Sorry Leigh, Liam goes full-back to get Josh in team

Wayne Pivac has probably had a few sleepless nights since becoming the head coach of Wales, but this week is going to be the worst of all. How is he going to perm the best five players out of 11 to fill his three-quarter line to face England? Some might say it’s the biggest selection headache of his coaching career. If he gets it right then Wales can definitely upset the odds again this weekend against England.

So here goes, my attempt at being a selector!

FULL-BACK: Leigh Halfpenny or Liam Williams

Leigh is going through the back-to-play protocols after taking a blow to the head in Scotland. Assuming he comes through them safely, he will be fit to resume. Can Pivac afford to drop his No.1 marksman? Dan Biggar or Callum Sheedy are more than capable deputies in the goalkicking department, so it is possible. If he does decide to play without Leigh then it will be no reflection on the player himself. But the only way to accommodate his biggest attacking threats is to move Liam to full-back.

WINGS: Louis Rees-Zammit, Liam Williams, Josh Adams, George North, Hallam Amos

Any team in the world would love to have five players of this calibre to pick from. Josh is back after his two-match suspension, George is fit again and Louis and Liam were both try scorers in the win over the Scots. Switching Liam to full-back frees up a spot for Josh, while George can always move into the centre. Hallam is due to return after undergoing his return-to-play protocols after suffering a head knock in the win over Ireland. Lovely footballer that he is, I can’t see him getting the nod ahead of the others. Louis has to start after winning the last two games for us.

CENTRES: Nick Tompkins, Owen Watkin, Jonathan Davies, George North, Johnny Williams, Willis Halaholo

The Scarlets duo of Davies and Williams are back fit and raring to go, while George is also ready to resume. If he returns at centre then it frees up a wing spot, but that makes it difficult to bring back Jonathan Davies. Nick and Owen were OK at Murrayfield and Willis came on to offer something different. This is exactly the sort of problem Pivac would have wanted after losing Hadleigh Parkes to Japan. Picking the best partnership is important and he must pick on form as well.

Looking at the England threequarter line we are more than a match for their back three. They might be more experienced in midfield if Jonathan Davies doesn’t play, but they’ve hardly been firing on all cylinders in that department as yet. So, I think Pivac has to be bold and go for his biggest and best attacking options.

If I was picking the Wales threequarter line then the first name on the team sheet would be Rees-Zammit. He may still be a rookie, but he’s playing with confidence and has just delivered two matchwinning tries that showcased his threat and talent. England will fear what he can do.

They also know what Josh Adams can offer. A battle between Jonny May and Anthony Watson and Rees-Zammit and Adams would be awesome.

Recalling Adams, who will be champing at the bit to regain his status as Wales’ No.1 wing and will want to give back to the squad after his Covid breach, is perhaps the most obvious move, but it comes at a price. Do you drop Liam Williams? No, you move him to full-back and, unfortunately, leave out Halfpenny.

CENTRES: Johnny Williams and George North

Wales have to have North in the side somewhere, so I’m going to put him at outside centre. It might seem heresy to suggest Jonathan Davies shouldn’t start, but even though he is fit to play I think he needs time to get back up to speed. Throwing him into the heat of a Wales v England Triple Crown battle after so few games might be asking a bit much. Bring him back off the bench and give him a start against Italy.

North has adapted well to playing at centre and gets more involved in the game, which is always good for Wales. That squeezes out Tompkins and leaves a big choice inside him. It’s probably too early to judge Halaholo’s full credentials on the basis of his 50 minutes at Murrayfield, excellent as they were. It is going to be very harsh on Watkin to drop him. He mis-timed that one tackle on Stuart Hogg when the Scottish skipper scored his second try, but he more than made up for that with some very nice touches. He also pulled off that vital ankle tap that stopped Scotland scoring at the death. But I think Johnny Williams showed enough against England in the Autumn Nations Cup to be given a chance again to re-join North in the centre. His defence is solid, he offers his outside-half a strong ball-carrying option and he took his try well against England at Parc y Scarlets.

HALF-BACKS: Dan Biggar and Kieran Hardy

An even bigger call for Pivac is at half-back. He sent his message loud and clear to the established duo of Gareth Davies and Biggar that he wanted more from them by hauling them off after 50 minutes in Edinburgh. They won’t have enjoyed that experience. In their place, Sheedy and Kieran Hardy performed admirably, adding urgency and purpose and helping to steer Wales to another victory. I still think we have to have Biggar’s experience and game management skills in the starting XV, but Pivac will be well within his rights to have a word in his ear and say he expects more this time out. Gareth Davies is one of the great broken field runners and is brilliant coming off the bench and playing against tired defences. That’s what I’d like to see him do against England. I’d back Pivac giving Hardy his first Six Nations start in the absence of Tomos Williams and tell him to build on his 30 minutes in Scotland. He is more experienced a player than people realise and has a good skill set.

WELSH PACK: Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones (c), Aaron Wainwright, Justin Tipuric, Taulupe Faletau

In the forwards, the front five probably picks itself. Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau join them as immovable objects and I’d certainly start with Aaron Wainwright again. He needs a run of games to get back to the form he showed in 2019 and backing him on this occasion, along with a gentle word in his ear, would allow Josh Navidi to be eased into the game as it unfolds having recovered from his head knock.

There is no bigger game for Wales than England at home. It is the one that matters most to the Welsh public and this time, of course, there is a trophy on the line. Can Wales win another Triple Crown? England will certainly start as favourites, and Wales will need to play much better than they have done against the 14men of Ireland and Scotland, but don’t rule it out. Wales get better as they gather momentum and the competition in the squad is going to bring the best out of the team Pivac finally picks.

The English forwards will want to turn the game into a war up front. Courtney Lawes, Kyle Sinckler and Maro Itoje will be throwing their weight around, Tom Curry will be a bloody nuisance at the breakdown and Owen Farrell won’t want to lose for a fourth time in Cardiff. Bring it on!