Wales go for glory against South Africa
Full-back has shown the perfect attitude to finding himself out of favour and can now prove his worth
Although I am gutted for Liam Williams, because I know how important he has been to Wales over the past year, I am delighted that Leigh Halfpenny is getting an opportunity against South Africa. Leigh is one of the best professionals I have played with. Quite an unassuming bloke, a quiet guy, although he livens up after a few beers, like most West Walians.
If there was ever a man to come into the team for an occasion of this magnitude, it would be Leigh. He has won Grand Slams, British and Lions tours, a Champions Cup with Toulon. He is a proven winner and knows what it takes to come out on top. Wales are ridiculously blessed to have someone of his calibre who can come in with Liam now sidelined.
The main thing about Leigh is his attitude. It was quite obvious from when we started playing together how diligent he was – not just with his goal-kicking but his approach to everything about the game. That same detailed approach has led to him having a long career at the top of the sport.
He has recently been outside of the starting XV partly because of Liam’s form, but also because Wales tweaked their attacking approach. But the fact that he was still picked in the World Cup squad, that he is still around the team, is testament to his resilience when things have not gone his way. He could have easily folded, accepted that he was not wanted, put his feet up and coasted. But that is not his personality. He deserves a huge amount of credit for that.
When you look at who has been selected in the back line recently and what they offer, Liam emerged as this brilliant attacking threat from deep. With Dan Biggar kicking as well as he has been off the tee, the coaching staff obviously thought it was more important to start those two players ahead of Leigh.
There was a time when Leigh was the best goal-kicker in the world and was playing fantastic rugby. No one else in the Wales side was kicking on his level and he was the first name on the teamsheet. But things change in rugby, and he has had to deal with that, which he has done superbly.
As full-backs go, there are few in the game who are better in the air. For a short guy (by rugby standards) at
5ft 10in, he is incredibly brave. He reads opponents’ kicks so well, and is so often a second ahead of everyone else with his vision.
That ability to know where the ball is going, his ability to cover space and guess where those kicks are going, is second to none.
Plus, he has gone away and worked on his counter-attacking game, which I know was something the coaches asked him to improve. The stage is now set for him to deliver, on the biggest stage of all in a World Cup semi-final. Leigh will be desperate to put in an enormous performance. He is a humble, hard-working guy and I cannot sing his praises enough.
There is no denying that Liam, and Josh Navidi in the back row, are huge losses. The players will be gutted for them. Warren Gatland will have been well aware that this could happen and the planning has been in place for this sort of situation over the past four years.
Taulupe Faletau and Gareth Anscombe were huge losses as well – it is all about how you adapt. As a squad, you find a way. Warren is very good at that. He has made sure there are two or three players in each position who can step up to this level when called upon, with Leigh being a prime example.
Josh has been one of Wales’s top
‘Leigh reads the opposition kicks so well that he is often a second ahead of everyone else’
players over the past couple of years and embodies that physical aspect of the game with his carrying and defence, but in Ross Moriarty, Wales have a similar operator who will relish the physicality of South Africa.
He will have been gutted with that yellow card against France, but he reacted well after coming back off the naughty chair and did a job. He plays on the edge, and that is perfect ahead of combating a tough Springbok camp.
Wales can certainly hurt South Africa with their kicking game, which will be absolutely crucial in Yokohama. Every box-kick will have to be on the money. They have to get up in the air and compete, but also vary their kicking game with chips over the top to counter South Africa’s line speed.
You will rarely get around that onrushing defence through your passing game, so the right kicks are essential.
Plus, Wales have to be incredibly disciplined. That is paramount. You cannot afford to leak penalties against this South Africa side, because you will find yourself defending driving mauls all day long. Wales and South Africa both like to play low-risk rugby, are very direct and will go at each other on the advantage line. Wales need to embrace that arm-wrestle and stay in it, because in the tight phases, the maul, scrum, contact area, South Africa are the best team in the world. The tackle counts will rack up, and Shaun Edwards’s role this week will have been bigger than ever.
This is the time when Wales need to box clever. Prevent line-outs, keep the ball on the park, and try to squeeze South Africa.
I feel quietly confident. However, Wales must score tries and exploit the Springboks in the wider channels.