especially 50 unanswered points in 37 minutes, takes some doing. They had been put under pressure and responded magnificently.
Now we are seeing some real strength in depth emerging and what has impressed me of late with Gatland and his selections is how the team has grown stronger as the games have gone on longer. That has come about through his intelligent use of the bench. The players who came on against both Australia and Tonga made a massive impact. That is testament to the huge growth in our talent pool.
But as well as finding a way to win the game against the Tongans, the Welsh players also showed how proud they are of their current winning run. I played in the first six of eight successive wins in the 2004-2005 campaign and I can tell you that winning becomes a habit.
When things get difficult in a game, it just takes a nod or a wink here and there to sort them out. That’s what happened in the second half against Tonga to make it eight wins in a row for the Class of 2018. That is hugely, hugely encouraging.
The Welsh record of 11 in a row has become something of a ‘Holy Grail’ ever since it was set between 1907 and 1910. The best run in the Seventies was eight (1970-72) and Rob Howley’s side coached by Graham Henry managed 10 in a row in 1999 up to and into that year’s World Cup.
So, can this Welsh side give Gatland the perfect send-off by surpassing the 108-year-old landmark? If they can notch their first autumn clean sweep with a fourth successive win over the Springboks this weekend then I’d say anything is possible.
But to do that I’d like to see Liam on the pitch from the start. That might be unpopular with some and I understand that.
The choice between Dan and Gareth at fly-half is also a very difficult one and there are similar calls all over the field.
It will no doubt give Warren a headache, but better that than an easy selection.
So, what about the other calls? Jake could be an option to partner captain Alun Wyn Jones at lock against South Africa. Cory Hill and Adam Beard will certainly be feeling the pressure from him.
Whatever happens, Wales are in a fine place. A defeat to South Africa wouldn’t change that, but at the same time winning would make for our best ever autumn.
The confidence Wales would be able to take from that would be just immeasurable.